AD15VT Review

A 15 Watt modeling amplifier, the AD15VT packs the amazingly versatile tube sound of Valvetronix into an amp that introduces a modern twist to the traditional VOX design. The pure tube sound of Valvetronix is more affordable than ever!

Features:	9.2
Sound:	8.8
Reliability:	8.8
Impression:	9.3
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	8.3
Comments:	45

overall: 9.3

Featured review by: AdamDK, on march 26, 2007

Price paid: $ 219.5817

Purchased from: Guitar Guitar

Features: The AD15VT was made sometime in 2004 I believe. The AD15VT has eleven pre-amp models to choose from, and multiple effects. There is the standard Gain, Treble, Middle and Bass knobs, and a Volume and Master volume knob. There is two channels, which are able to be switched between by pressing the button or by the footswitch. There is also a "write" button which lets you store your settings to the selectred channel, and there is a "bypass" button which lets you bypass the effects. // 10

Sound: I'm running a Epiphone Les Paul through this, with a Boss DS-1, Daneelctro Fab Overdrive and Chorus, and a Dunlop GCB-95 wah-wah pedal. The sound is good, and suits my needs. The amp models are great for different styles. I play generally hard rock and 80's metal, but a little bit of punk rock and blues, so having a selection of amp models is great. I love the "UK modern" amp model because it doesn't have too much distortion, but isn't light either. For metal, the "US high gain" and "nu-metal" amp models are best suited, as you can tell, for the high gain. The cleans are pretty decent for a modelling amp, and the distortion is okay, but I prefer to use my Boss DS-1 for the distortion as it is much better quality the amps, and generally sounds better. I used to have a Marshall MG30DFX, but that thing broke twice, and the AD15VT kicks it's butt! // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've had no trouble whatsoever with the reliability of the AD15VT. It is well built, and seems like it could take a few knocks without breaking. I wouldn't gig with this because it isn't powerful enough, and if I was gigging, I wouldn't choose a modelling amp to play with, because I prefer the normal SS/Tube amp sound. // 10

Impression: I'm giving this a 9. The amp is definately a great purchase for home practice, and for the price, for me, it beats off all other competitors running along the same price line. Definately look into the AD15VT if you just want a nice small home practice amp. It is worth every penny! // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: iSlash, on august 20, 2007

Purchased from: Tom Lee Music Centre (Hong Kong)

Features: The Vox AD15VT is made in 2004. I think that this is very versatile and is able to play any genre of music. Though it is not the greatest for metal, it can still get a sound for it. The amp had 11 different amp models and 11 different effects. This makes is what makes it so versatile. There are 2 channels that you can save your own settings onto using the 'write' button. Unfortunately, a channel foot Switch is not included so if you don't buy one, it will be slightly irritating. There is also a headphone jack and a line out. It has an amp, gain, volume, treble, middle, bass, effects and a master volume knobs. There is also a bypass Switch which will leave out the extra effects. The amp is a 15 watt modelling amp. I use this amp as a practice amp at home and I find that this is too loud for home practice. Though I don't gig, I think that it would be powerful enough for small shows. // 9

Sound: I am using a Fender Standard Telecaster with 2 Hot Standard Tele Single-Coil Pickups. I play a lot of classic rock like Led Zeppelin to Guns N' Roses. I think that because of the many different amp models and effects, it makes it easy to get the sound of my favourite guitarists as long as I tweak the amp to the right settings. I find that the distortion handles mid-gain distortion quite well. The amp has a very clear sound which is very good for clean stuff. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think that I can depend on this amp. I have only purchased it recently, but this amp seems very dependable and I would use it in a gig without a backup. This amp seems very reliable and I don't see it ever braking down on me for a long time as it seems very durable. // 9

Impression: I play a lot of classic rock, but I also play many different other styles like blues and some metal and this amp handles them well. I have been playing guitar for 3 and a half years, a year being an acoustic player. I own a Fender Standard Telecaster, Squier Affinity Stratocaster, Fender Frontman 15G, DigiTech DF-7 and a Dunlop GCB-95 Crybaby along with the Vox AD15VT I am reviewing about. I don't think there is anything I wish I'd asked before buying this amp because I am very pleased about it. If it were stolen/lost, I would definately buy this amp again, but maybe a Roland Cube instead if I didn't. What I love about this amp is that I can play in so many styles of music and in many different tones of artists. I love the amp models and I find that I use the UK 70's and UK 80's a lot as they are good models. One thing I didn't like is that it didn't come with a foot Switch pedal which would have been useful. I wish it had that, and some more knobs for presence etc. and some more effects and have two effect knobs so you can combine more to your choice. // 8

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: turtlepwr03, on may 09, 2006

