Vox AC15CC1, Blackheart Handsome Devil or Crate V1512T? Why?

[FenderGuy53]

Okay, folks, I think I have my EL84-powered, single channel, 15-watt amp options narrowed down to these three:

Vox AC15CC1
Blackheart Handsome Devil Combo
Crate V1512T (NOS)

Which do you like and why?

[jamieb]

I posted the following in a previous thread but for some reason when I link to it, it fails. So, here it is copied and pasted. Hope it helps!

Make yourself a cup o' tea and listen to a little story about me and my AC-15.

Ok, so I borrowed a CC1 off a friend of mine who was genial/stupid enough to lend it to me. It was pretty nice but left me a bit...unelated. As an aside, I also broke it after two weeks. Some months later (after he'd taken it back and repaired it) I played it again and got overexcited; he had torn out the pretty awful stock speaker and replaced it with an alnico blue. Much school girl giggling and rawk ensued.

So, on the back of that, I bought a CC1x. I cannot stress strongly enough that thinking "omg cool AC-15s are cheap" and ignoring the fact it comes with a wharfedale or whatever the fuck it is, is a mistake of biblical proportions. If you're going to buy one of these, either have a definite plan to upgrade the speaker (and build it into your costing) or just buy the CC1X. You have been warned.

Tone
Well, pretty much as described in above posts. However, the presence of the alnico blue gives a much more pleasant sound, losing the horrible spiky top end that I experienced without it. If it's balls out distortion you want, forget it, it's a Vox. If it's a completely clean tone you want to drown out your drummers attempted solo, forget it, buy an AC-30. To be honest though, I think people become scared by what is meant by "clean" - you're given the impression that anything over bedroom level will be crunching and spitting like a bitch which it just doesn't.

Volume
It's a 15 watt. Usual problem of being a bit too loud for home and (possibly) not enough grunt for live. However, as mentioned above, as long as you're not looking for the kind of squeaky clean tones generated at twin reverb volumes, you will not have a problem.

Build
Well, I broke one within two weeks (but this was an early model which had broken TWICE previously) but my current one has been perfect. I've seen a lot of snobbery based around it being produced in China etc but, frankly, the build quality is fine. Nothing's blown up, gone south or fallen off. Yet.

Reverb
I've heard a lot of people moan about the spring reverb and plans on changing the tank and what not but I've never worked out why. Seems to be plenty of depth available and sounds pretty much ok to my ears. Having said that, I never use it, I use a pedal instead. Make of that what you will.

Tremolo
Hmm, should have been labeled TREMOLOL. Enough said, good as useless.

Taking pedals in the arse
Ok, this is where you have to be careful. If you're armed with a Telecaster, a RAT2 and skinny jeans you are going to have to be patient. Finding the point where you get lovely sweet, crunchy distortion and avoiding the point where it sounds like a broken glass and paper clip cocktail, takes time and a lot of experimentation. I was playing for some time a Strat-->RAT2-->AC15 and ended up having to mark the pedal to get the TONEZ reliably attainable, such was the degree of subtlety. Incidentally, I also tried Reutz modding the RAT to soften its blow a bit, but found that just made it, well, shit. YMMV.

I found a TS-808 through it sounded alright, but stayed firmly in the realm of creamy overdrive and just didn't get me going. My current setup (which ill admit gives me a rubbery one) is a Jag (JB Jr in the bridge)-->TT Classic-->AC15. Warning: RAWK TONE ABOUNDS. I guess the empirical evidence here is that the AC-15 likes valve pedals more than SS pedals. An added bonus of the TT Classic is that, effectively, I have a 3 channel amp. Word.

Summary
So I guess the AC-15 will do you well unless you want true cleans at face melting volume. I notice, though, you will be migrating from a Fender HRD, which is a brutally loud amp. To illustrate, if the AC-15 is your genteel, well dressed, wine-sipping indie chick, then the HRD is your foul mouthed, vest wearing, snakebite swilling dyke. However, if you're concerned about losing the AC-15 amongst everything else, then the HRD certainly would certainly suit you better plus it has two SWITCHABLE channels (unlike the AC-15). Horses, courses and all that. I'm confused, to be honest, as to why he wants rid of the HRD.

Good luck, anyway!

[Sloan]

^ Well done, bro. Well done.