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The Vox Clubman 60 arrived today, one day ahead of schedule (always a nice surprise).
I've been playing through a Princeton Tone Master, which is not exactly huge and only 20 lbs, but the Clubman 60 is much smaller and at 11.5 lbs including the external power supply. That was half of the attraction to me. I really wanted to find out if they could fit a professional working amp in a package that small. I was also drawn by the promo descriptions of the sound as 3-D and specifically designed for hollow body and semi-hollow guitars. I mostly play solid bodies but my musical approach is much more like most players with hollow bodies so I figured it ought to work for me if it works at all. The results of trying in action for a couple hours was mixed but more good than bad.
The good is that their description of the tone was accurate. It produces really nice cleans and stays clean almost all the way up on the primary channel. The sound is indeed very 3-D and the tone controls and very usable. It is a much flatter sound than the Tone Master without any of the Fender scoop and it seems like it's almost impossible to get a boomy bass. Using my Soloway Gosling tuned down a full step, the tone was balanced and really pleasing.
The bad is that it's not nearly as loud as I had hoped. With the humbucker in the Gosling, I'm pretty sure it will handle a low volume gig but playing my Mustang with a low output P90 it's just not loud enough. Furthermore, when you crank the volume a bit, it stays clean in that it doesn't break up or compress too badly but there is some hiss.
I think it will be a useful amp but reality is that you get what you pay for and it's a very inexpensive amp. I wish they had aimed at a much higher price point. They could have used a much more powerful class D module and beefed up the coaxial speaker to handle the added power. The potential is definitely there for a first class professional amp with just a few upgrades, and even at twice the price it would have been worth the expense. Maybe if they have some success with this version, there could be a Clubman 150. As it is, this is a much better sounding amp than a Little Jazz. The tone has really nice character and playing through the amp has a very pleasing feel. It's definitely much more than a toy, even in this configuration but it could be so much more if they really pushed the boundaries a bit.
Last edited by Jim Soloway; 02-21-2024 at 11:55 PM.
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02-21-2024 10:35 PM
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Jim, Does has an spk extension output? maybe with another speaker it sounds better.
Since you have experience with little jazz, does it improve if I add an external speaker? Sometimes I dont have enough headroom
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I wonder if they built in a similar protection as they did in their PathFinder 10 modules: google "vox pathfinder led mod" to see how a simple, "proven" intervention can unlock those amps.
Given that this is a new unit both to you and on the market you may be neither interested in doing any mods and it may not even yet be known whether it would even be relevant.
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How does the volume in it compare to the other amps you've posted about recently (e.g., Tonemaster PR, Champion 20 & 40, LJ)? For me any of those is giggable (as a point of reference I have gigged extensively with the C20 and a PR, including with drummers). Is the Vox close to any of them in clean volume?
Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
The Vox Clubman 60 arrived today, one day ahead of schedule (always a nice surprise).
I've been playing through a Princeton Tone Master, which is not exactly huge and only 20 lbs, but the Clubman 60 is much smaller and at 11.5 lbs including the external power supply. That was half of the attraction to me. I really wanted to find out if they could fit a professional working amp in a package that small. I was also drawn by the promo descriptions of the sound as 3-D and specifically designed for hollow body and semi-hollow guitars. I mostly play solid bodies but my musical approach is much more like most players with hollow bodies so I figured it ought to work for me if it works at all. The results of trying in action for a couple hours was mixed but more good than bad.
The good is that their description of the tone was accurate. It produces really nice cleans and stays clean almost all the way up on the primary channel. The sound is indeed very 3-D and the tone controls and very usable. It is a much flatter sound than the Tone Master without any of the Fender scoop and it seems like it's almost impossible to get a boomy bass. Using my Soloway Gosling tuned down a full step, the tone was balanced and really pleasing.
The bad is that it's not nearly as loud as I had hoped. With the humbucker in the Gosling, I'm pretty sure it will handle a low volume gig but playing my Mustang with a low output P90 it's just not loud enough. Furthermore, when you crank the volume a bit, it stays clean in that it doesn't break up or compress too badly but there is some hiss.
I think it will be a useful amp but reality is that you get what you pay for and it's a very inexpensive amp. I wish they had aimed at a much higher price point. They could have used a much more powerful class D module and beefed up the coaxial speaker to handle the added power. The potential is definitely there for a first class professional amp with just a few upgrades, and even at twice the price it would have been worth the expense. Maybe if they have some success with this version, there could be a Clubman 150. As it is, this is a much better sounding amp than a Little Jazz. The tone has really nice character and playing through the amp has a very pleasing feel. It's definitely much more than a toy, even in this configuration but it could be so much more if they really pushed the boundaries a bit.
Also, not sure exactly what your needs are in terms of weight, footprint, power, and cost, but if you're looking for an alternative to the TMPR, maybe take a look at the Quilter Aviator Cub. I got one recently and like it enough to have sold my SF PR. 21 lbs, 50 watts (with comparable headroom to a 2x6l6 tube amp), similar footprint to a PR (narrower and shorter, but deeper), 12" speaker, very versatile sound. You can find them used for $500-ish.
