Vox Pathfinder 15

Price Paid: US $74.00 used

Features: 7
The features have been covered elsewhere. Simple controls. I wish it had an effects loop, but for the price I can't complain. I wish it had reverb but I bought it off Ebay and I can make up for that with effects. I do like the boost feature. It really brings out the mid range and I really get a bluesy sound playing an Epiphone Sheraton through it. I do like the vintage sound of the tremelo.

Sound Quality: 10
I am playing an Epiphone Sheraton II, a Fender American Strat with Texas Specials, a Fender Prodigy with Lace sensors and a Fender Tex Mex fat Tele through it. All the guitars sound good through it, but I think the Epiphone sounds the best. It can be as bright and clean as you want or as gritty as you want.

Reliability: N/A
Only had it a week, but not much to go wrong with it.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 8
Good practice amp for the bucks.

Submitted by Harry Sechrest at 07/04/2003 19:08

Price Paid: UK£79 (UK Punds)

Features: 8
A 15watt 1X8" solid-state combo. Made in FarEast for Vox. Simple control layout, with retro chicken head knobs. Gain, Volume, Treble,
Bass, Tremelo speed, Tremelo depth & a Mid boost push switch. Signal-out jack,Headphone jack, Ext.speaker jack.

Sound Quality: 9
Great little amp. for what it costs. I paid £UK79, which is around
$US130 at present. It's very loud for a 15w practise amp and has some
of the true vox 'grit' in it. I use it mainly with Strats,Teles & an
Epi' Les Paul and it delivers the goods, especially with the mid boost engaged. Play with the controls to get your ideal tone. Not for Metal.

Reliability: 8
It's really not powerfull enough for gigging, other than a home barbeque party. I rarely tune the volume over half way up in my home.
After 6 months of continuous home use its still working fine.

Customer Support: N/A
Not yet needed.

Overall Rating: 8
Been playing 40 years. Own Marshall, Fender & Hartke amps. I had a little 15w Fender Bronco tweed solid-state practise amp for the past 4years, but it kept farting out on the low notes if you pushed the volume past half way. Crap speaker I expect? This little Vox is half the price and blows the Fender's socks off.

Submitted by Anonymous at 06/26/2003 00:51

Price Paid: US $92

Features: 8
I was looking for a small bedroom amp last week on ebay and used these reviews as a reference. I bought a Vox Pathfinder 15 without reverb at an ebay auction for $92 with shipping included. I think it was a demo model, in like new condition. I play mostly classic rock.

Sound Quality: 9
I play a Fender Squire Tele. I was wondering if I made the right decision to buy this. I was going to ask the seller if they had a return policy - just in case I didn't like it - but I do like it a lot. This amp has got guts for a small amp and the tone is nice. Seems to really bring out the Fender sound.
Some of the other reviews of this amp made me wonder how legit they may be but I'm not sorry I bought this amp and as far as I'm concerned, the reviews are legit.

It suits my style well. I like the clean sound. The tremolo is nice.
I'm not a pro at amps, but the distortion reminded me of fuzztones we used to use back in the late 60s - the Hendrix / Blue Cheer type sound.

I also like it's size a lot. It takes up just a small little space in my bedroom. A lot of sound comes out of this small amp. Like the others have said - for what it is, it's great. It may not sound as good as a Vox AC30, but for a small amp it's super.

Reliability: 10
I've only had it for a week but it's built like a Mack truck and I bet it will be very dependable. It's very tough looking, solid and good looking too.

Customer Support: N/A
I never dealth with them.

Overall Rating: 10
I just got back into playing after 30 years away from it. If it were stolen I would get another.
I didn't hear other amps but I'm satisfied with this.
It's small, rugged, and sounds great. I think it's really a very good amp for the money. I want to get another guitar - with humbuckers to see how it'll sound in it. I bet it'll sound nice.

Submitted by Jess at 06/20/2003 06:28

Price Paid: US $125

Features: 9
I got this amp in July 02'. I love the sound of it with some gain, but it doesn't sounds as great with the gain cranked way up. I can use it for practice but its not powerful enough for gigs. I got the Pathfinder 15R, but the reverb isn't that great and I hardly use the tremolo that comes standard on the Pathfinders. Overall it is a great amp.

Sound Quality: 9
It sounds nice when I play my Firenza JX's single coils through it. I can get a fair amount of tones from it and I especially like to turn up the gain and control the overdrive w/ my guitar's volume control.

Reliability: N/A
It's held up in the year since I got it, but that's nto saying much. I'm not able to really rate this.

Customer Support: N/A
N/A

Overall Rating: 9
It is a great amp for the money and I was especially lucky to run into while searching for my first amp since I didn't know anything about guitars etc. Sorry I wasn't able to give a whole lot of comments on it.

Submitted by Vince at 05/18/2003 15:59

Price Paid: 65 (CDN) used

Features: 8
This is a 2001 model bought in a pawn shop. The owner couldn't sell it because of the loud buzzing when turned above 5. However, having read the reviews here I had a pretty good idea that the buzz could be cured...

