Vox AD60VT Valvetronix 112 Combo

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 9
This amp has all the features I want plus way more than I'll ever need. I used it for a 5-month house band gig that called everything from Elvis to Eagles, Donna Summer to Broadway hits. with the cheesy pedal board, it gave me every sound I could want.

Sound Quality: 9
I'm using it with a Nashville power tele with Fishman bridge and a hot rails in the center position. With this guitar and the selection of amps & effects on the Vox, anything is possible. One word of caution, the acoustic simulation kinda sucks big-time, and with the volume up, becomes basically worthless.

Reliability: 3
Here's where I run into problems. After about a month I noticed intermittant buzzing and static, like a worn tube amp or cold solder joint. This only happened maybe 6 times in 5 months but something's not quite right. Last night I turned it on and nothing. No lights no nothing. It blew a fuse. I went to radio shack and replaced the fuse (with the correct 3.15A 250V, that it calls for). When I turned it on it buzzed for a second and something audibly popped inside. Then came the unmistakable smell of burnt phenolic. I'm screwed. I started calling around for service today.

Customer Support: N/A
I guess I'll find out how servicing goes. It's still under warranty. This sucks big time. Now I'm scrambling for a suitable amp for the upcoming weekends gig.

Overall Rating: 6
I love this amp, but it let me down! Kinda like the girl you loved in High school, you just wish she'd not run off with the milkman.

Submitted by Mac at 06/16/2004 21:45

Price Paid: 415 (Pounds Sterling)

Features: 9
Amazingly versatile.. only got 9 cos it doesn't come with the footswitch. The power selector feature is a work of genius.. Allows me to use this as the mother of all practice amps ands till get amazing tomes at low volume.. or crank it all the way and fill a good sized pub venue. In case you don't know, you can select an output level from 60, 30, 15 or 1 Watt. At high volume this can be used to get closer to modelled amps in those ranges, like the AC15. The in built effects are limited to one pedal plus mod plus delay plus reverb and noise gate. Limiting, but that's not what this amp is about so don't judge it on that basis (I see others have - buy a Tonelab instead and stop bleating).

Sound Quality: 10
Some reviewers have a point whern they reserve 10 for the real deal. But I put the price in here and came to the conclusion that in this price range it is a 10. In the buotique range it would get 8 - 8.5.. Yeah, it's that good. It behaves as a real tube amp would. It responds to subtleties of playing.. It has clarity. It rings.. It roars.. It feeds back.. it gives nayuarl sounding harmionics.. I had heard that this thing doesn't like being driven by external pedals, but I just love what I get from feeding my guitar through the treble boost on a VOX BM-1 and through the in built treble boost then in to the AC 30 model.. The in built treble boost is a bit under powered, IMHO.. But you get well ni to Brian May creamy distortion territory. And the Boutique Clean channel is gorgeous.. The tone controls have different effects on the suond depending on the original amp's circuitry. If you could change it on the original you can change it on the model - and sometimes more. These are better than any other modeller I have tried. Simople as that. If you want a modeller, buy this. If you don't, don't.

Reliability: 8
Gets an 8 because there is a common fault with these - a resonant 'buzz' especially noticable on the cleaner settings.. Sort of a rattling from the back of the cab. The is a known cause and cure. The cause is air passing through the line out jack socket. The fix s a plastic blank or tape over the hole. Poor show on an amp in this price range. Apart from that it works every time.

Customer Support: N/A
Went back to the shop with my buzz, so never tied them. I hear they will supply the blank plugs on request though.

Overall Rating: 10
I would cry my little eyes out if it was stolen. I love this amp. My all valve Peavey Triumph has been mothballed since I got it. Would have liked to have seen the footswitch included. I hear that the VC 4 is crap and the expression pedal tricky to use on wah - too sensitive and cramped. The VC 12 is pricir but offers 2 pedals and the ability to operate 2 valvetronix devices at the same time. You can store patches in both pedals. There is no midi or USB support on the amps or pedals which is a pain, but they are so easy to program it isn't that bad. It might even be a blessing.. forces you to think about how you are setting it up.
I play better with this amp. No, not because I turn all the effects on and kid myself I sound good, but because it responds so well to the way you pay the guitar.
For more info on patches there is an exchange site : http://www.patchtronix.com and a discussion group http://www.voxtalks.com

Submitted by Jonathan Hill at 05/03/2004 09:25

Price Paid: US $400

Features: 8
They have all pretty much been said before so I won't go over it again. You can look down on the page to see. For a modeling amp it has more effects than most. Like three reverbs and three echo choices. They even sound pretty good. Different amp models and best of all wattage switching from 60, 30, 15, and 1 watts. Pretty nice in all.

