Vox Pathfinder 15R V9168R Guitar Combo Amplifier (15 Watts, 1x8")

Put your tone in good hands with the Vox Pathfinder 15R. The Pathfinder features spring reverb and ample tonal control for great sound.

Overall User Ratings (based on 83 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(83) (see rating details)
Submitted December 4, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com

"it thinks it's a tube amp"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This amp served me well for many years until I gave it to my nephew as a present with his first good electric guitar, and it's still working for him. I like my nephew but I wish I had kept the amp! I am going to buy another one for myself. I think this is the best amp of its type, in its price range. Certainly performs and sounds a lot better than a Line 6, a Peavey, or the Marshall MG range. It's easy to practice with and easy to record with. An all around winner in my opinion.
Sound
Some people describe this as "the solid state amp that thinks it's a tube amp," which is a fair description, but I would add that it thinks it's a Vox tube amp. I've had tube amps that didn't sound as good as this little amp. The Pathfinder sounds like a Vox, and for anyone who is a Vox fan, you'll know what I mean. It is an amp that is nearly perfect for practice and studio work, but I have also done small gigs with it with great results.
Features
The Pathfinder has everything that I need, personally. The inclusion of tremolo (and a good sounding tremolo at that) is especially appreciated. I think tremolo is a very underrated effect. I don't use the boost much, because it gets LOUD! I prefer to dial in a good sound from the normal channel and use some effects to tart it up if necessary, but honestly the amp sounds fine running straight from the guitar to the amp. The parts and the materials are good, but I wish everyone would stop using plastic input and output jacks. However, at this price, no manufacturer at all uses metal input and output jacks. That's the only weak point. And to be fair I haven't had a problem with the input and output jacks, it's just something to keep an eye on based on past experience with other amps.
Ease of Use
The Pathfinder 15 is very easy to use and fun to tweak. There are a lot of good sounds in the amp, and the controls interact with each other effectively, which cannot be said of other amps in this size and price range. It's far more responsive and flexible than any other amp of its type.
Quality
The product is well made indeed. I have one of the first ones that came out, to be honest, and it's still running strong. I have actually gigged with this amp, as well as recording with it, and it's never let me down. That sounds strange to say about a sub-$200 amp but that's my experience.
Value
I think the Vox Pathfinder 15 is the best buy in a sub-$200 practice amp, without a doubt. Granted you don't get bells and whistles like onboard effects, tuners, etc., etc. - you can go to the VT series for that - but what you do get for the money is a small solid-state amp that in many cases sounds, reacts, and performs like a "real amp." It'll sit up and bark for ya. Like I said, I have a tube amp that I don't like as well as the little Vox.
Manufacturer Support
Never needed any upgrades or repairs to this, and never had a need to contact the company, so I can't really say.
The Wow Factor
The amp has a classically Vox look that is very pleasing to my eye. It doesn't give you a light show when you turn it on or anything like that; the look of the amp is very Vox. It looks very '60s and British, understated and classy.

Musical Background:

active musician

Musical Style:

rock
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Submitted January 1, 2008 by a customer from gmail.net

"Great Practice amp...Well Worth Your Money!!!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
i gave this amp a 9 cause it doesnt have to many features. But yes it has alot for your money.Its not a waste at all! i use this amp to practice at home and use with my band...I love this amp..It truly Great!... VOX all the way!
Sound
Sounds totally rockin!
Features
The footswitchable gain boost and tremolo are great! i use that the most... The Reverb is on all the time and it worx great still! great amount of distortion u can plug out of it.
Ease of Use
Really Easy to use! All the settings are pretty right there...aha..
Quality
Amp its built really strong...and can take a lot...(but no to much)
Value
Amazing value!! So Cheap for a amp! You Get So much for your money!
Manufacturer Support
Vox will answer any Questions! Very Helpful.
The Wow Factor
erm...ah...it doesnt look as tasty as the Line 6 Spider III 75...but it does look as sexy as a regular traditional vox amp.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar 2yrs, in band

Musical Style:

Punk, Experimental, Grunge, Emo, Metal, Hard Rock,
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by a customer from hotmail.com

"A must have amp for any style or level"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
For this price it doesn't get any better. Can't wait to hear what it sounds like with an external speaker. Beautiful rich and singing clean sounds with overdrive capable of a dry sharp distortion to a wet heavy sound. Absolutely amazing for the price.
Features
reverb and tremolo,plus excellent distorted sound.

