Amazing sound on your opening track. I made an offer for MK III on Reverb yesterday and it got accepted today morning. When it arrives, I have to play your tune first :-) Sounds good on my ' 65 Bassman too, though.
Thanks heaps ! Appreciate it. I dream of having a blonde bassman to go with it may have to settle for a new built clone. I love the midrange in the blonde fenders though if I could have a black face it'd probably be a bassman or a super.
Did you try a 12DW7/7247 tube in V1? It’s half an AU7 and AX7. Mullard and Telefunken made great ones. I’m doing a preliminary inspection to my MKii now. It’s all original, the blue Hunt’s caps are in place. Time bomb.
Man sounds great I love the jingle jangle in the AC 50 for the clean stuff in semi dirty stuff. The original song you wrote your son's killer I really like it it's got a really good vibe to it and feel ! Do you have lyrics and vocals for this tune? I had a 63 coppertop vox ac30 non top boost . I bought it from Mike Elkins guitars in Nashville . He said man it's not a top boost but don't worry about it it doesn't need it this app has plenty of the game just bridge the 2 channels. Man that thing was even thicker then a top boost model. I just put a early 90s Klon centuar in front of it with a clean boost echoplex and oh my god! They have the original silver alnicos
I'm selling my 79 Vibrolux reverb (cause I have to). My only comfort is this fat baby. I'd never sell her. Vox Ac50, Impressive sound .. and seriously plays so good on my old strato. Only problem she's got an enormous sound. It's not a studio amp if you want it to do her thing take her to large space gigs.
All that delicate tweaking takes a great ear -- like your playing the amp instead of the guitar. I could see why Neil Young had programable motorized rotary controls on his amp's nobs way back in the 70s (or whenever)
With mine (slightly later) it was desperately microphonic when I first got hold of it. The input jacks crackled and there were a lot of bits that seemed to need tightening down in order for it to run smoothly. It was worth it all the way, though. It makes the most glorious noise of any amp I own. Normal channel, as you say, needs the bass all the way down to get the sorts of classic rock tones that get it close to a Marshall. Clean it will take a bit more bass, but once it's overdriving it falls apart (in a Neil Young-ish way...), which certainly doesn't suit my rhythm playing 'style'. Your findings pretty much mirror mine. Mine doesn't have the reverse-wired tone controls, though, really interested to see that! I remarked somewhere on a forum that I was surprised by how much it doesn't care about speakers, though. It sounds like itself through P10Rs, Vintage 30s, Fane F70s, Greenbacks... whatever, you still get something AC50-ish out of it. I would have thought it would be the other way round, and that speakers would really matter. But not so. Anyway, great stuff!
@@andyrichardson9039 interesting to hear that, it definately does have its own vibe that cuts through no matter what though I find with a Marshall style cab (I'm using IRs of Marshall cabs alot) it doesn't get close to a plexi sound but with its own chime and midrange character. Mine has had the OT replaced so it has normal speaker jacks, not sure how much the OT has made a difference (it's some Australia brand OT from I am guessing the 80s).
How do you like Fane F70s with your AC50? I find V30s a bit too spiked in the upper mids and a bit too brittle in the treble ranges, and greenbacks a bit too dark and boxy sounding, with my AC50. (I love these speakers with some other amps). I'm sorta torn between sticking with my tried and true G12H anniversaries I've been using with my Laney VC30 (which is locked down in a private studio and I can't access it to piggyback the AC50 into that G12H loaded combo to see how I get on with that combination), or trying some F70s.
@@bojackhorseman5367 Compared to the G12H Anniversary (and it's derivatives) the F70 has a much smoother, more polite top end. It's great with the AC50, because it allows you to use the full range of the treble control in the bright channel (ish!) without shaking your fillings loose. For my darker amp (a Mesa Heartbreaker) the F70s are just too warm and soupy, and you lose any cut through the mix. It's worth noting, though, that my F70s are in a huge, deep closed-back cab that was made (by Straight Edge or whatever they are called) for Vonhatski, so was intended to have thumping bass more than anything else. They certainly achieve that, but they smooth off some of the crispier, fizzy stuff in the high end (particularly with lots of drive going). Which may or may not be to your tastes! So... if you will, the F70 is like having treble and bass down at a quarter, and the Anni is like having them up around 3/4. The low end is pretty similar - the F70 maybe edges it a touch in firmness (59oz vs 50oz magnet) and the midrange is clear and uncluttered in both (where the GB can get too woody in some situations). Lastly, I got my F70s for about £40 each as New Old Stock, so to me they are absolutely superb. At £130 each, not so much!
