The Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head is a Vox amplifier. Close alternatives include the Vox AC30CH Custom 30W Head and the Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper. It pairs well with the JHS Angry Charlie and the ProCo RAT 2.
Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head
Vox · amplifier
The Vox AC15CH is the head version of the 15-watt AC15, driving an external cabinet rather than a built-in speaker. That matters more on a Vox than most brands, because so much of the AC character comes from speaker breakup — running the head into a larger or different cabinet changes the amp's voice substantially more than it would on a high-headroom design. It keeps the EL84 output section and the chiming top end the line is built on. It suits players who want AC15 voicing with control over the speaker side of the rig.
What stands out
“Players love the AC15 for offering authentic Vox chime and EL84 breakup at room and club volumes, where the AC30 is too loud”
— from the community notes
“For Vox chime at usable volumes in the studio or on small stages, the AC15 is a classic”
— from the reviews
“That matters more on a Vox than most brands, because so much of the AC character comes from speaker breakup — running the head into a larger or different cabinet changes the amp's voice substantially more than it would on a high-headroom de…”
— from the listing
“Its strengths are chime, sweet breakup, and usable volume;”
— from the community notes
“The Vox AC15CH is the head version of the 15-watt AC15, driving an external cabinet”
— from the listing
- vox chime
- breakup
- sweet
- treble
- ac character
- shimmer
- boost
- jangle
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
- Worship
Genres the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head is commonly used in
- Rock
- Indie
- Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Surf Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head
JHS Angry Charlie
JHS Pedals
62% match“good marhall tones — dig it. works awesome with my jazzmaster and ac15”— from the jhs-pedals-angry-charlie-channel-drive-pedal listing
clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → high gain)
The AC15's sweet, shimmering breakup gives the Angry Charlie's hot-rodded gain a chiming amp voice to push into.
Goes in front of the amp
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
39% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
ProCo RAT 2's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head delivers it
Goes in front of the amp
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
36% matchpushes an amp at the edge of breakupPushes an amp already sitting at the edge of breakup over the line. (edge of breakup → mid-forward)
Feed a edge of breakup signal into Ibanez Tube Screamer and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Goes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy Analog Delay
Electro-Harmonix
32% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Into the AC15's sweet, jangly treble breakup, the Memory Boy's warm analog echo has a genuinely vintage amp voice to trail off against. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Greer Relic
Greer
32% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)
Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head's bright balances out the dark tone
Goes in front of the amp
Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe MM
Electro-Harmonix
31% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)
Run Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head after it and the dark edge settles into something more bright — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Strymon Zelzah -Dimensional Phaser
Strymon
31% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)
Run Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head after it and the dark edge settles into something more bright
Goes in front of the amp
FoxGear EchoSex
Foxgear
29% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (dark → bright)
Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head leans toward edge of breakup, and that's a real, usable character to pair with — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
See all 61 pedals that pair with the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head →
Alternatives
Vox AC30CH Custom 30W Head
Vox
77% similarity“At 30 watts it stays cleaner longer than an AC15 before breaking into the compressed, harmonically dense top end the design is known for”
Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper
Mooer
72% similarityMooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone
Audiocade
72% similarityAudiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge
Vox
72% similarityVox Valvenergy Mystic Edge recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Ceriatone Lightning 15
Ceriatone
52% similarityShared character: bright, studio
Bad Cat Mark Sampson Modified Black Cat
Bad Cat
51% similaritySimilar role and voicing
Ceriatone Dizzy 30
Ceriatone
50% similarityShared character: high end, bright
Hiwatt Custom 20/40 'Studio/Stage' Head
Hiwatt
49% similarityShared character: bright, studio, stage
Mojotone British 20 Watt Head
Mojotone
47% similarityShared character: sweet
Blackstar Artisan 30H Head
Blackstar
46% similarityShared character: high end, treble, studio
Bad Cat Cub V Hand-Wired Head
Bad Cat
45% similarityShared character: gold sparkle, studio, stage
See all alternatives to the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head?+
The closest matches in character are the Vox AC30CH Custom 30W Head, the Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper, the Strymon Iridium.
What pairs well with the Vox AC15CH Custom 15W Head?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: JHS Angry Charlie, ProCo RAT 2, Ibanez Tube Screamer — The AC15's sweet, shimmering breakup gives the Angry Charlie's hot-rodded gain a chiming amp voice to push into..