Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
ctgblue, on august 18, 2011 6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: Eastside Guitars Gvll SC
Features: New amp, 33 MUCH better models than the older Valvetronix models. Once you get into Manual mode you can find all these amps without the effects. And MOST of them are REALLY quite good! But get out of "preset mode" to find them.
It has stompbox effects, modulation effects, reverb, and a noise gate (set per channel when saved). Line out, headphones out, CD in, etc. NO effects loop and a 10" speaker gets it a 9, I use an outboard EQ. Also goes to 60 watts where others stop at 40, so it can keep up in a Jam with a tube amp player. // 9
Sound: This does from a super clean "cannot break up" model all the way to the full tilt boogie high gain and metal amp models. Jazz - yes; blues - yes; classic rock - yes; silly drop tuned head banging - yes it can.
I play several humbucking guitars and play from accoustic sim stuff to stupid 'bang my head' metal stuff (yes us 40+ guys love metal too). I play chord tones to lead "I wanna be a shredder when I grow up" solos. 30+ years of playing and I have not seen this good of a practice - light Jam type amp. I bought this due to a temporary crippling injury that left me in bed for 8 weeks and I wanted to start playing again and the 85LB combo in the other room wasn't coming to me.
I wanted "nu metal shred tones" at nightime "can't sleep due to the pain at midnight and don't want to wake the house" volumes. This does that and much more, and it can get REALLLLLLY LOUD too. I had a Blackstar HT5 which was great but needed just a little too much volume to sound really good. So I traded it for this.
I was so pleased with this I got the footswitch when I could stand again.
It did EVERYTHING I wanted it to do and therefore gets a 10 from me (I don't like to give out 10's). // 10
Reliability & Durability: Sturdy, seems solid, Vox has a good reputation. // 9
Impression: Overall, for this money, which is more than the similar powered competition, it should have: 12" speaker, effects loop, a noise gate that is easier to set and stays on. So I give it an 8. BUT, the models are better than anyone elses, and easier to get to (come on Fender, wake up). So I would give it a 9 here with the above fixes, due to the price difference. But it got me playing again, and wanting to learn and get better. Thanks Vox. // 8
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
Mr E Meat, on june 04, 2012 2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This is the strong point of this amp. 33 amp models from super clean to brutal Soldano and Peavey 6505 models, piles of stompboxes and pedal effects, 3 types of reverb, programmable banks for your settings, and everything else you can possibly imagine. If it sounded good this would be a great all in one amp for a beginner because of the huge amount of versatility it gives you at a low cost. My favorite feature is the headphone output, this amp has an actual headphone jack. Unlike other amps, you just take your headphones and plug straight into the top or take an aux cable and plug it into your computer and you're ready to record. Easy and convenient. // 10
Sound: I've played a few different guitars through this amp, my main one being an Ibanez RG3EXFM1 with a duncan distortion pickup set. Here's where the amp falls apart. I don't know if I just got one with a bad speaker or something but I really can't find a single one of those 33 models that really sounds good. The cleans all sound fairly anemic and the distortion amp models mostly sound very muddy. I bought this amp to play metal, ska, and punk rock. The cleans weren't bright enough for ska but were passable. I did manage to find one metal amp model that was alright, still a bit muddy but doable (the AC30 red model). This amp is completely hopeless for a Marshall type punk tone, everything is either way too clean or too distorted.
Overall this amp sounds quite terrible on most of the models. I spent a lot of times frustratedly trying to dial in a good setting to no avail, and plenty of other times where I stopped practicing or practiced unplugged because of how much I disliked my tone. My standards aren't high really, right now I'm using a Marshall MG15CDR I paid $40 for (an amp commonly accepted to be trash) with an Ibanez Tubescreamer for punk rock and ska and that gets the job done infinitely better. The Valvetronix series gets a lot of acclaim on the forums and reviews and stuff but for all that, I think mine sounds awful and everyone I know who has tried mine agrees with me completely. I've tried others at stores to see if I just got a bad speaker, they all sound exactly the same. // 4
Reliability & Durability: This amp seems fairly reliable, I've given mine a fair amount of knocks and abuse (carried it to band practice twice a week on public transportation) and besides a few scuff marks on the corners there's been no effects. The knobs and the casing both seem indestructible. I wouldn't gig this amp without a backup because I wouldn't gig it in the first place, but I would expect it to do alright, provided I just used one setting for the show.