@@andyrichardson9039 Thank you for the very thorough and detailed reply :) From your description it sounds like the top end could potentially be a bit too smooth for my needs, but having said that I do tend to run my treble quite low on my amps normally, AND back off the volume and tone a little on the guitar to soften the input signal. I do this to eliminate any harsh treble frequencies before the signal even gets amplified. So, the fanes might be just what I'm looking for, I want the high end to be very detailed but not necessarily prominent or in your face. So it might be a case of "G12H will do what I want the way I use my rig so keep using it". Or maybe Fanes will allow me to bring back some of that treble without it being overpowering/harsh? I see what you mean about the price of the Fanes though - I think I'm gonna wait until I get access to the studio my Laney combo resides in, and tentatively test the AC50 through the G12H in there (taking care not to overpower the speaker) and see how I get on with that combination. But it's definitely helpful to hear some thoughts and experiences from someone who has used an AC50 through different speakers :)
This dude must be Cambridge's vintage-tone PHD and peddleboard guru. They do offer a PHD in Beatles studies (for real) at Liverpool University -- maybe he graduated 🎓 from there. (The Beatles as I remember them had no college scholarship, but their inadvertant dialog captured on transient recordings and published interviews made them sound deeply cemented into all scholastic social discourse of their day). How ironic to see detailed study of their and other 60's vintage tones by people almost 60 years later. But listen to these beautiful tones and you can understand why.
Talk to your amp tech if a 12DW7 is right for you. A 12DW7 is a dual triode which is comprised of a 12au7 on one side and the other side of the dual triode is a 12ax7. So what that does is that it will make one channel in the 12au7 like the stock configuration whilst the other channel will be as if you had just a 12ax7 in. Possibly the best of both worlds for your playing style. Great video by the way. :)
Thanks, yeah I've thought about getting one but vintage ones are rare and the current models are tubes I just don't like in old amps (like the JJ for example). With covid I haven't been able to take it to a tech yet, but still loving the 12ax7 on the brilliant channel or with channels blended.
You can use an aby or jumper the channels with a cable, the gain structure and tone seems slightly different when jumpering to my ears which may to do with the resistors on the inputs. Aby sounded slightly better and has more control.
Small gig volumes, it is clean but I use attenuators /loadboxs so I can tame the volume but yeah slightly broken up at small venues an AC15 even a modern one would be better. For a bigger more solid sounding clean that can take pedals with plenty of headroom this is better. It is kinda of like a Fender Deluxe (ac15) vs a Fender Twin (ac50/ac100). It is significantly cleaner and punchier than my ceriatone hot cat clone clean channel.
@@on_the_edge_of_time7921 there are so many factors, a lot of compression in ac30s for example come from the blues and you are going to miss that with an attenuator also nearly all attenuators do something to the tone and all sound different. I mostly use a load box for recording which doesn't kill as much tone as an attenuator for me but live to be honest though I wouldn't use the ac50 if i wanted any breakup, my other amps are better at that. I do want to try some yellow jackets in there effectively making the power section closer to an ac15 (2xel84s) but they may not fit in the headbox.
It does not do bedroom levels. It is loud and dynamic. It's louder than an ac30 and that is loud even set clean but this has more headroom so it is super dynamic unless you never use the bypass sound (always have pedals that reduce dynamics on) it'd be very hard to control the volume. I use it with load box all the time.
In the mid 60s tube rectifiers were unreliable hence why both Marshall and vox went ss rectifier. Mesa wasn't around for over a decade after this was made so that's a weird comparison.
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Great gear and review. Look forward to your band's release.
Much appreciated!
Sounds beautiful mate
Thanks, still getting to grips with it but a cool amp
Can't wait. Happy Wednesday.
Hope you enjoy!
such a crisp sound, i have a 1964 AC50 top large box, sounds amazing. all my best to you and yours from Liverpool
Great stuff..
Amazing sound on your opening track. I made an offer for MK III on Reverb yesterday and it got accepted today morning. When it arrives, I have to play your tune first :-) Sounds good on my ' 65 Bassman too, though.
