Fender '68 Princeton Reverb vs The VOX AC10C1 Amplifier - An Amplifier Comparison
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- čas přidán 12. 07. 2018
- This is a shootout between the Vox AC10C1 and the Fender Princeton. These amplifiers are very similar on paper but they sound quite a bit different to each other.
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The AC10 sounds better. Glad I have two of them.
And less expensive too, about half the price?
I bought the vox 4 days ago. Perfect. Killer OD at all volumes and fine reverb. Love leaving the pedals aside, plugging directly into the amp, and seeing if I can really play the instrument...
Wow... This dude with his mouth going open really got the blues in his soul
he seems like he’s full of the blues... because he literally ate them
Ziggy Craft hey! Don’t be dissing us big boys now! Just because we like our beer doesn’t mean we can’t play!😆
That's the Doctor! Literally. He's a real doc
Respect your betters! ;)
The Vox just makes me smile. I'm convinced
Love my Vox AC10! Many amps I bought to replace it have come and gone... the Vox remains!
The AC10c1 is a very budget build,sorry to say that because I think they sound and look really good.I'm sure putting some better tubes in there and breaking the speaker in will make it sound even better.I'm just reluctant give Korg my money and reward them for FINALLY having a good concept(IE a small portable AC TB tone,the AC15's are too big and clunky and the handwired way too big and clunky) only to skimp on materials/parts.I may grab a used one though,they're adorable and sound good so...
z z all the Vox lineup use mdf built enclosures, only the hand wired amps use birch boxes, so I don’t think the AC10 is any cheaper of a build than the remaining custom line
z z agree with you on the ac15 “clunky” and don’t forget “HEAVY”. I own the ac10 changed out tubes immediately and noticeable difference. I would say to you not to miss out on this affordable VOX or the Super Beetle because of the Korg involvement if you can as these are really sweet amps that don’t hurt the wallet. Cheers
Pollo Guitar loud but depends on what you’re up against. If you mic to a PA system like I do no worries for me so far.
sbjkd 👍 I own the 65 and 65 Tweed and 68. All fantastic amps
Coming in at $400 cheaper, I would give it to the Vox.
If the Fender was $400 cheaper, I'd STILL get the AC10.
Regardless of price Vox destroy Fender.
I have a 65 reissue Fender Princeton Reverb and a Vox AC10 (slightly upgraded speaker). Love Fenders, but for cleaner sounds I really prefer the Vox. The Vox has a Gain knob which allows a dirtier sound at lower volumes - great for Bedroom Stars, such as myself.
My 8mm laptop speakers perfectly convey the tones of these awesome amps
As does my IPhone 7.
@@SeanJepson7 my walmart fake airpods with a blown speaker is really a great representation of theses awesome tones.
So true…all the fine vine connoisseurs tend to fall all over themselves describing the distinct differences and it’s actually mostly all bs..
To me the clean comparison is the best way to establish a baseline reference point between amps. Then add the voices to it.
It’s amazing how good that little vox sounds
I went with the VOX. The bolder tone with EL84 got me. And the gain can be turned up to make a great blues tone at low volume. Reverb is better in my opinion. Great session guys! Really showed the quality of both amps. It was a hard decision
Liked the Vox better. Mainly because the bass didn’t get flabby with gain/volume.
I'm a big Fender guy but the Vox has it here!
Vox hands down. Sweet distortion. Been wanting one for a stereo setup with my HRD.
Why every damned time I'm looking for amps demos I only find bluesmen cranking up the volume? I just need a clean.
failed rockstars ended up in a guitarshop trying to show off and how badly the world has treated them.
So sick of dad blues
If you need clean, you don't need a low wattage amp with a ten inch speaker. Hot Rod Deluxe is clean, light weight with reverb; you're welcome.
I would actually argue the opposite. Too many amp reviews out there with people playing at low volume. Everyone knows that tube amps need to be cranked up in order to really hear all the nuances. Clean low volume only works with solid state amps
Because you're not looking at the right amps, Princetones break up easily especially the 68. At 10 you basically have a fuzz with a SG.