The reason I give this section a 7 is because of a few quirks related to the sound. This amp is a bit strange because changing the eq or the gain doesn't seem to take effect except when you turn it on/off. So say I decide to scoop my mids halfway through band practice I need to turn it on and off for that to take effect. This was frustrating before I figured it out because it felt like my eq changes were doing nothing. The amp also changes stompboxes/effects slowly by cycling through them. Again, the solution to get it to work right away is turning the amp on and off. // 7
Impression: I play a lot of thrash metal, punk rock and ska. This amp, while it should be able to do all of those with the insane amounts of combinations of models and pedal effects it has, can't do any of them well enough to be worthwhile. I've been playing for about a year now but I bought this amp when I was just starting out and giddy to own any amp that had enough distortion to not need me to use my Boss ST-2 distortion pedal. I bought it because I wanted a Peavey Vypyr tube or Peavey 6505+ Combo but didn't have the money and felt my skills didn't justify such an expensive amp. I'm correcting that now by selling this amp and putting the money in my 6505+ 112 fund. If it was stolen I would be annoyed that I lost something worth money but would not care otherwise. I have not touched this amp in months and the only reason I still have it is that I haven't found a buyer yet. // 5
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on march 24, 2011 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 250
Purchased from: Casa Libertella (Argentina)
Features: I don't know where the year that my amp was made, I think it was made in Vietnam. This amp Has 33 Amps Simulator, 22 Effects (Distortion Included) and 3 Reverbs. It has a Built In Tuner, Headphone Jack (Normal Headphones) and an Aux Input. It has 60 Watts of power, I use the amp on stages and for practise. It has a tube in the preamp. // 9
Sound: Mainly I use a Dean Razorback Db with killswitch or a cheap Epiphone SG Special Cherry, This amp sounds Great on Clean, But I'ts a little weak on Distortions, it can handle Blues, Rock, Hard Rock, but in metal It only handles Metallica, Iron Maiden, From Thrash To Heavy, but you will need a Distortion Pedal. The Presets Are Awful, I use 2 presets, The Message In A Bottle and Wonderwall. Because Enter Sandman Preset, Sweet Child O' Mine an the others are so digital.
The Metal Distortions sound really Bassy, but I like the distortion in the red channel of Vox AC30 that Distortion Rules. I play Rock, Blues and Metal. // 7
Reliability & Durability: I can use this amp without a backup because it's built like a tank! It doesn't seem to be a weak amp. Those chicken knobs would stand still even if an atomic bomb blows in front of it, my amp has never broken down, and that tube seems very solid, this amp Rocks! // 10
Impression: It matches my music style that I play. I've been playing for 4 years. I own a Marshall JCM 900 High Gain Dual Reverb and a Fender Mustang II. If it were stolen I probably would Buy another Amp to make a review. This is not a bad amp, But I need to know the competence. I love the clean effects and that Rock'N'Roll Drive that it produces. // 8
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 13, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Music Pro
Features: This is a 120W tube driven amp made by Vox. With hundreds of dollars worth of effects put into it and 99 cool presets, this thing is going to keep you very busy.