Thanks heaps ! Appreciate it. I dream of having a blonde bassman to go with it may have to settle for a new built clone. I love the midrange in the blonde fenders though if I could have a black face it'd probably be a bassman or a super.
Did you try a 12DW7/7247 tube in V1? It’s half an AU7 and AX7. Mullard and Telefunken made great ones. I’m doing a preliminary inspection to my MKii now. It’s all original, the blue Hunt’s caps are in place. Time bomb.
Man sounds great I love the jingle jangle in the AC 50 for the clean stuff in semi dirty stuff. The original song you wrote your son's killer I really like it it's got a really good vibe to it and feel ! Do you have lyrics and vocals for this tune? I had a 63 coppertop vox ac30 non top boost . I bought it from Mike Elkins guitars in Nashville . He said man it's not a top boost but don't worry about it it doesn't need it this app has plenty of the game just bridge the 2 channels. Man that thing was even thicker then a top boost model. I just put a early 90s Klon centuar in front of it with a clean boost echoplex and oh my god! They have the original silver alnicos
The "Last" Dandelion ‐- real flower 🌼 children vibe
I'm selling my 79 Vibrolux reverb (cause I have to). My only comfort is this fat baby. I'd never sell her. Vox Ac50, Impressive sound .. and seriously plays so good on my old strato. Only problem she's got an enormous sound. It's not a studio amp if you want it to do her thing take her to large space gigs.
You can get best tone out of it with an attenuator
All that delicate tweaking takes a great ear -- like your playing the amp instead of the guitar. I could see why Neil Young had programable motorized rotary controls on his amp's nobs way back in the 70s (or whenever)
With mine (slightly later) it was desperately microphonic when I first got hold of it. The input jacks crackled and there were a lot of bits that seemed to need tightening down in order for it to run smoothly. It was worth it all the way, though. It makes the most glorious noise of any amp I own. Normal channel, as you say, needs the bass all the way down to get the sorts of classic rock tones that get it close to a Marshall. Clean it will take a bit more bass, but once it's overdriving it falls apart (in a Neil Young-ish way...), which certainly doesn't suit my rhythm playing 'style'. Your findings pretty much mirror mine.
Mine doesn't have the reverse-wired tone controls, though, really interested to see that!
I remarked somewhere on a forum that I was surprised by how much it doesn't care about speakers, though. It sounds like itself through P10Rs, Vintage 30s, Fane F70s, Greenbacks... whatever, you still get something AC50-ish out of it. I would have thought it would be the other way round, and that speakers would really matter. But not so.
Anyway, great stuff!
Incidentally, does yours have those deviant 3-pin not-quite-XLR connectors for the speakers?
@@andyrichardson9039 interesting to hear that, it definately does have its own vibe that cuts through no matter what though I find with a Marshall style cab (I'm using IRs of Marshall cabs alot) it doesn't get close to a plexi sound but with its own chime and midrange character. Mine has had the OT replaced so it has normal speaker jacks, not sure how much the OT has made a difference (it's some Australia brand OT from I am guessing the 80s).
How do you like Fane F70s with your AC50? I find V30s a bit too spiked in the upper mids and a bit too brittle in the treble ranges, and greenbacks a bit too dark and boxy sounding, with my AC50. (I love these speakers with some other amps). I'm sorta torn between sticking with my tried and true G12H anniversaries I've been using with my Laney VC30 (which is locked down in a private studio and I can't access it to piggyback the AC50 into that G12H loaded combo to see how I get on with that combination), or trying some F70s.
@@bojackhorseman5367 Compared to the G12H Anniversary (and it's derivatives) the F70 has a much smoother, more polite top end. It's great with the AC50, because it allows you to use the full range of the treble control in the bright channel (ish!) without shaking your fillings loose. For my darker amp (a Mesa Heartbreaker) the F70s are just too warm and soupy, and you lose any cut through the mix.
It's worth noting, though, that my F70s are in a huge, deep closed-back cab that was made (by Straight Edge or whatever they are called) for Vonhatski, so was intended to have thumping bass more than anything else. They certainly achieve that, but they smooth off some of the crispier, fizzy stuff in the high end (particularly with lots of drive going). Which may or may not be to your tastes!
So... if you will, the F70 is like having treble and bass down at a quarter, and the Anni is like having them up around 3/4. The low end is pretty similar - the F70 maybe edges it a touch in firmness (59oz vs 50oz magnet) and the midrange is clear and uncluttered in both (where the GB can get too woody in some situations).