Musical Style:

rock, funk, blues
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Submitted September 12, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Vox Pathfinder, Simply a great amp for you practice time!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought this for a practice amp, nothing more nothing less. It is awesome and I don't plan on a replacement.
Sound
OK, first thing to understand this is a practice amp, not a concert wall of amps and should be measured by that standard! It has a 8" speaker that does a great job at bedroom levels, which is is designed for, having said that it preform perfectly. I don't think you can go wrong with this, if your looking for modeling tones or a super aggressive overdrive, then look else where. However if you want a great tone out of a little amp, this is it! If you mic it, it sounds really good and works great for that application.
Features
Again lets measure this amp by what it was design to do. In my opinion, if meets and passes with flying colors. The tremolo is nice and appears to be voiced at the right level, not to heavy but at the same time not to faint.
Ease of Use
Very easy to get great tone and simple design for the starting musician!
Quality
I don't think you can beat it for the price and if you take care of it, it should last a lifetime, something to past down to your budding rock star children!!
Value
Super value.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't used them, no need to, so I must give them a 10. Innocent until proven guilty...Right?
The Wow Factor
A practical addition.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock, Christian, Country
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Submitted February 21, 2008 by a customer from webmail.co.za

"The best I have owned since my original AC30"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I was looking at buying a Fender twin reverb, but for what I do this will do.
Sound
This little amp has big balls
Features
I use a GT8 so the effects and features don't bother me, the tops seem a bit bright with my strat but great with the PRS
Ease of Use
Nothin too it
Quality
Mine was left out in the rain a couple of time and when I switched it on after a few days drying time it was okay.
Value
In my country everything that is imported is expensive so to give you a better understanding of how inexpensive this amp is it's the same price as 290 loves of bread.
Manufacturer Support
Never needed support.
The Wow Factor
The only thing I don't like is the plastic gold plated VOX emblem in front, it looks cheap.

Musical Background:

Active Muso

Musical Style:

Rock and Blues
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Submitted August 1, 2007 by a customer from gmail.com

"Go ahead and get it."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
The big question is, how does it sound? Should I take a chance without hearing it? Myself, I would recommend buying it. For the money, you can't go wrong.
Sound
Great tone with low end balls. I couldn't believe it was coming out of an 8 inch speaker. It'll handle small gigs easily. I also used it at an outdoor gig with a mic. I tried it out against similar sized Cubes, Marshalls, Peavys, and Blues Jr. but I kept going back to the Pathfinder. I liked the Blues Jr. but the Vox had more features, was lighter in weight and had more tone and sustain for the bucks. I play a Tele through it barefoot most of the time and play different types of music.
Features
I wanted a small bare-bones amp for smaller gigs and for practice. This amp fit the bill. I gave it a 9 because of the tremelo. Wish it was more variable but hey, it worked fine. The overdrive is good. I like a little edge to my sound and this worked out fine. If you want an amp with all the bells and whistles, go up a notch or two. But, if you're an old school player like me, this one has plenty of tone and power for a small amp. The overdrive, via the floor pedal, is surprising. It's similar to a Blues Jr. "Fat" switch but much louder...wish it came with a 10 inch speaker.
Ease of Use
Pretty simple. Getting the OD setting that I wanted was a little trickey but wasn't a problem at all. It should be able to handle effects on the front end okay.
Quality
Very good quality. Clean sound with little if any noise.
Value
Excellent value.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed them.
The Wow Factor
Classic Vox aesthetics. I use to play a Berkley Twin years ago. The quality of sound is still there.

Musical Background:

Active musician for about 35 years.