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Hi Jim,
I believe I have a solution for your
problem re Volume ….
i think that because of your sensitive
touch (and lowish output pickups)
you are not driving the input stage
of these amps hard enough,
and instead of looking for higher
wattage power amps,
it would be better to use a clean
boost pedal between your guitar
and the amp
one that can give a 10-20 db clean
boost to your signal
this would give you the oomph you need and obviate the need for a large
power amp ….
I’m sure there are players here who
could suggest some suitable clean
boost pedals
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thanks for the Vox Clubman review ,
tone wise , how does it cp to the Champion 20 ?
does the micro tube gadget
work ok for generating some groovy filth ??
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The tone I get at low volume from the Vox is absolutely wonderful. Not nearly as bright as the Champ 20 and much easier to control. The claim of 3-D quality from Vox is very fair and I credit the coaxial speaker for that. As for groovy filth, I am nothing if not realistic and the the reality is that I have absolutely no idea what to do with groovy filth so I am probably the last person to comment on this. What I can tell you is that there is a second channel which is meant to be more "normal" that is supposed to be used for that sort of thing. That channel also has a "drive" switch that may be of use for getting instant dirt. I would be perfectly happy if that second channel were not included at all but your mileage is almost certainly different than mine in that regard. Originally Posted by pingu
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I think that's a wonderful idea. I had a clean boost many years ago for exactly that purpose and it did a great job. I have no idea what happened to it but it seems like a really simple and obvious solution to a lot of problems now that you've mentioned it.. Originally Posted by pingu
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BTW Originally Posted by Jim Soloway;[URL="tel:1318888"
I use a cheap Behringer graphic eq
pedal sometimes for this purpose
Behringer EQ700 – Thomann UK
it has up to 15db of gain
(in addition to the eq facs which is always handy)
if i was using this a lot ,i would probably slash the cash on a
Boss GE7 pedal
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I've used both a GE-7 and a Joyo American Sound as boost, and they work pretty well for that. But I find that I can get the same effect by turning up the drive knob on my Superblock US. Turning that up past 12, to 1 or 2 o'clock, gives a much better sound, or at least what I think is better. I haven't been in love with drive knobs on some amps previously, but on this amp it sounds good when in use.
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On the Quilter, the first volume knob isn’t really a drive knob in the way it is on a tube amp with a volume and master volume layout. With that sort of amp you control the blend of pre-amp and power amp distortion. Turn the gain up and the MV down and you get pre-amp distortion but no power amp distortion. Turn the MV up more, and the gain knob will also (eventually) push the power section to distort. Originally Posted by sgosnell
On the Quilter, the gain knob behaves more like the volume knob on a single-knob amp. As you turn it up you get something more or less like the gradual increase in power amp distortion you get with a BF or Tweed amp, but that’s all happening in the pre-amp stage. The MV just scales the output power, but the output stage never actually distorts.
So turning the Quilter gain knob up to 5 sounds good the way doing that on a tweed or BF Fender does.
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The concept of a front end boost is fine, Jim. But the devices that do that are not generally of high audio quality. I'd strongly suggest using what I've used for many years: an ART tube preamp / DI. It's about $100 new and is a truly excellent preamp at an amazingly low price. Rated distortion is vanishingly low, and it just passes your guitar (or voice) through without sonic alteration. It has both input and output gain pots, so you can easily and completely control what goes to your amp's input.
It has a balanced XLR out as well as an unbalanced 1/4", so you can use it for live performance as well as direct connection to a console or DAI. The sound quality is truly excellent, as is the build quality - and it's very quiet. The maximum gain through it is 70 dB if you dime both input and output pots (although I strongly recommend against that if you want to stay clean). The maximum output is +22 dBu through the 1/4" jack and +28 through the XLR, so it has far more than enough clean boost to do what you want. I love mine and would replace it in a heartbeat if anything happened to mine.
It's very important to note that it uses an AC power supply, and it comes with one. But I (like many others) paid no attention to that at all and stuck the PS into my collection of wall warts when we sold the house and downsized to an apartment. Although the voltage varies from device to device, almost every wall wart is DC. Like all of you, I have many of them and have even marked their voltage and power output so I could grab the right one. Fortunately, I noticed the "PWR 9 VAC" marking at the upper right corner of the top as I was about to plug in the 9 VDC PS I'd grabbed the first time I hooked it up after we moved. So if you decide to try one, make sure you only us an AC PS. And don't lose the one that comes with it, because 9VAC supplies are not that easy to find and most of us have none. Right now, B&H and Amazon have some available, and I've kept a spare ever since I almost fried my preamp.
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I misspoke. The knob is labeled gain, not drive.
