Specific Amps and Comparisons Archives - Page 6 of 6

Marshall and Vox both make top quality British amplifiers, but which make the best ones? In this article, I'll compare the sounds produced by Marshall and Vox, the control panels and the features and specifications of popular models across various price points. The Quick Answer Marshall amps have a more saturated distorted tone than Vox amps which sound more fuzzy and loose. Vox amps have a biting tone with more mid-range when played clean, compared to Marshall amps. Marshall offer a larger selection of both combo and head unit amps than Vox. Comparing the Tones Despite Vox and Marshall both being British amplifier brands, the tones can be quite different. Here are the key differences I've picked up on from listening to a lot of Vox and Marshall amps, but make sure to check out the videos below because they do a much better job at demonstrating the tone differences than just reading about it. Vox amps have no negative feedback. The result is a more biting tone, more midrange and higher sensitivity. This gives Vox a more jangly tone with lots of chime providing richer harmonics. Marshall amps use cold clipping which provides more gain and saturation. Check out this video comparing classic Vox and Marshall amps to hear these differences in action. https://youtu.be/cniYDKzULc8?t=220 Clean Tone Vox clean tones can sound biting and saturated when the amp is pushedMarshall clean tones can sound thinner than MarshallVox amps are brighter sounding whilst Marshall amp can sound more bassy Distorted Tone Marshall amps provide a more clear and smoother distorted tone Vox distorted tones tend to sound more fuzzy Vox amps have more upper mid-range focus Check out this video comparing the tone of entry-level Marshall and Vox amps. The video is time stamped so you can easily switch to the right section. https://youtu.be/Vrb3eNDzemU?t=275 Music Styles So now we know a little more about the tone differences, which is best for different genres of music? Both Marshall and Vox amplifies are capable of playing a wide variety of music styles as well as clean, gritty and distorted tones. Marshall and Vox amps are both associated with classic rock, with Vox famously being used by Queen's Brian May and The Beatles. Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page have all been associated with Marshall amps. The Controls As well as talking about the classic tones that each amp produces, it's a good idea to think about the controls available as well, to help you shape the sound. Both Marshall and Vox amps offer a variety of settings to adjust the tone, but they do offer different controls meaning that the the user-experience will vary between brands. Vox Amp Settings Here are the most common controls found on Vox amps: GainTrebleBassPresenceReverb Switches e.g. Bright, fat, bias, hot and cool Marshall Amp Settings Here are the most popular controls on Marshall amps: GainBassMiddleTrebleContourPresenceReverbTilt Most Marshall amps have a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble), whilst Vox amps usually just have bass and treble controls. Marshall generally offers more tone controls such as contour, presence and tilt, allowing you to adjust the balance, whilst Vox offers a variety of switches on many models instead. The most common switches are "bright", which adds more treble and "fat" which adds more bass. However, there are many others that can be found. I have some in-depth guides to the controls and settings of both amplifier brands so check them out if you’re looking for some more detail: Guide to Marshall Amp SettingsGuide to Vox Amp Settings Comparing Amp Models I also wanted to take an in-depth look at the models produced by Marshall and Vox and compare the specifications and features at each price point. I've put pretty much every amp available from each brand into the tables below to outline the key differences. The prices are all based on Guitar Center's prices at the time of writing. The tables are split into each type/ price bracket of amp, and goes from the lowest to the highest priced model in each table. Guitar Center are always the first place I look at when I'm interested in a new amp because have a huge range of amplifiers for sale and always have some excellent deals on. Here's a link to take you directly to Guitar Center's amp range so you can see all the offers available at the moment. Contents Solid state and hybrid combo amps (entry-level): $90-$450Valve (tube) combo amps: Head units: Solid State and Hybrid Combo Amps AmplifierWattagePriceSettingsVOX Pathfinder10W$902 channels, gain, bass, trebleMarshall MG10G10W$1002 channels, gain, contourMarshall MG1515W$1202 channels, gain, 3 band EQVox Valvetronix VT20X20W$18011 