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Anyone here play a Vox VT100?


ghost219

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  • 6 months later...
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Just bought a VT100 on Ebay. I like it so far, however only used it for rehearsal, not gigging with it until next month.

 

I have owned the original Spider Valve 212 (with the Stymon tube preamp card) and the VT100 blows it out of the water. My most recent amp before the VT100 was a Fender Cyber Twin which was super for clean Fender tones, but couldn't do high gain at all. However the VT100 sounds very nearly as good as the CT on the clean settings. For example, just this morning I compared them side by side with the same Strat. I tried Tweed and Super models on both amps and the VT100 was very nearly as good as the CT. However, the high gain models of the VT100 are actually usable, unlike the CT (the "Marshall" setting on the CT I find unbearable). On the VT100, the Marshall model is very good, as is the higher-gain "boutique" model.

 

It's a matter of personal taste, but to me, the clean and high gain models on the VT100 are all much better than on the Spider Valve, without the harsh high end like the SV has. A harsh high end has always been the downfall of all the previous digital amps I have owned, but Vox seems to have solved that problem with the VT100. The cleans are really nice sounding.

 

The VT100 has a lot of power, and really pushes air out of the 2x12 configuration, much more air than the CT or the SV. In fact this thing really pounds out low end with a lot of authority. I think it should be plenty loud on stage, and it also seems to cut through quite well (but only in rehearsal so far).

 

The big problem with the VT100 is the lack of foot control capability. They clearly sacrificed that to keep cost down and create great basic tone for the money. You can only save 8 (yes 8) user presets. The foot controller allows you to switch between the 8 programs, but you can't turn the effects on or off using your foot, or enter tap tempo information.

 

Therefore I am designing a separate two-button footswitch for the VT100 that allows foot control of the tap-tempo and effects bypass functions. That will make the amp a lot more user friendly for live performance. Of course you also have the option of using the effects loop, in which case the effects bypass switch is not an issue. However I kind of like the built-in effects and would use them to save carrying around boxes. They do sound good.

 

In summary, the VT100 is the best modeling combo I have used so far, though I need to post an update after a couple of gigs with it. You never know 'til you gig!

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