Vox Cambridge Reverb 110 Combo

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I am writing this as a follow up on my previous review about my 1967 solid state vox cambridge. IN my previous review I stated that I had just bought a tube version of this amp and was anxious to compare the solid state vs. tube version.also comparing a Reverend hell hound amp which is a class A tube amp, Well you might be surprised by what I'm going to say.After playing them side by side along with two other members of my band the solid state amp sounded as good as the tube amps and got louder.Sorry to say I sent the tube amp back but I could'nt justify spending $800 for an amp that did'nt sound any better than one I already owned.

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Submitted by Russell Hawthorne at 07/28/2004 22:53

Price Paid: US $200.00

Features: 8
I bought my Cambridge Reverb in June 1966 for $200.00. It was a floor model built in 1965 so I was fortunate to get an all tube model. I believe it was one of the early JMI amps exported here before Thomas Organ began building solid state models.It has a brushed aluminum control panel unlike the normal black Thomas models. Can you believe at the time I was disappointed that it wasn't the "hot new" solid state design! Still have it & it's the most cherished amp in my collection. I play classic & modern rock,also dabble in a little blues. Same layout as the later versions, single channel 3 inputs with reverb & tremelo, 17 watts. Plenty of features for that time period. It came with a 10" Gold Bulldog speaker that lasted until about 1980. Mine also came with a 2 button footswitch with a 1/4" jack and chrome stand. Gigged with it for almost 30 years in high school & smaller clubs using a 2-12" Buckingham cabinet for extra OMPH. Nowadays it rarely leaves the house except for studio stuff where it really shines! By today's standards I couldn't rate the features higher than 8.

Sound Quality: 10

I have played a variety of guitars with this amp starting with my 1965 Hy-Lo Strat copy up to my new Epiphone SG. Of course my favorites were one of my Rickenbackers or my 1967 Gretsch G6118. The tone is incredible with a rich tube saturation and the spring reverb is the best I've ever heard bar none. I had to replace the stock speaker with a 12" PyleDriver in 1980 but that seems to have thickened the sound. With a 17 watt rating this amp can be driven at the perfect level in a small club or banquet room. The volumn only goes to 6 and I was usually between 4 or 5 when gigging. It always retained it's clarity. The tremelo is also crisp but I've always wondered why tremelo was a standard feature in amps then(and now). I don't think I ever used it more than twice in a night and only for brief periods of a tune(maybe the surf sound craze back then?). As with all tube amps it has hum but not excessive by my standards.

Reliability: 10
Again, the reason I believe it's a JMI amp is that in 38 years I have only had to retube it about 3 or 4 times. As I said I blew the original 10" Bulldog in 1980 while experimenting (and foolishly trashed it)but otherwise it's been bulletproof.

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N/A but see above!

Overall Rating: 10
I will own this amp until they cart away my bleached bones. I don't even want to think about losing it which is why it stays home. I have 9 other amps,tube equipped 1984 Mesa Boogie,1966 Fender,1980 Peavey, and a host of solid state & hybird amps but she's still queen!

Submitted by RobBob at 02/20/2004 19:54

Price Paid: US $325 used

Features: 9
The speaker code on my amp is from the 44th week of 1966, so my amp was likely made in either late '66 or 1967. The Cambridge Reverb is not a British product; it was manufactured by Thomas Organ in California. (After the Beatles brought the Vox name to the attention of American musicians, Thomas Organ wisely licensed the Vox trademark from JMI in England, and began manufacturing their own line of amps that have little in common with their British cousins aside from the diamond grill cloth and chrome trolleys!) The reverb on this amp is rich and warm, and not unlike a Fender's (although not quite as dripping). The Tremelo has controls for speed and depth, and sounds great too. The amp has three (!!) inputs, as well as an aux. speaker jack in case you want to try it through a bigger cab. The amp originally came with a footswitch that allows you to switch on the 'verb and trem, as well as a function called Mid Range Boost (MRB). Since I do not have the pedal, I am unable to use the MRB, as it can only be activated with the pedal. (This is not the case with the 'verb and trem, fortunately!) I believe the Cambridge Reverb is rated at around 17 watts, and is the 1x 10 combo version of the Vox Berkeley (which is a piggyback amp with a 2 x 10 cab). So far I have only used this amp as a home practice amp, and it is perfect for that. (I imagine it would be an excellent recording amp as well.) The factory-installed Oxford "Vox Bulldog" ceramic speaker is a fantastic match for this amp. Most of the US-made Vox amps have pressboard cabinets; my amp is made of solid pine (like old Fenders have), so the amp resonates more musically and adds sustain.