Purchased from: A Pawn Shop

Features: // 9

Sound: What can I say? With all the amp selections and effects settings on this thing you can pretty much get any sound you want with this amp. I can rave on about how loud it sounds for a 15 watt amp or how I can get the perfect blues sound with my Fender Strat plugged in. But what really impresses me is with how much depth is percieved when using the headphones. It sounds as if you weren't wearing any at all, but in a soundproof room by yourself. This may not seem important at first, but when you live in a college dorm, it is a necessity. And after trying out other amps at Guitar Center while using headphones with them, nothing quite matched the sound that was provieded by the Vox. Of course I have to mention that whenever I feel like I need to play some rock, all I have to do is Switch the amp setting from Boutique clear to either UK modern, nu-metal, or US high gain. That simple. // 10

Reliability & Durability: When I bought this, the previous owner did not take care of this thing what so ever. It must have been stored in a shed or garage next to motor oil, grease, and a ban saw because almost every bad substance was found on it and managed to seap inside. I took a gamble a bought it anyway, cleaned it completely up and replaced a couple of screws and fixed a crack along the casing. After all this, it plays like a champ. A little unorthodox yes, however if the electronics can withstand such abuse and preform this nicely after it all, I believe anything I will throw at it will be a breeze through the park. // 10

Impression: I have only been playing for about a year but I attempt to play all sorts of music; from blues, jazz, pop, rock, metal, you name it. I have demoed the Marshall MG15CDR and with the settings set the same on both, the Vox just sounded better to me. It had a more wholesome tone to each chord that was played (I sampled the display version of the Vox as well, just to be fair even though mine sounds the same). The best thing to love is the versatility available that is nearly impossible to match for the price and the portablility that makes it the perfect bedside amp. // 10

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: piratemetalhead, on october 15, 2008

Purchased from: Tom Lee

Features: Pretty sweet amp! It's got 11 effects: Auto wah, compression, reverb, delay, comp+phaser, comp+chorus, chorus+delay, chorus+reverb, flanger+reverb, tremelo+reverb, and rotary+reverb. It has 11 amp models, a button for presets, 2 channels (you can save your own tone settings on them), and a bypass Switch. For the amp models, I usually stick with "Boutique clean". It gives a really warm, airy, jazzy kinda tone. You can get a pretty nice Sabbathy tone out of "UK 70'S", too. I'm not so interested in the sounds of the other amp models. The distorted ones are kinda choppy sounding, honestly. The effects though, are pretty flawless. I usually use rotary+reverb to get a nice, Fly By Night era Rush tone. I wish there was an octave effect, but meh, 11 effects are definitly good enough for me. The programmable channel switches are real useful for having one sound for home practicing, and another for gigs. // 9

Sound: I'm using this amp with a mexican classic player Fender Jaguar. This amp gives one of the greatest cleans I've ever heard in my life! The distortion on the other hand, kinda puts me away, thought my EH Metal Muff solves that easily. It's not like the distorted amp models are garbage or anything, they're just not really interesting sounding at all. Still a tad better than the distortion on those Line 6 spider amps, though. I guess the distortion could be good for rock or slow, sabbathy/ candlemass-ish heavy/doom metal, and it can handle high gain without much background fuzz, but it's not much for shredding or death metal. The brilliant cleans outweigh the boring distortions, though. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I've only had this amp for a short while now, so I can't really tell, this thing looks like it could take a good beating or two. But since my old garbage amp failed on me after 2 years of playing, I think I'm going to take good care of this one! // 8

Impression: I mostly play metal, like Death, Dying Fetus, In Flames, At the Gates, Cynic, Iron Maiden, Cryptopsy, etc, but I'm into a fair bit of alt.rock, classic rock, experimental music, and jazz as well. Honestly, the amp distortion gets a bit muddy when doing fast riffing. I already have a distortion pedal which sounds great on this amp though, so I obviously bought it for the cleans and the effects. You can shape very natural-sounding, immersive sound with this amp, especially with the wide range of effects it gives you. Perfect for ballads/ alt.rock/ jazz. This is definitly a step up from my 50 dollar tom lee brand amp, though. Get this amp if you want beautiful, warm sounding tone. If you have a distortion pedal, get this amp if you want pretty much any tone you want. If this got stolen, I would definitly buy it back. Or hunt the guy down, and commence various experiments on him inspired by cannibal corpse song titels, and then taking his wallet to buy another one. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: xvasmx, on september 11, 2008

Price paid: C$ 240

Purchased from: Cosmo Music

Features: This amp has 4 channels in total:
- Preset
- Manual
- 2 Channels you can save your own settings

It has a lot of built in effects, some being combined:
- Auto Wah
- Compressor
- Compressor + Phaser
- Compressor + Chorus
- Chorus + Delay
- Chorus + Reverb
- Flanger + Reverb
- Tremolo + Reverb
- Rotary + Reverb
- Delay
- Reverb

This amplifier also has different amp styles you can choose from like:
- Boutique Clean
- Black 2x12
- Tweed 4x10
- AC15
- AC30TB
- UK'70s
- UK'80s
- UK Modern
- Numetal
- US Higain
- Boutique Overdrive

This amp is perfect for almpst every style and can even handle a bit of metal. For my styles this amplifier is perfect, Sincei play a lot of classic rock, I can play anywhere from Blues to Slow Rock to Hard Rock.You can get sounds that can come very very close to Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Guns n Roses, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and more. // 10