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverbMarshall MG15DFX15W$1802 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, chorus, phaser, delay, flangerVox VX50 GTV50W$23011 models, gain, treb, bass, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, reverb, delayMarshall MG30GFX30W$2402 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, chorus, phaser, delay, flanger, octaveVox Valvetronix VT40X40W$25011 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverbMarshall CODE 25W25W$27014 pre-amp models, gain, 3 band EQ, 24 effectsVox Cambridge5050W$30011 models, gain chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo, delay, reverbMarshall CODE 50W50W$32014 pre-amp models, gain, 3 band EQ, 24 effectsVox Valvetronix VT100X100W$38011 models, gain, treb, mids, bass, compression, chorus, OD, distortion, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverbMarshall MG50GFX50W$4202 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, chorus, phaser, delay, flanger, octaveMarshall CODE100W100W$45014 pre-amp models, gain, 3 band EQ, 24 effectsComparison of Vox and Marshall solid state/ hybrid combo amps. Key Points: Vox offers the more complex built-in effects at a lower priceVox offers the cheapest 50W ampMarshall makes the highest wattage (100W) solid state combo Valve (Tube) Combo Amps AmplifierWattagePriceSettingsVox AC4C1-124W$400Gain, bass, trebleVox AC10C110W$480Gain, bass, treble, reverbMarshall Origin20C20W$550Gain, 3 band EQ, boost, tilt, presenceMarshall DSL5CR5W$5502 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverbMarshall DSL20CR20W$6502 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, presence, resonanceVox AC1515W$700Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverbMarshall Origin50C50W$700Gain, 3 band EQ, boost, tilt, presenceMarshall DSL40CR40W$8002 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, presence, resonanceVox AC4HW Hand-Wired4W$840Normal and top-boost channels, bass, trebleVox Custom AC15C215W$900Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverbVox AC151X15W$900Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverbVox AC30S130W$900Gain, bass, treble, reverbVox AC30C230W$1400Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverbVox AC15HW1 Hand-Wired15W$1400Normal and top-boost channels, bass, trebleVox Custom AC30CX230W$1550Normal and top-boost channels, bass, treble, tremolo, reverbMarshall Mini Silver Jubilee20W$1600Gain, 3 band EQMarshall Studio Classic 20W20W$17003 band EQ, presenceMarshall Studio Vintage 20W20W$1700Presence, 3 band EQ, high trebVox AC30HW2 Hand-Wired30W$1900Normal and top-boost channels, bass, trebleMarshall JMV215C50W$26002 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, presence, resonance Comparison of Vox and Marshall valve (tube) combo amps. Key Points: Vox offers the cheapest valve amplifierMarshall valve amps generally have more settings available Marshall offers the cheapest valve amp over 40W Head Units AmplifierWattageTypePriceSettingsMarshall CODE 100W100WSolid State$40014 pre-amp models, gain, 3 band EQ, 24 effectsMarshall Origin20H20WTube$450Gain, 3 band EQ, tilt, boost, presenceMarshall Origin50H50WTube$550Gain, 3 band EQ, tilt, boost, presenceMarshall DSL20HR20WTube$5502 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverbVox AC15CH Custom15WTube$700Normal and top boost channels, treb, bass, reverb, tremoloVox MVX150H150WSolid State$8002 channels, gain, tone, bass, mids, treb, reverb, presence, resonanceMarshall DSL100HR100WTube$9502 channels, gain, 3 band EQ, reverb, presence, resonanceVox AC30CH Custom30WTube$1100Normal and top boost channels, treb, bass, reverb, tremoloVox Hand-Wired AC3030WTube$1300Normal and top boost channels, treb, bassMarshall Studio Classic20WTube$1400Presence, 3 band EQMarshall Mini Silver Jubilee20WTube$1400Gain, presence, 3 band EQMarshall Vintage Studio20WTube$1500Presence, 3 band EQ, high trebMarshall Studio Classic20WTube$1500Presence, 3 band EQMarshall JMV205H50WTube$20002 channels, 3 band EQ, resonance, presence, reverbMarshall JMV210H100WTube$22002 channels, 3 band EQ, resonance, presence, reverbMarshall JMT4545WTube$2600Presence, 3 band EQ, high trebMarshall JMV410H100WTube$28502 channels, 3 band EQ, resonance, presence, reverb Comparison of Vox and Marshall head unit amps. Marshall offers a much larger selection of head units than VoxMarshall produces the cheapest valve and solid state head unitsVox produces the highest wattage head unit (150W) In the market for a new amplifier? Check out my complete amplifier buyer's guide to help narrow down your selection and find the perfect amp for you. Here are some more articles you might find useful: Complete Guide to Vox Amp SettingsMarshall Amplifier Settings Explained