Mat D. from New York, NY
Subject:
What a Sweet Ride!
Sound:
Tone ranges from sweet mellow to knarly metallic. Most excellent blues and jazz feels, but can get a bit nasty if needed.
Overall:
I got far more than I anticipated from this amp, and it was/is good!
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
May 25, 2011
zedthewizard from vt
zedthewizard@gmail.com
Subject:
path to a warm tone
Sound:
warm. i have a marshall 15r and this is much warmer, though marshall has a great overdrive and a sharper sound. the tone is warm, plus the tremelo and reverb may not offer super effects they can really take the warm tone to a blue place. i never use the spring reverb on the marshall, but i put it on a quarter and use the tremolo too on this amp. with a guyatone t2 fuzz i shut down the tremolo and cranked the reverb all the way and it was great for rock'n intervals. there is a bit of airiness and the gain and volume do not seem to react as quicly or sharply as the marshall, but i like this amp . . . i have to pull the marshall out too and compare closely soon.
Reliability:
only owned it a month, but i play at home and it seems sturdy . . . for the money, you could always replace it.
Overall:
i like this product for the separate line out and headphone out.
Playability and Feel:
controls are easy, be carefull the gain is all the way off if you want super clean. the top boost really zooms. and back to tone . . . the top boost really improves the tone, but i laid off it since i'm using a tube preamp and pedals.
Tone:
dark, warm, can be mellow and thick with a bit of temolo and reverb.
Finish:
good exterior, classy.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
02/07/2011
Philfixit from Bemidji, MN
Quality:
Appears and feels to be constructed quite nicely. Corner protectors would be nice, though.
Sound:
'Normal' channel is nice and warm, almost "tube like". Has good OD characteristics when gain is turned up. The 'Boost' channel is where is exposes itself as a solid state amp, more of a fuzz than an overdrive, unless used in conjunction with a lower gain setting. Bass became more pronounced as the speaker broke in, which took a surprisingly short time. Tremolo effect is a little strange to see these days, but it works well and sounds fine. Digital reverb is a little noisy and not as deep as a spring unit, but is nice to have and works nicely if used judiciously.
Reliability:
Haven't had it long, but if it survived my speaker "break-in" procedure, it'll last forever!
Overall:
First impression was: This looks like a real VOX! Sounds like one, too! Attractive, classic looks, nice feeling controls, no real complaints. Takes modulation effects well, but distortion effects seem to overload it if used heavily.
Playability and Feel:
I really like this little amp and the tonal palette it offers. Nice to have the controls on top of a unit this size, vice on the front. Reacts pretty well to picking nuances and pickup volume changes. Inclusion of the footswitch would have been nice, even with the corresponding price hike.
Tone:
This is a nice, warm sounding amp presenting a variety of tones with the twist of a few knobs.
Finish:
Fit and finish are as good as, if not better than, anything at or near it's price point. Classic VOX appearance.
Action:
Sounded really good for a budget-priced amp, and it improved quickly as the speaker broke in!
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
I own it
Robby Matthias from Front Royal,VA.22630
Quality:
For the price,you really can't beat this amp.It has a great sound all by itself.If you add the right pedal you can reach Nirvana!
Sound:
Vox tube tone.No tubes to worry with.Don't have to hunt down some guy in germany with that ever elusive Neuman 12AX7!This little guy sounds like it's in there.
I've got a Brian May pedal that I run in front of the 15R and it sounds great.Very Queen!
I also use an older digitech"Genesis"pedal in front of the 15R.I can get any sound I want with that set-up.To bad Digitech dropped that series of pedals.they were much better than the RP crap out now!
Reliability:
Been very good so far.I've had the amp a couple of yrs. and no problems yet!
Overall:
This is a great little amp for practice or gigging!When I baught this,I was looking to get a Brian May "Deacy.Unfortunately,they had been discontinued,so I went with this.I am very happy that I made the decision to go with the 15R!
I have done a gig with a 15"cab hooked to this running a keyboard through it.A little thin for keys,but great on guitar.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
serious guitarist from Port St lucie ,Fla
Quality:
Vox quality..second to none
Sound:
Tone is superb for apt playing and I hooked mine up to a 1X12 cabinet with the external speaker function and ir ROCKS!
