All user reviews for the Vox VBM-1 Brian May Special

This little Amp is a gift from my mom from Musicians Friend.. it cost her $149.99 and it is well worth it.

it has the real brian may sound even with my yamaha eg112c (a fender strat style guitar knock off)i have only been playing for 2 months and this amp sounds awesome, it beats my starter amp which is only 7 watts. i have worked with music gear all my life and im 21 and i have not heard anything like this.

the stapled velcro in the back for the power cord

very well built and the electronics are superb. it is a very pretty shade of white.
and it is light weight and portable

small, lightweight, portable, LOUD!!!!!!, and the real deal for the money it's worth it all the way.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it new from Music Center, Inc. Kenosha, WI on 11-08-03 Paid $120.00. ($126.60 w/tax)

News of the World! It really does sound like exactly Brian May's Queen guitar tone. It is as light as a feather, and the quality on mine is a 10. I played a bunch of my guitars through it, using Bridge pickups, Neck pickups, and combinations, as well as out of phase Strat tones on my Joe Barden equipped 3-Pickup Fender Telecaster. Each one nailed subtley different Brian May sounds. Guitars Played were: 1968 Les Paul Custom, 1968 Fender Telecaster, 1992 Am Std. Fender Telecaster w/ Joe Barden pickups, 1995 Ernie Ball MusicMan Axis Super Sport w/ MM90's. (P-90 style pickups.) This one sounded the best, all in all. Which is not surprizing since it is my favorite guitar of all time. The Neck pick-up (which I rarely use) was the one that really nailed the "Bohemian Rhapsody" solo tone and bridge pickup was just right for the "Plaster coming off the walls" Power-chord stuff.

Killer Queen? I have not yet found a good "regular" (non-boost) tone to compliment the signature solo tone. I realize this was not the purpose of this amp, nor was it the reason I bought it, but it would be nice and I will keep looking. The only real nit-pick I have to is I don't like the velcro strap for the power cord. It is stapled onto the back of the amp, and looks cheap. But what can you expect for this price.

Brighton Rock! This one came out of the box perfect. The attention to detail is quite impressive. From the gold piping right down to the tiny gold screws holding on the white corner guards. In short, it looks really cool and Boy, it sure is white!!! Panel, inputs and knobs are typical chicken-head retro cool. Chassis fits the cabinet flawlessly.

Tie Your Mother Down!!! This thing not only captures the distortion and sweet sustain of the classic Brian May Solo tone ala Bohemian Rhapsody, but nails the grinding power chord passages as well. I've only had mine a day, and I can't wait to try the Booster/Out with my 2 AC30's. Sheer Heart Attack? I'll let you know.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The VBM-1 is a small transistor amp. He is the faithful replica of the "Deacy" amp transistor, John Deacon, Queen bassist. It includes a treble booster that can be transplanted into an amp (it seems you can leave the queen in a plugger AC30)
With 10W amp it will more than studio scene, but do not hesitate to plug it into a 4x12 ".
For my part, I looked a little amp room, basic but with character ... won!

UTILIZATION

I use it in my living room grattouillier for 5 minutes in passing.
As they say in other circumstances, it is plug and play!
At the same time, there's not beat around the bush, gain, volume, switch High / Low for the distortion and tone knob. Ultrabasic. and the output treble booster that can be out of a tube amp to find the sound of Brian May.

SOUNDS

This is where it gets great with this amp pokey. The panel's incredible for me.
As soon as I got it, I took out all my old analog pedals telling me that I sound a little spice ... I have kept the Wah.
No way to have crystal-clear sound distortion or super precise and deep (it is even a qd 10w with 3 buttons but just playing with the tone, gain and various microphones of good strata, can cover a range soupsonnais I do not for a moment (I get 10, like in sound).

I listened to various songs played in a 4x12 "marshall ... incredible. I look forward to test.

OVERALL OPINION

So I'm having in my living room, for some months.
I looked for an amp with grain and a true personality, it's found!
Listen to the intro of It's Late Queen, you will understand why it bears his signature.

I tried to purchase, a Fender and a Kustom 10w 15r. it seemed very flat appearing.

Finally, it remains a 10W with few settings, cheap (nine paid 170 euros). Lovers of Rock / Blues to test immediately.