The features have all been listed ad nauseam already. I don't use the boost button as I find it makes the sound too harsh. The 15 watts are definitely loud enough to annoy the neighbors and the dog. I haven't yet gigged with it or plugged it into a cab. Not sure if I'd take this to a gig or rely on my unbreakable Roland JC-60.

Sound Quality: 7
I'm using a Tele Plus with red and blue Lace sensors. I have tried the amp direct and also thru a Boss OD-3 and an old DOD FX-60 Chorus. I like the sound in both these setups, though I have trouble getting a smooth distorted sound without using the OD-3. I have no idea if this amp sounds like a bigger Vox ' cause I've never played one.

As regards the buzzing, I have done the following things to the amp:
(Warning: I have no idea what these mods might do to the amp's value. They would certainly void the warranty on a new amp!)
- disassemble the amp
- caulk all the non-removable panel seams with clear latex caulk ( I used DAP Ultra)
- run (thin) beads of caulk in the areas where the various removable panels meet and LET CURE before reassembly so you can get the panels off again later
- support the ends of the main circuit board on blocks of high-density self-adhesive foam
- Also apply a strip of self-adhesive foam to the bottom of the metal box holding all the cicuitry ( to keep it from resonating)
-replace the wimpy little pieces of rubber that the circuit box meets up with under the top lip of the amp with a full-length piece of open-cell foam weatherstripping.
I was also getting a buzz from the nameplate on the back of the amp until I removed it and put a little caulk behind it too.

The amp now does not buzz at all at any volume. I thought I still had a rattle at one point but it turned out to be the ductwork in my practice room ceiling!

Reliability: 7
Seems reliable now that I've cured the buzz, but I still expect the screws holding the back panels on to keep working loose. I may end up running bolts all the way thru the panels instead.

Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with the company and I do all my own mods and repairs.

Overall Rating: 8
This is the first amp I've bought since 1979 when I got my Roland JC-60. I bought it to use for practice since the Jazz Chorus doesn't like really low volume settings. I also thought it looked cool and couldn't pass it up at the price. If I hadn't been able to cure the buzzing I'd be disappointed but now I have a cool little practice amp for half the price of my last effects pedal. I wouldn't buy one of these new since I didn't really need another amp, but I'm having some fun with it.

Submitted by Cameron Martin at 04/10/2003 08:50

Price Paid: 100 (GBP)

Features: 8
I have the limited edition XRE: this is a better version than most of the reviews on this page. I only play Bluesy type stuff, so the tremolo speed/depth and reverb are all great features for the price. I use the thing at home, so it has enough power to make the neighbours complain: I couldn't use much more here. It doesn't have a load of modelling and effects on it: but isn't that what my digital pedals are for? Do I want an amp for £300 more that is only as good as this + a £60 effects pedal?

Sound Quality: 10
This amp is like swimming in cream. Not everyone will like that, but if that's the sound you want, no one competes at this price

I've never really been interested in making thin metallic sounds. I play an Epiphone Dot, so the resonance of the guitar is brought out well in this amp

Reliability: N/A
N/A

Customer Support: N/A
N/A

Overall Rating: 10
I'm self taught, and have been plonking about for 12 yrs. I own 5 guitars and 3 amps, and would definitely replace this if it were stolen. I love its appearance (very dignified and classic). I can't find fault with it. I spent an afternoon in a shop trying several amps under £300, and NOTHING was this good (sorry Fender)

Submitted by Chunky Mike C at 01/26/2003 10:14

Price Paid: US $75

Features: 9
this amp was made in 2001. i play alot of older blues and a little bit of rock and it is a great practice amp for these. the headphone jack is nice.it has an overdrive switch which is also nice on a practice amp. i use it mostly when im just jamming or practicing, so its powerful enough for that.but ovbiously not close to powerful enough for gigs. the only problem is when you turn the gain up at higher levels it doesnt sound that good, but i usually play it clean so thats no big deal to me.

Sound Quality: 9
I play a left handed american strat usually with this amp and it suits my style of music fairly well(blues). i would definately not suggest a "metal head" to buy this amp because it wouldnt suit that style at all.when on overdrive and on higher volume levels there is a muffled buzz in the backround but when you play it stops, i dunno its just anoying but no big deal.

Reliability: 10
ive had this amp for a short while, about 3 months and havnt had any problems with it. but it seems like it could take a pretty good beating.

Customer Support: N/A
n/a

Overall Rating: 9
great jam and practice amp, nice for blues and other music that can be played at a lower gain level. but once you turn that gain up really high, it doesnt sound nearly as good. but overall a really nice practice amp.

Submitted by Danny at 12/22/2002 16:49

Price Paid: US $125

Features: N/A
FEATURES: 10
see other reviews.
to find
1. headphone jack
2. line output
3. external speacker out
AND
4. footswitch (not included, controls boost and tremolo)
on a 150 dollar practice amp is really awesome!!
you don’t really need to buy the pathfinder 15 r with reverb. i tried it and the reverb sounds shit.

