Which AC30 to buy...?

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Is there a reason why you can't use your vintage AC-30 with an attenuator at home?
    I would be careful with using an attenuator with a vintage AC30 - the output transformers aren't the most robust, and anything that puts more strain on it than normal - even though it's also under a fair bit when it's cranked into the speakers - is probably a bad idea.

    Modern ones, no problem.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • JohnPerryJohnPerry Frets: 1616
    Tech 21 Liverpool. Still can't quite believe how great this pedal is, especially having owned other Vox-in-a-boxes

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  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
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  • EdGripEdGrip Frets: 736
    I miss my AC30. I loved the clean sound at home volume for noodling around on. It was a CC head. Once you took it out of the chassis and replaced all the toffee-headed screws, you could see that it was actually a nicely made amp. At the time, they were raved about - I'm rather surprised to hear that the wider forum intelligentsia may have turned on them.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited February 2014
    I haven't - in fact, I like them more than I did at first when they seemed to blow valves every five minutes (rectifiers and V2 preamp valves until they changed the stock type of them) and they not only had crappy soft screws holding the chassis in, you had to unsolder the speaker wiring to get it out! (I'm not kidding.) And they improved the Blue speakers as already mentioned.

    The other thing that made me like them better is the C series ;).

    I still don't think they sound quite as good as a nice old one or a TBX reissue, but they do also have many other useful features, so it comes down to priorities.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • EdGripEdGrip Frets: 736
    That reminds me - one big plus of of the CCs - a rectifier socket! You're free to pop a SS rectifier in if you want, but you have the option to experiment. Not so the C series.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    There are many more better features on the CCs than the Cs - to me, the C series is just a cheapened version of the CC in too many ways, both feature-wise and quality, and misses the point of making a modern AC30 that's more flexible than an old one to a large extent.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mike257mike257 Frets: 374
    My Genz Benz Black Pearl 30 is pretty damn AC30ish, sounds great and can drop to two tubes for 15w operation and then from pentode to triode for 8w.  It doesn't sound quite the same scaled down as it does at full tilt, but it sounds damn good.  Worth a look if you find one but they're not manufactured any more and don't come up that often on the used market.
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    edited February 2014
    I think if you want an ac30 but with more modern on board gain and a bit more flexibility, the Black Pearl is awesome, really a great amp. Side by side with the hw, the hw just has an extra something, depth, clarity and character, when just comparing their clean sounds or boosting with pedals. But then you turn up that on board boost and the black pearl goes somewhere the vox won't follow.
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  • I had no cash when the Black Pearls came down in prices. I really would have gone for one if I'd been able to.
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  • siraxemansiraxeman Frets: 1935
    edited March 2014
    I'm loving the sound of my rig lately...AC30HW2X on top boost channel...just dailed in a slightly gritting up sound when you dig in....and just use my Visual Sound Jekyll n:Hide for OD and filth...TS side gain on full is my basic rhythm tone..also have a DSL 50 2x12 underneath that for a nice 2 amp setup....absolutely loving the sounds that rig is puttting out at band volumes. My AC30 isn't even 'that loud' but with the 2 amps and pedals and all the feedback I could ever want I just wallow in its sound. Lovely jubbly. :)
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