A VB AMP Box has four fabric-covered sides and top plus a sound insulating foam-line base that all assemble together in about 15-minutes. They lock together using Velcro® straps and there is a convoluted foam-lined interior, a cable port and plenty of remaining space for a microphone and stand. The VB AMP Box ventilates heat buildup from your amp using a fan attached to a piece of flexible exhaust hose. VB also makes the VB Speaker Box™ the same size as the AMP Box but with no ventilation and a lower price.

I joined owner Gary Belz, chief engineer Doug Tyos and guitarist Bill McBee at Belz' House Of Blues Studios in Encino, CA to test their well-used Model AMP-4040V Large Amp Box. McBee played a Strat into a Mesa Electra Dyne head and a dual-twelve Mesa speaker cab placed inside the VB Amp Box.

We found the sound was greatly reduced in level while listening in the room--about the same as playing through your amp while using form-fitting earplugs. Yet we got the same sound as without the AMP Box when we angled the cab 45-degrees off the inside of the front panel. We were careful to play at the same level with exactly same placement of the studio's Shure SM-57.