Fender Landau Hot Rod Deville 212 would suit you better I think, you even have 2 clean channels (one of them is boosted).
Got an AC10. Love it!
Just bought Vox AC10C1, and the baby is awesome.. 😇 Love it alot...
I got a 12" Cab with Vintage 30 to use with the Vox, thinking of installing a silver bullet AlNiCo if it fits?
Maxed out, the vox was a clear winner to me, ands its a hell of a lot cheaper. Both great amps though.
The Vox sounds way better wide open.
The Vox is tight, the Princeton mushes up really bad. Regardless of volume, the Vox hands down, and im a huge fan of princetons
It's ok until he plays the lower strings, then yeah it mushes up. To be fair, the Vox also got a bit flubby. Needs a TS or Klone!
I am currently running both of these amps through a ground lift Y box. They play off each other nicely and still stay at bedroom levels, the sound is absolutely amazing.
Rex Kuntz Ditto Rex. I’m running them the same then mic’d through the house PA. The combo give a great America/British tonal quality.
What is a Ground lift Y Box ? ☮️✨
@@danabiondo9243 Check out Radial engineering Bigshot ABY pedal
I am running my AC10 with a Fender Super Champ. Home use application. I really enjoy the pairing of Vox and Fender. Lots of flexibility.
The Vox. Why? Because I'm a fan!!!! Just love 'em and in my neck of the woods I can get 2 Vox AC 30C2's for the price of one Princeton.
Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, your smile while you're playing through VOX AC10 C1!!! IT'S LEAGUE BY ITSELF.
Two exceptional amps, the Fender seems to break up at lower volume and the Vox had more bass,
Great playing of the Tele’s.
Can’t decide, I’d love to have both.
Ac10 is the winner for my ears... I liked its tone better...
Yeah I think it sounds richer and wider 👍
The Vox is definitely livelier & more "willing", not to mention its more open tone & more dynamic response.
I've become a convert!
I bought the Vox. It's incredibly versatile. Clean jazz, rock, blues rock, Country, rockabilly,Surf, Spaghetti Western, you name it.
Vox has stronger mids and sounds altogether beefier regardless of volume. Both sound excellent. In fact, I want both!
But if you could only have one it would be the Vox, judging from your comment, and I concur. A fatter, warmer sound from the Vox.
I had both of these amps, both are nice. Now I just kept the Fender ( mine is 15 watts ) because
I use it for our shows, and the Vox didn't seem to be able to stay clean ( in a bigger room) when I have to use effects ( like a Vent Leslie effect , etc ). We do a variety of 50s- 60s from Johnnie Rivers to Cream to Amboy Dukes, so I try to do my best to vary the guitar tone to stay in the venue sound. One thing not mentioned in the video is that on the Fender, the second input has -6dB cut so that you can drive the tubes higher into the sweet harmonic range, without cranking the overall volume. Great video, I always learn something.
The VOX becomes amazing by changing the speaker to a Weber (specially designed).
The Princeton is a favorite among thousands of professionals because it does what it does best when you use it so that it can do that. (Sorry for the complicated syntax)
Try doing things with it that it can't do well and it will sound awful. The circuit design is not one that lends well to super cranked settings. Use it where it is the most comfortable and it will sing for you. **Would you take a touring bicycle out on the mountain trails? Use a frying pan to boil spaghetti? - You can do it, but you won't be pleased with the results. Same thing goes for amps.
The VOX's interactive tone controls serve the amp well to prevent the bass from drawing too much from the power supply which is part of the cause of that flabby bass sound in the Princeton when you tell the amp to try to put out more power than it has available. Changing a couple of capacitors helps that problem a little bit. But again, just use the amp the way its design works magic and much joy will be had.
BTW, both amps are really, really great at taking pedals. Another reason why they are so well loved.
Oh, and I 100% agree with previous posters that CLEAN settings and a variety of playing styles are the true test of an amp's tone. There is real sonic beauty in reaching asymmetrical clipping. But the more the amp goes into distortion, the less the ratio of tone to grind. Both are important. Just saying that demos do best that don't eschew one for the other.
Have fun.