Sound: Currently, I am using a Squier Fat Strat with it. It suits my music style perfectly, which is Classic Rock, a lot of Blues Rock and hard rock. It can be slightly noisy at hi-gain settings/amp styles(US High Gain, Numetal, UK Modern). But I am using single coils with it.You can get almost any sound you want from this amp. The clean channel remains beautifully clean even at high volumes. The distortion is amazing and gives you anywhere from smooth little dirt to gritty and sharp. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on htis amp in a gig, but only for small gigs since it is only a 15 watt. But for a 15 watt this is very very loud, for I Have played it in a gig before in a large hall and it was strong enough to reach the far corners of the hall without using any mics. So far it also hasn't broken down or anything and the amp is strong enough for a few hits and bumps. The only thing that can get scratched or damaged is the weak metal cover of the speakers for it is made of a softer kinf od metal. But other than that this will lasty you a long time even if you do bump it a couple of times. // 9

Impression: With the music I play this is perfect, it suits all the styles I play (blues, blues rock, hard rock, alt rock, soft rock, psychedelic rock, slow rock). The sounds you can get from it are amazing perfect for a whole variety of other styles. I also own a Roland Cube15 and I find this a big step up and difference.My Squier fat strat just sounds amazing with the AD15VT. I love pretty much everything about it, but it would be better if there were 2 knobs for the effects so you can choose which ones you want to mix. The only other thing that would be better is that if they included the footswitch instead of having to buy it seperately. If this was stolen or lost I'll definately get naothero ne except maybe the AD30VT or the AD50VT so I can use it in bigger gigs. In the end these are one of those things you'd if your a beginner, looking for a lot of versatility, useful for experimenting and most of all an amazing adittion to your gear. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: HibyPrime, on january 05, 2009

Price paid: C$ 180

Purchased from: local shop

Features: This is a very versatile amp, mostly because it was designed to be versatile (go figure! ).. I play metal, hard-rock, classic-rock, blues, pop, and a bunch of other stuff in similar styles. The amp has a solid state pre-amp, and a tube power amp. Two savable channels, one manual channel, one factory-preset channel for a total of 4 channels (3 user programmable). No effects loop, has line out/headphone, and lots of other stuff, just google. // 9

Sound: I play with a low end Jackson DK2 and a PRS SE Single cut w/ stopbar. This amp pretty much will cover any style of music, but it won't necessarily do it great. These line of amps, along with a couple other modeling amp series (Peavey + Roland) are generally considered (by UG that is) to be the most versatile and best sounding solid state amps on the market. The clean channel stays pretty clean up to about 75% volume, but I haven't been able to put it past that yet (I've had the amp for about a year). The distortion channels will not work for metal unless you turn the compressor effect on, however they will still work fairly well for hard and classic rock without the comp on.

Channel by channel sound:

Boutique clean: This is a very well rounded clean channel, but therein lies it's flaw; it doesn't excel or fail at anything, and ends up sounding pretty sterile. With the gain dimed, this channel gives a very light OD

Black 212: The first thing you notice about this channel is that it has a volume drop, other than that, it sounds a lot like the boutique clean, with a slightly tighter sound. Slightly more OD than the boutique with gain dimed.

Tweed 4x10: This is my favorite clean channel, it sounds very close to the typical Fender clean. Almost no OD when gain is dimed.

AC15: See AC30, only difference is less gain and less mid/treble

AC30: Well, Vox had to do it's own amp justice, and I think they succeeded(keeping in mind this is solid state and will always sound like a solid state). The channel breaks up somewhat smoothly, and sounds very british. Enough gain for classic rock sounds.

UK '70s: I think Vox kind of failed on this one, it just sounds like the UK '80s with less gain.

UK '80s: Ah the JCM800, how we love thee. I think they did very well with this model, it goes from a light crunch up to some almost-heavy rock sounds. Perfect for hard rock, not enough gain for metal.

UK Modern: Same as UK '80s with more gain and less mids. Handles metal well, as long as the compressor is on.

Nu Metal: By far my favorite channel. Sounds exactly like a dual-recto should sound if it were solid state and not tube. Goes from light OD ala Santana's rhythm sound, to high gain death metal noise. Needs compressor effect to sound good, without it, this channel sounds floppy and way too loose

US High Gain: I don't like this channel all that much, and as such I haven't spent much time on it and can't give an accurate review, sorry.

