Vox AC15 Comparison
In this video, I review and compare these two excellent VOX AC15 amps, the AC15C1 Custom, and the AC15HW1 hand-wired.These amps are similar in many respects:
- same Celestion Greenback G12M speaker
- same preamp and power amp tube complement (3 12AX7’s and 2 EL84’s)
- same two channels: Normal and Top Boost.
- same tone cut and interactive EQ controls
- same weight – 48 pounds. Handwired is larger but birch plywood is lighter than MDF
- same AC15 legacy and tradition
However, there are some obvious differences:
- cabinet size: the Handwired is about 4 inches taller
- cabinet materials: birch plywood in the Handwired. MDF in the Custom
- Handwired has a high frequency diffuser over the speaker
- circuit construction: turretboard handwiring versus PCB in the Custom
- rectifier: tube EZ81 in the Handwired. silicon 1N4007 in the Custom
- orientation of control surface text. Handwired faces back, Custom faces front.
- differences in the features:
- Custom has tremolo, reverb and standby switch
- Handwired has additional low-gain inputs, hot/cool switch, bright switch, power switch, and master bypass on the Handwired
- And of course the price- the Handwired is twice as expensive as the Custom
In the video, I switch between the two amps at a number of different settings, to compare the sound. The StarTouch A/B/Y pedal I used is no longer available, but try this one from Morley instead.
At some settings, especially on the clean jangly sounds, the two amps are uncannily similar. On the other hand, especially at higher gain, the sound can be dramatically different. The larger more resonant Handwired’s cabinet provides a bit more low end, and is a bit rounder or softer in general. That high frequency diffuser really does roll off a bit of the highs. And I find the Handwired’s overdriven sounds to be more pleasing to the ear.
Chuck
March 23, 2011 @ 11:33 pm
We’ll have to try it again now that I’ve upgraded the tubes, although the differences in the cab design may ultimately be the biggest differentiators as far as the tone and sound goes.
Anatomy of a Logo - Planet Z
March 27, 2011 @ 7:06 pm
[…] may have noticed a new logo in the intro of my recent AC15 Comparison video. Here’s the […]
Oh, For the Love of an AC15 - Planet Z
April 1, 2011 @ 11:23 am
[…] UPDATE 3/22/2011: I did eventually buy that AC15HW1, and it is a thing of beauty. I borrowed Chuck’s AC15C1 again and made a video comparing the two. […]
What’s In The Cabinet? - Planet Z
May 6, 2011 @ 12:32 am
[…] it turns out, quite a lot. In this video I do an experiment with the same two AC15 amps as in my last video- the AC15C1 Custom, and the AC15HW1 […]
Chris
June 9, 2011 @ 12:16 am
Thank you for the interesting and useful video review.
I think the price difference between the two is not justified sound wise. The hw seems to have less mids than the C1 and more clarity.
Tom
April 4, 2012 @ 10:13 am
Unless you play the two in person, you won’t hear the difference. When you have them near each other, the cabinet makes a WORLD of difference tone-wise.
However, the real cost justification in my book is that the HW is a “keeper” amp. Because it is all handwired on a turret board, repairs are a snap (if it ever needs it). There is no reason this amp should not outlast the player. The same cannot be said for the PCB construction on the cheaper one. Buy once, cry once!
John
January 10, 2012 @ 9:26 am
@DieToFleshNotSpirit – Don’t be concerned that 15w sounds like a small number. It’s astonishingly loud when cranked. I’ve gigged with it, but it obviously depends on venue size. Small/medium venue will be fine. You’d want the AC30 (or you can always mic the AC15 into the PA) for larger venues.
chooseyourblues
January 15, 2012 @ 4:31 pm
At lower gain / vol the amps sound the same but as they are cranked the HW has better clarity. Is it worth the extra loot though? It certainly looks cooler but are the shouting, drunk patrons down at your regular friday night gig going to know the difference,or care?
DSilvergun
January 19, 2012 @ 8:55 pm
@TalkToTheBody Really? I find them to be very similar. Listen at 5:41 and tell me there is any difference.
TalkToTheBody
January 20, 2012 @ 8:00 am
@DSilvergun Of course they are similar, they are almost the same amp. As the guy said the handwired has an extra tube instead of a transistor SCR and of course the handwiring. I can hear the difference at 5:41 but if you check out 2:40 onwards you can easily hear the difference. Even identical amps (just like identical guitars) will always give you slight tonal variations that is why it’s always best to try em before you buy em
DSilvergun
January 21, 2012 @ 10:20 am
I’ve been running my C1 thru an Avatar 2×12 closed back cab with Vintage 30s. Honestly for a big rock sound it really doesn’t get much better. The C1 I would say has more of a modern sound vs. a traditional Vox sound. (not in a bad way though).
John
January 23, 2012 @ 11:06 am
@DSilvergun – those Avatar cabs are nice. My bandmate is thinking about buying one, and I’m thinking about building something like it 🙂 I haven’t had a chance to hear the Celestion Vintage 30’s yet…
kidgloves2
January 22, 2012 @ 11:39 am
where are they made?
John
January 23, 2012 @ 11:04 am
@kidgloves2 – the handwired models are made in Vietnam while the custom is made in China
kidgloves2
January 23, 2012 @ 11:17 am
@johnplanetz
Thanks for the info. I’m torn because I don’t buy asian made gear, but the hand wired is one of the best clean sounds I ever heard. I guess Vox doesn’t make anything in Britain anymore? I need to find a British or American equivalent.
sim0n17
February 29, 2012 @ 5:19 am
@johnplanetz
that’s too bad that Vox doesn’t even do their handwired stuff in England… for half the price it seems the c1 is better value than the hw1 IMHO for tone,… does Vox build anything in England anymore?
BristanKellerUSAF
January 25, 2012 @ 12:16 am
@DieToFleshNotSpirit
It is most definitely big enough for gigs. Unless you are playing a venue for thousands of people, an AC15C1 will be the perfect amp for you. I play for my church every week and it has roughly about 200 people.