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That's dirt cheap here: $85 CDN. I paid $90 for a Boosta Grande with no power adapter. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
The concept of a front end boost is fine, Jim. But the devices that do that are not generally of high audio quality. I'd strongly suggest using what I've used for many years: an ART tube preamp / DI. It's about $100 new and is a truly excellent preamp at an amazingly low price. Rated distortion is vanishingly low, and it just passes your guitar (or voice) through without sonic alteration. It has both input and output gain pots, so you can easily and completely control what goes to your amp's input.
It has a balanced XLR out as well as an unbalanced 1/4", so you can use it for live performance as well as direct connection to a console or DAI. The sound quality is truly excellent, as is the build quality - and it's very quiet. The maximum gain through it is 70 dB if you dime both input and output pots (although I strongly recommend against that if you want to stay clean). The maximum output is +22 dBu through the 1/4" jack and +28 through the XLR, so it has far more than enough clean boost to do what you want. I love mine and would replace it in a heartbeat if anything happened to mine.
It's very important to note that it uses an AC power supply, and it comes with one. But I (like many others) paid no attention to that at all and stuck the PS into my collection of wall warts when we sold the house and downsized to an apartment. Although the voltage varies from device to device, almost every wall wart is DC. Like all of you, I have many of them and have even marked their voltage and power output so I could grab the right one. Fortunately, I noticed the "PWR 9 VAC" marking at the upper right corner of the top as I was about to plug in the 9 VDC PS I'd grabbed the first time I hooked it up after we moved. So if you decide to try one, make sure you only us an AC PS. And don't lose the one that comes with it, because 9VAC supplies are not that easy to find and most of us have none. Right now, B&H and Amazon have some available, and I've kept a spare ever since I almost fried my preamp.
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So stopped at Long & McQuade (the Canadian national mega-chain) this morning with the intention of buy one of these and lo and behold, they had a stack of the on sale for $75 cdn! Now I have to sell the Boosta Grande. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Dutchbopper sang the praises of these a few years ago; he was running direct from his guitar into his digital interface/DAW with one of these and really happy with the sound. Of course, he always sounded good. I've had one of these for years and have used it to warm up solid-state amps with some success, and also as a DI into a powered speaker.
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Did you have any final thoughts
on the Vox Clubman 60
good , bad or indifferent ?
thanks
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It's mostly good. The basic tone is very good, and now that I'm running the Art Preamp with it, it's easily loud enough even with my Mustang. I've played two gigs with that setup (yes I an finally back to playing out for the first time in several years) and it did a wonderful job, both with my Gosling (a higher output guitar tuned down a full step) and my Mustang (lower output tuned down a full step). Originally Posted by pingu
The convenience factor is absolutely unbeatable. It weighs 10 lbs and is absurdly small. The basic tone is a little bright but the controls work well and I use it with the treble mostly rolled off. For a small sealed cabinet, the sound has a nice airy quality and disperses well. I'm guessing that it has something to do with the cabinet design and the coaxial speaker but I am certainly not an expert in these things.
The biggest negative is the reverb/chorus effects. There are three settings: chorus only; reverb only; both simultaneously. The reverb reminds me of the DV Mark Jazz amps: only usable at very low settings and after that it seems to turn into something else. The chorus is of no interest to me. I wish it was better reverb with no chorus at all.
The external power supply concerns me a bit in the longer run, as they always do. If something goes wrong with it, it can't be replaced without some effort, never a good thing.
In short, I do think that it could have been a bit better if they had been willing to have it sell at a higher price point but given the price ($400 CDN which is $295 US at today's rate), it's a pretty stunning piece of gear.
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It's a 19V AC, approx. 4A power supply, easily to source in the Internet from electronic shops. They are used for laptops, too. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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thanks Jim , great review
also I’m glad that the extra clean
gain on the input thing worked out
(I thought it would do the trick)
glad to hear you’re getting back out there too
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i was hoping that was the case. I think I'll just go find one and always have it with me or maybe just leave it permanently in my car. Originally Posted by bluenote61
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Thanks. I've found the oddest little gig. I'm playing two hours every Friday afternoon at a seriously upscale food market/grocery store. The pay is not great but I play exactly what I want, I go home with all sorts of fresh produce every week and everyone at the store is super nice and appreciative. Originally Posted by pingu
thanks Jim , great review
also I’m glad that the extra clean
gain on the input thing worked out
(I thought it would do the trick)
glad to hear you’re getting back out there too
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Sounds like a very sweet gig Jim, pun intended. Nothing like playing music for your, very healthy, supper! Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Jim, if you can answer easily I've a question about the Vox.
I really appreciated the quality of your recent direct recording of the Mustang + Art pre. How would a recording in which instead of the Art there is the Clubman 60 line out entering the sound card, without subsequent editing, be comparable to the one you made? Would it be so warm, clean, free of hiss?
I'm asking you because I'm interested in the possibility of listening directly from the amplifier, with a nice tone and without delays, and, at the same time, recording with a nice warm tone and without hiss...
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I'll do a sample for you tomorrow. Originally Posted by StefanoGhirardo
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