Vox Classic Plus

[the rossness]

The night train has been my first vox amp. I love the sparkle it has, and sounds great with the gain dimed, but the overdrive channel isn't exactly my favorite sound. Its on the harsh side and if I want a more overdriven sound, I throw a fuzz face in front of the NT. I'm also wanting more volume. So I've been doing a little research and find myself looking at Vox's Classic Plus line of amps, especially the 50 watt CP2 combo. I'd like a combo so when I'm jamming with friends, I don't have to lug around my 4x12.

Does anyone have any experience with either the AC100 CPH, AC50CPH or the AC50CP2? I've been going by clips I've heard online. To my ears, it sounds really dynamic. It seems to have the Vox chime, but there's a little bit of a fender clean as well. It seems to be good for 80's hard rock and sludgier doom/ stoner type stuff as well.

I know they were built China. Is the quality ok? Do they have any known issues? Any recommendations on a speaker upgrade for the combo. it comes w/ generic vox speakers. If anyone has ever played one I'd love for you to chime in. Go0d amp or bad amp or in between?

 

[duffman]

I had the combo-50 watter for about 4 days. Out of the box, the standby switch was wired backwards. Okay I might get beyond that but after 4 days of heavy playing I couldn't stand the sound of the thing. I couldn't get the clean to that Vox sparkle and channel 2 was just so so. Back it went. Who knows, besides the standby switch maybe something else was wired wrong.....

3 weeks later at a store I tried a AC50CPH with a Genz G-Flex 2x12. Oh MY.....I would have bought that rig as it sat but had just dropped coin on an Egnater TM.

Duff

 

[rafterman1969]

There's a nice mod that anyone can do to the Vox Night Train. Solder a jumper between pins 5-6 at the clean/thick toggle switch.

 

[blackba]

Here is a thread I made about the AC50CPH I had. As you can see from the date its been a while since I owned it.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13175&hilit=AC50CPH

Looking back the AC50CPH was a bit of a jack of all trades/master of none kind of amp. Channel 1 had a gain knob which was neat but lacked the chime and sweetness of an AC30CC1 or my current AC50 amps. Channel 2 was okay, but didn't have all that much gain without the fat switch (which made things muddy). If I could have combined the clean from the AC50CPH and the gain from the Orange Rockerverb 50H, than I would have a killer amp. The Ac50CPH was a solid amp, but it never blew me away. My '66 AC50 does blow me away. The best thing the AC50CPH had going for it was versatility, but I would still take an AC30CC over it.

If you do get the combo, I would swap out the warfdales for some Celestion anni G12H30's. Never seen a combo, but they look pretty heavy like most 212 combos.

The classic plus series never caught on and was discontinued. Thankfully I sold mine before the bottom completed dropped out of the price. They can be had now for a pretty darn good price.