I just purchased a used VGC/EX cond. Vox AC10C1 Limited Black & Tan 10W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp With Creamback and JJ Tubes for $180 (US). I absolutely love it!
With the volume dimed, the Vox is more articulate and defined, especially in the low end. At lower volumes it seemed like the opposite; the Fender sounds better. I have a Vox AC10C1 and have noticed that I need to set my EQ according to the volume I'm going to be playing at. Also, when setting the EQ, you need to turn both knobs all the way down and that will show you a pretty punchy midrange. Then you turn the bass and treble up to the point where they mix properly with the mids. Usually for me, that has both tone controls between the 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock area. All other amps I have had seem to need those EQ knobs turned up quite a bit higher to get the right mix. I think this Vox can get pretty close to AC 30 tones at pretty reasonable volumes. Much better than the AC 15 in my opinion. Luckily, I don't use much reverb because the AC10 reverb seems to bury the musical notes if you turn up past 9:00 or 10:00. I am a "straight into the amp" type player and don't use pedals of any kind and I love the simplicity and the tonal qualities of this amp. Thanks for the informative vid guys.
When you turn up the treble on a Vox AC, the mids disappear. Every Vox player knows this. These guys should know this too!
ok great, I've just overcome my Vox gas by getting an AC4C1-12 and the Vox SuperBeetle Mini, and now this pops up again! :P Ric, first time I didn't notice you are playing a Squier Custom Shop. must be a new line. :) great shootout, encore!
I really do love those two fantastic amps ... But my choice came to the vox AC 10 You can play it at bed room volume and then play to a gig with a drumer and this little guy still handle it !!! And what a sound with my Jaguard !!!!
Holy moly! What kind of bridge pickup is in that sparkle Tele?!
I don't know about Australia but here in the states the Vox ac10 is half the price of the Fender Princeton Reverb. I bought the ac10 it was a no brainer and I agree with Andy a clean comparison would have been nice as I found the Vox to be far superior. To me the one negative is the reverb on the Vox being digital is very touchy on/off so you have to be careful.
i like this sparkle finish!
Preferred the Fender in this video, but have the AC10 at home and it sounds amazing.
VOX AC10C1 for me. Awesome tone with your Telecaster!
on the AC10 tone controls are interactive.. full treble will cut a lot of bass. ie they play off of and affect each other at different levels. probably why when you dimed everything
it got so shrill. the mids are fixed ,so cranking the treble and bass will really accentuate the scooped mids; rolling bass and treble back to the middle and you get your mids back.
Jim Smith exactly what I was thinking 👍
I do love my AC 10 but just one question .. every time I play OD fuzz or disto pedals I notice that the amp sounds " BOXY " so how can I solve that?? I'll appreciate someone reply me .. t-you =)
The Princeton seem to get flabby bass the louder it got and the Vox seemed to hang in a bit better. OH, and the sparkle tele is glorious. I'm a Fender guy, but digging the Vox AC10 actually in this video. I'd be curious the Vox AC10 vs 65 reissue Princeton
I have both and the vox is a great amp but the 65 princeton is in a class by itself. The vox is close but not close enough to the Princeton
and also when it comes to pedals the princeton takes them fantastically the vox depends on what pedal and then still not as good as the princeton
WTF? The Princeton clearly won. The Vox sounded like it was being played in a closet.
@@spada60 Playing low strings, Princetone sounds like it has broken speaker. Very bad sound.
@@spada60 Agree. The 65 Blackface is the One. Thats what I am currently using and getting Tones of: S.R.V., Clapton, Gilmour, Trower & Nile Rodgers ( nuff said )
Curious Shane, why compare a 10 to a 15? Each has its purpose just like a 5 watt to a 10 or 15 watt. Different applications, tonal qualities sought by the individual. I can see you putting a Fender Princeton 65 to a 68 or Tweed. Just my thoughts sounding out to you! Cheers
At 4:00 the comparison between clean tones on the neck pickup, the Princeton is the clear winner in my opinion. Both amps have their uses, but if you are looking for clean tones I think the Fender will win every time. But that Vox has a sweet crunch that is second to none for a lot of classic rock & country
It must have sounded differently in the room. Mic'd up, the Vox clearly sounds better. The Fender sounded kind of muddy. I'm planning on mic'ing the amp, so I'll probably go with the Vox.
