To maximize the functionality of electric guitars, amps have been helping many guitarists for years!
As there’re various guitar amp brands available in the market, the debate as to which amp brand is continually going.
Vox and Fender are two well-known amp brands. They’ve been introducing great and innovative amps for many years. But Vox’s AC15C1 and Fender’s ‘65 Deluxe Reverb amps have made their brands the talk of the town!
| Features: | Vox AC15C1 Custom | Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb |
|---|---|---|
| Cost: | £646 | £1,549 |
| Max Wattage: | 15W | 22W |
| Weight: | 48.50 lbs. (22 kg) | 42 lbs. (19.05 kg) |
Vox AC15C1
The world-famous English brand “Vox” was born in 1957 in England. Later, in 1992, Vox merged with another large corporation represented by Korg. The main specialization of Vox is the production of amps for electric guitars. Because of their high quality and universal recognition, such amps like the AC15C1 have rightfully gained the status of classic ones.
Design
Vox’s AC15C1 has two channels and functions include – Rever, Tone Cut, Tremolo, and Master Volume. The highest sound quality, along with its purity, is characteristic of the first channel. The overloaded one sounds less qualitatively. Its Tone Cut control acts most noticeably on an overloaded sound (it is almost imperceptible on a clean one). Many users have noted that the best sound is obtained on the Normal channel and overloaded sound on Top Boost. Guitarists have noted the high sound quality of the reverb (deeper and cleaner than that of competing firms). Its dynamic and excellent operating parameters deserves special attention – it guarantees a low noise level, which is an indisputable advantage.
Almost every Vox AC15C1 online review has been positive and full of praise. Indeed, the relatively reasonable cost of the AC15C1, its stylish appearance, and excellent sound create the perfect combination.
Vox’s AC15C1 amp was introduced to the public for the first time in 1958. Since then, the amp soon became a favorite of the mass of guitarists, including world-famous ones. The brightest evolution of sound can be traced by the way this model has been improved from year to year from the original.
The AC15C1 features a connector for a footswitch. Although Vox has stated that it’s not included in the standard AC15C1 package but can be purchased separately.
Sound Quality
The tone of the AC15C1 stays relatively clean until the Top Boost Volume knob reaches the 2/3 point when it starts to break up very nicely. When pushing it to the max, you get a higher-gain rock-like tone that stays tight and full until it is loud enough for use in a club. Overall, the tone was very impressive.
The amps vibrato circuit is smooth and even, with lots of range, from slow to fast.
When setting the Master volume and volume to around 2/3, you get exceptional blues and rock sounds that clean up nicely using the guitar’s volume. When being tested, the pickup positions sound great, with a very balanced frequency response and, for it being a fairly diminutive amp, the AC15 sounds very full and fat.
Pushing both volumes produces a fat, rich, rock distortion that again stays tight.
Testing the amp with a Fender Esquire, you get the same fat, full, sparkly tone, with some of the nicest modern country class A twangs you’ll ever hear!
Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb
For some guitarists, Fender’s vintage Blackface amps are always been deemed the ‘holy grail’ of tone. The problem with these amps is that they can be relatively rare and very expensive – certainly not coming in at under $2,000 anyway.
However, with the Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue – commonly referred to as the ‘DRRI’ for short – that classic Fender sound is on offer for substantially less money.
Design
Fender’s DRRI is an all-tube combo amp, with a varied line-up of tubes comprising 2x 6V6 Groove Tubes power tubes and 1x 5AR4 rectifier tube, as well as 6x preamp tubes.
The amp is rated at 22 watts with a single 12” Jensen C12-K speaker – which is more than enough for making yourself heard in live situations. As a gigging amp, it may be hefty, but it’s pretty portable with an overall package size of 24.5” x 17.5” x 9.5” and weighing in at 42lbs.
There are two channel configurations – Vibrato and Normal, with each channel enjoying two inputs. The second input has the negative dB padding to handle guitars with hotter pickups. You also get a true spring reverb unit (not a digital reproduction), and an included footswitch that controls both channel selection and reverb on/off.
If you’re looking for more modern tech, like USB connectivity or a selection of onboard effects, then you won’t get it here. Fender’s DRRI is intended to mimic the exact feature set found on a vintage ’65 Deluxe Reverb – of course, USB wasn’t around in those days!
Controls
Getting what you want out of the Deluxe Reverb is fairly easy. Each channel has the same 3 knobs for overall control (volume, bass, and treble). Its Vibrato channel also has two additional controls for both the speed and intensity of the effect. While the spring reverb levels are adjusted with a single knob. It’s important to note that the reverb is only available on the Vibrato channel. Although, it mightn’t be swimming with controls, although what Fender has on offer here is simple, intuitive, and effective.
Sound Quality
The clean sounds that you can get from a good all-tube Fender amp are legendary, and the DRRI hits the nail right on the head. However, if you’re looking for a high-gain metal machine, then this isn’t it! However, coaxing great country and jazz tones out of it is a piece of cake right out of the box.
A bigger challenge arises when doing anything that requires a fair amount of dirt. The DRRI may only be 22 watts, however, it’s a LOUD 22 watts, with a fair amount of clean headroom before it starts to break up.
While some may say that the tone isn’t an exact duplicate of a true vintage model, you really need to remember that many of the electrical components found in the original builds (caps, transformers and resistors) simply aren’t available anymore. While the DRRI sounds great, discerning players might be able to tell the difference – although that’s certainly not a deal breaker.
Conclusion
While both amps are great, your own personal preference will play a big part here. Vox’s AC15 is definitely higher pitched/squishier, while Fender’s Deluxe Reverb is bigger, punchier and can give more soulful notes.
Fender’s Deluxe Reverb is a typical American-sounding amp, whereas Vox’s AC15 sounds more British.