Reliability:
So far..Great!
Overall:
Onw of the nicest surprises ever in a very affordable amp
Playability and Feel:
This amp will out play amps costing 4 times as much
Tone:
Beautiful..You can pay 3X what this cost and get alot less amp
Finish:
Looks ike a true VOX Classic
Action:
The tremelo is superb and the reverb sounds very good..both are VERY usefull
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
Craig from Atwater, CA. USofA
Quality:
Looks and feels very sturdy. Probably stand the test of time
Sound:
I hate the word "Tone" Sounds great, tho
Reliability:
Don't know, just survived it's first gig tonight, tho. That's why I gave 4 stars instead of 5
Overall:
Amp is awesome! I use it for Mandolin.
Playability and Feel:
Plays well. Very simple control setup. definitaly a plus
Tone:
I hate the word "tone." Way overused in this industry. With my mando it sounds clean, clear and punchy. Definatly loud enough for gigging
Finish:
This thing is a work of art.
Action:
Rip-rearing to go.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
17 Jul 10
Brad Fravel from North Canton, Ohio USA
Sound:
Clear, high quality tone.
Reliability:
I have only had it for a couple of weeks.
Overall:
Big sound for a small amp. Very clean, striking design.
Finish:
High quality construction.
Action:
Virtually no setup. Plug and play!
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
kevin from Iowa City,Iowa , USA
Subject:
Best practice amp
Sound:
Amazing tone. Read many reviews and was still blown away at how good this sounds. I recommend this to any beginner or anyone that wants a great sounding versatile amp . Can get good metal distortion and has amazing clean tone .
Reliability:
Only had a month. No problems.
Overall:
This amp is amazing. It has huge sound for a small amp. Has great tube tone for a solid state amp. Sounds better than alot of tube amps also. Tremolo is a nice added effect. Has actual spring reverb . Not loud enough to hear over drums but is a sweet home amp.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
yes
Robert Cooper from Mesa, Arizona,USA
rcooper34@cox.net
Subject:
Vox Pathfinder 15R, simply the best small practice amp! Period!!
Quality:
Quality of construction appears to be top notch.
Sound:
Very warm and full sounding with a very good tremolo and a pretty good reverb. Can't believe it is not a tube amp. I know tube amps, and this Pathfinder is not only a great solid state amp, but is better sounding then many tube amps out there. Almost as loud and toneful as my modified Fender Blues junior. The 8 inch speaker sounds great, with a nice full bottom end and no harshness at all. Ran the amp thru one of my 1x12 inch speaker cabinets and it sounded even better. I have gigged with this amp thru the 1x12 and was very pleased. The more I play this amp, the more I am inpressed with it. Not because it's solid state, but because it is just a real good sounding amp, period. It not only sounds like a good tube amp, but it has the feel of a good tube amp.
Reliability:
So far so good.
Overall:
I am a Traditional Blues, Jump Blues and Swing style guitarist. I am lucky enough to own some of the best amps out there for my type of music, including a Fender 5E5 Tweed Pro, Holland Gibb Droll 3x10, Fender Vibroclone, Allen Accomplice, Juke 1210, Ampeg Reverberocket 2, acouple of Sanos and a couple custom made Class of '57 amps, etc. I included this list only to give an example of where I'm coming from regarding this review. I am 58 years old and have been playing guitar 45 years. Not a pro, but have always had a passion for guitars and amps and great tone. Started looking for a small practice amp about two years ago. Tried and owned most of the highly rated small amps out there including the Epi Valve Jr., Blackheart, Roland Cube, Tech 21 Trademark 30, old Fender Champs etc. All left me cold and wanting the type of tone I get from my gigging amps. I stumbled upon the Vox Pathfinder 15R by accident, on a You Tube video demo of a guitar for sale on Ebay.
Playability and Feel:
Feels like a good tube amp!
Tone:
Like a very good tube amp.
Do you own this product?:
Yes, and I'm buying another one.
Mark Easton from Willimantic, CT U.S.A.
Subject:
Best Amp On The Market
Quality:
Extremely well made. Can't get anything more dependable!
Reliability:
So far so good.
Overall:
This is the best amp I have ever owned.
Skill Level:
Pro-Rock Star
Do you own this product?:
Yes