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Vox’s journey into the ukulele market began in 2013 with the Ukelectric Electric Ukulele and evolved further with the 2024 debut of the VFU-1 'Frame' Uke. Designed for external amplification, both of these instruments were perfectly complemented by the Vox Ukulele 50, an amp purpose-built to enhance and elevate ukulele acoustics.
ABS Plastic Enclosure
Like the Vox VX Series (VX50KB, VX50BA, VX50GTV and VX50AG) amplifiers that preceded it, the Vox Ukulele 50 featured a lightweight but durable closed back, injection molded plastic enclosure with a 1950s 'TV front' look. It also featured a plywood baffle covered in retro Tygon grill cloth. These lightweight materials allowed the Vox Ukulele 50 to weigh less than 10 pounds.
Hybrid Circuit
While the preamp circuitry of the Vox Ukulele 50 included a 6P1 Nutube vacuum tube, the 50 watt power amp section was solid-state.
Nutube
The preamp section of most tube guitar amplifiers will include at least one 12AX7 tube. The 12AX7 was designed as a "dual triode," meaning that it includes two separate circuits for amplification. Each of these triodes has three elements: a cathode, control grid and an anode. Amplification occurs when a flow of electrons from the cathode passes through the control grid to the anode. A filament wire located near the base of the tube heats the cathode to start this flow of electrons.
Korg has been a leading manufacturer of portable keyboards since the early seventies. Most modern Korg keyboards incorporate a vacuum fluorescent display (or VFD) that offers a visual indication of the sound that is loaded and ready to play.
Korg discovered that a vacuum fluorescent display could be configured as a triode, complete with cathode, control grid and anode, to create amplification. After years of research, Korg developed the dual triode Nutube 6P1 vacuum tube (seen at lower left). It utilized new technologies derived from vacuum fluorescent displays that would allow the Nutube 6P1 to perform the same functions as a traditional 12AX7 tube.
The Nutube 6P1 offered a number of advantages over the 12AX7. The Nutube 6P1 is significantly smaller than a 12AX7. As it did not require a traditional filament heater, the Nutube 6P1 required a fraction of the current required to power a 12AX7. Unlike the 12AX7, the Nutube 6P1 remained relatively cool to the touch while in operation. Finally, the Nutube 6P1 offered a significantly longer service life than the 12AX7, perhaps never needing replacement.
The preamp of the Vox Ukulele 50 utilized a Korg Nutube 6P1 as a signal buffer. The Nutube offered the rich overtones of a traditional vacuum tube without the need for periodic replacement. The turquoise glow emanating from the Nutube 6P1 can be seen through a series of twelve small holes located on the control panel.
Coaxial Speaker
The Vox Ukulele 50 included an 8" coaxial woofer with a center mounted tweeter for enhanced frequency response.
Controls
The Vox Ukulele 50 had two channels, Instrument and Mic. The Instrument channel had Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble and Effects controls plus a phase reverse switch. The Mic channel featured an XLR input jack with switchable phantom power plus Volume, Bass, Treble and Reverb controls. A Master volume control adjusted the total output of the amp. Both channels included a red LED clip light to indicate the presence of excessive input signal levels.
Effects
The Effects control in the Instrument channel offered a single rotary control that swept between digital Chorus, Reverb or a combination of both.
External Power Supply
The Vox Ukulele 50 utilized a Korg KA420 external power supply.
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VOX Ukulele 50 Amp Specs
Output Power: 50 Watts RMS
Speakers: 8" Vox Coaxial with Tweeter
Inputs: 1/4" Input jack, XLR Input jack, Headphones jack, Aux In jack, Power Supply input
Outputs: Line Out
Controls: Gain, Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, Treble, Master Volume
Effects: Chorus, Reverb, Chorus+Reverb
Dimensions (W x D x H): 13.94” x 7.56” x 12.32”
Weight: ~9.04 lbs
Included Accessories: Korg KA420 External Switchimg Power Supply (Input: 100-240V,~50-60 hz, Output: 19 VDC 3.42A), Power Cable
Street Price (US): $279.99
Country of Origin: Vietnam
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