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Post subject: Fender Frontman15R or Vox VT15?
Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:29 am
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I am just starting to learn to play and I don't have much money to spend. I have a Squire Fender Strat that I have begun to modify a little at a time to obtain the best tone possible goalwise. I must choose between a slightly used Vox VT15 valvetronics, or a Fender FM 15R for the same amount of money. I really like the frontman's reverb, and tone, and that it's a Fender amp, but I also like the different amp models from the Vox. If I had the money I would probably just have a Fender '57 Tweed Champ for the rest of my life and, I one day I plan to build one. I love the tone from those vintage tweed amps. To me the frontman has that classic fender tone to it, albeit, not the tone quality of a real champ or tweed deluxe, but still fenderish. Does the Vox have the real 57 Deluxe tone, I know that's one of the feature modelled amps on it's settings? This will be an amp that I will sit on my front porch with my feet propped up on and play classic rock, blues, and a 'lil country on for only my pleasure, I have no delusions that I will ever be talented enough to play a gig even in a run down bar. If I do get good enough for that in some years, I'll buy a new amp then, LOL. Which amp do you experienced guys think would be my best choice for what I'm wanting to do? I'm truely torn here. Thanks in advance for any help.
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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:37 am
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Well the Frontman 15R isn't the first amp that comes to my mind when I think of a "porch weasel" but that said, I think it will be just fine for your intended purpose. As well, you should be able to pick up a used one for a proverbial song. I've been trying to unload a 15G that's literally twenty minutes old for over a month with nary a nibble despite a giveaway price.

Best of luck, HTH

Arjay

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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:24 pm
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Found the Frontman good clean. But has an awful drive channel. I found it very harsh.
My brother has a Vox vt 30 and i ve spent more time on that than i have a Frontman so my opinion is probably a bit one sided.
The Vox cleans not as good. But the driven channels are very good(apart from the high gain amp models).
Very versatile amp with loads of good effects to play with and learn with to get your sound. The built in attenuater is exellent. Can get the amp working harder to a degree with very little volume. You can also save your pre set levels(gain,eq etc) to any given model,and the amp will save it till you save another setting. I ve probably made that sound more complicated than it actually is. Sorry. :roll:
Only thing i didnt like is that there is so much on the amp, i ended up messing and fiddling with it instead of playing.
For me though its the Vox. Ideal practice amp, much more versatile and very good at indoors volumes as well as louder levels.


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 1:27 pm
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Thank you very much for you time guys DC you should be a salesman, LOL. Thank you for the rundown, this is why I'm torn. I love all the different sounds of the Vox, but I do like the Fender as well. Thanks for your opinion as well Retroverb. How much for the 15G? What do you think of, when you think "Porch Weasel"? LOL, I mean for a broke weasel?


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:16 pm
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I was going to buy a vt30 after many months of looking and trying different amps. Def one of the better modelling type amps. There is also 2 dedicated web site where owners can post there settings for tunes and its own forum. I ended up moving away from the digital model type amp after my laney vc15 ltd edition blew me away when i tried it in a shop.


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:28 pm
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Simpleman69 wrote:
What do you think of, when you think "Porch Weasel"?


This is a porch weasel.

Image

In point of fact, it's the "Cadillac" of porch weasels.

As for the 15G, see me after class to discuss......

<phantoms4ever(at)cox(dot)net>

Arjay

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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 3:06 pm
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E-mail sent Retro.
I agree that would be the cadilac porch weasel. But that weasel is a 'lil out of my price range at the moment. A tweed 5F1 Champ would be the '55 chevy porch weasel I want to own one day.
Thanks again.


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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:12 pm
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I'm a big fan of Vox Valvetronix Amps,I have an older AD120VTH and it's just sublime in every way and it's the most tube sounding Hybrid amp I've used.The VT series effects and amp models are convincingly like the ones they are emulating.If I had to choose between a Frontline 15 R and a VT 15 it would be the Vox for sure.

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Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:43 pm
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i have the vox ad50vt. every time i think i want a different amp i play around with the amp some more, and find it does everything i want. modeling is good, and built in effects are too.

never tried the fender, but i can vouch for the vox


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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 6:51 am
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The Vox was a used model for the same price of the Frontman it got sold yesterday. So, since I don't get paid till friday, Fender it is. Thanks guys for your input, I really do appreciate it. I love the classic Fender sound and the frontman has it, at least all fender could pack into that price point. Anyway, I'd probably get lost in all the different amp presets, to the point that it would take away from my learning to play, LOL. This way I have the Fender sound I like and without all the stuff to tinker with I can concentrate on learning to play well and developing my own sound that makes me happy. I really would pick a Fender Mustang over all the other modelling amps. I don't apoligize for loving Fender's stuff. But, when I do get a bigger budget I'm going to build either a tweed 5F1 Champ or a 5E3 Deluxe myself. Again thank you for looking at my post.


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Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 1:02 pm
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I ended up with a Line 6 Spider IV 15 watt. They had sold the used Vox, and had sold out of FM15R with reverb. I told the salesman that they had the FM15R across town at Sam Ash and I'd just go there and buy one, he looked at me and "said hold on let me see what I have in the back". He came back and pulled the last Spider IV off the shel and told me that because it was a display amp and had a (tiny, barely visible) scratch on the front, I could have it for the same price as the FM 15R. I wanted to hear it before I paid and he hooked up Strat to it and stated showing me all do-dads and FX, I promptly paid the man and brought the thing home. For 15 watts honestly it's a monster, I've yet to be able to max. it out I want to play it for a while and let the speaker loosen up before I blow it out of the baffel, it's that damn loud at around 2:00 or 2:30 on the master volumn stuff starts rattleing off the walls, and mantle, in my den. The only drawbacks to it I've yet to find are that the distotion can get harsh at high drive levels, and the knobs are super sensitive and not easy for a beginner like myself to manage. But, I like it so far very much. I'll wait till I can afford a real Fender 65 twin reverb.


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