Sound Quality: 9
First of all I would like to say that I don't care as much about it nailing that specific amp perfectly as much as I care about it just sounding good. I play a lot of different music from honky tonk to 60's music to blues to metal. So the main thing that attracted me most was versatility. Basically all of the amp models sound pretty good. The vox models sound the best surprisingly (duh). The AC30 is my favorite. I really like the ability to change wattages on the vox amps so the AC15 can be set to 15 watts and so forth. The Fender models are the ones I am most disappointed in. The tweeds sound pretty good, but I was a little disappointted with the blackface, the twin reverb. The twin reverb was always the amp I used on clean sounds but I found this one to be disappointing. It doesn't sparkle enough. It doesn't sound like the Fender, but more importantly I don't care for the sound anyway. The distrotions are pretty good, I especially like the British dist. The boutiques sound really good too. Just upset about the fenders, but the Vox models have become my new favorite so I don't really miss the fenders anyway. I think that it sounds very good though and has a great smooth tube liek sound. I mean it's not 100% but for my needs it is definaltey a great deal. I have tried many other modeling apms and none can get as close as this one does. Someone mentioned the Cyber Twin, and it does the Fender amps better than this one, but the rest of the Cyber twins sounds suck. I must admit that the vox sounds very close a lot of times to real tube amps, even if it may not have quite the power of one.
As for the effects... well I liked the reverb, it was pretty good. The tape echo sounded nice and dark. but a lot of the stompbox effects were less than satisfactory. They are all just passable effects if you want to play around in your room or jam with friends but I would prefer to just use real pedals. Some of them sounded pretty good though like the uni-vibe and the fuzz. I found that after working with some of the effects that can be made to sound pretty good. Some though just sound crap though. But all in all I think that they are above average quality for a modeling amp. Presets ALL suck like usual, but they are very easy to write over. I am very happy with my amp though. I gives me some really great tones and tons of versitility. I think that it is probably the best modeling amp on the market. And by the way, even though it has a Mesa/Boogie amp don't expect to be able to play nu-metal on this thing. It just won't work. It really is meant for lots of clean stuff or medium to high dist. (just not metal). But why would you buy Vox if you want to play nu-metal or hardcore?

Reliability: 7
hmmmm... I don't know if I would gig without a backup. It has worked fine and never had a problem yet, but I feel with all of the technology in it I wouldn't be comfrtable without a backup. But it seems sturdy and reliable. I take VERY good care of my equipment so I think it will be fine for me but I am pretty anal about taking care of my stuff so I am not sure how it would fair being banged around. But it seems well made.

Customer Support: N/A
Don't know. Heard a lot of people say bad stuff but also heard good stuff.

Overall Rating: 9
I own a strat, 72 telecaster thinline, a telecaster custom, and a Taylor acoustic. They all sound really good through it and each retain their own character. If it were stolen I think that I would get another, but recently they re-released the valvetronix and made a 30 and 15 watt one to go along with the 60 and 120 watt. I might save up and go for a 120 if it were stolen though. I think that it beat the competition hands down. It has wonderful tones and has a very tube like sound. It may not sound exactly like a tube amp but for the money, and if you need something really versatille, then it's really the best choice.

Submitted by Jeff at 02/12/2004 00:06

Price Paid: US $570

Features: 8
There are a TON of features... some other posters put em' in so I won't tire out my digits with repetitious garbage here.. suffice to say, if you're toolin around and want a lot of choices - this will suit you fine.

Sound Quality: 8
I've got a Fender fat strat, s Squire strat and a gibson les paul copy from the early 60's that has been outfitted with some EMG's...