Musical Style:

I hope my own by now. lol. Really, I play all types of music.
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Submitted May 16, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Good sound, good looks, a good practice amp."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Not sure I'd replace it for a while. It's a great practice amp. Not sure it would do well in larger club. Nice clean sound without all the "modelling" getting in the way--let's your style of playing come through and is great for those just starting because it doesn't hide the sound of your guitar behind a bunch of effects.
Sound
Very nice sound. Warm and clear. The OD boost channel doesn't sound all that great, but other than that it is great. The Tremelo is a cool sound. Gets loud, but sounds good a lower volumes...a good practice amp.
Features
The OD isn't all that great...sounds too harsh, but you can get some nice sounds by turning up the gain knob. Wish the foot switch came standard.
Quality
Feels solid, but there is a bit of buzz at high volumes...or it could be the windows and floor in my apartment that are buzzing...
Value
Yes. For the price it sounds good and esp. if you're just starting out you can really get a good feel for what sounds your guitar is capable of making.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't used customer service...
The Wow Factor
Looks cool. Looks like an amp with some class. Nice retro look.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock, blues, jazz
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Submitted May 6, 2006 by a customer from aol.com

"The little VOX that could!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Gives me the feel of a good partner in music when I play through It. It's a great little coffee shop/practice amp. If It stays with me, I'll stay with It.
Sound
Sounds great! It has a full sound,and speaks well,no matter what I tell It to say!
Features
Does cool things when you turn the controls. And It's nice to have the footswitch alongside my other effects. Had to buy the footswitch though.
Ease of Use
What could be easier?
Quality
Well made. Feel as If I got a Diamond for the price of a chunk of coal!
Value
A great amp for the money.
Manufacturer Support
Unknown.
The Wow Factor
Looks so cool I want another one, so I can have the look and the sound In stereo!

Musical Background:

Active

Musical Style:

Rock,blues,Metal and folk
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Submitted January 13, 2004 by a customer from integraonline.com

"Dynamite comes in small packages."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Sound
Great tone.
Features
For a 15 watt amp, this thing has all that you need. The reverb is unbelievable.
Quality
Great Vox looks. This little thing is a sleeper.
Value
a hell of a deal. This little thing blows the Crate and Marshall amps of the same size away.

Musical Style:

Rock,Heavy Metal, etc....
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Submitted August 11, 2004 by a customer from cox.net

"GREAT practice amp . Hook it up to a larger speaker + LOOKOUT ."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Will keep this one as a practice amp as long as it works . No need for any other practice amp
Sound
Great all around sound . Esecially for the money! only reason I gave it an 8 instead of a 10 was that reverb is not all that good + a larger speaker would be good , but then it have to cost more . otherwise buy it!
Features
Needs an effects loop . + better reverb.

Musical Style:

rock
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Submitted November 13, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Small Amp Big Sound"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best amp I own and have many amps over 40 yrs.
Sound
Best Big Small AMP
Features
Amp is great
Ease of Use
Great sound for the size and price.
Quality
Built well for the pruce
Value
This amp is worth alot more but don't let vox no this.
Manufacturer Support
Yes and get answer back fast.
The Wow Factor
Great looking amp and feel.

Musical Background:

40 yrs

Musical Style:

Rock & Roll Country, Blues
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Submitted November 10, 2003 by a customer from dfwaudiovisual.com

"Short, Sweet & Cheap!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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It looks great and sounds great for the price. I've already mentioned above what all of my likes are. If I lost it or it got stolen, I'd run and get one in a heart beat. Hey, some stomp boxes cost more than this amp.
Sound
I use it giging w/ a JC120 linto the Vox. Set the 120 clean and dirty up the vox just a bit. Wow! the vox is very tweekable on the fly. Can drive the little speaker just enough to break up when I kick on the the boost.
Features
As far as effects built-in to an amp, tremelo, boost and reverb are a good combination on any amp. The head phone jack does sound crappy compared to the speaker sound. Line out signal is ok.
Quality
This my first Vox, so I don't about support. But it is working fine so far. No probs with my amp, everything looked great out of the box. Under twenty pounds so it's easier to get around than the JC120 I own. It is transistor so who knows how long it will last? I switched from an Ampeg jet II to this amp for my monitor/dirty amp on stage. The tremelo on the Vox sounds as good as the Ampeg if not better.
Value
For the money, this little guy rocks. Great for sittin' and jammin' or a "small" gigs. holds it's own against other amps twice as much.
Manufacturer Support
Like said, I haven't had any dealings with factory and let's hope I don't.
The Wow Factor
It looks cool!