Boutique OD: ***ing awesome overdrive channel, has the best OD I've ever heard from a solid state amp. Not enough gain for metal, sounds good with any effects. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Well, I haven't gigged with this amp, so it hasn't seen hard days in my hands. However this was a used amp when I bought it, and it's still working 100% perfectly. I would gig with it without a backup, assuming the audience was small enough for a 15 watt amp to be loud enough for. // 9

Impression: I've been playing for 2 years, I've owned 3 amps (the other two were crap practice amps), and I've played a bunch of expensive amps at guitar stores when I'm bored. If this amp were lost stolen, I'd definitely buy another one, but more likely a higher wattage one, as I'm starting to get an urge to join a band. There are two things I don't like about this amp 1. solid state distortion (but it's a trade off for versatility) 2. the lack of ability to use any combination of it's effects. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 10, 2009

Price paid: € 169

Features: Well, it's an great amp. It has got 4 channels, 2 for saving your favourite sound, 1 standard sound channel and 1 channel which you can edit. It has also got a lot of effects, some of them I don't actually use, but it has god a nice reverb, delay, chorus, phaser, autowah, compressor and that kind of effect. You can also choose out of 11 ampsimulations. The 15 watt's of the amp are enough for me. The amp is much louder than most other 15 watt amps, and the sounds stays quite nice. And the clean channels wil overdrive at high volume, like an normal tube amp.

The amp has got a tube pre amp and a transistor end amp, wich gives you a little bit of a full tube amp sound. // 9

Sound: I like the sound very much. I choosed this amp for it's clean sound. It's very warm sounding. Also the overdrive amp models are quite good. But the amp hasn't enough gain and distortion for real metal. The ac15/ac30 top boost models aren't similar to the real ac series, but although the amp models are sounding nice. What I especially like about the sound of the amp, is the warm sound. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Well, my amp broke down twice, first time when I put on the amp, it began to smoke and make a lot of noise. The next day in the shop. It didn't do anything anymore. Te reparation took 7.5 week, but after the reparation, I noticed a strange krackling through my guitar sound.

They just didn't repair the amp fully, so my amp went back again for reparation, now almost 12 weeks later, it's still away for reparation. I'm very disappointed about the service of the dutch importer of the Vox amps, I mean, 7.5 week for repairing an amp, not even fully. And after that 12 til now (this all happened in the guarantee period). // 1

Impression: It's a very good amp, for it's price. Sounds good, a lot of effects and amp models. And I still believe Vox has got good quality stuff, and my amp was just a monday morning product. I play with an Ibanez guitar, I think if I would buy a new amp, it would be a Vox again. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on september 01, 2008

Purchased from: Guitar Zone

Features: well this amp has a lot of features, as you probably know. It has 11 amp model as well as 11 effects. The amp models start at an incredible clean channel called Botique(idk if I spelled that right) clean, all the way to a setting called Botique Over Drive. Now it has all the little steps in between like a nice US High Gain and a UK Modern. all the amp models are great and wonderful. The effects are great as well, but still lack. Sometimes they are just too over baring and drown out the guitar. But the things like auto wah and flanger are nice to try out, being a beginer it's nice to figure out what they sound like. // 8

Sound: Now I really like the sound of this amp I play through a Squier Bullet and I put my money into an amp before a guitar (worth it), but the sound (as great as it was) had a bit of a flaw. The only problem was this. When I turn on my amp it warms up like all tube amps, but the second I touch my volume or gain nobs to turn them up or down the volume is cut by 2/3. Now this could just be my amp but regardless It's annoying. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I treat my things with care and it has lasted me about 2 years and I don't plan on throwing it out anytime soon. It's a matter of It aint broke it still works so I'm gonna still use it. I have jumped off of it and maybe it has fallen over a few times but that's about it. // 10

Impression: well if this amp where stolen I would probably not buy this amp again because I would buy the 30 wat instead because the 30 wat has the knob in the back that I would want. but this amp is incredible. If your still having doubts don't because you can not, can not go wrong with this amp. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: honkatonk, on march 24, 2008

Price paid: $ 170

Purchased from: I forget.

Features: The amp was made sometime in 2004. The AD15VT 15 watt amp is extremely versatile due to it's 11 amp models and 11 effects, both highly customizable. I play pretty much anything except for metal, but this amp might actually be alright for metal. It has 2 channels that you can Switch at a touch of a button, or at a push of a pedal if you buy one for 20 bucks (which in my opinion, should've been included with the amp, but whatever) As I said before this amp does have 11 effects, but it kinda doesn't, because most of the effects are a combination of 2 effects. I was a little dissapointed at first by this, because I somehow expected 11 separate effects that you could maybe mix, but then I realized that it actually works pretty well. You select the amp model with a knob, and not just any knob, a chicken head knob! On top of this, you got knobs for gain, volume, treble, middle, bass and master volume, so you can get pretty much any sound you want. The effects are also selected with a chicken head knob and each effect is customizable by a pretty weird setup of 2 buttons and a regular old boring no chicken head knob. You have a "tap" button, an "edit 1" knob and a "bypass" button. Tap+edit 1 is "edit 2" and edit 1 + bypass is "edit 3". Really confusing, especially at first, but with the helpful chart of all the effects and what each button and knob does right on the sheet of cartboard that I don't plan on taking off my amp anytime soon, it's not that bad. There's also a pretty useless "Preset" button that you push and you get some weird preset sound with an effect that I guess some guy though would sound cool. I think I'm gonna replace that buton with a miniature cup holder. On top of all that, the AD15VT has an input and output/headphones jack and ZOMG, a power switch! I use this amp at home, in my room and ocasionaly in the little club house made of matresses, old pillows, newpapers and shattered dreams of everybody in the world, and this amp is way louder than I need it to be, which is great! For a 15 watt practice amp it can get really loud, but I don't think it would do good, well against a set of drums, though so I'm not sure how it would do on a gig. It definately has more than enough power for me though. A feature that's worth noting is that it has a small 12AX7 tube in the back which makes it sound even better than it's legally allowed to. Oh, and also it has adjustable noise cancelling. Dimensions: 6.85 in.(W) x 8.82in.(D) x 15.55in.(H) 22 Pounds. Speaker is 8 inches. // 10