BristanKellerUSAF
January 25, 2012 @ 12:16 am
With tubed amps, you really have to crank up the volume to get the tubes going and get a great crunch out of them. That being said, an AC15C1 isn’t going to drown out the band when you crank it up. At the same time, you won’t be drowned out if your amp has a microphone. Even if you do not have a mic, it will still sound amazing with smaller gigs (50-100 people).
BristanKellerUSAF
January 25, 2012 @ 12:19 am
You don’t want a tubed amp with big watts since you will be producing a lot of stage noise to get the tubes cranked. The less stage noise you have, the better. The sound the audience hears should be primarily coming out of the main speakers, not your amp (if your band is being microphoned).
PureToneAmps
January 25, 2012 @ 8:00 am
Cool playing. Check my videos with the HiFi Amp. Almost same wiring with the AC15 (the vintage models) and weber alnico speaker.
Twang
January 26, 2012 @ 4:50 pm
With the AC15HW1 can you use any footswitch for the hot/cool mode or does it have to be the VFS1 that comes with it?
John
January 26, 2012 @ 5:20 pm
It’s a very simple passive toggle switch. Press once and tip is shorted to sleeve. Press again, and it’s an open circuit.
-John
MaggaraMarine
January 27, 2012 @ 3:07 am
Hand Wired is more clear and bright sounding to me and C1 is more fuzzy and muddy.
MaggaraMarine
January 27, 2012 @ 3:09 am
Oh, and have to add that I kind of preferred the C1. It was better when overdriven. But at the beginning the Handwired was better.
brandon5pennies
February 6, 2012 @ 4:08 pm
The AC15HW1 definitely had more note definition and clarity.
depto1
February 13, 2012 @ 4:26 pm
Awesome demo….is it just me or does the HW sound MUCH better in this video? Not saying the C1 sounds bad..but the HW just seems to have more clarity and warmth. Lack of reverb/tremolo does give the C1 some nice positives though.
glassbottleblues
February 13, 2012 @ 6:54 pm
I had the c1 and don’t think the verb is a bonus, it is pretty unusable, get a strymon pedal for verb and the handwired,done. The hw definitely has a more open sound and more clarity, i thought the distortion was muddy on both, could of been settings on amps or just that guitars singlecoil pup’s not having enough to drive the amps. Cleans were great.
The guy took his time and did a great video,props for your work
danieloliveiraog
February 15, 2012 @ 12:12 pm
lol at the pedal moving due to the vibrations at 9:40 great demo man! 🙂
DuskY1991
February 18, 2012 @ 4:57 pm
A C1 would do for gigging but since I’ll be in the studio and I’m getting more and more picky about tone… definitely the HW. Excellent demo.
butterscotchtele
February 20, 2012 @ 11:08 am
Sold my c1. Found the leans sterile and lifeless. And as you raise volume, intolerable has is introduced. I hear the HW s nosy as well. I’d like to try for myself, but not buying without a demo.
butterscotchtele
February 20, 2012 @ 11:09 am
“cleans”
butterscotchtele
February 20, 2012 @ 11:10 am
“hiss” introduced – corrections for previous posting
thomasmachinegun
March 16, 2012 @ 6:19 am
This was an excellent and really useful comparison, so many thanks. I think the handwired version is the way to go. If nothing else, it’s just easier to repair over the long run but I do think the video reveals a difference in sound that appeals. Cheers.
karmicdirt
March 23, 2012 @ 7:57 pm
I need to stop watching these video’s….now I want both. Good demo, from what i was hearing, the HW1 is a bit brighter, but those EQ knobs seem to make more of a difference on it than on the C1. Will be adding the HW1 to my collection soon…
GuyWithGuitars1
March 24, 2012 @ 11:05 am
Woulda been a good review if this guy knew how to play the damn guitar.
Bill
March 24, 2012 @ 8:15 pm
Woulda been a good comment if you knew how not to be a dick.
jammers5
April 2, 2012 @ 4:40 am
his playing seems fine to me.
J5
flammingcarrot
April 15, 2012 @ 10:54 am
Nice tones but … people should really try with Alnico Blue Speakers. So different. Very chimey but smooth. Greenbacks are harsher and sound when really bushed and in a closedback cab. Still very good speaker and good tones from these 2 ACs … but Alinicos are just something else!
John
April 19, 2012 @ 12:16 pm
I’d love to get my hands on an alnico blue to do a side-by-side comparison. Someday maybe!
flammingcarrot
April 28, 2012 @ 7:30 am
I highly recommend that speaker! Delicious sounds!
TheAmorican
May 17, 2012 @ 5:04 am
see that it is what I have been wondering…. I’m thinking very hard on getting a vox as my next amp, what would be the best amp to get? If I plan on moding out a bit?? Even if I got the handwired I would defenetley want the blue back….. and for sure If I deciced to save 900 bucks and go with the ac15… would it be that much difference? Or should I go with the handwired and change to the blueback and be done with it??
John
May 17, 2012 @ 4:01 pm
Decisions, decisions… Only you can decide if it’s worth the extra money. You should really try to find a store where you can hear both.
If you’re planning on modifying the amp, the handwired is easier to work with since it’s turret-board construction instead of PCB.
You can buy the handwired with the alnico blue preinstalled. Part # AC15HW1X.
Or you can buy either amp, and add the alnico blue yourself. Good luck!
flammingcarrot
May 20, 2012 @ 7:30 am
The HW is available with an alnico blue speaker. I say you try both and see what you like best. Like that you don’t get left wondering “what if” … you’ll know if you see enough of a tone difference between the the AC15 and the AC15HW and if it’s worth the extra money. Whatever the case though, I find the Blue better than the Greenback. The Blue is more distinct, and warmer. The Greenback is flatter but overdrives more like a Marshall. To me, I want my Vox to sound like a Vox.
sixbladeknife44
April 27, 2012 @ 6:02 pm
The HW1 definitely has better clarity.
TheStompbox
April 29, 2012 @ 11:49 pm
The HW is slightly better. I would whip out the extra cash for it. Though a PA your not going to notice too much of a difference but when you hear it through a board mix it will peak its head out a little better. I would almost bet money that its a little less noisy and takes pedals a little better too.