Musical Style:

country, rock and blues
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Submitted August 23, 2009 by a customer from verizon.net

"One of the best...simply put!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This amp is a great value, very versatile, great for practice, or just about anything you can imagine. The original speaker is fine, but if you want to realize it's true potential, try some others.
Sound
This is "The amp that think's it's a tube amp". That's how good it sounds.(To me of course). All I did to mine, was change the speaker. I know some folks "did the upgrade" to a 10" speaker, which sounds like a great idea, but I just kept it simple, and said goodbye to the bulldog, and said hello to the Jensen C8R! Works for me.
Features
Simplicity at it's best. Not everybody's into the amp modeling thing. Love the tremolo, that's a rare thing on an amp these days.
Ease of Use
No problem here. One channel. Like anything else, you have to get to know it. Once you do, most likely, you won't have a problem with the results. (I like to keep the boost on all the time). I'm going to get the VFS2 dual footswitch, and I'm done.
Quality
It's from Vietnam, but hey, what can I say? Never had a problem with this baby yet, but for the price, I can't complain. I wish amps were like this when I started playing in the late 60's. (Yeah I'm old)!
Value
Great value for the money, no question it's one of the best solid state amps out there! I'd buy another if this were stolen or something like that.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to use them.
The Wow Factor
I love it! Like I always say, simplicity is bliss! It's that simple!

Musical Background:

Retired pro

Musical Style:

Blues, Jazz, R&B,Rock,& Gospel.
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Submitted November 15, 2007 by a customer from msn.com

"A very smart buy"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It's loud, beautiful, and can get raunchy too. It does it all, except lacks effect variety. It is incredibly cheap, it sounds exactly like a tube amp. If you're looking for a fantastic practice amp, or a solo stage amp this will serve you well. I would pay 500 dollars to get this sound, easy.
Sound
The tone is amazing! I have owned this amp for 6 years, it has better tone than my Marshall 100W or my little fender champion. Clean sounds are beautiful and it gets very loud. Gain is powerful and very present, especially with that little boost button. With the size and depth of sound out of this thing, I would have guessed it was a tube amp, but of course it's not, so we all save money. I don't think it's quite loud enough to gig with, it would probably get drowned out by the drums, but it's almost there.
Features
I gave it high but not perfect marks because it lacks good effects. Throw a reverb on this thing and I give it a 9. Add an effect or two other than tremolo and it would be a 10. The tremolo sounds cool, but its kind of useless to me (but thats just not my style). On the plus side, the boost button makes a big difference, turn it off and you can turn the gain pretty high without distorting. In the back it has jacks for headphones, foot switch, line out, and 8 ohm 15W ext. speaker, great for such a cheap amp. Again, this is something not even my 100W marshall included.
Ease of Use
How hard can it be? You just have to understand the relationship between gain and volume, the rest is intuitive. Play with the boost button and it won't take long to figure out why that's there either. Frankly, it's difficult to make this thing sound bad.
Quality
I move around a lot, and I've definitely made the thing squeal and pop by accidentally pushing up the gain and volume at once. But in 6 years of light/moderate abuse, it's shown no sign of weakness.
Value
You can spend easily $600-$700 on an inferior amp. Sure, it doesn't have much wattage on paper, but it defies logic and puts out a huge sound.
Manufacturer Support
Never have had to contact the company. I say the best support is not needing it.
The Wow Factor
Its not pretty at all. I think Vox makes ugly amps, in fact they look like they sound bad, but we know better. However I would call it highly desirable, I've actually traded it away and then missed it so much I bought it back.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues, Jazz
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Submitted August 6, 2009 by a customer from verizon.net