Sound: I'm using a decent Strat knockoff with with 3 single coil pickups. It suits my music style very well and they generally get along pretty well. I play anything I can play except for metal. Is it noisy? It can get loud, but you don't have to worry about the "hum". Adjust the noise cancelling and it will take care of the him, so it's perfectly quiet when ur not playing. One thing to say about noise cancelling is that don't over do it, because it can sometimes cut off your notes a bit or make it sound weird. Aaand if the hum comes from your pickups, it will still hum when you play, but it will stop when you stop. This amp can make any sound from all types of clean with ear piercing treble to stomach upsetting bass to any type of distortion. It's a really versatile amp. I love it. 11 amp models. The clean channel is not distorted at high volumes at all, it just sounds better. If you feel like it distorts it, just turn down the gain to about 12 o'clock. There's several amp models that were made for distortion, so you can really get different types of distortion and almost all of them sound great. Awesome sound (+ the valve), but some amp models are louder than others so when you're switching between, like, Black 2x12 and UK Modern you might crap out a few bricks. And also the bass sometimes feels overpowered. Might be a good thing for some, and it's always adjustable. Just saying that it's got a pretty beast bass. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think it's pretty reliable, because it looks like it's pretty sturdy and can take a beating. I don't think D'd need backup. The amp hasn't broken yet, but I haven't had it for long, so for now it's a perfect 10. // 10

Impression: I'm still a beginner, and this is definately awesome and way more than I expected or need for home practice. I wish that the amp came with that pedal for switching channels, but it's not really that hard to press a button on the panel, so it's not a big of a deal. If something happened to this amp I would definetely get it again. And again. And again. It's just that great. Definately beats all the other amps within it's price range (like the Line 6 Spider III, looks like a joke, no chicken head knobs). I love this amp in general, especially the really shiny chrome Vox thing and the less shiny Diamond-hole speaker cover. Looks like a good amp, smells like a good amp, sounds like a good amp. Sick amp overall, not perfect but pretty damn close. Get it. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: MattIgoe0108, on august 18, 2007

Price paid: $ 228.75

Purchased from: Dolphin Music

Features: There is no year listed on the amp itself, but I would estimate it's most likely been built within the last year or two. It's a 15 watt solid state amp with technology employed by all valvetronix to give it a more tube-like sound. Has pre-loaded amp setting from boutique clean, to the AC15/30 emulations, all the way up to nu metal and hi-gain. Also comes with many built in effects, such as auto wah, flanger, phaser, reverb and tremolo. Has a line out, as well as a footswitch lack socket, but lacks the control to edit the power to the speaker, though this isn't really neccesary on such a small amp. // 10

Sound: I mostly run this through my Standard MIM Fender Stratocaster, and the clean sound you can get with this is possibly one of the best you will ever get from a solid state amp. It really brings out the best in the single coil pickups. It works very well with humbuckers too. It's higher gain setting are also very good, but nowhere near say, a Roland cube. It's not particularly noisy, and works very well as a practice amp. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Never had any problems with it. Only really issue is sometimes you need to re-adjust your settings after turning it off, because even if the dials are in the right place it can still forget what it's meant to be doing. It's a bit too small to do large gigs with without it being mic'd, but I would happily use it for small gigs without backup. // 9

Impression: A great amp, amazing for clean tones, jazz, blues or rock. Very good as a practice amp, but probably doesn't quite cut it for metal tones. Better to go with a Roland Cube or this amps sister amp, the AD15XL. Very good value for money though. Highly recommended. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 18, 2006

Purchased from: Local Music Store

Features: Vox started manufacturing this model in 2004. It has a number of amp models and effects, and while the models aren't necessarily accurate, they are good sounds regardless. My two favorite models on this amp, though, are Boutique Clean and Modern UK, the latter of which is made to simulate newer Marshall stacks. As far as channels, it has two, which are easily switchable and programmable via a number of buttons on the top. Though a footswitch would come in handy, it's a pretty expensive addition that I don't see being worth it for a practice amp. One of my favorite features on this amp is the noise gate. It manages to get rid of hissing without messing up the tone of either of the guitars I play through it. Add to that a nice set of effects, including chorus, reverd, phaser, flanger, compressor, and auto-wah, and you've got a package worthy even of gigging at small venues with a mic. I don't think Vox could possibly have added any more features for the selling price. If anything, any more effects than those that this amp has would be excessive. Might I add, this is perfect for the dorm, especially with its headphone jack. // 10