TheBobClarke
May 9, 2012 @ 12:51 pm
If I had the cash, I’d want the HW. I can hear a lot more clarity and dyanamics.
Lean540
May 18, 2012 @ 6:45 pm
All guitar amplifier reviews should be done in exactly in this way.
NatesRockMusic
May 27, 2012 @ 10:49 am
can this amp get loud and clean
John
May 28, 2012 @ 8:44 pm
Absolutely! One of the other guitar players in my band tells me that my AC15 handwired has the best clean tone he’s ever heard 🙂
WednesdayWorship
June 3, 2012 @ 12:08 pm
If you put a BBE Sonic Stomp in front of the AC15 C1 you get the clarity and extra high end that the hand wired version has, plus the tremolo and reverb…that’s how I do it.
shango02005
June 12, 2012 @ 12:46 pm
Dude, you do the best A/B demos! Thank you so much for the time you surely put into these videos!
Mike
June 19, 2012 @ 11:50 am
http://s968.photobucket.com/albums/ae168/CTguy1955/vox.jpg
I had a fender mustang IV and it had really bad fizz so I traded it in for a AC15C1, and while it sounded very good, it was a floor model that had a loose grill cloth, and I decided I would rather have the
sound of twin speakers…
http://s968.photobucket.com/albums/ae168/CTguy1955/AC15C2.jpg
The new C2 has really nice sound, but I find it has almost no gain at all. I came here searching for gain in hopes of finding out why without a pedal, it just does not sound “Heavy” at all ??
Thanks for any advice
Mike
John
June 21, 2012 @ 2:50 pm
Hi Mike,
You should be able to get a huge amount of gain from an AC15. For example, plug your guitar into the Top Boost input. Turn up the top boost volume knob, and turn your master volume up, and the thing should be insanely loud and crunchy. The top boost volume knob controls the amount of preamp gain/crunch while the master volume controls the overall power amp volume. You should be able to hear a massive amount of gain/crunch even at low volumes, by increasing the preamp volume and decreasing the poweramp volume.
If that’s not what you’re hearing, then it’s a defective amp.
-John
Titos gewrgopoulos
June 21, 2012 @ 12:57 pm
The difference is HUGE!! The handwired is way better!!! The bass and the treble give you the possibility play everything!!!From blusiest to the crunchiest tones!!! I m definitely gonna buy the handwired 30!!!!But not with the blue alnico speaker… I ve played with it not a big differnce ftom he green back which is the original speaker that Vox is using for years!!!Great demo man we are waiting for more!!!
oO0o2Ko0Oo
July 12, 2012 @ 8:02 pm
great comparison. the hw sounds more scooped to me and more jingly jangly and not as muddy in some of the dirty settings.
patrickaugustin1
August 2, 2012 @ 6:36 pm
i think the C1 sounds way better lol
surrealevolution
August 3, 2012 @ 9:39 pm
are they really as big as the dimensions listed on the vox website? (the Vox handwired)
John
August 4, 2012 @ 4:41 pm
I don’t have the AC30HW in front of me, but I can confirm the AC15HW1 measurements. Measuring the front face of the amp, edge to edge: 23 5/8″ wide by 20 5/8″ high. It’s 10 1/4″ deep.
The Vox website lists 24.02W x 10.24D x 21.65H inches. For the height, they must be measuring from the bottom of the rubber feet to the top of the handle, so their measurement is bigger than mine by an inch or so. And for the width, there’s two screw heads on the either side that add about a half inch.
surrealevolution
August 5, 2012 @ 3:58 pm
cool thank you 🙂
gavoigt
August 9, 2012 @ 10:48 am
That’s not the speaker that he showed in my AC15c1.It was the shitty greenback made in china.Very harsh.St uck an Eminence Red White And Blues in it,did the bright cap mod,and put in JJs and it sounds awesome.
Pianoblacks
August 9, 2012 @ 10:03 pm
I feel the handwired is way better. The tones are much more clear and defined, even with the gain high. I feel like the AC15c1’s gain makes everything kind of muddy and unnatural.
chojinkid
December 20, 2012 @ 8:51 pm
if you play on the neck pickup while overdriven of course it’s gonna play muddy, to me they sound both muddy in this video, try with a les paul bridge pickup and then we’ll see if the C1 still sounds muddy
John
December 23, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
didn’t have my LP at the time i made this video. Some day, I’ll revisit this test with the LP!
popsimon6
August 13, 2012 @ 12:50 am
the ac15hw1 is a real beauty
rasselbock
August 22, 2012 @ 2:32 am
handwired one definitely has more definition
asjbg12
August 23, 2012 @ 6:23 am
amazing demo, the handwired is better quality, but lacks reverb and tremelo. i cant choose 1
MJoeyDesign
August 23, 2012 @ 7:03 am
Obviously the hand wired one is a little more precise, but price-wise there’s a nice difference too D:
future4you
August 31, 2012 @ 5:58 pm
For me it hand wired or nothing. That black one is for kids who can’t hear the difference.
future4you
August 31, 2012 @ 5:59 pm
Where is the HW made?
John
September 5, 2012 @ 11:06 am
Vietnam
future4you
September 6, 2012 @ 9:25 pm
Thank You
guyornadel
October 2, 2012 @ 4:12 pm
in my backyard
John Cooper
October 2, 2012 @ 4:15 pm
Strange- my original reply appears to have been deleted. The handwired is made in Vietnam while the Custom is made in China.
manifestgtr
September 6, 2012 @ 12:27 am
it’s funny, there’s an obvious difference in quality between the 2 but there were still certain things that the darker quality of the c1 worked better for…at least to my ears…you can see why they installed that treble strip on the hw…little bit of tech for anyone who’s curious…the reason that treble strip travels through the center of the cone is because that’s where your high end is produced…I can imagine it makes the biggest difference when you have a 57 pointed straight at it
Ben Sam
September 18, 2012 @ 3:57 pm
4:10 POLICE!!!!!!! wahooh!
gtrplr42
October 4, 2012 @ 7:21 pm
I always loved the tone of Vox amps, still do. When I was able to afford one I ran out and bought an AC50 head and 2×12 cabinet. Of course the tone was amazing, but the quality was absolute shit! I owned it for about a year and I think I had to put it in for repair like 7 times. At first I thought it was just a lemon, but then I started working at a local music shop that carried Vox, and it seemed like they were always coming back. Shame they started outsourcing to China.
