• Disappointment Sets In

  
  As reviewed by Jared B on 9/22/2011

  I've owned the AC4TVH and 1x12 cab for about three months. I'm an intermediate level player - I've played long enough to know I don't much care for this amp. So I figured with my pedal board all of the onboard features I was missing (no gain, no reverb, no EQ) could be adjusted on the fly. With the matching 1x12 cab, I figured I could get some decent low end. I thought the attenuator would let me get nice tube tones at bedroom volume. Wrong in all three instances. It does look super cool though - although it's particle board, so keep the beverages far away. My pedal board is pretty standard stuff - TS9, DynaComp, DS1 distortion, CE5 Chorus - nothing exotic, but all pedals proven to be adept at dialing in some great tones. Pretty much everything sounds "boxy" unless they are set up very carefully. In short, the amp has a very defined sweet spot...and it is sweet, but it's not going to allow much in way of styles - blues, jazz, traditional R'n'R - that's about it. The attenuator is great on the 4w setting and master volume low. With the 12", there is a decent level of headroom, but the break up is just muddy sounding. At 1w, you get really good sounding break up at middle volume levels, but very little clean headroom. At 1/4w, you get sloppy break up and no headroom. If you turn it down for "bedroom" levels on any setting, it's very thin, especially for a tube amp. I find myself grabbing my son's Roland Cube 80 and dragging it into my music room because the cleans are limitless and plugged into my board I can pretty much play whatever I want at any volume.

  2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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• Flawlessly demonstrates its purpose

  
  As reviewed by Andrew McCall on 12/14/2011

  It's .25 to 4 watts, non master. It's got a tone knob. Whether it's your first amp, or a tube-warmth provider for late night noodles, you have a reason for buying this amp. It has limitations, letter openers don't open cans, but it serves many functions and I cannot find a flaw in its design; what it's designed to do it does so beautifully. Driving an Orange 2x12 this amp sounds better than my 30 watt heads at night time volumes. You can start soft at 4watts, volume up till it's too loud, kick down a wattage setting and turn the volume further till you've achieved your desired overdrive level. Headroom tops around "slightly too loud to hear others talk standing close to you" at 4 watts, your experience may (will) differ. I was a skeptic, but I knew I liked the concept of the controls and when I finally tried her out my natural scowl burned away in voxy shimmering sunrise.

  1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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• Very Nice

  
  As reviewed by Cj on 6/29/2009

  Tried it with four different speakers, Readcoat Stonehenge, Heritage series Greenback, Patriot screaming eagle, funny it sounds best with the 16 ohm Alnico Blue, who would have thought that? Ha Ha No fuzz box needed here, I like all three wattage settings but the beef comes out with the four watt setting. Big thick Vox tone with chime on tap if you want it. I would have liked a choice of ohm outputs but who can complain at this price.

  13 of 15 people found this review helpful.
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