This transistor amplifier has a power of 10 watts (not ridiculous) with a 6.5-inch bowl with the membrane is well shielded provides outputs:
An output boost
2 headphone recording
3 ext speaker (be careful al impedance)
at the setting we can not + simple:
A gain
2 switch high or low gain
3 tone
Volume 4

UTILIZATION

First is the use of two little fawn which makes intressent.
Use a classical guitar and amp
2 treeble booster mode use (for me the Holy Grail) 2 controls operate in this mode and gain swith
The manual is very complete and french vox thank you to Brian May and we have more penssa Sir May we made a gift of good home 2 settings effectively cool to have the sound from the outset that after a matter of a few hours to find his own sound.

SOUNDS

L we enter the heart of the matter and the sonic dimension of Brian May.
The sound is the crunch was the most devastating saturation (rather felt) its not clear but that s not the purpose of this amp even if it can be done in metant the gain to a minimum and the switch and the low volume and then back to you to manage the volume of your guitar (humbucker or single).
The big blow comes when you use it in booster mode treeble (watch the bowl in this mode is disabled) mode is a ecciter another amp.
With my first les paul standard config jcm slash the sound that it is more than pleasant deguage one approaches the grain mesa (with its clean crunch to your attacks, in the crunch saturates and saturates his kick your ass and the Page School posters in the room) which is not displease me.
Is the best for last: telecaster vox vox ac 30 May brain, and I just tell you that it hurt a very very bad:
1 + tele vox Brian May gain a background low gain switch + + vox ac 30 between normal high volume background and has cut back its kind = Hammer To Fall, We Will Rock You, Tie Your Mother Down for connoisseurs
2 + les paul vox Brian May at your convenience gain high gain swith + + vox ac 30 same settings that huge lead over = sustain such monstrous one vision and all the magnificent solo that gave us great man.
On the other config it s just as effectively Wng
The sound is precise and trs fully refund your game can be dangerous because when you put a pin everyone hears it because as you get out of the mix but is the price to pay for the sound of BIAN MAY (an infinite subset of the sound because the rest comes from his fingers and creativity)

OVERALL OPINION

Advisory fan of Queen and Brian May vox this bb as I like to call trs surprising:
Several fawns of use
Performs well with the effects particularly with a boss ce1 chorus and another delay
The only downside: no bypass but with an ab rusant box or making a career change I think this is feasible (that is why I put 9)
I use it since its release in France and do not sell for anything.
The price is justified given the quality of this little vox white (wink to the JMI vox annes60 thank you)
Thank you for reading these lines
MAY the force be with you

- What kind of amplification (lamp, transistor ,...)?

10W transistor amp (10 watts spitting anyway ...)

- What is the power dlivre?

10 Watts (...)

- What connection?

Input, output to connect a speaker, exit to register / make a headphone

- What are the rglages the effects? ...

A single effect, the "treble boost", which ignores the effect used by Brian May of Queen for her, it is used to saturate the amplifier, to get (very) large distos ...

Without a results in a crunch or distortion cra-cra

I put a note to the possibility of using it as boost (treble boost) on an amp, and the output register (great idea I think)

UTILIZATION

- The configuration is it simple?

Uh ... 3 knobs, easy to difficult ...

Gain, Treble and Volume!

NO EQ! impossibility therefore rgler precision with low, medium or acute ...

- Gets it easy to sound good?

This is the highlight of this amp, I have rarely seen a transistor sound like this ... And I jou on a lot of transistors (I am a big fan of all-tube), we get easily a very good distortion sound, the sound clear, yancssit to gain the mini ( really mini) ...

The advantage with a 10 watts is that you can push it

Sold as a rplique as the sound of Brian May, has had nothing to do, I do not play on Burns, so I was not the complete kit (or AC 30), but sounds especially very metal once the boost engaged!

I play on a Toni Iommi G400 SG and a Melody Maker, possibility to have a very nice clean sound when the treble boost, it gives a standard disto ...

- The manual is clear and sufficient? ...

bought new, but not read: p

I put 7 as it would have nice t get a clear, easy ...

SOUNDS

- Is it your style of music?

I want to say yes 100%, but simply because I gave him a branch PDAL dual channel tube ass ...