Sound: Most of the time, I use this amp with my Schecter C-1 Classic with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, that guitar is my baby. Most of the time, I play mostly heavy rock and some jazz/blues, and this combination fits my style perfectly. All of the effects come through without even the slightest amount of noise, and there are no "pop" sounds when switching between models/effects/channels, etc. When I'm feeling like playing something a little heavier, I use my Jackson JS-20 Dinky with EMG's and set to "nu-metal" this thing sounds like it's about to set the place on fire, in a good way! Also, when using the C-1 switched to either of its coil-tap (single-coil) modes, the AD15VT sounds awesome, and with a bit of distortion gets a good ska tone going on. As far as distortion on the clean channel, the stock speaker seemed to have held up pretty nicely until I replaced it. There was nothing wrong with it. I was just going for a warmer sound when I switched it out for a Weber 8" Signature (Ceramic). Since then, the amp has been significantly louder, and has more of an edge on pretty much every setting. Also, the effects shine through more clearly. Though it's not necessary by any means, this modification was pretty darn cheap ($24+s/h) and I'd recommend it if you'd like to use this amp for anything more than practice - it's loud/clear enough for small gigging! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I can definitely depend on this amp, especially with its new speaker. The old one was in perfect condition when I removed it, even after cranking it to volume levels 8-9 multiple times. At that level, this thing sounds so much bigger than it looks. Even at 1/2 volume on the clean channel, it drowns out a 2.1 200W stereo on its full setting. I know the comparison isn't exactly fair, seeing as how the speaker in the amp is so much bigger. I'm just trying to give you an idea of the volumes it can reach. I've only used this one a couple times at shows, because it gives off a more desirable vibe than my Fender Ultimate Chorus (130W 2x12 Solid State) at the expense of having to mic it. As of right now, after more than a year, the tube still glows and sounds beautifully, and I've got no complaints. // 10

Impression: Overall, this is a wonderful amp, especially for the price. Though I bought it on sale, you'd have a hard time finding anything meeting, much less exceeding, the quality of the Vox AD15VT. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that sometimes, adjusting effects gets to be a bit tedious, since one knob, in combination with two buttons, is used to adjust multiple effects settings. I love the dedicated chickenhead knobs labeled volume, gain, treble, mid, bass, model, and effect. Awesome amp. Like I said, you can't beat it for the price. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: thezep, on march 14, 2006

Price paid: $ 179

Purchased from: Sam Ash

Features: I play classic rock and blues, and the boutique clean amp setting is perfect for that overdriven tube amp sound. I use the AC30 setting for heavier things, but I mostly stick to the overdriven clean channel. You can program the two channels to whatever amp settings you want. I don't use most of the amp settings, but they are nice to have for when people come over to jam and want to show off their stuff in different styles. I mostly use this amp in my room, and to record, so it has power enough, and maybe a little extra. For a 15 watt it screams! Obviously it has a tube preamp, so it is naturally louder than a solid state amp. // 9

Sound: I use a Gibson Les Paul with it, and for blues and classic rock it is perfect. The amp is really pretty quiet, even at high volumes. The amp can make pretty much any sound you could want, the quality of the sound is exceptional for what I use it for as well. The clean channel is distorted when its gain is cranked, as it should be I might add. With the gain down and at a reasonable volume the clean channel is very clear. I'm not a granny, so reasonable volume is pretty loud. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The amp has never broken down in any way, and I would definitely use it at a gig without backup. // 10

Impression: This is a good match for blues players who just want a small amp with great tone and volume. I've been playing for 9 years (I'm 14) and I own a Gibson Les Paul, a Marshall 100DFX, a Squire Strat (beginner electric, don't laugh), an Ibanez TubeScreamer, an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, a Crybaby wah, an MXR Phaser, and a Morely Volume pedal. Some of these effects distort the amp a bit, and the screamer just ruins the sound, so I don't use my pedal board with it. If this amp was stolen or lost I would buy a Fender tube amp, maybe a Twin Reverb or something. I love the tone of this one though. // 9

overall: 9

Reviewed by: SuperAnalytical, on march 11, 2006

Price paid: $ 169.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: The newest series of Vox amplifiers, the Valvetronix series, features a preamp tube to "enhance" the overall warmth of the tone. It is noticeable only to the trained ear though. Made in China, this Vox features 15 watts of hybrid power, modeling 11 different amps from Vox's own AC30 combo to a "very rare and expensive tube amp" (aka Mesa Boogie). 11 different effects compliment the tones of the amp models while retaining the original composition. The Valvetronix sereis also has a 'write' mode to save a setting you use. There are also effect editing patches, so you can control what your effects can do. No effects loops here, but comes with a line out jack and a spot for a VFS2 footswitch. 2 channels, 'clean' and 'dirty'by hand due to the lack of a footswitch. I barely ever use their combinations of their effects because they lack what I look for, so I just basically only use reverb, compression, and auto wah. This, for me, is right now a practice amp. Luckily it can be heard over drums. I plan in the future to mic it for gigs/performances until I'm able to go back to Guitar Center to get a larger version of this or the Pathfinder, just for it's extension cab out. // 8