Features:
- tube-driven Vox Valve Reactor circuit uses a 12AX7 vacuum tube for true tube tone;
- optimum 80W output with maximum 120W output from unique Power Level control;
- 12" Vox Original Speaker
- 99 Expertly voiced presets;
- 33 Song presets spot-on recreations of the sounds used on classic tracks;
- 33 Basic Amp Model presets: Valvetronix amp modeling at its robust finest;
- 33 Effected Amp Model presets created with variety of effects including chorus, flanger and tremolo;
- 25 In-demand, top-quality effects, including 11 pedal-type effects, 11 modulation/delay effects with Tap Tempo control, and 3 reverb styles;
- 8 User Programs for saving your favorite custom settings;
- Accurate amp models encompass the entire Vox lineage from the traditional AC30 to the modern Night Train, plus an impressive list of other hard-to-come-by classics and rare high-gain boutique models;
- Gain, Volume, and Master Volume controls;
- 3-band EQ;
- Unique Power Level control can limit the power amp output wattage, creating distinctive power amp distortion at any listening level;
- Built-in automatic guitar tuner;
- Newly revoiced Vox original speaker ensures ample power;
- Headphone output simulates the acoustic and spatial character of a full speaker cabinet. // 9
Sound: The sounds, once you spend time dialing in a good tone, is incredible. It does take a lot of time however to get a good sound out of it, but once you do, you won't want to shut it off. However, this amp is confusing to use at first. It is deffinetly not a plug in and play amp, and the presets don't sound all that great. I had to read the manual to figure this thing out. But in the end, it was worth it. The tones I am now getting out of this thing that I now know how to use it is incredible. TAKE NOTE: This amp is noisy as hell!!! Definitely invest in a noise gate if this is something that easily pisses you off. I don't have too much of a problem with it, but I am still going to purchase a noise gate A.S.A.P because this thing is that noisy-even on the clean channel. Overall though, the sound is more than I expected from it. // 7
Reliability & Durability: This amp can definitely take a beating. The speaker covering is made of silk, so that is something to watch out for, but this thing is thick and heavy as hell, so there is no need to worry about it breaking on you. It isn't the most portable, because as I said, its pretty heavy for an amp as small as it is. // 9
Impression: Overall, not bad. I definitely would recommend it to people who are looking for a Metal machine that can also get beautiful cleans. I bought this over the glorified Roland Cube 80XL, and I do not regret it at all. To me, it sounds better.
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
Philly.ca, on january 24, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: C$ 299.04
Purchased from: Triangle Music, Port Alberni, BC, Canada
Features: $267 + $32.04 tax. $80 for optional pedal. I believe the year it was made in is 2010. Very versatile for the styles I play; blues, rock, hard rock, 80s/90s metal. It has a good range of models to choose. Some typical effects, flanger, chorus, reverb. Comes with 1/8 inputs for audio and output for head phones. // 8
Sound: I am using a Squire Affinity Strat HSS, and an Epiphone Explorer w/ Epi Alnico Humbuckers with this amp presently. For its size, you'll be shocked at what it puts out with sound. It has a very clear, clean tone to it, not very dull. Great over drives for rock/blues and hard rock. Haven't over worked this at high volumes yet, I use it mainly for a practice amp, headphones on and off. I use it to Jam with friends as well. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I bought this amp for its size and portability to what it can actually put out. Built very sturdy, it can be packed around easily in and out of trunks, back seats, on the bus or where ever. Give it a few minutes when you turn it on to warm up! There's no preamp/standby settings on this amp. // 9
Impression: If you are hard nosed about what you play, strictly single styles, this isn't your amp! But it you want to go Jam with some buddies, or in a club, you can dial in your presets in the four channels with the optional pedal. If not, once you learn how to adjust your controls, very easy to use dial knobs, just dial in a setting, your playing blues, dial in a clean channel and play some Beatles, tweak it for beach boys, dial in something heavier and you're right in to AC/DC or Metallica.