Now, I'm not joe musician, I'm just a hobby guitarist and other weekend open mic'er... but I can do just about anything I want to with this. We usually cover some SRV, Tesla and even some jazzy stuff... I don't think there is a sound I can't at least some close to with this. Here's the deal people, if you're looking for a band in a box that sounds like a live recording, not only are you smoking something, but you're totally unrealistic.. It's almost unfair to say that this amp sucks because you can't replicate a leslie with a vox wah with a fuzz with a (insert your choice here)... that's not what this is about.. this is about getting a variety from the amp... if you want purity go spend thousands and carrying a TON of sh*t around...
If you wanna sit down and play and have some fun... spend your money here.

Reliability: N/A
I've only had it since Dec of 03 but it's already been to 2 open mic and travelled to practice 3-4 times a week.. cheezy gold trim pulled a bit (hope it's not a sign of things to come) but other than that.. no issues...

check with me at the end of this year and I'll let ya know how that went! =)

Customer Support: N/A
Again - no issues to report but from what people have said here, the support sucks... My local shop has a VOX dude there so I hope I won't have an issue

Overall Rating: 9
So far it kicks ass... it's not as loud as I thought it should be but I suspect that it's all the digital modeling that is keepin her grounded. I HATE the manual... I'm not a stoner surfer.. give it to me in laymans terms

Overall, if it was stolen, I'd replace it... If I had more cash.. i'd but her bigger brother...

Submitted by Mark at 02/02/2004 11:39

Price Paid: US $700

Features: 7
First, let me quantify this review. In my opinion, there is no 10. Since digital modeling is an interpretation of an ideal, 9 is tops.

How do I use my amp? I play twice a week, several hours at a time at my church, direct into a 32-channel mixing board. We use personal earpiece monitors, so I get to hear myself very clearly. I wanted a complete package, it had to sound authentic and still be an amplifier that I could use anywhere. I had the money to purchase whatever I wanted, & the Vox won.

The amplifier is loaded with features, similar to everyone else in the category. The latest models have speaker cabinets but mine does not.

Positives: Once you learn how to access everything (i.e. speak Valvetronix), it is easy to make changes, even when playing live. I can tune while playing, or do it silently between songs. I can turn my effects/reverb/delay on or off from the pedalboard.

Negatives: The VC-4 pedalboard is difficult to use because of its small size. It’s great that it fits in the back of the amp, but the buttons are small and the controller pedal has a small arc radius. You cannot control a wah properly. Spend the extra money and purchase the VC-12. Also, you cannot use more than one effect together (like the tube distortion & wah or a compressor & rat pedal). I don't use MIDI, but the fact that you can't do that with a Vox seems to matter to many people.

Sound Quality: 8
This is absolutely subjective. My rating compares to the state of the art in the modeling category.

I play mostly clean or with overdrive so that I can hear a lot of the character of each string & note. I really like to have the amp overdriven, & roll off the volume to clean it up. The amp does this. As far as acting like a “real” amp, the Vox is tops in the modeling category. Rating = A.

The individual amp models can be a shortcoming. With the exception of the Tweed Deluxe, the Fenders are missing whatever it is that makes the originals so remarkable – the Cyber Twin does them better. Rating = D.

The Marshall/Boogie overdrives are all good. They sound/act like most I have played. Rating = C.

The Vox AC-15/30’s are wonderful (of course). In fact, now I pretty much use the AC-15 as the platform for most of what I do. The clean has a lot of sparkle, the overdrive is downright brutal. For shear fun, put the amp on 15 watts, select an AC-15 with a small touch of reverb, max the gain and go to town. Rating = A.

The effects are close to a good pedal – the delay is good, the reverb is OK, the chorus, flanger and phaser are serviceable. At least I don’t have to have five pedals, five plugs, three adapters, blah blah. Rating = C.

In total, the amp earns a strong B. Overall, it does its job better than everything else out there regardless of the price.

Reliability: 9
I've had it two years with no problems. My amp is serial #10xx, which was early in the production. I practice/play for 5-6 hours at a time, at least twice a week. It goes in/out of the truck that many times, too. It is a tank. It weighs as much as one.