I play screamo / metalcore, pop, punk, rock, everything I touch ... the possibility of having a clear aid would have (although it is feasible on the SG rduisant the volume of microphones)

- What kind of sound you get and with what rglages ("crystalline", "bold ",....)?

Crystal clear sound through the Melody Maker, a clear round on the jazzy SG

Otherwise a very big distortion when the treble boost switched to a crunch better not touch it

8 because it has a particular sound that I love and I think it's the best "little amp apartment" I've heard.

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you use it?

must have 5 years I think ...

- What is the particular feature you like best and least?

No clear sound vritable

- Have you tried many other models before acqurir?

Some, but only for large transistors

- How do you report qualitprix?

Well, that could be very good the problem from clean rgl: p

- With the exprience, you do again this choice? ...

Almost ... to 70%)

Transistors
10W
Between -1.
-1 Output boost.
1out-stro. (headphones)
-1 8 Ohm output HP <10 Watts.
Gain, Tone and volume switch for the distortion.

UTILIZATION

On one of the most simple configuration, we spend more time playing!
Easily obtained crunch sounds even see mtalleux (j'me'm retyping One of the solo metallica and this is allucinant, but it is not "the" sound metallica).
When the manual is provided and trs trs clear, and it is best read if you connect an HP DSIR the output prvu this.

SOUNDS

Yes it is part of what I play, but this amp is not versatile in the types, if you like funk or reagge go your way. As against the rock to hard rock, the grain breaks the shack (Nirvana love buzz dee seven ...).
The clean sounds (the plural 's guitar + Tone knob on the amp) are easily exploitable, it also respects the sound of the guitar (for me an Ibanez and an ergo EXR170 Lag Roxanne studio). Good sound for my part I think sends a good, sound a bit like a silent P'ti closeted with the Vox in a cardboard box (personal I adore).
He has a real personality sound, right now I play with it, a tech and a Valvestate 15w 21, I found this little amp into a good companion for compounds (with a sound like a, a lot by itself). But no-be must be said also lacks a bit of heat. verdict for its lack of warmth and versatility even when I stick him on August 1

OVERALL OPINION

I 'm four months of use, the sound and the Aesthetics, a hand amp, just be not as much as oranges, but I haven' t been able to compare.
Report quality price: trs RALIS well at the finish.
Yes I do it again without hsiter choice, considering the price and compactness and the sound ...

The Vox Brian May Special VBM1 is a small guitar combo amp for the early 2000's. For those who don't know, Brian May is the lead guitarist of Queen. He's got something going on with Vox, as they also released a Brian May AC30 a few years back, although I do not know his level of involvement here. It's only a 10 watt amp, but actually gets a decent amount of volume. The amp has a custom 6 1/2" speaker as well.

UTILIZATION

The make up of the Vox Brian May Special VBM1 is pretty cool as there's a good amount of control for a smaller amp. It's got a 1/4" input and a 1/4" booster output, which is definitely a Brian May thing as he loves his booster pedals. It also has a 1/4" headphone and external speaker output. The parameters it has include a volume, tone, and gain knob. It also has a high/low gain button. I haven't seen the manual for this amplifier.

SOUNDS

The sound of the Vox Brian May Special VBM1 is actually pretty awesome and it's a great guitar amp to record with. I'm finding more and more that smaller amps can be your friend in the studio, as when you crank them up and close mic them, it's sometimes bigger and better than using a huge amp. One of the studios I work at a bunch has one of these and I hadn't used it until recently but I'm glad I did as it's an awesome amp to record lead tones with. It's not going to be Brian May's sound in a box, but definitely will help you get started...

OVERALL OPINION

The Vox Brian May Special VBM1 is an awesome amp to use in the studio! I haven't used it for live shows but would still probably recommend only using it in the studio as that seems to be where it is best suited due to it's size and tone control. You don't have to be a fan of Brian May and Queen to appreciate this amp, but then again, who doesn't like Queen? The amp isn't very expensive at all for a good recording amplifier, so if you're looking to bolster your recording set up, I'd check this out as a low cost option for a big sound!

One of the most influencial guitarists in the world and one of the most sought after tones that has ever existed. Brian May has captured so many guitarist's ears long after the time he first made his home made guitar with his father. He has a world renown guitar tone that has been speculated for years on how to achieve this wonderful and unique sound.