Jimmy Payne
October 5, 2012 @ 8:49 pm
Finally, someone who knows how to do an A/B test! Thank you, well done!
qwezxc asdqw
October 18, 2012 @ 9:07 pm
Why ac15c1 sounds better to me?
nipseysparkles
December 18, 2012 @ 11:03 pm
I don’t think so..but really no justice is done in that hand wired till ya pop in an alnico blue speaker. Drop some Tesla/Eurotube EL84s and a 30 watt Scumback Scumnico and watch that hand wired blow up!
John
December 23, 2012 @ 4:26 pm
Haven’t experimented much with replacement tubes yet, but it’s on my list to do some day. And I’ve been planning to do a blue/green comparison for some time- just haven’t acquired the blue yet…
freeheelfreestyler
May 2, 2013 @ 7:26 pm
There are tons of people who like the c1 better than the hw1!
The most notable, in my opinion, is a Youtuber by the name of “intheblues”
XZG
June 4, 2013 @ 10:11 am
Maybe for the drive that the amp has. I prefer AC15C1 for anoverdrive tone and AC15HW1 for the clean channel.
armandin2048
September 1, 2013 @ 3:40 am
Me 2 – HW is certainly not worth the extra money.
piptar
November 14, 2012 @ 4:39 am
thank you
SavageDutchman
November 19, 2012 @ 3:59 pm
HW is more bright but I like the more bottem ended sound of the C
PjotrMochkowitz
November 21, 2012 @ 2:11 pm
Basically, no essential difference in real world use. It’s wise to buy smaller, lighter and cheaper.
mbvglider
November 23, 2012 @ 2:47 am
That AC15HW1 sounds beautiful! After being disappointed with the AC15C1, I think this video has convinced me that I should try the HW version.
TheAnddrake
November 28, 2012 @ 1:16 pm
Is it the Greenback or Alnico Blue speakers in the HW?
John
November 28, 2012 @ 4:05 pm
00:23. Greenback G12M
monkymonk6
December 6, 2012 @ 10:11 pm
The hand wired one sounds so much better, till I think I am going to sell my AC15C1 and upgrade, for real. The difference is dramatic, esp. when the preamp is driven.
eduvauk1
December 11, 2012 @ 10:47 am
ac15c1 is better…….. hw is too bright
paulo henrique
December 12, 2012 @ 11:58 am
hello, good comparison
is possible to use a Delay or verb with AC15HW1? the sound is ok or do you think he needed a loop fx?
John
December 12, 2012 @ 12:07 pm
I use delays and other pedals in front of the amp no problem. I don’t use reverb, but I imagine it would be ok.
It would be nice to have an fx loop, but I’ve been ok with out it.
-John
paulo henrique
December 17, 2012 @ 9:59 am
Thanks a lot, Do you use delay in the hot mode too?
I have a night Train 50 and I’m thinking to pick up a Ac30HW head, but I’m worried because with NT50n when i use the girth channel is impossible to use delay on input
John
December 23, 2012 @ 4:25 pm
I’m generally in cool mode, but the delay is ok in hot mode too.
Ricardo Araya Con
December 19, 2012 @ 1:47 pm
is this amp oud enough for big venues?
John
December 23, 2012 @ 4:24 pm
I use it in medium-sized venues (several hundred people) with no problem. For larger venues, you’d need to mic it into the PA, or get an AC30. Depending on the venue size, you’ll need to mic an AC30 too!
chojinkid
December 20, 2012 @ 8:52 pm
for what I can hear here the HW sounds more fenderish, the C1 sounds more Vox
Geoff Tiny
January 9, 2013 @ 8:41 am
Terrific demo John. Really helpful. Well done and thanks for posting. All the best, Geoff
John Katz
January 30, 2013 @ 7:35 pm
Your G&L is a real beauty!!!
Chuck Kollatos
February 8, 2013 @ 5:45 pm
nice 🙂
SweetLittleRnRoller
February 12, 2013 @ 6:46 am
Great demo, John!
I wonder if I can achieve a more trebly HW-like sound on a C1 with a treble booster.
John
February 12, 2013 @ 3:22 pm
A typical treble booster thins the sound by cutting lows and boosting highs. This gives a nice ability to cut in the mix. I don’t think that’ll make a C1 sound like an HW1. You might have some luck shaping your sound with a graphic EQ?
SweetLittleRnRoller
February 24, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
Thank you for taking time to respond!
It is a compromise – I love the dry stratty Buddy Guy tone but still want to hit a bit of hotter and warmer rock and roll/hard rock tone when I need it. I decided to buy the C1 mainly due to the price.
thanks for the demo once again!
RootNoteMusicShop
February 12, 2013 @ 8:53 pm
Hey John – I think you said that the standby isn’t really needed on the HW because it’s got a tube rectifier. I’m just wondering what you mean by that. I know that the C1 has a solid state rectifier, but I’m not sure I understand the difference that makes in using the standby switch.
John
February 13, 2013 @ 2:21 pm
I don’t totally understand it- there’s a lot of conflicting information out there. You’ll hear about inrush current, cathode stripping, cathode poisoning, etc. Try this: on power-up, a solid state rectifier will pass high voltage to the preamp/power tubes before they’ve warmed up, shortening the life of the tubes- hence the need for a standby switch to allow them to warm up first. A tube rectifier warms up slowly, not sending full voltage to the other tubes until they’ve warmed up too.
Eruerable
February 20, 2013 @ 1:49 am
7:22 what is that lick from? can’t for the life of me place it haha
John
February 20, 2013 @ 10:17 am
bits and pieces of champagne supernova 🙂
Travis
February 24, 2013 @ 3:46 pm
Thanks for taking the time to do this, very well done all around!
