I've discovered a wonderful and cheap steel amp...

[Tom Quinn]

I needed small tube guitar amp for around the house so I purchased a Vox AC15 with the upgraded blue alnico speaker. For the heck of it, I plugged in the Emmons. It sounds beyond great. Plugged it into the normal channel and not the top boost. The amp had great clarity and warmth and plenty of power.

Think I paid $750 or so for it new from Rainbow Guitars in Arizona. I prefer it to my '70 TR and my first-year Session 400. I'm confident I could play small venues with it no problem.
Fair warning -- it sounded terrible the first month until I broke in the speaker. Now it's my go-to amp for everything.

[Greg Lambert]

Hows the headroom for the amp?

[Ian Rae]

It seems weird in this day and age to talk of "breaking in" a speaker; we don't have to "run in" car engines any more.

[Ron Hogan]

Here an alternative for $220.00 to $300.00. The SPARK amp is a practice amp at 40 watts. Here's some samples I played on.

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE




CLICK HERE

Ron

[Tom Quinn]

In response to headroom, this amp has plenty for a 2XEL84/3X12AX7 amp. As I said, I'm confident you could play small clubs and such with it. The main thing is to me is it's a gorgeous sounding tube amp with my Emmons.

[Tom Quinn]

It seems weird in this day and age to talk of "breaking in" a speaker; we don't have to "run in" car engines any more.

I still and always "run in" new engines, usually in my Harleys though... ;- )

[Ron Hogan]

Truthfully, I’ve been using this amp constantly to practice with. I have all kinds of amps around and still love my PV’s but this is just an all-around great practice amp. I’ve even done some recording with it and it came out great plug directly into the studio.

I would even use it if I had to go to a rehearsal with a band. At times when I want to practice and not bother my family, I can plug my earbuds into it and play away. Plus the app has a metronome on it that I use all the time.

I experimented with a lot of tones and amp sounds from other people that they were using. I finally came upon one that I liked. Once you get the app on your phone you can go to their cloud and search steel guitar and my tone will pop up. Once you load it on there you still have to tailor it to your liking. But it’s a great starting point.

CLICK HERE

Ron

[Reilly Graham]

Here an alternative for $220.00 to $300.00. The SPARK amp is a practice amp at 40 watts. Here's some samples I played on.

CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE




CLICK HERE

Ron

I’ll second this! They really pushed the advertising on these with the bells and whistles of app integration etc, but it’s worth noting that it does have every knob you’d need right on it to dial in a tone without the use of a smartphone. My father bought one, liked it and shipped me one. I didn’t get around to trying it for a while, but it’s a GREAT little practice amp for steel, and the twin speakers create a wild stereo effect when the reverb is cranked. Those samples you attached are hard to argue with; it sounds great.

[Ron Hogan]

Truthfully, I’ve been using this amp constantly to practice with. I have all kinds of amps around and still love my PV’s but this is just an all-around great practice amp. I’ve even done some recording with it and it came out great plug directly into the studio.

I would even use it if I had to go to a rehearsal with a band. At times when I want to practice and not bother my family, I can plug my earbuds into it and play away. Plus the app has a metronome on it that I use all the time.

I experimented with a lot of tones and amp sounds from other people that they were using. I finally came upon one that I liked. Once you get the app on your phone you can go to their cloud and search steel guitar and my tone will pop up. Once you load it on there you still have to tailor it to your liking. But it’s a great starting point.

CLICK HERE

Ron

[Tucker Jackson]

It sounds beyond great.

I don't doubt that, Tom. Eric Heywood has made a career for himself using that amp's big brother (AC-30). He gets a very interesting tone, with a good deal of hair on it.

Bonus: it's a great guitar amp too.

[Ken Byng]

The Vox AC15 is a wonderful amp and has been around for 6 decades or more. It was the forerunner to the famous Vox AC30, used by many of the British pop bands of the 1960's.

The AC15 has a big sound for a 15 watt combo amp, but when partnered with a blue alnico speaker it sounds superb.

[Dave Mudgett]

The Vox AC-15 is probably my favorite sounding Vox ever, if it has enough juice. Great for guitar, I used one a borrowed one once for steel and ran outta room pretty fast. But if a Deluxe Reverb works, the AC-15 should be just fine.

The times I've seen Eric Heywood, he was running a Vox AC-50 - I went up to say hi and looked, it was a small club. First time he was playing with Joe Henry, who was opening up for Uncle Tupelo - circa 1992, I think UT was about to break up. Joe with Eric just blew everybody away - they were sorta stunned at the sound of a pedal steel with a Vox amp. Same amp later with Son Volt, at least the times I saw him with them.

Below, my '66 AC-50 with a Vox Kensington bass cabinet loaded with a 15" coffee-can EV SRO speaker. Not for the faint of back or ears, this sucker is heavy and loud! But it's definitely got the Vox sound. I don't get to take this out enough - most of the people I play with are looking for a clean Fenderish sound. Also have to have stage room for it.

[Tom Quinn]

I have an AC30 in the house as well. Great amp but it doesn't have the sweetness or clarity of my humble PC board, made in China AC15. These things are killer steel amps...

[Len Amaral]

I have an AC-15 and changed the speaker to a Celestion 8 ohm Vintage 30. Very nice amp. However, you should get familiar with removing the back to change tubes. To change the speaker I had to remove the reverb tank and chassis.

I haven't played steel through it but it's a sweet guitar amp.

[Roger Crawford]

I guess my finances are to blame, but $750.00 doesn’t seem cheap.

[Tom Quinn]

Roger, I'm on a fixed (retired) income. I see the price of Milkman amps and others and I can do $750.

[Michael Butler]

Truthfully, I’ve been using this amp constantly to practice with. I have all kinds of amps around and still love my PV’s but this is just an all-around great practice amp. I’ve even done some recording with it and it came out great plug directly into the studio.

I would even use it if I had to go to a rehearsal with a band. At times when I want to practice and not bother my family, I can plug my earbuds into it and play away. Plus the app has a metronome on it that I use all the time.

I experimented with a lot of tones and amp sounds from other people that they were using. I finally came upon one that I liked. Once you get the app on your phone you can go to their cloud and search steel guitar and my tone will pop up. Once you load it on there you still have to tailor it to your liking. But it’s a great starting point.

CLICK HERE

Ron

ron can you post a link to the vox app. i can't find it. thanks, p.s. ok ron, i figured out you meant the other amp.


i've had an ac15c1 for about 6 years now and other than the reverb pan change to one with less decay and better, IMO, el84 tubes and jj preamp tubes, i haven't had to change anything else. i like using an aby pedal and connecting to the normal and top boost channel. then tweaking to taste.

play music!