Not overly complicated for the beginner/intermediate player, very user friendly! This was the type of amp I was looking for. Nothing over the top because I'm not a professional musician. I just need something I can use that sounds great, is easy to transport, comes with a good quality pedal to change channels easy, and for the price, and this was it! // 9
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
rioter78, on january 16, 2012 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 200
Purchased from: Big Apple Music
Features: For the price of this amp, this has a lot of features. This is a pretty versatile amp because of the music that I mainly play, Classic Rock to Heavy Metal, this is a great all around amp. Overall, it has 99 presets. 33 different amps, 11 pedal effects, 11 different general effects, and, 3 different styles of Reverb. It has both a headphone jack and an auxillary input. There a few effects that I never really use, but they are there and they are pretty nice to have. I only really use this amp in a small room, but because of the great feature of selecting your wattage output, I can play this, have a great sound even though it's at a low volume, so I won't disturb others with it. Although, I can increase this amp all the way to 60 watts if I want to. This is a very solid, great, all purpose tube amp. // 9
Sound: I have a Fender Strat, so obviously, I have single coil pickups, but I also have another old strat look alike with a single bridge humbucker pickup. Because of the versatility of this amp, I can play most any style with both guitars. There are a few amp settings that are lower than the others, like the UK Rock special (yellow) setting, and obviously, the clean/cali clean settings are low, but that's about it. It can go from a very clean, almost sparkle type setting all the way to all out heavy metal. At higher levels, the clean setting is distorted, but not enough to where it has a heavy tone. The distortion is perfect. It's brutal enough for any metalhead. I mean, it could be more, but this is not solely a metal amp, but, it's very versatile. // 10
Reliability & Durability: This amp is pretty dang reliable. If I didn't have a backup for this in a gig, I wouldn't fret (ha...). I picked this amp solely because it sounded better than any other I tried out in that wattage category. Because this is a relatively new amp, I haven't had it broken down or had any problems in general. // 9
Impression: I mainly play stuff like hard rock to heavy metal, but I also play some lighter, classic rock. This is a pretty nice match to what I play. I have been playing for about 3 years now, but, I have no other gear along with it. The only thing I wished that I asked before buying this is if they had the pedal footboard designed for this amp to switch the different user presets I put in, but other than that, nothing else. I love this amp for the power and features it has. I have no complaints about this amp thus far. My favorite feature would have to be the gold drive, it works well with so many of my amps, but my 2nd would probably be auto-wah. I have compared this amp to the Line 6 Spider IV 30 Watt, and, the Peavey Vypyr 30 Watt, and this was the best choice for me. Frankly, for a first amp, I don't really need anything else. The price was right, seeing how they sold it to me for $50 less than the original sticker price, I got a pretty good deal. // 10
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
Nahuelgrox, on november 22, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 400
Purchased from: Casa Libertella (Argentina)
Features: Vox Valvetronix 40+. I don't know what year this amp was made in. But the amp is VERY versatile, you can play anything, from Blues to Black Metal (I'll explain this later), It has 33 Amplifiers with 11 built in Distortion/Pre effects and 11 effects, This amp has almost everything, except good Heavy distortions. I use this amp at gigs and everything, it can play with a band and it even can sound louder than a drummer. This amp has a valve (12 AX7) in the Preamp section. // 9
Sound: I use an Epiphone SG Special and a Jackson DXMG with this amp, It suits every style you want to play, but, this amp doesn't have good heavy distortions, you can play from jazz, country to hard rock without having a distortion pedal, because the heavy distortions aren't very good. I use a DigiTech DF-7 and a Boss PW 10 with this amp and it kicks ass, I play Thrash Metal with a band and it sounds Very good, But, you'll need to crank the volume up if you want this baby to sound good, because it doesn't sound good at low volumes. It's noisy when you've got a lot of gain, but a noise suppressor will get rid of that. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This amp is built like a tank, but there's one problem, the amp selection knob is a bit loosy, so you can change between amp models if you move the amp a little, but that's not a big problem, the amp has never broken down and it's a beast!, I've kicked it one time (I've triped) and it didn't do anything. // 9