Sound: I'm running this with an Ibanez Artcore AFS75, Digitech DF-7 Distortion Modeller, and an Electro Harmonix Small Clone. With this amp, I can't use the distortion pedal models on my DF-7, it seems to only accept the overdrive models for some reason without having to fiddle with my settings. It's noisy only when I try to mate it with a distortion pedal. The clean channel stays clean, unless you put the gain knob further then it's 0 position. The distortion to me can get into metal territory, although not that great. I typically use this with Foo Fighters-type of stuff, old and new along with punk and alternative. This amp does everything well. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It's held up so far to 3 crankings and many car rides to and from practices and school. All I can really ask from an amp at this stage in my guitar years. // 10

Impression: This was a no contest decision, to say the least. None of the other amps in this price range compared to it in any way. The only thing I might look into is a bigger version of this because 15 watts is good, but I think 50 watts would be better. For 2 years of playing (one on acoustic, almost one on electric) I have come a far distance from my days of playing through book after book and making my own music. Although it's not great, whenever I need to rely on my gear to help me with a sound, it does it. This amp is a great help to everything I do. If you're looking into a solid practice amp, even for miked gigs, I would wholeheartedly suggest the Vox AD15VT. // 9

Comments

[crazynickman]

i was thinking of gettin this amp, maybe the 30 though for small gigs. sounds like it would work for me. thanks

[FaceTomorrow]

Ive got it and I love it

[b.c. warlock]

FaceTomorrow wrote:

Ive got it and I love it

Same here tis an awesome first amp(gets really loud)

[fireblade]

Same here! Tis a cool amp.

[Metallica1989]

Best room amp out there!

[b.c. warlock]

Metallica1989 wrote:

Best room amp out there!

true this thing is awesome

[b.c. warlock]

Metallica1989 wrote:

Best room amp out there!

true this amp is the best room amp

[vickan]

i looks really nice!!!

[usandthem_tool]

this is the best 15 watt amp u can get (except it sounds even louder)

[gign]

Sweet, I'm getting this amp

[usandthem_tool]

i'm getting this amp tommorow

[High_o]

how does this compare to the roland cubes?

[the.spine.surfs]

I hear it's abotu even with cubes; just a preference thing. I have this one, anyway Love the UK 70's with chorus/reverb

[TJgreenwood]

this amp is too loud it annoys my parents

[Dannychords]

is this amp any good for alternative or heavier stuff?

[Farewellmyhell]

I love it. It makes my crappy First Act guitar sound acceptable. And thats saying something! All the effects are amazing (Currently in love with the Reverb/Flanger through the neck single coil )
I wish it had the older Vox look to it. I dont really care for all the chrome, but its alright. Sound comes first. I cant wait to hear some EMGs through the US Higain setting.

[shrediquette]

A lot of the reviews are saying the amp is 15 watts, its actually 23 watts, check the back of the amp, AD15VT is just the model name.
I've got one of these and its the best practice amp in town. You can play quietly or crank it, it goes very loud. It could easily play over a drum set. Its got nice bluesy options or extreme metal...numetal is my favourtie setting.

[KX36]

shrediquette wrote:
A lot of the reviews are saying the amp is 15 watts, its actually 23 watts, check the back of the amp, AD15VT is just the model name.

That's 23W of electricity, 15W RMS goes to the speaker, so its a 15W amp.

thezep wrote:Obviously it has a tube preamp, so it is naturally louder than a solid state amp.

Actually, it has a solid state preamp and a single 12AX7 in the poweramp. confusing as a 12AX7 is usually a preamp valve.

[weve]

This is kool practice amp, no need for pedals. Bought one abot a week ago.

[satans_banjo]

One of the best amps ever made to be honest. If you only have £100 to spend look no further, simple as

/discussion

[satans_banjo]

best amp ever

[LesPaul313]

can this amp play with a drum kit?

[stickpickin]

Great amp...never regretted this purchase!

[|\puto_rodas/|]

LesPaul313 wrote:

can this amp play with a drum kit?

WTF?!

[TheUsedSound]

LesPaul313 wrote:

can this amp play with a drum kit?

C'mon, it's a 15W-amp! Theorically, it wouldn't stand a chance next to a drum kit, but, I own it, and I can tell it is pretty loud... probably with a mic, it would be perfect small gigs.

[NewGuitarGuru]

C'mon, it's a 15W-amp! Theorically, it wouldn't stand a chance next to a drum kit, but, I own it, and I can tell it is pretty loud... probably with a mic, it would be perfect small gigs.

I own this amp, and I have used it with drums. Not only can it compete, and can dominate. This is a wicked value, that is scarily loud for its size. Though, I am not sure how well it would hold out if it was pushed.

