Chime

[plookit]

What creates the ‘chime’ in a Vox AC15 amp? I’ve made a clone and I’m combing through a few issues like squealing at full volume (might be the variable voltage regulator), but also I don’t hear that distinctive chime I was hoping for.

[JD0x0]

Post a schematic for your build.

IMO, the chime is mostly a combination of the huge bass cut on 'Top boost' channel, combined with the mid scoop from the tonestack, along with the upper mid 'chime' of a brighter speaker like the Celestion Blue.

[Reeltarded]

Chime is out the door just as the volume reaches any distortion.

A classic chime recording is volume about 3, like a tweed. Jangly things require recording to sound like that.

[B Ingram]

What creates the ‘chime’ in a Vox AC15 amp? ...

My experience is the speaker creates the chime (along with "no negative feedback" in the power section).

I've got 3 AC30s, an AC10 and a Domino Super Reverb, all from the early-mid 1960s. The old blue (T530) and silver (T1088) alnico 12" speakers of the 1960s amps give the "chime sound." They don't seem overly bright (in fact, they're much darker than 1960s Jensen or Oxford speakers), but the high harmonics sound "separate" from the rest of the sound.

Playing the AC10 through its stock Elac 10" speakers sounds Vox-y, but not quite as chime-y as playing the same amp through a pair of the 12" alnico speakers.

The 1960s alnico speaker sound different enough from the modern Celestion Blue alnico that I've gone out of my way to get extras of the old speakers.