EL84 Amp Magic: Vox, Matchless and Victory

This is the audio from our video here: https://youtu.be/3zbo_ZGxvZc We demo and compare guitar amps using EL84 power tubes: Vox AC15 C1, 1961 Vox AC30, Victory VC35 The Copper and Matchless HC-30. We play clean, crank the amps to overdrive and also use a couple of key boost pedals. Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below. In this episode Dan and I fire up four amps that we like very much to see what we can learn. Dan’s beloved 1961 AC30 is his most treasured amplifier… but not the one he chooses to play as his main amp. That would be his Matchless HC-30 which – as amp fans will know– is chiefly inspired by those classic Vox amps of old. So how do they compare?But fear ye not those of thinner wallet. Clearly not everyone has multiple thousand pounds/dollars/euros to drop on these rarefied lungs of rock’n’roll, so we also include the much more attainable Vox AC15 C1 and Victory VC35 to see how they stand up. (And if you want to hear a digital simulation side by side with the AC30, watch next week’s show on the Strymon Iridium.) It’s a long video with plenty of tangents, even more variables and about as much scientific analysis as a three-year-old eating trifle, so anyone looking for stringent A/B comparisons and hard conclusions will be disappointed. It's just how it is here people. Enjoy the episode! Pedals & stuff in this episode… • TheGigRig Three2Onehttps://www.thegigrig.com/three2one • Keeley D&M DriveUK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2oTblU1Australia: http://bit.ly/2pUDUAEUSA: http://bit.ly/2quRShW • Thorpy CamoflangeNot released yet! All eyes on Decemeber 1st. • Tri-Fi Colordriverhttp://tru-fi.com/tru-fi-pedal-colordriver-9v-version-fuzz-overdrive-guitar-pedal/ • Analogman Mini Beano Boosthttp://www.analogman.com/beano.htm • JHS Pulp ’n’ Peel V4UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2CmZoy6Australia: http://bit.ly/2JZTgQqUSA: http://bit.ly/36HXrdB • Boss DD-200UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2kyinR3USA: http://bit.ly/2rpIPzv • Meris Mercury 7UK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2Jb6RVqAustralia: http://bit.ly/2VHxcBo • TheGigRig G2https://www.thegigrig.com/g2 * Why do we have preferred retailer and US affiliate links? Find out here: http://www.thatpedalshow.com/partners Interesting bits and go-to sections…Intro playing: 0:00What are we doing today?: 02:36It’s dangerous: 04:15Why no Morgan or DrZ?: 05:10AC15 and AC30 compared: 06:24 (07:10)AC15 and 30 overdriven: 09:18 (10:05)AC15 flat out: 11:40AC30 flat out: 13:08Beano Boost (treble booster) into AC15: 15:01AC30 with Beano: 17:20…and with humbuckers: 18:25Both amps and Beano Boost: 20:20What happens after the fifties? (Mick’s dodgy history lesson): 22:01And then the Matchless arrives: 25:30Tangent about Vox Amps: 28:03A tangent on cathode resistors: 28:30Yet another tangent on handedness and more tangents..: 30:38Victory VC35: 31:05Vox AC30 and Victory VC35 Compared: 33:24… and with Colour Driver: 34:33What are we calling the black Strat?: 37:00Victory VC35 and Strat: 38:10Victory max gain and treble booster: 41:30Matchless DC-30 and Vox AC30: 42:50Overdriving the Matchless: 44:14Mick’s DC-30 tangent: 48:37Strat & DC-30: 50:00Humbuckers with DC-30: 53:10… and Beano Boost: 54:10The problem of AB listening: 57:17The VOX EF86 Channel: 57:46How can an amp be that expensive?: 01:01:40 Guitars in this episode:• Gretsch G6228 Player’s Edition Jet BT w/V Stoptail – https://youtu.be/D9Qpna-bk9QUK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2pHeThNUSA: http://bit.ly/2PTZRj8• Fender American Vintage ’59 Stratocaster – no video yet • Gibson Memphis 1958 ES-335 - Mick’s video at http://bit.ly/2mpJA8X• Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster - Dan’s video at http://bit.ly/2dlZJ6K Amps in this episode• 1961 Vox AC30 with Celestion Alnico Blue speakers• Vox AC15C1 with Celestion G12M GreenbackUK & Europe: http://bit.ly/36BSfrwUSA: http://bit.ly/2CpqQv0• Victory VC35 The Copper and V212-VB cab/Celestion G12M Greenback and Celestion G12HUK & Europe: http://bit.ly/2NpF31i• Matchless HC-30 with Hughes & Kettner Vintage 212 / Celestion G12M Greenback We hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to our channel. You can buy TPS merch to support our efforts https://www.thatpedalshowstore.com We are on Patreon – crowdfunding for creativeshttps://www.patreon.com/ThatPedalShow Please visit our preferred retailers!UK & Europe: Andertons Music http://bit.ly/2cRvIvtAustralia: Pedal Empire http://bit.ly/2mWmJQf