Vox AC15

The Vox AC15 is the first guitar amplifier produced by the British brand Vox. Vox founder Tom Jennings wished to capitalize on the growing popularity of rock and roll and debuted his amplifier in 1958 as an alternative to imported Fender offerings, which were subject to a trade embargo at the time. Utilizing an EL84-based power section, the AC15's tone was characteristically "glassy, chimey, and sweetly compressed when [over]driven" and helped define the sound of early British rock with influential adopters like Hank Marvin of the Shadows and subsequently many artists of the British Invasion. To meet the demands of players looking for more volume, Vox released the higher-wattage AC30 in 1959 and the AC15 was discontinued in 1964. The AC30, however, was redesigned shortly after its introduction, leaving the AC15 with its own unique sonic character that many guitarists prefer. Vox has since released multiple reissues of the AC15.