VOX AD30VT or AD50T or something else?

[f1point7]

hey guys i've never owned a proper guitar amp.
all those controls freak me out. i've heard alot of good things about these amps on this thread. i'd prefer something simple and not so big/heavy.
but at the end of the day sound is most important to me.
as for price, at least i can regret that later...

so i went to me local shop and found that they only have the 50.
tried it out. sounds great. but found the controls VERY fiddley.
i'm never going to bother with the onboard effects but i do like the preset amp modes or whatchamacallit.

any thoughts on how the 30 compares to the 50?
thanks in advance :D

[Robert]

The big difference is power. The 50 is much louder - meaning it works well in a band. Otherwise, they sound very similar. I personally find the 30 has a tighter bass, but somehow a slightly "smaller" sound, if that makes any sense. The smaller speaker in the 30 sounds good, even though it's just a 10 inch speaker.

You can can get much better sound out the amp if you use the manual mode and make your own sounds. I never use the presets.

[f1point7]

thanks Robert. have decided on the 50. now i have to find some space for it!
thanks for your help. btw love your website and advice etc. am now a transcribing fiend!

[duhvoodooman]

You can can get much better sound out the amp if you use the manual mode and make your own sounds. I never use the presets.
I agree completely. My AD30VT never comes out of Manual mode; I choose the model & effect parameters that suit me.

[marnold]

Just to be a nay-sayer, I use a number of the presets quite a bit! Also, f1, you said:


i'm never going to bother with the onboard effects

That's what you are saying today. My bet will be that if you get either amp, you will use them. At the very least they are a good introduction to effects. If you really need more control over a given effect, you can always go out and get a dedicated pedal. Having said that, I bought an overdrive to boost a couple of models and I'm looking to get some kind of wah pedal someday. Beyond that, the built-in effects do the trick for me. I've got a Zoom 505II that's gathering dust right now,

[f1point7]

what i meant was that i already have the effects that i like on pedals.
and that the built-in fx interface is a little tricky.

[Rockybluejazz]

I also agree manual mode rocks!

[cedwards]

I have the 30 and, I must admit, from time to time, I pine a little for the 50 . My buddy has the 50 and it is one sweet sounding amp. I may be wrong on this but I think the AD50VT and up have an external FX loop that the 30 watt version lacks.

Not that there's anything wrong with the 30: I like it - a LOT. It is far easier to lug around than the 50.

I, too, always use the manual mode. I also have the VOX footswitch and I do use that for some tunes.

[Rockybluejazz]

After a day with this amp and My parker. I find myself on the most basic settings of both. And am still not able to believe my ears. Is it a perfect amp? No, but it's perfect for me. The sensitivity is something else. I'm scarred to think what it might sound like with a speaker upgrade.