Brian used a combination of things to get his sound. One of these pieces of gear was a Deacey amp. This is a unique amp circuit that was used to boost other amps. It was created in the early 1970s using an amplifier found in a skip by Deacon and a treble booster, constructed by May. Also used was an amplifier circuit board stationed into a Hi-Fi speaker cabinet, powered by a 9-volt battery. The amp was used along with May's Red Special guitar and his treble booster.

UTILIZATION

The new Brian May Special features controls for Gain, Tone, and Volume, as well as a High/Low Gain switch (the original sported no controls whatsoever!). A Booster output allows the Booster section of the Brian May Special to drive another amp, in the same manner May employs live when he uses his Treble Booster to overdrive his AC30s. The Brian May Special also has an Emulated Recording/Headphone jack and an External Speaker jack.

As a final flourish, and further evidence of the incredible attention to detail in this amp, VOX has incorporated two "battery simulation circuits," one each for the Booster and amp sections, to precisely duplicate the novel quality lent to the original Deacy system by its battery power sources. The result is a unique-sounding, compact combo that can be used for practicing, recording or driving another amp.

VOX VBM1 Specs

*

Output Power: 10 Watts (RMS)
*

Speaker: 1 x 6.5" custom-voiced, full-range speaker
*

Inputs: Input jack
*

Outputs: Booster Output, External Speaker, and Headphone/Recording Line Out.
*

Controls: Gain, Tone and Volume. Gain (High/Low) push switch, Power switch (with LED)
*

Dimensions: 330 (W) x 273 (H) x 170 mm (D)/13" (W) x 10.75" (H) x 6.7" (D)
*

Weight: 5.6kg /12 lbs


SOUNDS

Used with a Fender Strat and a Gibson SG. This was used by my friend in a recording situation with the speaker simulation out directly into a recording program. The tone was so impressive that it has made me want to get one just for this purpose. The amp it so cool and useful for certain plugs or lead lines and solos in recordings.

OVERALL OPINION

Even though this unit is made in China it is a must for me to own when in a recording situation. There are times when I want a nice vintage Brian May- esque lead tone and this one does it very well when plugged directly into a recording booth.

These units are discontinued so you will have to find one on the used market. I think you can find them for around $70. I would recommend anyone buy this amp and use it for recording purposes. Not much more than some Boss pedals and it great for direct recording.

This is an amp transistors.

- Power: 10W
- 1 entry
- 1 output boost
- 1 stereo output for headphones
- 1 HP output

Regarding the controls: volume, gain, tone.

UTILIZATION

Can no longer simply in the configuration. And that's what's amazing, because you get SOUND immediately. At his convenience, simply adjust the gain level, pitch and volume.
The manual is explicit, but it is not used much (it has the merit to exist).

SOUNDS

It has been said, but this amp is for cruncher and saturate. Certainly, one can get a clean sound, but reducing the gain and increasing the volume.

I play it with a Gibson SG standard, a Fernandes Ravelle Elite (Dark Amber) and of course a Brian May.

The sound is excellent with 3 guitars, a sound typical VOX. And is connected .... we play. No need to add a compressor, and other tricks to get the distortion and sustain desired. It is immediately usable, as it is.

So with 'Brian May Signature' (I am talking to fans of Queen) is simply divine.
It instantly gets the typical sound 'Brian May'. This amp is magic!

Like the good old tube amps, there's just only play with the volume knob to increase or decrease the gain.

And here, everything is permitted. You go from blues to hard rock without problem, without getting tired feet on the pedals.

OVERALL OPINION

After eight months of use, I give him a lot longer than my other amp (VOX AC15CC1).
His practical side first, because it can take anywhere. He laughed at first because of its small size, but then cry for what comes out. And then, just to say that this amp is no longer manufactured, and worse, they are not anymore, so there ....

There is nothing I dislike about this little amp. PERFECT!

This is not a tube amp, but, quite frankly, it restores a lot of heat, but mostly a lot of energy.

Ideal in the studio or at home.

If you find one, do not hesitate a moment. Skip over !!!!!!!!!!

I put 10 across, it may seem pretentious, but this little beast is a marvel, and merit.