Lastly, I got my F70s for about £40 each as New Old Stock, so to me they are absolutely superb. At £130 each, not so much!
@@andyrichardson9039 Thank you for the very thorough and detailed reply :)
From your description it sounds like the top end could potentially be a bit too smooth for my needs, but having said that I do tend to run my treble quite low on my amps normally, AND back off the volume and tone a little on the guitar to soften the input signal. I do this to eliminate any harsh treble frequencies before the signal even gets amplified. So, the fanes might be just what I'm looking for, I want the high end to be very detailed but not necessarily prominent or in your face. So it might be a case of "G12H will do what I want the way I use my rig so keep using it". Or maybe Fanes will allow me to bring back some of that treble without it being overpowering/harsh?
I see what you mean about the price of the Fanes though - I think I'm gonna wait until I get access to the studio my Laney combo resides in, and tentatively test the AC50 through the G12H in there (taking care not to overpower the speaker) and see how I get on with that combination. But it's definitely helpful to hear some thoughts and experiences from someone who has used an AC50 through different speakers :)
This dude must be Cambridge's vintage-tone PHD and peddleboard guru. They do offer a PHD in Beatles studies (for real) at Liverpool University -- maybe he graduated 🎓 from there. (The Beatles as I remember them had no college scholarship, but their inadvertant dialog captured on transient recordings and published interviews made them sound deeply cemented into all scholastic social discourse of their day). How ironic to see detailed study of their and other 60's vintage tones by people almost 60 years later. But listen to these beautiful tones and you can understand why.
Fuck yeah dude, Fuck yeah!!
Talk to your amp tech if a 12DW7 is right for you. A 12DW7 is a dual triode which is comprised of a 12au7 on one side and the other side of the dual triode is a 12ax7. So what that does is that it will make one channel in the 12au7 like the stock configuration whilst the other channel will be as if you had just a 12ax7 in. Possibly the best of both worlds for your playing style. Great video by the way. :)
Thanks, yeah I've thought about getting one but vintage ones are rare and the current models are tubes I just don't like in old amps (like the JJ for example). With covid I haven't been able to take it to a tech yet, but still loving the 12ax7 on the brilliant channel or with channels blended.
Do you use an ABY pedal to blend the channels? I have just bought one..:)
You can use an aby or jumper the channels with a cable, the gain structure and tone seems slightly different when jumpering to my ears which may to do with the resistors on the inputs. Aby sounded slightly better and has more control.
@@JimijaymesProductions Thanks a lot for answering.
What’s it like getting the good jangle rock slightly broken up sounds out of it at small gig volumes? Possible?
Small gig volumes, it is clean but I use attenuators /loadboxs so I can tame the volume but yeah slightly broken up at small venues an AC15 even a modern one would be better. For a bigger more solid sounding clean that can take pedals with plenty of headroom this is better. It is kinda of like a Fender Deluxe (ac15) vs a Fender Twin (ac50/ac100). It is significantly cleaner and punchier than my ceriatone hot cat clone clean channel.
@@JimijaymesProductions it works well with an attenuator? I see people saying attenuators kill the chime in vox type amps?
@@on_the_edge_of_time7921 there are so many factors, a lot of compression in ac30s for example come from the blues and you are going to miss that with an attenuator also nearly all attenuators do something to the tone and all sound different. I mostly use a load box for recording which doesn't kill as much tone as an attenuator for me but live to be honest though I wouldn't use the ac50 if i wanted any breakup, my other amps are better at that. I do want to try some yellow jackets in there effectively making the power section closer to an ac15 (2xel84s) but they may not fit in the headbox.
How is this amp at bedroom levels as a clean pedal platform?
It does not do bedroom levels. It is loud and dynamic. It's louder than an ac30 and that is loud even set clean but this has more headroom so it is super dynamic unless you never use the bypass sound (always have pedals that reduce dynamics on) it'd be very hard to control the volume. I use it with load box all the time.
As classy as classic gets.
VOX shoulda made it tube rectified. Then they coulda charged another $1000-$1500 for it. Like Mesa-Boogie ! 😂
In the mid 60s tube rectifiers were unreliable hence why both Marshall and vox went ss rectifier. Mesa wasn't around for over a decade after this was made so that's a weird comparison.