![]() All work should be completed by a qualified technician. Proceed at your own risk and please remember that amplifier circuits can store lethal voltages. The Vox Showroom has not tested and does not endorse these modifications and we accept no responsibility or liability for damage to person or property resulting from these changes. The Vox Showroom has selected several Pathfinder mods from various web sources for presentation below. The Vox Pathfinder Reverb has drawn considerable attention for aftermarket modification. Modding the V1968R, P15SMR and SMR408 Pathfinder Reverb To protect against excessively low speaker impedances, inserting a cable into the extension speaker jack disconnects the internal 8 ohm speaker. The TDA2030 is not designed to accept speaker loads less than 8 ohms. All that was required for operation was a 40 VDC supply, an audio input signal, an inverse feedback loop connection and a ground. The chip's internal circuitry included over 40 electronic components. It functioned as a complete solid state 15 watt Class AB power amp. Rather than designing a power amp stage using discrete electronic components, Vox chose to utilize a TDA2030 integrated circuit power amplifier chip for the Pathfinder 15 amp. A single 8," 8 ohm speaker of Oriental origin sported a Vox "Bulldog" sticker (Figure 2). The Vox Pathfinder Reverb cabinet was constructed from MDF (medium density fiberboard). A label on the pan stated that the input transducer resistance was 600 ohms, the output transducer was 2200 ohms. The Vox Pathfinder Reverb utilized a chassis mounted single spring delay line (Figure 1). The 200-240 volts versions used a 250V/250ma fuse. The 100 and 120 volt versions of the amplifier used a 250V-T500ma fuse. For the UK, Europe and Asia, a 240-240 volt transformer was installed, p/n 057-VFE. For the US market, a 120 volt transformer was installed with the p/n 057-VFU. For Japan and other countries with 100 VAC mains, Vox installed a power transformer with a 100VAC primary, p/n 057-VFJ. Vox addressed this issue by offering the Pathfinder Reverb with one of three different mains transformers. Totally satisfied with both amps for home use.The Vox Pathfinder Reverb did not include a mains selector to adjust for the various AC line voltages offered in the world. Loud enough to fill up the room or house with noise. If I want to get louder and way more gainy, I use a Fender Pro Jr tube amp with dirt pedals for practicing standing up. I think of the Pathfinder as a great 'quiet' practice amp. The Pathfinder will not be near as loud or as big sounding as your Bandit but is very well voiced and a great amp for $120. The Pathfinder though takes dirt pedals as well as solid state amps can. ![]() Dirt pedals (overdrive and distortion) often will not sound right into solid-state amps. It takes pedals as well as any all-solid-state amp. No hum and it has a good dirt sound if you dial it in right. I have been doing more to practice with a clean tone as this makes my practice a lot more honest. The Pathfinder is my sit down and practice amp. I think thery are both exceptionally good sounding amps. ![]() I have a Pathfinder 15 (no reverb) and a Pro Jr for home practice. Would I feel a huge difference going from this 12" speaker to the Vox's 8"? How good would are the cleans compared to the Bandit. How good would it sound with my guitar and its Dimarzio humbucker? Does it hum? (My first amp was a small peavey rage which hummed and buzzed so much I had to get rid of it. There's a few things that are important to me: I initially wanted to get a small tube amp, but this Vox seems way more versatile, while having similar tone and dynamics. So when I was looking at under $200 amps, I ran across the Pathfinder. ![]() A good low end and it works well with my pedals. I think it has good clean sounds, they're okay. I never go past 12 o'clock on this amp (that's cranking it for me). Besides I don't gig, I only play for myself at low volumes. I'm thinking of selling my Bandit 112 and buying a smaller under $200 amp, since the Bandit's a little too big for the space I have in my room. And I own these pedals: ProCo RAT, Ibanez delay, EHX Small Clone, Boss Metal Zone, and Boss Flanger. I currently have a Peavey Bandit 112 (80w, 12" speaker), and a strat-like guitar (S-S-H, changed them all to new Dimarzios). ![]()
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