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Author Topic: Buying without hearing/seeing  (Read 2662 times)

Offline jack in a vox

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Buying without hearing/seeing
« on: April 28, 2006, 12:06:20 PM »
Ok here i am with another dilemma..

as usual there's that trade-off between portable and great tone..

so i have a vox ac30 with alnico blues.. a fantastic amp.. i'd love to have a hundred of these and only one guitar! wow 100 ac30s in stero config.. hmmm..

anyway, dilemma.. it doesnt get enough use.. why? uts friggin loud and fragile! not to mention heavy.. and it can only fit in the trunk of my car.. not a good place to store a tube amp..

so i got offered a Matchless Spitfire from a forum friend.. he'll give me his Matchless, i give him my AC30.. good deal? and who's losing out?

I can see the appeal of the Spitfire.. portable.. low wattage.. almost like an AC15.. just a volume and tone knob.. its a no-brainer amp.. and supposed to sound really good..

i know im moving into boutique stuff here.. im reluctant to let go of the vox, they are getting quite rare in this part of the universe (there's a collector here.. he buys all the vox's grrrrrrr  :evil: )

or i can buy it for $1300 (so not quite boutique, remember the $2500 cut-off?  :wink: )

so opinions, ideas.. recommendations..

Offline glassjaw_jc

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« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2006, 12:58:03 PM »
i suggest you just buy it and keep the vox. you'll never know when you'll need it.
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Offline Phil

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« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2006, 01:00:51 PM »
get another tube amp....don't lose your AC30.
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Offline markflo

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« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2006, 01:01:40 PM »
i want an el84 tubed amp!!! waaaah!
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Offline deltaslim

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« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2006, 01:13:25 PM »
Quote from: jack in a vox
Ok here i am with another dilemma..

as usual there's that trade-off between portable and great tone..

so i have a vox ac30 with alnico blues.. a fantastic amp.. i'd love to have a hundred of these and only one guitar! wow 100 ac30s in stero config.. hmmm..

anyway, dilemma.. it doesnt get enough use.. why? uts friggin loud and fragile! not to mention heavy.. and it can only fit in the trunk of my car.. not a good place to store a tube amp..

so i got offered a Matchless Spitfire from a forum friend.. he'll give me his Matchless, i give him my AC30.. good deal? and who's losing out?

I can see the appeal of the Spitfire.. portable.. low wattage.. almost like an AC15.. just a volume and tone knob.. its a no-brainer amp.. and supposed to sound really good..

i know im moving into boutique stuff here.. im reluctant to let go of the vox, they are getting quite rare in this part of the universe (there's a collector here.. he buys all the vox's grrrrrrr  :evil: )

or i can buy it for $1300 (so not quite boutique, remember the $2500 cut-off?  :wink: )

so opinions, ideas.. recommendations..


my philsophy with gear is "Use it or lose it."  if it doesn't get enough play time, i figure i wouldn't miss it if i actually sell it.  besides, if it's not being used, perhaps it's not good enough.  ang tanong is what's the likelihood of missing it.  

but knowing your passion and love for your AC30, jack, i think you should just save up to buy the other amp.  you've raved and gushed over your AC30 so many times here that to me synonymous na yang AC30 sa pangalan mo. jackinavox= AC30... kyna like Phil = Carvin Legacy.


Offline stratman1

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« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2006, 01:22:36 PM »
If you have the money, buy the Matchless. If you don't have the money, then, buy a lower wattage non-boutique tube amp. Don't let go of your VOX.

Offline abyssinianson

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« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2006, 02:38:18 PM »
i would keep the AC30...and, if i had the space and funds, get the Matchless. The Vox is pretty flexible and I am sure you can use it for a lot of different gigs.
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Offline skunkyfunk

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« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2006, 02:39:41 PM »
Keep the Vox AC30, and rob a bank to get the Matchless.  ;)

Maybe a low wattage tube amp can be nice.  Maybe you wanna try a Traynor YCV20?  Haven't heard it in person but they say it is pure Class A and sounds great.  It is cheaper also...

Offline greasykid

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« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2006, 02:53:56 PM »
Quote from: deltaslim

but knowing your passion and love for your AC30, pallas, i think you should just save up to buy the other amp.  you've raved and gushed over your AC30 so many times here that to me synonymous na yang AC30 sa pangalan mo. phil = AC30... kyna like Phil = Carvin Legacy amp.


Are jack in a vox and pallas the same person?  Just asking...

Anyway, wag mo ibenta!  Better to always have and never need than to always need and never have.  8)

Offline spankyrigor

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« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2006, 03:03:40 PM »
i think jack in a vox carries more wit than jack in a spitfire.

jack in a spitfire sounds like a kamikazee fighter pilot.  :lol:
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Offline pallas

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« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2006, 03:04:01 PM »
Quote from: greasykid
Quote from: deltaslim

but knowing your passion and love for your AC30, pallas, i think you should just save up to buy the other amp.  you've raved and gushed over your AC30 so many times here that to me synonymous na yang AC30 sa pangalan mo. phil = AC30... kyna like Phil = Carvin Legacy amp.