Can't wait to get the AC10.
I own both. Unfortunately the construction of the Princeton is pretty flimsy. The speaker baffle vibrated horribly but was (mostly) remedied by adding some foam weather stripping around the perimeter and on the back panels. The speaker baffle is cheap MDF and the mounting screws can be easily over torqued by hand, so be very careful if you remove the baffle for any reason. )I plan to make a replacement baffle out of plywood.) The VOX is much more solid feeling in comparison. (My TRAYNOR YCV20 is better built than either the VOX or the Princeton mind you!)
Both amplifiers sound great imo. The VOX is more versatile while the Princeton has a bit more clean headroom and a great spring reverb (VOX reverb is electronic but sounds good)
Over all the VOX AC10 is just more amp for the money by a wide margin. $1200 CAD for the Princeton vs $650 CAD for the AC10.
it's also twice as heavy.
On my phone the Vox sounds great on the power chords when maxed whereas the fender tone seemed to falter. Lack of top end would be a problem though - I have the ac15 with tone cut and tone dials for channel 2 , plenty available but can be harsh. The fender deluxe reverb I believe sounds better and I notice no one compared these to the advanced designed Marshalls or Boogie amps as they would not fare well
Maxed out, I don't like either of them...
I read somewhere that since Fender already had the the 65 reissue out, they decided to not voice the 68 as a 68 actually sounded, because it would be too similar to that 65, so it's actually voiced more like a Tweed. You can really hear that here, when it's cranked. It had a very sagged fuzz-like quality, a bit like a 50's Tweed Deluxe.
mk win True. The 68 reissue is not a real « reissue » as the 68 silverface was similar to thé 65 blackface
That is the worst sounding Princeton I've ever heard. The soundings that Fender did? I've read here somthing like a Twin?! Not even close. Don't what some of Ya'll come up with. This is just excuse my language, a shitty sounding Princeton compared to VOX that reverbs even when this feature is turned off. A least the voxys know how to get a good roomfilling sound.
@mk win THANK YOU. You've pointed out the exact reasons why I prefer the '68 to the '65.
@@markusfinkler9625 in reality it sounds great. Here , like you say, it sounds not at all then what i'm used to from this amp. No further comment...;-)
I own the AC10 and the 65 Princeton. My two favorite small amps. They sound different. Could not decide between the two. So I bought both. Enjoy your "down under" videos.
Thinking about getting the Vox. Sounds good. Have a Fender Deluxe which is a great amp but way too loud for most gigs I have done. Even at 2 it can drown out every other amp on stage. Have to use a drive pedal as I can’t turn the amp up to get the natural drive. Too loud. Plus it weighs a ton. Back issues mean I can no longer carry it. Vox sounds like a decent replacement for sound and weight.
i am in the same boat been lugging around my blues deluxe amp for twenty years and like you i never go more than 2 on the volume and if i did the drummer and bass guitarist would tell me to turn it down and i am now also struggling with back problems , i want to stay with valves as we play mostly clean songs and i afraid all non valve amps just sound so artificial to me, i am going for the vox but hoping i wont need to mic it up as we go for sound quality rather than blowing the friggin roof off
@@davejones6748 Yep. Valves are the way to go. Agree about the artificial flat sound of none valve amps. Just don’t get the warmth like you do with valves.
@@slumdogjay
Drowns out the other amps on 2?
Do you have a drummer?
What kind of music are you playing?
@@BryanClark-gk6ie I was in a couple of bands that played rock and blues. Yes, had drummers. The Fender Deluxe ltd edition really is a loud bastard. Volume goes to 12 but don’t think I’ve had it past 2 maybe 3 at a push. Mostly bat gigs. Recently bought a volume control that I can plug into the effects loop input that lets me push up the main volume to get natural overdrive then I can reduce the output. Even then it’s still pretty loud.
The Fender sounds like an AM radio. I've owned both and still have the Vox. No comparison. I do have a 10 inch Greenback in my AC10, light years better than the stock speaker. Even with the stock speaker in the demo, it still destroys the Princeton.