[mongo_man]

I got this amp aswell. I use it on a Ibanez RG350EX, and a Epiphone Les Paul Studio, and it's sounds really good for it's price. But if you have played for a while, I would buy something more powerfull. It gives nice clean sound, but if you want to get Metal sound, you need a effect pedal. I use a Marshall Guv'Nor 2 Effeckt Pedal, and with that it sounds pretty good, but you can't play gigs with this amp.

[cyclefreak207]

this thing deffinately gets loud. and i love the preset amps. if you know what kinda sound you want you can go to it, and then dial it in from there.

[andyd93]

thezep, it doesnt have any tubes involved, it is an SS amp that has technology involved to make it sound like it is a real valve amp.

[xvasmx]

for my opinion this amp is amazing even if it was a model amp i'd used it at small gigs ive already played it in a couple of places and its amazing i havent even cranked it to hte max and its realy loud!

[cutter222]

the amps loud and fairly easy to use... but limited with effects and stuff, especially if you want to play anything with deeper dirty sounds. ie metal...

[Nessander]

I just got this amp used for 50 bucks, and I love this thing! I got it as a practice amp, since my Vox AC15 is really heavy to lug around (80 lbs) and sits in my studio. I haven't fooled around with all the settings, but just setting it to model the AC15 with some chorus and reverb is great, and I can get a good sound out of it with my LP. If you can pick up one of these used it is a fantastic practice amp for the money. However, I doubt if you could use it live except in really small venues and I'm surprised people would claim it can play alongside drums -- I'd doubt that, unless your drummer plays really quietly!

[bpazolli]

I want this amp but I don't know if I can spend the money but I understand it has 1 valve for a preamp and a solid state poweramp which if you ask me is the way to do it, a poweramp shouldn't add character thats the preamp, transistors were made to amplify without changing the signal at all

[steve.howard]

I just got this as a grad present from my parents, it's my second amp (replacing a really awful Crate GLX 30W that still can't even come close in volume without breaking down). I love it, especially the noise reduction (if you have the effects bypassed and hold down the tap button, you can adjust the sensitivity; I put it all the way to the right and can't even tell when I forget to turn it off).

[pig god 121]

woa im getin this amp after ive sold my drums this amp must be the god of amps but anyway shud i chose a spider over this ??

[xFinnellx]

pig god 121 wrote:

woa im getin this amp after ive sold my drums this amp must be the god of amps but anyway shud i chose a spider over this ??

fudge no dude, spyders suck ass. i have this beast and just let it settle. its user freindly and itl do what u want. for me, the clean sounds a little weak and boring (but thats also cuz im usin seymour invaders) i havent gone too far with volume but all i know is that my windows rattle more than a 80 watt 212. easily boasts well. if u gigin then i recomend 2 30 watts. very stable and subtle. the crunchy stuf is good at the uk modern an nu-metal settings. boutique od is too fuzzy and hides the tone. if ur playin a matchbook romance/greenday alternative tone then this is great. u mite consider a distortion pedal if ur gonna play stuff close to a avenged sevenfold tone. i just use a digitech ex7 cuz its just a better way to go for a great add on. But when putting a different branded pedal in it seems to bypass that "tube" warmth a smudge and kinda hits straight for ur presets and speaker.

[tom_martin_123]

Do you think its worth paying the extra £20-£30 for the 30 watt version?

[xXLuciusXx]

tom_martin_123 wrote:

Do you think its worth paying the extra £20-£30 for the 30 watt version?

O God yes.
in the back of the 30 watt there is a knob for your "Power Level" it can make the amp go from a 5 watt to a 30 watt. much better suited to be a room amp. (and it can be twice as loud )

[nutinpwnsgibson]

High_o wrote:

how does this compare to the roland cubes?

roland cubes have more gain

[Funeral Moon]

I bought this amp for about $200 a few months ago. The preset amp models have pretty good tones, but you should try to dial in your own sound. My preferred tone for metal is the gain, volume all the way up, the treble at about 8, the middle at 2, the bass at 6 or 7. Overall it's a good amp for intermidiate players like myself who play at home. It's definitely an big step up from my Fender Frontman 15g amp.

[warrenguitar]

I own this amp, its great, works well with any type of sound you want. It has adjustable effects and amps on it and looks really cool with the silver grid in front. I paid $175. Worth every cent! Its Numetal amp is the best!

[SilverSpurs616]

My college has one of these or something very similar, and it really is a great amp. I'm hoping to get one myself

[acamhi]

Roland Cube 20x or this?

[wetrx95]

I bought this amp last year. My analog delay pedal had died and I didn't want to spend $100+ for a single pedal, so I started looking at modeling amps with effects. After a month or so I settled on this and I am very happy with that decision. The amp models are fun to mess around with, but I run my MT-2 and wah through the clean channel and use the amp as an eq and effects processor. I use a 1988 Jackson San Dimas and this little amp absolutely ROARS. The ONLY thing missing on the 15 is having an auxiliary input/output. Other than that, perfection. :

[breakdownkid784]

this amp is good, but the distortion on it doesnt go very high. its pretty weak.