Impression: I play Blues, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Hard Rock, and rock, and this amp can do that for sure (With a distortion pedal of course), I've been playing for 4 years and I had another "Nameless" amp that wasn't very good. If this amp were stolen, I would buy another one because it's the best amp in that range of prices, I love the looks of the amp too, it looks sexy. // 9
Valvetronix VT40+
Reviewed by:
g_lew2108, on june 28, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 180
Purchased from: Craigslist
Features: The amp was most likely made in 2010 in Vietnam (Under the license of Vox UK). I sold a Marshall MG100DFX in order to buy this amp (which compared in price some may think it's a downgrade, but far from it). To my surprise, I could even get the exact tone the MG gave me, plus all the other tones as well. The amp comes with a 12 AX7 tube preamp which gives it powerful tones. Headphone and CD in are included. I bought this amp because I wanted a tube amp, and this gives the perfect sound, with modeling features (the new meets the old). VT40+ allows me to crank it up to 60 Watts, which is definitely enough for a practice amp, and definitely enough to mic up at a gig. // 10
Sound: I use this with my Gibson LP Studio and with the Vox amps (AC15, and AC30, standards and custom) I can finally get that very bright sound I've been looking for. With the Marshall presets I can still get those warm heavy tones, and through a tube as well. Some of the built in effects sound cheap, but you can't expect to have it all. The gain built in to the modeling amps sound great, but if you want more overdrive the built in pedals don't cut it. I actually use a real pedal through the amp models rather than the built in pedals. // 8
Reliability & Durability: This amp is built very well. The grill cloth is built the same way old fashioned Voxs were, but rather just in black (which I found a website that customizes the cloth and logo to make it look retro). Vinyl on the side seems that it may scratch easy, and there are no protectors on the corners. Speaker sounds great, although I would have loved a Celestion for it's reliability. Nothing has yet to break down, and I've cranked everything up before. // 10
Impression: I used to love playing heavy metal, and now I play UK rock, modern rock, and the likes. This amp gives me the exact tones I need to play what I want. I've been playing since 2000 and have gone through 4 different amps, few different pedals, and only one modeling board. I would recommend this to anyone from starters to advanced players. It's simple to get the hang of for beginners, and allows advanced players to play with infinite sounds. I would say the ability to get bright clingy sounds, to rich warm tones, and the preamp tube are my favorite features. If there was one thing Vox could work on it's the built in pedals so I could get a more realistic sounding stomp box. For being a Vox the price is excellent for what I paid for. Very content with the purchase. // 9
Vox does have a good reputation, but there valvetronix lines are full of bugs.
I preffered the old ad vts to the new ones, there cutting the quality of the new vts to try to compete with line 6(spiders) and peavey(vypyrs).
The old ad models were very convicing the models were great and even the effects were almost all usable.
Vox does have a good reputation, but there valvetronix lines are full of bugs.
Very true, I own an AD30 and when I compared it to the VT+ I was very happy I bought used.
I preffered the old ad vts to the new ones, there cutting the quality of the new vts to try to compete with line 6(spiders) and peavey(vypyrs).
The old ad models were very convicing the models were great and even the effects were almost all usable.
Vox does have a good reputation, but there valvetronix lines are full of bugs.
I preffered the old ad vts to the new ones, there cutting the quality of the new vts to try to compete with line 6(spiders) and peavey(vypyrs).
The old ad models were very convicing the models were great and even the effects were almost all usable.
Very true, I own an AD30 and when I compared it to the VT+ I was very happy I bought used.
+Sorry for the double post, I screwed that last one up.
Some say the VT40+ is kind of "dull". Some say it "skreeks" too much.
I would say you can fix both by just tweaking it.
I played several gigs with a VT40+ and it really gets loud if you want it. I played an Open Air gig with it (Sure miked it with an SM57) and at just Volume to 1/2 I had a wonderful stage sound. And the sound that came to the audience through the PA was nice too.