Sound Quality: N/A
SOUND QUALITY: 10
always buy an amp based on what you wanna play with it! i was looking for a practice amp that could give me the “british sound” (oasis, the verve, beatles, who...), warm overdrive from mild to wild. and this amp is 110% perfect for that style! with gain 1/3 up you get the perfect sound for open chords. gain on 2/3 let’s you get wild! add more bass and there you go with nasty riffing. best thing: you can easily play with the gain knob way up and control the overdrive with your guitar volume knob: very good for varying the sound playing live. and you always (repeat after me: ALWAYS!!) get that warm, round, little bassy overdrive. you even get some nice feedback with which you can fool around. oh, how I love that howling!! with the optional footswitch you can attakkk the boost and scream out loud your leads, perfect!
I don’t use much the clean sound but it’s good, too. don’t need the tremolo either (which is a bonus on a 15 watt practice amp), anyway, it sounds good for clean arpeggios.

Reliability: N/A
RELIABILITY: 9
when playing with a drummer you have to turn it up loud to be heard, but that’s no problem for this baby (volume wise and reliability wise), it just gets a bit hot...
It’s well built and shouldn’t fall apart while playing. no pete townshend encore, please.

Customer Support: N/A
CUSTOMER SUPPORT: N/A
I live in italy and it was already hard to find vox amps at stores, so I’m a bit afraid for customer service...

Overall Rating: N/A
OVERAL RATING: 9
this amp is not much versatile because it is a vox and a should sound like a vox. no metalhead will look for a vox for shure, so there’s no need to pack in a lot of distorsion, or other features. but this practice amp excells in for what it is made for: clean and overdrive sounds at a practice watt level! the best amp in its price-category, but if you have a bit of money left, go for the cambridge 15: it has one tube in it that makes a difference! i give the pathfinder 9, because I discovered, soon after buying the pathfinder, the cambridge and I traded the two. conclusions: pathfinder 15 = perfect = best price / cambridge 15 = sensational = costs a little more.

Submitted by othmar at 09/13/2002 06:29

Price Paid: US $85 used

Features: 8
Circa '99 Korean Pathfinder, the original SS remake without reverb. Features well laid out in the reviews below. Somewhat tiny looking, but nice green tolex covering, pleasing design. I bought mine used, supposedly mint, so take that into account in my review. Good features for such an inexpensive amp.

Sound Quality: 4
The distortion sounds lousy and is unusuable. The clean side is nothing to get excited about, below average headroom. My other amps are BF Vibrolux and a 212 Rivera, so I'm spoiled. My Rickenbacker sounded OK through the clean circuit, but not so I wanted to play it. I dumped the amp. It may be I'm just unimpressed by that Bulldog speaker.

Reliability: 5
The thing buzzed like crazy if you turned the volume up. I don't care that it's inexpensive, amp cabinets shouldn't buzz. I can't imagine what it would have sounded like in a few years. This reason alone is something you should serious consider before selecting the amp unless you're never going to crank it beyond half volume.

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 5
As suggested above, I've got pro equipment aquired over 30 years playing and think I'm a fairly knowledgeable when it comes to guitars and amps. I picked this amp up purely on a whim thinking it looks pretty cool and I can just "keep it by the easy chair". Sounded lifeless with Strats, LPs and average with a Rick. Nice idea, but cheap cabinet and the Bulldog make it unuseable for me. Keep looking.

Submitted by Anonymous at 09/08/2002 17:56

Price Paid: US $100 used

Features: 8
Features are Gain, Boost, Tremlo, then on the back they have line out, headphone, and ext speaker jacks which is nice. The tremlo is worthless it sound weird, Ive never heard anybody play with one.

I play Beatles and Classic Rock, and the Strokes sound good through this.

There are 2 channels Clean/distort. I wish I would have gotten the reverb though. THe only bad thing about it is there is no reverb, and there are no numbers on the controls. I have to guess that Im at about 5 when I could be at 8.

One more thing, it says 15watts in the manual and on the back it says 45watts I dont get it. Email me if somebody Could explain this to me.

Sound Quality: 8
Im using a Epiphone Casino through it and It feeds back so so bad. But its not the amps fault the Casino is a Hollowbody.

This is really what I wanted in a practice amp. I didnt like Fender's or Marshall's practice amps and I really liked the sound out of this one. Great Distortion.

Ive only had the amp a few days, and it is my first amp, so I can get only 4 noticably different sounds out of it but im sure Ill learn more. The clean channael is clean at all levels but I dont like the clean sound, i like at least a little distortion. The distortion sounds way to heavy at the highest setting but thats only my personal opinion.

Reliability: 9
I bought it used but it seems in very good shape. I would rely on it because its the only one I have. It seems quite reliable

Customer Support: N/A
None. I got it used with no warrenty :(

Overall Rating: 9
Ive been playin for like 2 years, I have a Samick acoustic I stated out on and a Epiphone Casino. Before this amp I was playin through a cheap Karaoke machine which was terrible compared to this.

If it were lost or stolen I would look around again and mabey get one with a reverb. I was going to get a Marshall MG-30 or MG-50 amp but they felt so cheap and this sounds so much better.

Plus its a VOX, allthough its the cheapest VOX I could afford it still sounds enough like the Beatles for my taste.

Submitted by Vince at 08/24/2002 11:48