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As an owner of a Vox AD50VT I was interested to see Vox announce a new series called simply the VT series which include VT15, VT30, VT50 and VT100 combos amps. At first glance you would be forgiven for thinking you were looking at the AD50VT or similar as they share the same chrome metal grill on the front but what Vox have done is basically double the amount of amp model variations at your fingertips with 22 amp models. The 11 extra amp models appear to be variations on the original set which was already a formidable lineup. The amp has a single 12AX7 miniature triode in the power amp is used to reproduce a distinctive tube amp sound unattainable by digital technology and if you have the amp cranked up to full wattage it sounds great. You see there is a power attenuator on the back of the amp that lets you change the output wattage whilst maintaining the same drive from the power amp in order to create a true tube sound, which in theory is great but in actual fact sucks a bit of the life out of the sound when you drop the wattage, but your wife/girlfriend/neighbours will be thankful of this feature!

Aside from the 22 amp models which range from crystal clear cleans to full force shred there is also a powerful effects section. My biggest problem with the AD50VT is the fact that you can’t use Reverb in conjunction with other effects it is one of the selections along with delay, phaser, flanger etc. Vox have addressed this issue with the VT series. Now the reverb effect is always available, and three of the other eleven types are composite effects that allow up to three effects to be used simultaneously. Noise reduction can also be used at the same time. Each effect has multiple parameters that you can adjust to create the precise sound you want. There’s also a tap switch that makes it easy to set the delay time or modulation speed. Vox have also extended the amount of user presets to 8 from 2 which is very handy and there are 66 presets of sounds that simulate famous guitarists, but to be honest I always have my amp switched to manual mode.

If the AD50VT et al are anything to go by these amps are going to literally fly out of the warehouse, it is fast becoming the most popular beginner amp before upgrading to a full tube amp but has the power, tonal variety and effect depth to extend way beyond beginners. I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years and the AD50VT is currently my only amp which I use for band rehearsals and recording. If you have never heard the Vox AD series amps in action and would like to hear some of my recordings check out my YouTube channel. These recordings were made using a Patrick Eggle Berlin Stage direct in to the Vox AD50VT and direct out into a Tapco audio interface and into my Mac, with the exception of ‘The Extremist’ which also uses an Exotic Effects BB+ stomp box.

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