I know, it has a PCB board. Well, so does your Fender/Marshall/Line 6/Crate. It’s as well made as any other piece of mass-produced goods out there.

Customer Support: 5
I’ve sent one e-mail & got no reply.

The owner’s manual is the only support I have relied on at this point. Dudes – (can I say dudes?) the owner’s manual reads like the liner notes from a Def Leppard CD. Don’t talk to me like I’m 14, tell me how to use the damn thing. Geddit? How British. Well, how big-corporate-marketing-guy trying to sound British.

What warranty?

Overall Rating: 8
What I wanted was a well-built unit that allowed me not to worry about 20 things at once. I need to get home from work, grab the guitar/amp, plug & play, and be happy with the sound. The Vox does that.

What I hope to convey is the opinion of someone who has been playing 25 years and has owned some very nice equipment. I love the amp for what it is, and if stolen I’d replace it with another Vox.

Submitted by Mike Seymour at 01/30/2004 11:30

Price Paid: US $475 (about) used

Features: 6
This is an amp loaded with good ideas that ends up falling short, probably due to cut corners and low-grade components in the name of bringing this baby in for less than the Fender Cyber. To use such a low sampling rate that kills the brilliance & shimmer of the clean models & effects is a real shame. To build such a cheap box & chassis is an insult to a once-great brand name. As so many others have mentioned, the foot controller is nothing less than a slap in the customer's face. And to eliminate MIDI or any other kind of outboard storage is unforgiveable, especially coming from such a MIDI-savvy outfit as Korg. This is NOT a professional piece of equipment. Some would argue that's true of any modeler.....I don't believe that's necessarily the case, but it IS true of the Valvetronix. It's a novelty, but OK, an interesting one.

Sound Quality: 4
I've been playing this with a Les Paul, Epiphone semi-hollow, a couple Strats, '66 Rickenbacker 12-string, several others. Most of my guitars have Duncan or other upgraded pickups so no problem there. I'm a lot less concerned about modeling authenticity than I am about usable tone. There's a peaky, spikey icepick quality to this amp in all the clean sounds, yet still it sounds muffled, like there's a sharp hi-mid peak right below the steep filter cutoff frequency. In another post I mentioned my attempts at speaker swapping to smooth things out but this only led to other problems.

As for the effects - all the right ones, but their usefulness is defeated by the low quality. The chorus commits all 3 of the unpardonable sins of chorusing - audible slapback, audible pitch-change swoop, & lack of shimmer. The Univibe, flange, chorus & rotary all sound like slightly eq'ed versions of the same sound. Only the phaser sounds halfway authentic. How anybody who's ever used a decent chorus pedal or a JC120 could like the Valvetronix' chorus is beyond me. The compressor is really a limiter - a big "pop" for attack and then a weak fade-out without adding any sustaining balls to the signal. The delays and reverbs are thick and lack shimmer; they tend to just mud things up without contributing any sparkle or real musical depth. The overdrive "pedals" are pretty good, although I've never owned a Rat or a vintage TS-9 so I can't say how authentic they are. The octaver is very inconsistant and the "acoustic simulator" is subject to high-frequency digital aliasing, the very worst kind of distortion. So to get good effects you're still going to need your pedalboard.

Reliability: 4
When I got this the wattage switch was intermittent in the 1- and 15-watt positions. I'm an electronic tech so out came the chassis...I was stunned at the cheapness of the PWB & many of the components. The switch in question was unbelievably flimsy and far from being a standard, easily replaceable part. I removed it & applied some artful pressure to the contacts to get them to seat right. It's better now, but still a bit touchy. I've never played out with this & if I did you'd better believe I'd have a backup.

Customer Support: N/A
Wouldn't even want to try.....

Overall Rating: 5
I've had this for 1 1/2 years now and I've really wanted to like it. I've tried to hear it thru the same ears as those here & elsewhere who swear by its "real tube-like response" & genuine modeling authenticity. I've changed speakers, carefully developed graphic EQ settings in the effects loop, run the line out to different amp/speaker combinations, tried several different 12AX7's....and I'll tell you, I'm tired of all this turd polishing. It's going on Ebay along with my Tech21 TM120 (another turd) and I'm getting a Mesa Boogie Lonestar. And a good pedalboard.

