Vox MV50 (Clean)

[IanD]

Has anyone tried a Vox MV50 amp head, (the 'Clean' or 'Boutique' model), particularly in a jazz idiom? Very small and lightweight (just over a lb) and reasonably powerful with 50 watts with a 4 ohm speaker ( or 25 watts at 8 ohm). Lots of love on all the guitar sites with comments that they are capable of keeping up with a loud drummer and the 'Clean' stays that way almost all the way on the dial. The Clean is said to sound somewhere between a Vox and a blackface Fender. However the comments, and the clips on Youtube primarily relate to rock.

Add a good, maybe Alnico speaker and it seems like an ideal grab-n-go rig for small gigs. Any users?

Thanks for any responses.

[neatomic]

a friend of mine has the vox clean...he loves it..and he has a collection of vox tube and thomas vox era amps..as well as tube fenders...he even uses it in a bass rig...with a drummer!

just need an efficient speaker


perfect alnico would be a celestion gold!

cheers

[Gitterbug]

G'day, mate!

On introduction, the MV series looked like the long-awaited match made in heaven to my line of ultra-light speaker cabs. Which it was and still is, but not alone anymore. At the Mannheim Guitar Summit in 2018 we powered our 12" Rock TOOBs with my son's Rock version, and other guitar cabs with my Clean version. Sliced between Hughes & Kettner and BluGuitar, I swear we made our full contribution to the cacophopny.

I've had three samples of the Clean and have used it on my old boys' band's typical gigs in hospitals and care centers. I've noticed some variation in how much clean headroom they offer. There's also some design issues: While the handle makes the amp look like a cute travel iron, it's useless and only consumes space. The amp is so light that you have to attach it somehow; otherwise, the slightest pull of the guitar cable will smash its against something. That's why my cabs come with velcro-type fastening strips for micro-amps. For people using effects, the lack of an fx loop may be an issue, because on higher volumes you'd end up with e.g. double distortion.

Jazz guitarist Greg Ruggiero, who in NY is known as the "small amps guy" and has gone through everything in this market corner, skipped the MV after a short trial. In the four years since the MV's introduction, many other micro-amps have been launched and others keep coming. My go to amp of late is the TC Electronic BAM200 - even cheaper and lighter than the MV plus its separate power unit. Preamp so neutral, with no hair on higher settings, than an FX loop in unnecessary. Finally, towards the end of this month we should at last see a reputable manufacturer's pedal-sized amp with punch equivalent to 22W tube, several voicings and built-in reverb.

Edit: Forgot to mention that two pro TOOB clients, an archtop guitarist/teacher/singer from Dresden and the head of popular music studies at the Rovaniemi conservatory in Finnish Lapland, are both happy MV50 Boutique users. As for speakers, having installed some 200, I can speak highly of Jensen's 10" and 12" Tornados. Their new 12" Blackbird 40 AlNiCo is extremely articulate and equally light at 2.0 kg. A 10" version is also in the works.

Hope this helps.

Cheers and Happy Easter,

Markku

[IanD]

Neatomic - thanks for your comments. I had a Celestion Gold in mind, but they are extremely expensive here in Australia, and hard to get at the moment. I've also noticed they don't seem to come in 4 ohm (only 8 & 16). Not a problem in itself but it does mean I couldn't get the full 50 watts out of the amp.

Markku - g'day to you mate as well. Thank you for all your tips on the amp. I will check out your suggested speakers. I will look out for the new pedal sized amp you mentioned. You don't have a TOOB agent in Aus do you?

Happy Easter all.

[Gitterbug]

Ian, thanks for asking. Unfortunately, no agent in Australia. Most of our sales are direct anyway. I'll find out what the shipping cost to Brisbane would be and send you a PM. The 12J featured in the "for sale" section, loaded with a Blackbird AlNiCo, might be just right for you.

BR

Markku