"Can't beat this deal!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
If something happened to this,I'd buy another for real!
Sound
This amp is one of the best sounding solid state practice amps I've ever heard. Good presence. Kicks for a 8" speaker. (I used to tell myself I didn't want anything smaller than a 10") Love the tremolo!
Features
Pretty simple, no frills! Like I said, love the tremolo feature. I wish it had a 10" speaker. It might someday. Wish there were amps like this back in the late 60's and early to mid 70's.
Ease of Use
Easy to use. Not complicated.I use my Strat....no prob, I use my Les Paul, no prob.
Quality
Pretty solid for a Vietnam piece. Mine is well put together. Never been out of the house yet.
Value
This is a bargain for real!
Manufacturer Support
Never had to use them.
The Wow Factor
Love the Vox look on this baby!

Musical Background:

Ex Pro turned weekend warrior.

Musical Style:

R&B,Blues,Jazz, and Gospel.
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Submitted September 17, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Title? The amp speaks for itself."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
For the money? Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
Sound
Great sound for a little 15 watt practice amp for only a bill. The preamp has a tube in it too, so it has a really warm sound. The gain isn't all that impressive for heavier music, but who wants a Vox for hard rock anyway? The clean tone is incredible.
Features
I love the tone of this amp, and the tremolo is good. I don't use it much though. I prefer just to hear the guitar with a bit of gain and no effects. I have the earlier Pathfinder model though, so my only complaint is that it doesn't have reverb... Well, they fixed that right after I bought the amp by coming out with the 15R.
Ease of Use
It can be hard to get the right tone out of it at first, but with some experience it's amazing. My one complaint is that you can't get any volume without turning up the gain, so the only way to compete with other amps at a band practice is to have a bit more distortion than you might want with your sound.
Quality
Great quality. This amp has been taking a beating for the past 6 years, and it still looks and sounds great.
Value
Great value. The only amp manufacturer who can come close for the money is Line 6 with their Spider series, and the Vox beats it out because of the tube and the natural sound. Not modeled like the 6.
Manufacturer Support
No idea, but for a company that makes such great amps, how bad could it be?
The Wow Factor
Great look. The Vox grill-cloth is instantly recognizable, and you aren't going to find a better looking amp for the money... Not to mention better sounding.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock, Blues, Country, Hard Rock
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Submitted April 4, 2011

"A great value in a surprisingly loud and toneful solid state amp."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
The sound is amazing for a solid state amp, close to a tube amp sound. Very loud for a small amp. A great practice amp which will stand up in a jam setting.
Features
Reverb is pretty nice; tremelo and boost are also usable. I play clean most of the time and rely on pickups to drive the gain and that works well with this amp. The foot switch to control boost and tremelo is sold separately. It would be nice to be included but hey, it would increase the price of the amp which is very reasonable as is.
Ease of Use
Controls make sense and are easy to use.
Quality
Seems to be very well made; no flaws. Reports of some users running these amps for many years with no problems so that is a good sign.
Value
Great "bang for the buck".
Manufacturer Support
No dealings with Vox but they have tech centers that are convenient for any warranty work that might be required.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Blues; rock; Country
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Submitted December 19, 2004

"I am impressed with this..."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Good job Vox. For those about to Vox, I salute you (gets good AC/DC sounds too...).
Sound
This is a great amp. Naturally I went into the store and tried out basically all amps under $250. THis is the "biggest little amp" I've ever played
Features
Basic features. What more do you really need?
Quality
It's a brit amp company's amp.. They are the best. I looked inside, everything is nice and neat and good parts.
Value
Why do people bother with more expensive crates? I like this just fine. Low feedback, a little noise when dimed, but hey, all amps have that...
Manufacturer Support
no experience with them...
The Wow Factor
This is a vox for little more than a bill... I love my little Vox, but then again, I am a Brit amp guy. This beats out similar cost Marshalls though.
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