I have the same two amps and I’ve done two mods… the C1 I’ve put in NOS tubes and it makes a large difference. In the HW I put in a Celestion blue but need to put in better tubes.
I take the C1 out more because it’s cheaper to replace and in a cold climate I’m less concerned with the PCB and MDF construction if something happens. Summertime all bets are off.
One other question (maybe the answer is somewhere else) what guitars are you playing through the AC’s besides that beautiful ASAT?
John
February 26, 2013 @ 9:16 am
Hey there-
Thanks for the suggestions. It’s been on my todo list for a long time to try out the celestion blue in the hw1. Would love to do an A/B comparison video on the green vs blue. I haven’t tried messing with the tubes yet…
My main guitar now is the Epi Les Paul Tribute Plus – https://www.planetz.com/a-worthy-tribute/
I also play a Vox SSC55 and Epiphone Riviera P93.
-John
JudeIceCool3000
February 26, 2013 @ 2:25 pm
Yes, nice demo. Really meticulous, thanks.
As for the amps I didn’t hear big differences but liked the sound of the HW a bit more when there was more gain.
If only the HW had the nice proportions like the C1
voxsupreme
February 28, 2013 @ 5:47 am
All I hear is that “Wasp in a Tin Jar”-crackle. Seems to be compulsory among amp and guitar-demoers on YT. Can´t even call it a SOUND – it´s just av pathetic DEFECT.
Why not demo how the guitar and amp really sounds like?
So sad …
adamsonofbob
March 4, 2013 @ 1:37 am
both are great but i have to go with the handwired…the clarity and overtones seem to sparkle from clean to dirty.. the c1 has some moments of muddiness where a chord fights itself..kewl project nonetheless
maassaarabb
March 17, 2013 @ 11:58 am
ac15 HW all the way,more clear and pronounced.
freedumb32
March 30, 2013 @ 4:36 pm
This pretty much answered all my questions. Thanks for posting. Great video.
Slammintone S
March 31, 2013 @ 10:39 am
Sorry, but this demonstration only really show’s the difference in sound between a small cabinet and a much larger cabinet. Run the amp outputs both to the same cabinet and only then will you hear the differences between these amps which, is probably nowhere near as different as you are lead to believe from this video. In fact, you could sub in a Vox AC15C2 with two greenbacks vs the HW with one Greenback and then the HW amp sounds bass shy and less full by the same margin as this comparison.
John
April 6, 2013 @ 10:20 pm
Take a look at my AC15 cabinet comparison video (which I made shortly after this video): watch?v=JvQ7eBw-rc0
gfish66
April 2, 2013 @ 12:15 pm
I own a C1. The HW1 sounds brighter/more articulate here, and the C1 sounds muddy. However I think that’s because of the way the C1 is dialed in. Turning the knobs on both amps to the same settings might sound like an “even” test, but is it? I think you can adjust the C1 and make it sound even closer to the HW1. I’ve never played both amps together so I can’t say which is better. The HW1 cost twice that of a C1. But does it sound twice as good? I’m sticking with the C1 for now : )
John
April 6, 2013 @ 10:23 pm
They’re both great amps. I can tell you that in a noisy live/band setting, I often can’t hear much difference between my bandmate’s C1 and my HW1. But in a more controlled environment, I still prefer the HW1. “Twice as much”? Probably not, but hard to quantify 🙂
gfish66
May 8, 2013 @ 6:40 pm
Well I did it. Tonight I’m the proud owner of an AC15HW1! I played it in a local store, and I saw the light…or heard the tone. It’s just….WAY BETTER! So now I have to sell my C1, lol.
To any wondering, just get the HW1 and thank me later!
John
May 14, 2013 @ 7:44 am
Sweet! Enjoy that amp!
TheMichaelseymour
April 10, 2013 @ 11:23 pm
if i pull out all the wires – & then re fuse them by HAND
does that mean its now a hand wired amp / Huh Huh ?
yeh …it is ….isnt it ….howe smart am i ?
John
April 11, 2013 @ 10:29 am
🙂 you probably can’t call it hand-wired if there’s still a printed-circuit-board in there.
John
April 11, 2013 @ 10:29 am
🙂 you probably can’t call it hand-wired if there’s still a printed-circuit-board in there.
Gledison Fonseca
April 30, 2013 @ 8:39 am
Would a AC15 be enough for small gigs/playing with a drummer in a studio?
cheers
John
April 30, 2013 @ 9:16 am
Without a doubt!
Gledison Fonseca
April 30, 2013 @ 10:13 am
oops, your message came a bit late. 10 min ago just got a Marshal Haze 40. quite heavy but i hope will do the job..
thanks mate!
John
April 30, 2013 @ 10:22 am
Hahah! You must have had your finger on the buy-now button! I answered you just a few minutes after you asked the question. In any case, I’ve read good things about the Haze amps- I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Gledison Fonseca
May 2, 2013 @ 8:05 am
hehe, true! but there are so many options that you have to decide on moment! looking to all the different reviews just brings more uncertainty! Cheers mate!
ozzcar1
May 11, 2013 @ 12:26 pm
You are just the nicest guy (:
freeheelfreestyler
May 2, 2013 @ 7:34 pm
I much prefer the HW for a dimed sound, but the C1 wins for cleans in my (humble) opinion.
Danny94James
May 11, 2013 @ 5:46 pm
I’m a big fan of the AC15 now! I can’t wait till it arrives at my door this week!
HANZEL DA GRIMM
May 15, 2013 @ 11:36 am
is you rguitar epihone was made in china?
