VOX CAMBRIDGE50

TG gets hands-on with Vox’s hybrid of valve and digital tech

- Chris Bird

When it comes to guitar amplification it’s particularly hard to overstate the longstanding influence 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 modeling 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. Analyzing that statement, we’d agree that this is indeed a stage-ready offering - 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!