Submitted by Wabash Slim at 12/25/2003 21:01

Price Paid: US $700

Features: 9
Lots of feature, lots of voices, numerous amp models, VC-4 expression pedal, 1x12 cab; The amp does have plenty of power; I use a 2x12 amp to gig with, but I do feel that the amp would be more than adequate to gig with. It does have a really good speaker emulated preamp-output, which has its own gain control, so my setup would be to run the AD60VT 1x12 cab speaker just for stage volume, then run it to the PA. I downgrade the amp 1 point because I do feel that its Fender models, in particular the Twin Reverb (Black 2x12) are less authentic than I was hoping for - yet they are OK (I've owned 2 Twins, so guess I was extra picky). Most people say they like the Twin voicing. To me it just sounds thin and edgy in a digital way. All of the Marshall and Vox voices are good. Overall a very good selection.

Sound Quality: 7
We use the amp primarily as a studio amp. We run mostly vintage instruments here, Rickenbackers, early model Strats and Tele's. Mostly single coil rigs. There are a wide range of distortions available. But... don't ditch your effects pedals. Even though Vox pitches that the Valvetronix amps have all the sounds you want, they don't. For example, it is impossible to have compression on and a distortion pedal voice on at the same time. In cases when you want Distortion and comp, you have to monkey with the gain controls and the compression. It just doesn't get there (at least not all the way). That being said the rig is still very good and most of all convenient. I am holding back a couple of points here because I do believe that VOx / Korg could have created a way to have more that one pedal effect going at once.

I like the amp better than the Fender equivalent - the Cyber Deluxe.

Reliability: 8
We'd had no problems with it, but like I said it's a studio amp and doesn't get lugged and banged around. If it did, I'd have to believe it would be relatively durable. I am holding back 2 points in the reliability area for Vox's use of plastic 1/4" plug receivers (females). These will fail well ahead of metal ones. I am also holding back a bit in this category because I feel that the tolex is thin a cheesy. We've never bang our AD60, yet the Tolex is peeling back in a couple of places. Disappointing for a $700 amp.

Customer Support: N/A
Never used them. Can't say.

Overall Rating: 8
Overall rating is an 8. I believe that th AD60VT, like all modeling amps is a compromise. Said another way, amps like this provide a wealth of capability in a single package. They are very good, but not perfect. I do like the AD60's size. It is small enough to be real easy to move about. Yet is large enough to have real beef. I like the tone better than the Line 6 or the Fender. Personally, I've been playing for too many years to report, lots of bands, lots of projects.

Overall I would recommend the amp, with the caveat that this amp, like all modeling amp with get you "a lot" of what you are looking for but not everything.

Submitted by StudioMac at 10/14/2003 07:03

Price Paid: US $699

Features: 10
Very feature laden.Not too much but just the right essential effects

Sound Quality: 10
Sound great with my anderson classic my prs or anything.I esp like the ac15, ac30 top boost and non, the dumble lead (I sold my Fuchs Dumble copy) and the blackface 2x12.Folks,This amp does not sound fake its real!

Reliability: 10
I depend on it constantly in the studio and live.I have used it on major recordings and love it.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 10
Been playing professionally for 15 years.Dont compare this to line 6 or other models.I compare it to the real deal. I sold a $3000 amp when I got this. Sure the amp sounded good but could I call up an ac30 for chime, a blackface for clean and a dumble for solo?Add some spring reverb and tape echo and I'm Very happy! I currently play with a capitol records artist who has 3 gold records and I tour professionally and not to be blunt but I know what Im talking about.The only thing is when you demo one turn off all the effects and go for tone.

Submitted by Shane at 10/08/2003 05:57

Price Paid: US $699

Features: 10
Awesome group of features, everything that a working musician needs and wants in a single box.

Sound Quality: 10
I have played virtually every modeling amp on the market, cybertwin, cyberdeluxe, zentera, vetta, etc. all of them had some dood useable sounds but the valvetronix hands down smokes them all, the tones you get from this box will virtually capture you and take you into tone nirvana. It is truly a pleasure to play.