John
May 15, 2013 @ 11:47 am
In this guitar I’m playing a G&L ASAT III, made in USA. In my other videos you may have seen me playing an Epiphone Riviera P93, made in China.
savant disgrace
May 26, 2013 @ 5:54 am
AC15HW1… there’s so much more headroom and clarity.
guitargamery
June 10, 2013 @ 4:11 am
very sweet comparison , you made me want to buy the AC15HW1 because i own the AC15C1, (among other cabinets and heads) pretty accurate demonstration, congratz for that!!
glassbottleblues
June 12, 2013 @ 3:52 pm
I think that you explain things so well but when it come’s to playing time, our brains need more processing time. Play the hell out of that guitar for at least a minute on each amp, not these little 3 secons licks that don’t showcase any real kind of tone, I sound like a douche and don’t mean too. But I believe if you played something familiar on both amps that would of went a lot farther. This was to laboratory controlled environment.
PjotrMochkowitz
June 20, 2013 @ 2:17 pm
No difference in real world application, that’s clear.
joshrdealmusic
July 15, 2013 @ 4:31 pm
The C1 sounds flabbier and a bit darker. I didn’t enjoy how he dialed in the tone for the video, but the difference is clear in the video. The audience is mostly ignorant, but the music is for them. The tone is for the player and bandmates.
Felix Hayes-Tourelle
July 29, 2013 @ 1:11 am
I think the C1 is a bit warmer sounding and the HW1 is brighter and more articulate. Both sound like good amps to my ears though.
PjotrMochkowitz
June 20, 2013 @ 2:17 pm
If You record with one of these no one can tell which one it was.
oliver kenny
June 21, 2013 @ 5:31 am
MDF? For the price they charge for even the basic non handwired they should all be birch plywood
freeheelfreestyler
July 2, 2013 @ 11:26 am
Both of these amps sound terrible in this video…
sportbikefan1
July 8, 2013 @ 2:53 am
it loses a lot over this technology, but live there is a substancial difference, I own a 15hw1 and it’s so much better than the c1.
Steveo
July 24, 2013 @ 1:22 am
I recently bought a C1 and I prefer it to the HW on tone alone, but the HW is still a great amp. I prefer the grit or low mid sound of the C1 for what I play- the HW would be great for country-style players. I may try a Celestion Blue, but I kinda like the squashed tone of a greenback.
김 규래
July 25, 2013 @ 1:40 am
Wow really strange difference! C1 is brighter in clean and muddier when driven. In the other hand the HW seems a bit more dark when clean. Maybe this is because the AC15C1 is actually a hybrid amplifier. If you guys check the schematic there is 2 transistor gain stages before the power section. The distorting tranies might be the reason of the muddy drive
concordebakje123
July 30, 2013 @ 7:09 am
i really like the handwired one amp… if vox can package that thing in the classic ac30 amp design look. it would be a killer 😉
onetime504
July 31, 2013 @ 10:17 pm
The hand wired is WAY more harmonically rich. Great A/B
thestratdude1
October 8, 2013 @ 4:47 am
All I heard was more treble.
Matgonic
October 8, 2013 @ 9:24 am
You heard wrong.
Charlotte Elzey
August 9, 2013 @ 6:00 am
Tone is a matter of taste and everyone’s taste is different. Obviously some of the comments left here reflect a shallow view……..this is good, that is bad. A great musician can get great sounds out of either of these amps. They both offer lots of sonic possibilities. Vox continues to produce some iconic amps!
bunsen burner
August 28, 2013 @ 5:16 am
Both sound very fine. Thanks for the vid.
Robert Jon West
August 31, 2013 @ 10:35 am
Ugh…just when I was pleased with heading out to buy a C1…the hand wired shows up and killllls.
armandin2048
September 1, 2013 @ 3:44 am
Have to say that I prefer my DSL 401 to both of these!
yuck fou
September 1, 2013 @ 6:06 pm
The HW had more volume. Do you think that the cabinet size might have contributed to that?
John
September 4, 2013 @ 3:30 pm
Cabinet size definitely gives it a fuller sound. See my other video on cabinet comparisons: watch?v=JvQ7eBw-rc0
Dan Higginson
September 1, 2013 @ 11:13 pm
The hand wired sounds nicer on it own . But I get the feeling if I was to record these in a band setting the C1 would better compleat a whole band.
Nail Murry
September 19, 2013 @ 2:39 am
thanks for the demo.i was not keen on the tone you got.but i get whot you were showing.in a band mix i dont think anybody could tell the difference.we blind tested our other guitar player .full band volume an guess whot he picked the c1 for better tone an hes been round the block .i like the hw just cause its a bit louder
45guitarboy
September 30, 2013 @ 5:41 pm
Good video. I thought it would have been hands down Hd wins but me being broke I don’t think I would spend the extra money for it. Some of the sounds sounded better on both.So I think Vox did a good job on keeping the tone even over the years.Thank you.
thestratdude1
October 8, 2013 @ 4:46 am
Honestly, the only difference I heard was that the HW was more trebly, but that could be compensated for on the C1 by increasing the treble setting if that’s what you’re into. That’s the only difference I hear and I don’t think that justifies the HUGE price gap between the two amps. They both sound nice. With a band, I doubt you’d hear a difference at all. The HW does “look” cooler, though.
Ebi Al
November 6, 2013 @ 8:55 am
I can’t tell the difference between anything in music. I can’t tell the difference in sound between a Epiphone LP junior and the gibson LP custom BUT I can totally hear the difference between these two amps
See Looney
October 9, 2013 @ 2:08 pm
C1 sounds muffled. Not good tone to my ears, rather have any fender tube amp pretty much. I’d pony up the extra dough for heritage versus either one of these. But much rather have the hw1 over the c1, but then again I stay very very far from heavy distortion and metal. Actually only use the natural tone of only guitar and amp. No petals.
Steven Bowman
October 11, 2013 @ 10:51 pm
HW is more carefully put together circuit wise, so theres probably less room for hum from phantom circuits
HW could be modded easier
HW’s tube rectifier will give more dynamics and punch to your playing
HW isn’t made of MDF……… -.-
It’s worth the extra money.
Oscar Vasquez
October 20, 2013 @ 10:22 pm
I own the AC15HX1X which has the Alnico Blue. One of my best amps. The tone is amazing.