Are jack in a vox and pallas the same person?  Just asking...

Anyway, wag mo ibenta!  Better to always have and never need than to always need and never have.  8)

Whoa there people :shock:  Jack is cool but there is only one pallas :D
Keep the vox bro if they are getting quite rare. Buy a beater portable tube amp.
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Offline Kulas

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« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2006, 03:10:08 PM »
yup pare, keep the vox. classic yan bro eh. yung mga ac-30 minomodel ng mga amp sims yan, yung matchless spitfire hinde, hehe. better save up nalang for the other one, or buy a different "pang-harabas" tube amp instead.

Offline deltaslim

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« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2006, 03:26:08 PM »
Quote from: spankyrigor
i think jack in a vox carries more wit than jack in a spitfire.

jack in a spitfire sounds like a kamikazee fighter pilot.  :lol:


ooops... my mistake, corrected na po!

yeach, jackinavox and pallas are two cool expat mofos... sometimes i think they're dopplegangers.  but they ain't like the SoCal mafia... yet!

Offline greasykid

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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2006, 03:47:42 PM »
Quote from: deltaslim

ooops... my mistake, corrected na po!

yeach, jackinavox and pallas are two cool expat mofos... sometimes i think they're dopplegangers.  but they ain't like the SoCal mafia... yet!


There's no such thing as a mafia....  Capisce?  8)

Offline dantuts

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« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2006, 05:28:17 PM »
ako almost all of my gear was bought without me seeing it, feeling it, and hearing it..

swerte naman ako.. kasi it turned out great naman.. well siguro kasi nandyan na so gugustuhin mo na rin..

anyway, keep your AC30.. maganda yan..vintage pa.. not the new ones.

yan ang next kong investment..
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Offline PRSMan

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« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2006, 06:34:47 PM »
buy the spitfire... test alongside the vox... and keep/dispose based on the results.  yun nga lang, when they're both with you, good luck on being able to give one up... at that point, you'll find some reason to keep both...  :lol:

Offline oasgomez-is-banned

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« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2006, 10:29:41 PM »
A Vox AC30 does not need to be cranked to sound good.  I have the same model as you do but you have an advantage.  You can actually send your AC30 to Todd Sharp of Nashville Amplification and have him work on it/fine tune so you that it can also produce a good sound even at low volume.  Todd is consider one of the experts in the world when it comes to Vox.  When he recommended that I change the output transformer to a custom wound by mercury magnetics it really made the amp sound good even at low volume.

Offline jack in a vox

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« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2006, 06:44:09 AM »
yeah thanks for the insight guys.. i really appreciate your opinions.. sometimes kasi mejo mahirap mag decide when you're hounded by GAS..
iniisip ko kasi new gear new gear new gear!!!! :D

and iniisip ko din, tama kayo lahat, maybe its not worth the trade..

the vox and matchless are totally different beasts.

and besides, if i keep the vox, i doubt i'll get to afford the matchless.

i'd love to use the ac30 all the time when we play out.. but again its the risk of damaging it, damaging my body, and killing people.. :lol:

Offline jack in a vox

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« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2006, 06:46:07 AM »
Quote from: deltaslim
Quote from: spankyrigor
i think jack in a vox carries more wit than jack in a spitfire.

jack in a spitfire sounds like a kamikazee fighter pilot.  :lol:


ooops... my mistake, corrected na po!

yeach, jackinavox and pallas are two cool expat mofos... sometimes i think they're dopplegangers.  but they ain't like the SoCal mafia... yet!


hehehe maybe pallas is right up there.. but not me yet :D

you're right.. those SoCal boys are the epitome of cool!  8)

Offline Phil

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« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2006, 09:54:14 AM »
hhhhhmmmmm.....who are these SoCal boys.....mafia..... you guys are talking about?
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Offline pallas

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« Reply #20 on: April 29, 2006, 09:57:57 AM »
Quote from: Phil
hhhhhmmmmm.....who are these SoCal boys.....mafia..... you guys are talking about?

Yhhuaaahh tha Godfather of em mafiabunch 8)
O Rose, Thou art sick! The invisible worm that flies in the night, In the howling storm, Has found out thy bed of crimson joy: and his dark secret love, Does thy life destroy.   

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Offline Phil

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« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2006, 10:07:01 AM »
Quote from: pallas
Quote from: Phil
hhhhhmmmmm.....who are these SoCal boys.....mafia..... you guys are talking about?

Yhhuaaahh tha Godfather of em mafiabunch 8)
hahahahaha....that would be Dan(stratman1)....he's OLD....reallly old......he has long hair land goaty ike a Hermitanyo.....so he's the Godfather.......hahahaha.... :lol:

[/quote]

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