Reliability: 5
I have owned this amp for almost a year, gigging 2-3 nights a week without backup and without a problem. I purchased the VC-4 foot control, (which sucks spring for the new vc-12) and I have had alot of problems with the foot control and the amp not working together. In other words the foot control lights up and acts like it is working but the amp does not respond to it. I have tried multiple vc-4's, and cables as well as the new vc-12, still the same problem so it is the amp. the annoying part is it does this sometimes and usually always a the WRONG time. I have taken it apart and had the local shop look at it to see if anything "noticable" stuck out such as a loose wire etc. nothing. So it sits at home as a "jam" amp, since it works flawlessly without a foot control. Since I have recently purchased the VOX AD120VT. What can i say the valvetronix sounds so good I have to go back...... classic moth to a flame story I guess.

Customer Support: 1
I tried to call Korg/Vox, they tried to send me to a "authorized repair center". I called 5 diffrent shops in my area, half of them had never even heard of the valvetronix. So i did not feel comfortable sending my amp to them. I just decided to live with it. VOX YOU NEED A LONGER WARRANTY AND A PLACE TO GET THESE AMPS FIXED! Killer products, customer support is hard to find and very snobby.

Overall Rating: 8
Great amp, going to get better I know, If vox would extend the warranty a bit, make easier to get QUALIFIED people to work on it or at least answer questions, this amp will be one of the best gigging amps EVER produced. I am very happy with my amps and will continue to support the Valvetronix line.........for now,
Peace

Submitted by Scott at 10/01/2003 10:41

Price Paid: 999 (Euro)

Features: 10
As described by others: fabulous - I like this 1-15-30-60W option.

Sound Quality: N/A
Here is my real problem:

I thoroughly tested Valvetronix AVT60 combo ... and I used my Les Paul and my Strat.

Initially, I always test 3 basic sounds (NO effects):

Cleanish like the Fender Twin (jazz, country)

Bluesy overdrive like the Fender Bassman ('Buddy Guy')

Singing warm-tube Sanatna-like Mesa-Boogie lead

Well, at 60W Vox offerred some of that taste, and blues
was almost sweet with AC15 amp at 1W setting ...
so we almost gave it a very good rating

BUT then

I just plugged the guitar to the nearest class A tube combo
15 Benedetti (no reverb) - cheapo VoxAC15 copy from Korea :

and

THE class A tube TONE completely smoked the Valvetronix ...

I emphasize that it was not subjective: everybody could hear
an enormous difference in my local store ... the tube dynamics of even an industrial cheapo class A tube amp smokes this Korg-Vox-amp.

In summary, I admit that you can TWEAK some great sounds
from Valvetronix and that 1-15-30-60W switch is useful
BUT ultimately it sounds like my AX1500G through a good amp
but it cannot provide a sonic complexity of any of my 15W tube
amps: Gibson GA15RV and THD Univalve dominate it sonically.

I am not giving a note here. If THD Univalve is 10 then Valvetronix
is 8.5 and Roland VG-88v2 is 9 ... just as an orientation ...

Fwiw, Davor

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A
Korg have great network but the local dealer tells me that
they had some problems in the past.

Overall Rating: N/A
I play since 1960 and have tested and owned just about any gear out there. I really wanted BADLY to bux this amp, but couldn't:
sonically not sufficiently expressive for my style.

To be even more precise even Roland VG-88v2 sounds to me
slightly superior to Valvetronix yet again I repeat Vox is
a very good sounding emulation amp and a good option if you
have the time and nerve to adjust various knobs/parameters ...

Out of the box for an old-time school of guitar playing
one should rather consider any decent all tube (class A) amp ...

I do believe that AVT120 may sound somewhat better
as it has 212 and greater loudness so psychologically
it impresses more, but the INSIPRING BREATHING TUBE TONE
simply is not there ...

Still, I think it's an excellent buy for a guitar player that has not yet been blessed with the very best analog-tube class A tones ...
although in digital arena even ZOOM Fire 30 now offers goodies for only $229 ... anyway, let your own EARS decide ...

Submitted by Davor at 09/07/2003 01:47