TheRuiner781
October 21, 2013 @ 12:13 am
Were you ever a guitar instructor in the RGV?
drdementia
November 16, 2013 @ 5:02 pm
no one mentions the difference price. What is it? I think that may make up
some people’s mind.
drunkenfarmerjohn42
November 16, 2013 @ 10:09 pm
The dimed Volume and Tone is also problematic to me. It means the
instrument is constantly pushing for breakup. Which is fine, but it was
never really producing clean tones because of it.
drdementia
November 21, 2013 @ 10:07 am
well, there you go. Thanks
kayakchrispy
December 1, 2013 @ 12:37 am
The black one is warmer… how much?
tatuya touryu
December 1, 2013 @ 4:25 pm
goodhome
flipidy94
December 1, 2013 @ 11:41 pm
wow the handwired actually did sound quite a lot better to me
Francis Rodriguez
December 4, 2013 @ 4:31 pm
most sounds sound muddy …both amps!
Jeff Ware
December 5, 2013 @ 8:04 pm
I’m completely surprised at how much better the HW sounds. It just seems
more pure to me.
Matthew H
December 7, 2013 @ 6:23 am
The HW sounded like it had more definition especially when things were a
bit more cranked.
JED TAYLOR
December 7, 2013 @ 10:09 pm
they both sound like they are filtered or that the top is surppressed in
some way , I think the speakers are less than opened up or clarity is
muffled. Have you listened to the play back and reset the chocked top end
jrenner325
December 16, 2013 @ 7:38 pm
People, a good rule of thumb is… if you’re good… an amp will sound
good, kinda like how SRV or Derek Trucks could plug into a battery operated
Pignose and slay us all. The C1 is a fantastic amp for the money. IMHO it’s
far better than all other amps in the same price range (genre specific
music/amp considered). It has awesome cleans and great overdrive ! Plus
verb and trem… that might not be a deal breaker, but nice to have. Point
is… if you need the HW1 to sleep better at night, then by all means shell
out the extra cash. I say, anyone who picks up the C1 will be very pleased.
hrfdez
December 23, 2013 @ 8:14 pm
Hi John,
I have the AC15HW1 and I am having some crackling noise at startup. Once it
warms up us gone. Have you experienced that with the HW1?
Thanks!
Hector
Rabbitface OBrien
January 3, 2014 @ 4:03 pm
Handwired amp is much better sounding, hands down! Thank you for the
analysis.
Dave Bliss
January 7, 2014 @ 6:23 pm
Handwired just blew the other toy amp away !
Luke Bednar
January 9, 2014 @ 3:36 pm
This is the difference between Chinese parts and quality parts. Replace the
tubes and a few circuits with quality parts, they would blow the hardwire
edition out of the water. But that’s why there’s a price difference.
Peter Kerr
January 19, 2014 @ 5:50 pm
I have a C1 and the HW sounds “fuller” in tone. Not sure it is twice as
good as the C1 as indicated by the price difference.
Very good to see a reviewer demonstrating the equipment characteristics
rather than playing interminable solos to show off their guitar playing
“ability”.
Jake Cooper
January 23, 2014 @ 6:36 pm
C1 sounds like it’s under a blanket. HW for the win.
Jake Cooper
January 23, 2014 @ 6:37 pm
I noticed that the master was down on both amps, which is no good because I
think the wide open power amp has a lot to do with the Vox sound.
Clayton Murray
February 3, 2014 @ 5:08 pm
Dang the handwired sounds a lot better, it’d probably be worth saving up
for that one rather than just settling with the c1
Kelvin Reynolds
February 9, 2014 @ 2:45 pm
If the HW had reverb and trem It would be worth the extra $$. without it’s
hard to justify
pastamatt
February 24, 2014 @ 12:57 pm
I hate to be the lame PTP nazi, but this amp is not Point-to-Point. It is
(like you said) hand-wired, which is an easily understood term, but the
presence of a board at all for the components, means that it is not
Point-to-Point. Point-to-point implies that all components are mounted
directly to sockets and pots with perhaps some tag strips to help them
reach; a very direct and short signal path. I actually prefer eyelet or
turret boards myself, but it is technically a different type of
“hand-wired” than “point-to-point”. I just thought it would be good for you
to know this if you are doing reviews.
Jimmy87268
March 3, 2014 @ 5:47 am
Is this amp loud enough to keep up with a very “dynamic” drummer?
(Rehearsing without the amp mic’d up ) ?
For gigs it’s just fine I guess, mic the amp and there you go. ? 😉
s8thMPkar98
March 10, 2014 @ 2:09 am
appreciate the upload!
Tom03215
March 25, 2014 @ 4:51 am
AC15C1 sounds dirtier to me
Matthew Scanlon
April 10, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
Just wondering do you have the bright switch on or off on the hw?
jzoha64038
April 16, 2014 @ 1:44 pm
imho the handwired is a little overated. my c1 is pretty nice for $600. but
owning older amps id say that the #1 reason to buy the handwired is for the
tube rectifier. it makes an insane difference on the feel and the
bouncyness to the sound due to a tube natural sagg in voltage thus making
the amps sound affected by the power sagg. the c1 lacks sagg. so to
compensate an eq pedal or nos tubes and even a speaker should be added to
get the most out of it
Clifton Torrence
May 4, 2014 @ 9:57 pm
Thanx John, nice job.
Günther Szivak
May 6, 2014 @ 7:19 am
Thanks a lot, that was extremely helpful.
Well, in fact it was not, as I’m thinking now of selling my C1 and look for
a HW1 – that’s were the money goes…
Jakexx01
May 16, 2014 @ 6:36 pm
The differences are glaring. Hand wired is a completely different amp.
Larger birch Plywood cabinet more low end. Sweeter overall tone. Worth the
extra $.
paul harris
May 24, 2014 @ 9:51 am
This is about as good a comparison video as it’s possible to make! Many
thanks!
Matthew Maneri
June 17, 2014 @ 5:11 pm
Here’s everyone’s answer to everything: save your money for a few months
and buy an amp that will be better for years- buy the hand-wired version.