Together with the Pedalboard I would say a nice practicing, jamming, even gigging amp.
Some like it, some not. I love it
I have it and I love it! Can someone please tell me how to get those heavy tones out of it? I tried the different metal settings and tweaking, but I just can't quite get the tone I want.
i just got one from guitar center for $210 this thing has sooo many settings u can play anything on it but for death metal i still use a pedal for real heavy distoriton. but you can not beat this amp for the money and the sounds are remarkable you just have to play with the adjustments a little. It really does sound better than the fender mustang 2, and 3's they seem to be flat and electronic sounding with no real authenitic tones at all especially when turned up.
Dude, this thing is awesome! The tone you get on the UK Rock orange setting (Marshall JCM800) with the Tube OD (Ibanez Tube Screamer) on and proper knob tweaking is INSANE! By far the best modeled '80s metal tone I've ever heard, massive, crunchy with a shitload of harmonics. I can't wait to replace my RG350's INF4 with something like a DiMarzio SD...
this is an awesome amp for the price. it definitely has limitations, but for a practice amp or small gigs, it's perfect. extremely versatile and super small footprint. i bought it to save tube time on my bigger amps and i am extremely impressed. 15+ years of playing. people reporting poor sound quality either have bad units or are not good at EQ'ing yet. this amp is more than capable.
Has anyone used the Tech 21 Sansamp GT2 Tube amp emulator? I really love the VT40+, but I am limited on my metal tones. I can get a great metal sound using the AC30+Gold drive, but I am wondering if the GT2 can give me that wider range of heavy distortion tones?
I have it and I love it! Can someone please tell me how to get those heavy tones out of it? I tried the different metal settings and tweaking, but I just can't quite get the tone I want.
First, take it out of the 'preset mode' into manual, get over into the right hand side of the dial, find the closest tone you like.
Work on the EQ, push your preamp volume up, push your post volume up, then use your "power control" to shape the heavy tone you want.
Remember that with a 10" speaker, your are limited on low end, but I got screaming metal tones out of it. I never had the power control past 'barely cracked'.
Just wondering for a practice amp used in a bedroom can u still get some good tone at really low volumes. R u better off getting a vt20 if u r using low volumes a lot?
Mr E Meat, I agree with your review. We had a VT30 at our band practice place and the sounds were pretty bad. Cleans were boring, distortions were muddy and bassy. And of course the effects were pretty bad but built in effects are always pretty bad. I don't get the hype. I even think that Marshall MG that we had at the same practice place sounded better. It sounded more like a real amp. This just sounded fake. I agree with you completely.
Mr E Meat, I experienced the same exact thing with mit VT15. The distorted channels sound just awful, every single one of them. The only amp sim which doesn't give earaches after 10 minutes, but stillt sounds bad though, is the AC30. I would not recommend this amp to anyone that wants to play distorted stuff.
Mr E Meat, I agree with your review. We had a VT30 at our band practice place and the sounds were pretty bad. Cleans were boring, distortions were muddy and bassy. And of course the effects were pretty bad but built in effects are always pretty bad. I don't get the hype. I even think that Marshall MG that we had at the same practice place sounded better. It sounded more like a real amp. This just sounded fake. I agree with you completely.
I knew all the Vox fanboys started to hate me when I said this
But really, the distortion sounds had huge amounts of background hiss and sounded muddy. I tried to tweak them but didn't get anything that I liked. Cheap digital amps are not for me. They sound boring and fake. The Marshall MG had more "presence" than the VT30. Not saying that MG was good but I actually preferred it, maybe because of its simple sound. Go try a tube amp and then try the VT (or any digital amp in the same price range) again. You'll see that it lacks something.
I preffered the old ad vts to the new ones, there cutting the quality of the new vts to try to compete with line 6(spiders) and peavey(vypyrs).
The old ad models were very convicing the models were great and even the effects were almost all usable.