There is just something about a Tele matched with the Vox legendary top boost circuit that is very distinctive.
Almost Paisley like.. 🤙🤙🤘
yes just yes
I am more impressed with the Princeton but where I live there is a massive price difference. The Princeton is almost double the price.
I agree the Princeton sounds wonderful. In the United States the Princeton is 999 and the vox is 449.
Fender tube amps are a total rip-off.
They suckered me in for too long.
Great Demo Guy's i think the Vox sounds better to my ears sounds fuller in my opinion!
I was expecting more from Princeton, and became positively surprised by VOX AC10.
Anyone have an idea on why Vox went with a Digital reverb? It sounds good though
...& that's probably why!
The mustard tele sounds great through the vox, the other guys tele sounds more bassy.
two different beasts. the Vox has the british crunch, the Fender has spring reverb an tremolo - this video focused driven tones only.
i´d say there is also a style where the Princeton would shine.
I like the Princeton so much more. Seems more focused
You need both! Run them side by side (A-B-Y)
That is the answer!
I don't know if this was really a fair comparison from a price point. I can upgrade to an AC-15 and it is still costs 100 less than the Princeton. I don't get it.
I do. Fender amps are a total rip-off.
I traded my Princeton ‘68 Custom (the amp shown here) for a VOX AC10 and some $$. I don’t regret that trade one bit. Also the Fenders have a bad tendency to vibrate unless you take measures to quell the vibration like reinforcing the speaker baffle, putting foam stripping between baffle and cabinet, and tightening all the cabinet screws (which sometimes have no bite in the MDF cabinet) No such issues with the VOX
U done good'd
I've read there sometimes a problem with tubes rattling in the Vox, many people seen to like getting better power tubes, and somebody said a different preamp tube really helps too, I think it was a 12AT7 for the 12AX7, which gives it more headroom supposedly.
No clean tones?
I’d some to hear these two together ( or with an an AC 15 )with an ABY box , might be interesting
Vox... nice sounding amp in general. A little thin sounding at high volume but it growls better.
Fenders are great clean but overall the box tone is more appealing
what a beautiful guitar
Most of you guys don't hear that Princeton played on low strings sounds like it has broken speaker. And it seams they are not similary miked
Yeah i noticed that too..
Love them both. The Vox is a bargain, and it has more character/vibe/snarl. I got one of these to pair with my AC15. Prefer the AC15 clean tones, but for lower volume driven sounds at home and for recording - the AC10 is more practical than the AC15. And when using with a stereo pedal rig, can use the AC10 speaker extension out to a similar type of cab to AC15, loaded with same Celestion GM Greenback 12". Or for different tones in a dry/wet rig use the AC10 (dry) and AC15 (wet) as is.
amo mi vox ac10 , saludoss desde Peru
Why not demo the clean tones?
I need both
Fender for me. Lovely growley low end.
I think for the best tone ever, you need to use the princeton and ac10 at the same time ! :)
Vox 100% cranked. But personally I wouldn't crank a Princeton like that. Its much more suited to those beautiful cleans with the lush spring verb and a hint of tremolo.
apples and oranges...in a mix the Vox would be inaudible whereas the Fender would be more present, thank you for the show!
I tested the ac10 and princeton 68 head to head. Princeton sounds like a bigger amp. Ac10 sound very good but needs a better speaker.
The Prince really needs to have the bass dialed back.
The dirt comes out of the Vox so much nicer
The Princeton sounded bigger because it’s open back. I have an AC 10 and a Princeton with a 12 in speaker from Sweetwater. The Fender is not here yet but I’ll know by Monday.
We need a 68 Custom Vibro Champ
Yeah or any all tube reissue really, without any shitty mods
The speaker in the Princeton really can't handle overdrive. Speaker is farting out big time on the low notes. I have an AC10 and absolutely love it!
...and the biased "reviewers" completely ignored it.
I want a second AC-10!!!
I put a 16 ohm creamback in my AC10 and its so much more open. I can darken back up but man... worth the extra $$ and I sold the V10 speaker on Reverb to cover 2/3 the cost! Win!!