I’ve A/Bd both the 15 and 30 regular (with Alnico Blues) and hand-wired
(with blues) versions. It’s not even close. The standard amps sound much
smaller, more plastic/cardboard, in comparison to the “hand-wired” amps,
which have a much more full, rich, warm sound.
And while the greenbacks sound a lot better than the speakers they’re
replacing, the Alnico Blue makes more sense as it does have cleaner and
fuller tone. They have master volume, so you can get the amp’s overdrive if
you really want it, or use a nice pedal. Speaker overdrive was never my
thing, (as opposed to pre/power amp OD) and it limits how loud you can play
clean. I’d rather have the better speaker.. if i was sticking with the
regular ACs and not hand-wired.
Go with the AC15 Hand-wired. I’ve been playing shows for years, and if it’s
a smaller venue, the 15 will be fine. If it’s a larger place.. they ALWAYS
mic the amps anyway and tell you to turn the amp down due to stage volume
muddying up the mix. The whole “larger amp for larger clubs” isn’t really
true.. at least in my experience. The Alnico Blue gives u a little more
clean tone, so you CAN play clean louder with the AC15 if you want to.
The AC30 is a literal pain to carry around. Yea it’s cool to have a super
loud amp, but you’ll quickly realize how painstaking and unnecessary it is
to carry such a beast around, from the house to somehow getting it in the
car… being careful not to break any tubes.. gently lifting it out,
somehow lugging it into the venue, up the steps, onto the stage.. playing
your gig and then doing the same thing all over again. Go with the AC15
Hand-wired. GREAT Tone, enough clean/OD volume, won’t break the bank, won’t
break your back.
MrProwler101477
August 3, 2014 @ 4:52 am
I had both amps in person they sound 95% the same I am no cork sniffer but
the difference is so inconsequential to me if anything is just the box size
difference I sold the handwired and got me a used tone king Metropolitan
beautiful sounding amp!!
Anthony Gerrard
August 21, 2014 @ 1:04 am
Honestly, I liked each amp better on different riffs lol. I thought some
sounded better on the C1, but some also sounded alot better on the HW. I
say if you’re going for this amp get one with the Alnico Blues speakers. I
love mine and it’s not handwired. Probaby gonna throw in some crazier tubes
soon and it’ll probably sound better then that HW with greenbacks
Shoes
August 28, 2014 @ 7:50 pm
The HW1 sounds better but I’m attributing that to the higher-quality
cabinet and matched tubes.
DJ Shuffle
September 24, 2014 @ 8:23 am
The HW sounds more natural. When compared, you can hear the love, passion
and care that have been passed on to the HW in the manufacturing process,
whilst the C1 just sounds “good”.
Sir Gobblesmith
October 17, 2014 @ 7:04 pm
I actually prefer the more pronounced Bass coming out of the C1. Which
speaker is in the Hand Wired?
rom661
December 21, 2014 @ 11:38 am
I agree that the comparison was well done. Thanks for taking the time.
Obvious differences although in some settings they were pretty close. I
was disappointed in that I really never heard the Vox clean that I
expected. It seems that both amps have virtually no clean headroom. Old
school AC30’s got incredibly loud before you got a hint of breakup. 15W to
30W is only 3db difference in SPL. Neither would work for me.
rjmprod
January 13, 2015 @ 8:37 pm
For the difference in money they are seriously close enough for my ears! So
I would by the AC15C1. That said, if It wasn’t my money then….the AC15HW1
would be my overall choice!
bosoxFANATIC83
January 28, 2015 @ 10:05 am
can someone answer me this?? doesnt the C1 have a footswitch that allows
you to switch channels between clean and the gain???
I’m thoroughly confused
JAKKRIT KITTIWORAWUT
February 26, 2015 @ 8:10 am
HW for me. It’s much more creamy.
Panchee123
March 11, 2015 @ 11:34 am
remember kids, when demoing an amp, always use the muddy neck pickup ,
devinjaybee
April 10, 2015 @ 2:01 pm
In the video the HW wins to my ears but in person, honestly, I like the C1.
Has more bite and more compression which is more to my taste. To each their
own, both are fantastic amps.
PeterDad60
April 16, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
My situation is I agree the HW sounds better. I already have one HW amp a
Fender. I used to have an HW Marshall JCM 900. I have a problem here
because I love reverb and tremolo. Hence I am leaning towards the Vox
AC15C1 for an actual purchase. Maybe if someone could point out some really
good reverb and tremolo options/pedals that could get me back into the HW
camp. I know Fender sells a tube reverb tank for around $700. But I do not
know of any tremolo tank. For now I am using a thousand dollar Fender Vibro
Champ that has fantastic tube tremol for my tremolo needs. That means I
need to run two amps at a time. If I added the Fender Tube reverb tank then
the chain would kind of like be 3 amps and also very expensive. But I am
positive the sound and tone would be so worth the cost.
JULBIPHONE
April 30, 2015 @ 11:13 am
Bad sound!!! maybe the camera or mic used!!
Johnny Natrium
May 17, 2015 @ 6:04 am
By the way, a good high-end treble boost pedal really activates these amps,
because they do get kind of muddy without them. It really brings out
definition that is still very creamy.
Dave Kuhn
July 8, 2015 @ 10:18 pm
Are people honestly “blown away” that the HW would sound better? Come on
guys.. It’s twice the price so of course it’s going to be nicer.
Dave Kuhn
July 8, 2015 @ 10:19 pm
I’ve heard that replacing the tubes in the standard AC15 and also putting a
blue back Celestion in it makes them sound every bit as good as the hand
wired and on top of that you still also keep the reverb and tremolo
Alec Livinghouse
July 9, 2015 @ 6:06 pm
The tone this guy is getting on both amps is shit
Hardy
October 31, 2017 @ 4:54 am
Maybe somebody could tell me if the AC15(HW?) should be good for my 360/12 Rick and a singlecoil thinline tele?
Reverb- if necessary – can be made with a mini reverb…
John Cooper
October 31, 2017 @ 8:32 am
No way really to tell you whether you’d like it. I’m guessing you’d love it, but you should try to find a way to play your Rick through an AC15 before buying.