Sound Quality: 9
I mostly play '60s garage and pop, so my fave guitars are a '66 Rickenbacker 330/12, '62 Gretsch Tennessean & a CIJ Fender '62 Tele reissue. Prior to buying this amp I was of the opinion that solid state amps are crap. The tone is rich and warm and dynamic, and (dare I say it) TUBE-LIKE! Heck, it even overdrives smoothly! Not even a hint of solid state harshness! I used to own a '65 tube Vox Berkeley, and this amp sounds better. The tone knobs offer a wide variety of sounds, from ear-piercing treble to jazzy bass. It runs very quietly, and still sounds rich at low volume (unlike a lot of tube amps).

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I haven't owned it very long, but it appears to be all original. I've detected no problems.

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Thomas Organ is long out of business! I've heard that these solid state Vox's are a pain to service though.

Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing since 1977, and have had a variety of solid state and tube amps over the years. My main gigging amp is a '63 Fender Bandmaster piggyback. Prior to buying the Vox, my home practice amp was a tweed Fender Pro Junior, which is a highly regarded all tube 15 watt amp with a since 10" speaker. The PJ sounds really great with the Tele, but I'm not crazy about its sound with my other guitars. It's kinda box-y sounding, and is a gain monster (which isn't really my bag). It's a great blues amp, but doesn't have the sparkle of the Cambridge Reverb. I'm still surprised by how good the Cambridge Reverb sounds; I never knew that a solid state amp could compare to a tube amp favorably!

Submitted by beatcomber at 10/31/2003 14:43

Price Paid: used

Features: 7
This is my second solid state cambridge reverb built by Thomas Organ in 1967 with 45 watts it has one 10" gold vox bulldog speaker with a single channel volume ,treble, bass,tremelo with depth and speed controls ,reverb and mid boost that I can operate with the origonal pedal. It also has three inputs a line reverse switch and an external speaker jack. This little amp is plenty loud I've played some good size venues with it and had no problem being heard.I play all types of music from Johnny Cash to the Clash and more.

Sound Quality: 9
I play mostly a Starfire custom with De armond pick ups that are hummbukers I get great tone with this combo and when I need a little extra when playing a solo I hit the mid boost on my pedal and it cuts through plus the tone and controlled feed back are incredible!! couple this with nice reverb, tremelo and a Tube screamer I can get a multitude of cool sounds its clean when played at 6 with pick ups at 3 and breaks up nice when tuned up.I use an external cab with a 12" celestion that gives nice lows along with the 10" bulldog that bites you with its mid to high range. I've played Fenders,Marshall,music man and Peavey but I'll take the sound of this cambridge anyday! Of course this is just my opinion.

Reliability: 9
I've owned two of these now and another on the way that is a tube version and had no problems yet.I owned my first one for 18 years till recently I traded it and $250 for the one I have now which is in better shape and is all origonal. I have had no troubles with either of the two I've owned but they are old and I still bring a back up because you nrver know.

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Have'nt had to take for repair yet but I know a good tech here in San Diego if needed.

Overall Rating: 8
I've been playing on and off for 35 years and own a Peavey Bandit 112 trans tube series that dosn't get used much.I will definitly keep this amp I just purchased another cambridge that is the tube version and will get it tommorrow I plan on using both to gig with it should be interesting I can't wait!! The only thing this amp can't do on its own is get enough overdrive thats why I use a tube screamer with it But overall it is a great amp I would recommend it to anyone.

Submitted by Russell Hawthorne at 07/11/2003 01:29