UPDATE: I traded out the CB for a Weber DT10P and the AC10 is just super. It is clearer on the high end and a bit more low.
I sold a Blues Junior after the switch.
Beatles success were never been possible,
when they had used Fender Amp's. I remembered a Video here on CZcams from 1969 vor 1970 with Fender Amps. Months later they break up.
RaySteinschlag riveting comment you should write an unauthorized biography of the Beatles.
Ah Ha, just as I suspected! The VOX is a closed BOX (cab), and, as a result, its bass sounds more compressed / restricted, especially at higher volume. The PR is partially open. I personally prefer the sound of an open back cab. Considering that the AV10C is half the price of the PR here in the States that makes it worthy for consideration. I was surprised at how much darker it sounded compared to the PR. I always thought of VOX amps as jangley.
Brian Miller and you can plug the vox into a cab. You wanna get away from the closed back.
It’s got a 16ohm out.
The Vox jangle is a cliche, listen to, say, REM's What's The Frequency Kenneth, The Jam's Eton Rifles and Giant Drag's version of Wicked Game for some glorious examples of full sounding Vox overdrive. The clean jangle is but one aspect of the Vox sound but it has more than that.
princeton isn't 10 watts and its not a "10 watt speaker"?
The VOX blew away the Fender! Not even close!
I would normally rate Vox over Fender amps, but the Princeton 68 held its ground and shone at lower volumes. Got a bit unmusical when pushed though.
All said and done the AC10 doesn't really have that certain something that the AC4 (12) & the AC15 have.
The Vox was far more musical than the Fender when really pushed, but dialed back the Princeton sounded better. I wouldn't be ashamed to have the Princeton, but if had the chance of one of Vox's AC15's would have in preference to either on test there.
I agree totally with the last comment.....why does everything have to be overdriven....tradionally both amp makes were and are famous for their clean tones...in the Uk The Shadows and the Beatles...in the US all the country players .... based on this video I could not and would not buy either of them and that is only because the demonstrators have failed miserably to explore the tonal variety theses amps are capable of !!!
Spot-on. This demo sucked balls, & was biased towards that crappy Fender amp anyway.
AC10 has been a real sleeper for years. It didn't get as much publicity when it released as it could have. I have a 30 so never wanted a smaller Vox but I noted at the time that a lot of respected musicians were really impressed with the AC10. Also the Fenders are overpriced imho. The 68 Princeton currently retails here for almost 3x the Vox ..
Only thing I don't like about it is construction is the shoddiest of all vox amps
Been watching a few vids lately on these Vox 10's and liking them, but I much preferred the Fender- seems everyone is going Vox though.
Keeping in mind that most musicians that actually make music don't spend much time on Utube, or social media in general.Lot of bad advice to be found on line.
@@markferguson3745 Hey Mark.
I've noticed that. So in General
Fender is preferred?
@@danabiondo9243 I'd say that the Princeton in particular is hard to beat.The AC's do the few things they do very well, - that biting mid push that cuts a mix,- and the 10 is the one that is a little more flexible,- but the Fender and early Marshall designs have tonal flexibility.Many I know truly dislike the traditional Vox EQ and breakup characteristics. I look at Vox much like Orange, or Roland, - good additions for when nothing else works.Of course, it depends on application, genre, and needs.
One man's opinion.
The AC 10 has Sweet tone but it's to loud for home to quiet for gigs and hates drive pedals, I took mine back and bought a Boss katana 100 head never looked back
A Celestion Creamback has improved the sound of my Ac10.
The AC10 is an amazing-sounding amp, esp clean. Also great vfm!
The overpriced Princeton sounds like a Fender "Frontman" on steroids LOL.
I really hear the Fender fuller, bassier and richer, more brown sounding, I guess is because of my headphones,
Fender definitely sounds like a Fender, LOL. The Vox sounds more throaty and tubey to me. Both are brilliant.
Vox AC 10 top amp
Vox wins the day here. The Fender definitely sounds scooped in the mids whereas the Vox seems to have a sweeter midrange.
I like both amps, but the Princeton is the clear winner. Get em both, run them in stereo. 🎧