Vox amPlug AC30

This amplug is a little bit unusual to me. I know they meaning Vox are trying to capitalize on the Joe Satriani fans by marketing this pocket amp but to me it sounds nothing like Joe's tone. Also it doesn't fit in with the tone from the rest of the pocket amps by Vox. The other ones have a very usable and natural tone to them especially when plugged into the computer but this one seems a little on the thin side tone wise for me.


Vox amPlug Joe Satriani Headphone Guitar Amplifier Features at a Glance:

* Get the sound of Joe Satriani's custom rig (a distortion pedal through a high-gain vacuum tube amplifier, followed by a delay) in your headphones
* Plugs directly into your guitar
* AUX in jack lets you jam along with your CD/MP3 player
* True analog circuit faithfully simulates the response of the original amp
* Up to 15 hours of battery life with supplied AAA batteries

UTILIZATION

Details
Type Solid State
Number of Channels 1
No Speaker
No Effects
No Reverb
EQ No EQ
No Amp Modeling
Number of Models 0
Number of Tubes 0
Preamp Tubes No Tubes
Power Tubes No Tubes
Inputs 1 x Instrument, 1 x Aux (1/8")
Outputs 1 x Headphone
No Footswitch
No Effects Loop
Height 3.15"
Width 3.39"
Depth 1.22"
Weight .09 lbs. (40g)

SOUND QUALITY

Out of all the pocket amp from Vox this one is a bit of a disappointment for me. I really like the acoustic and the classic rock the best because they have really captured a solid tone, but this is very thin. Joe's tone is not thin by any stretch and for them to put this thing out with his name on it is a bit bizarre.

You probably want to use a Ibanez signature Satriani model guitar otherwise why would you buy this thing. Even coupled with a Joe signature guitar it doesn't even come close to any sound that I have heard him play. The voicing is close to his sound but the tone is lacking in depth and warmth that I find in the other pocket amps.

OVERALL OPINION

Unless your are a huge Joe fan and even if you are not this is not the best of these units. It has almost half the battery life and the tone is just sub par. At new these units come in at around $50 which is ten bucks more than most of the other pocket amps. With a higher price tag and a lot less battery life this is a must PASS for me. Pick up the Lead or the Classic rock one if you want heavy distortio. If you can't help yourself because you are such a Joe Satriani fan then this is the only person that is going to buy into this amp. I do not recommend this amp.

If you are stuck in your office at work dreaming about being a rock star that never happened and you feel like jamming to the old times in private then this is the gear for you. A portable amp that literally fits in your pocket. This is one of the best things Vox has done in recent years. It is so simple and easy that you can find just about anywhere and have a jam sessions by yourself. Just bring along your headphones and you guitar and your ready to play.

Vox amPlug AC30 Headphone Guitar Amplifier Features at a Glance:

* Plugs directly into your guitar
* AUX in jack lets you jam along with your CD/MP3 player
* True analog circuit faithfully simulates the response of the original amps
* AC30 emulates the AC30 top boost sound of a vintage Vox AC30
* Up to 15 hours of battery life with supplied AAA batteries
* Quick and easy setup

UTILIZATION

Specification Detail
Type Solid State
Number of Channels 1
Power TBD
Speakers No Speaker
Effects No Effects
Reverb No Reverb
EQ No EQ
Amp Modeling No Amp Modeling
Number of Models 0
Number of Tubes 0
Preamp Tubes No Tubes
Power Tubes No Tubes
Inputs 1 x Instrument, 1 x Aux (1/8")
Outputs 1 x Headphone
Footswitch I/O No Footswitch
Effects Loop No Effects Loop
Height 3.15"
Width 3.39"
Depth 1.22"
Weight .09 lbs. (40g)
Notes VOX AC 30 Voicing

SOUND QUALITY

The sound quality is surprising very close to a Vox Ac30 cranked up. They have done a great job capturing the tone from a classic Vox amp and bringing it into a pocket amp. There is no speaker involved so you will have to plug it into your computer or headphones.

Grab any guitar from a Fender Strat to a Les Paul and you have the tone you need to tuck away in your office and jam until closing time. Since it only has one channel you don't have a lot of options for tone wise. What you get is what you get. There are no EQ options so if you like the tone of a classic Vox AC30 and need a pocket amp then this is your ticket. They offer different sounding units just like this to fit your personal tonal needs

OVERALL OPINION

I would recommend this unit to anyone who wants a nice little practice pocket amp and has a budget of $40. These units are cheap and won't break your bank too much. They are fun little devises and they have plenty of tonal options if the Vox Ac30 isn't your cup of tea.

The Vox AmPlug AC30 is a small, portable practice guitar amplifier. Although it bears the name AC30, it really doesn't sound like a real AC30. You simply plug this into your guitar, plug your headphones into this, and you're good to go. It is designed to be a practice amp, and really can't be used for anything else that I can think of. It is powered by two AAA batteries. In addition to the headphone jack, it also has an aux jack to plug a CD or Mp3 player into so you can play along with music if you want to.

UTILIZATION

There isn't much to know at all about using the Vox AmPlug AC30. Once you've plugged your guitar and headphones in, you're good to go. Just control the three parameters of gain, tone, and volume, to your liking and that's all there is to it. The manual is really simple and really just outlines the obvious, so I don't believe it is necessary.

SOUND QUALITY

While I won't say that the sound of the Vox AmPlug AC30 is anything to write home about, for what it is to be used for it does the job just fine. It certainly doesn't sound like an AC30, but I doubt anyone was expecting it to anyway. The bottom line with the sound is that it amplifies your guitar sound, making it easy to play your electric on the go without needing a separate amp. It's also great if you want to play without disturbing anyone around you with loud noise. So while I wouldn't expect much from it's sound, it's definitely suitable for practicing.

OVERALL OPINION

I wouldn't recommend the Vox AmPlug AC30 in place of a real practice amp, but in addition to having a real amp around, the AmPlug AC30 can definitely be a useful tool. It's sound quality is about what you would expect it to be, which isn't very good, but this most likely isn't the main concern for someone looking into getting one of these. I don't know how the AC30 model compares to the other AmPlugs that they have, but I would imagine that they are all in the same vein. I do wish that this was a few bucks less, but I guess it isn't too expensive. As far as products of this type goes, this is one of the best that I've used, but I'd still only recommend it if it's something that you really need.

All aadj t say on this point, plastic box a little "cheap" but good .... 1 point less

care should be taken not to let it hang around for it takes no time!

USE

Have branch have played, there's no simple, well thought vox! very well for the holidays

SOUND QUALITY

So l, let's be clear this is not a combo AC30, the grain is in overdrive raproche is all but already standard for bosses on holiday, a use, a lot of breath really ......

NOTICE GLOBAL

Very good for bosses without hindering holds the purse of your girlfriend is gnial, a good headphone is essential overall rating 8/10 thinking of the prices and simplistic use, I would be more svre comparing it has a real AC30 ... but how could I compar 40 1500 ..... (my AC30 prfr dates from 1964 ....) lol