Vox

W
hen it comes to
guitar amplifi cation
it’s particularly
hard to overstate
the longstanding
infl uence of Vox. Found in the rigs
of pioneers such as Hank Marvin,
Brian May, The Edge and, frankly,
countless other icons of guitar,
the company’s legendary AC15
and AC30 models have shaped
the sound of rock music for more
than six decades.
The Cambridge50 continues in
the vein of the company’s
Valvetronix digital modelling
series of the early 2000s,
employing a NuTube preamp
valve alongside Virtual Element
Technology (VET) and a solid-state
power amp to deliver “realistic
and stage-ready” sounds.
Analysing that statement, we’d
agree that this is indeed a
stage-ready off ering - for small
gigs at least. For a relatively
lightweight amp, this Vox box
dishes out impressive volume
levels. It really is loud! And
realistic? Well, yes, that too!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the
Cambridge50’s most authentic
sounds come from Vox’s own
AC30 and AC30TB (Top Boost)
models. There’s a warmth and
naturalness to these, and the
breakup on the grittier TB model
is especially pleasing. The three
obviously Marshall-inspired Brit
models also see the Cambridge50
in its sweet spot. Think classic
70s Led Zep riffi ng, AC/DC style
rock ’n’ roll, Oasis drive tones –
you get the idea.
Head into high-gain territory
and you’ll fi nd the Vox has a
biting top-end. We found
ourselves winding the treble right
back to tame the highs on the
SL-OD and Double Rec models.
A touch too much top-end
perhaps? We’ll let you be the judge
of that, but even if it does sound
harsh to your ears, consider that it
might be just the ticket to get you
heard in a busy mix or over a
heavy-hitting drummer.
Eight eff ects are included on
the Cambridge50 – four
modulations and four delays/
reverbs – and, though you can’t
dial all eight in at once (and, let’s
face it, most players wouldn’t
do so anyway!), you can save up
to 11 presets. That’s probably
enough for most gigs and a fair
refl ection of the amp’s capabilities
- this is a product designed for
players who want to dial in their
tone quickly, and not for those
who want to go deep into menu
editing. Suffi ce to say you’ll get
the most out of the eff ects via
Vox’s included Tone Room editor
app for Mac, Windows, iOS and
Android, and there’s also an
optional VFS-5 footswitch
controller (£60).
These days modelling amp
devotees will expect a bit more
than just mere amplifi cation, so
the Cambridge50’s onboard tuner,
audio interface, auxiliary input and
preset recall controls are welcome
additions. JamVOX III modelling
software is also bundled.
The NuTube valve is the ace up
the Cambridge50’s sleeve though,
helping to deliver a natural feel
and response in those traditional
Vox-inspired medium drive
tones – and the amp certainly
represents great value for money.
Well worth a look!
Chris Bird
1
AMP MODELS
The amp model
knob cycles from the
cleanest through to
the dirtiest tones,
with an 11th clean
‘line’ option for
acoustic guitars
and keyboards
2
TAP TEMPO /
TUNER
Exactly what it says
on the tin! Tap the
button to set your
delay times by feel or
hold it down to access
the onboard tuner
3
I/O SOCKETS
Use the 3.5 mm
TRS jack socket to
plug in a digital music
player and jam along.
A headphone/line
output includes
speaker cabinet
emulation for playing
at home
TYPE: Digital modelling
guitar combo with
NuTube valve
OUTPUT: 50 watts
SPEAKER: 1x12”
VALVES: NuTube 6P1
CONTROLS: Power On/
Off, Preset Write,
Amp Type (Deluxe
Clean, Boutique Clean,
Boutique Overdrive,
Vox AC30, Vox AC30TB,
Brit 1959, Brit 800,
Brit VM, SL-OD,
Double Rec, Line),
Gain, Treble, Bass,
Volume, Modulation
Type/Level, Delay/
Reverb Type/Level, Tap
Delay, power level
SOCKETS:Input jacks,
footswitch, aux in, line
out, headphones out
with cabinet simulator,
USB (type B) port
WEIGHT: 8.9kg
DIMENSIONS:
410mm (h) x
452mm (w) x
240mm (d)
CONTACT:
Vox Amplification
voxamps.com
AT A GLANCE
IT REALLY IS LOUD! AND
REALISTIC? YES THAT TOO!
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography: Olly Cur tis
1
2
3
VOX CAMBRIDGE50
TG gets hands-on with Vox’s hybrid of valve and digital tech
£275
REVIEW
97
MARCH 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
TGR329.gear_vox.indd 97 03/02/2020 11:35