Vox AC30

MrBump

Anyone have a modern AC30?  Any thoughts on them?  I've been giving them a serious listen and I think that they might suit.  Are they Chinese made these days?  I guess the AC30C2 is the most recent incarnation?

darthed1981

A chap in my local guitar shop told me the Vox amps are manufactured in one of Marshall's factories these days!

A little off-topic, but I have one of the little AC30 Amplug headphone amps, and it's great fun.

siraxeman

darthed1981 said:

A chap in my local guitar shop told me the Vox amps are manufactured in one of Marshall's factories these days!

that was true about 10yrs ago! The C2's and the CC2 before it are made in China. The Handwired series HW2/HW2X are made in Vietnam. I've got a HW2X, had a C2 before it. Both seemed good.

Before those 2 I did have a AC30/6TB and a AC30TBX - both made in the Marshall factory in Milton Keynes. The newer ones are brighter sounding at least on the normal channel....the AC30/6TB's are VERY dark sounding on the normal channel....I mean jazz type dull. I remember with my TBX (wish I still had it!) that with my PRS plugged straight into the normal channel and neck bucker selected - it was very much a jazzy tone. With a treble booster into it and floored the amp with a RS guitar sounds instant Brian May tone. The newer Chinese/Vietnam ones need a bit of cut engaging to roll off a bit of the brightness otherwise they're a bit harsh with a treble booster..

uncledick

Are you sure you need a 30?  I'm loving my AC15C1X and it goes pretty loud!  Nicely made too.  Not sure that it's a rock amp but it suits my needs in an indie / covers band nicely.

voxmanjohn

If you can get a CC2 over the C2 DO IT!

I have owned both. Both very different but the CC2 just had the vintage vox thing going on. The C2, i have read that they have some overdrive circuit in them - if that makes sense! They sound very modern and a lot more gain on them than the CC2 where as the CC2 has that classic top boost sparkly driven tone when plugged in to that channel. I sold my C2 and kept the CC2.

ICBM

voxmanjohn said:

If you can get a CC2 over the C2 DO IT!

I have owned both. Both very different but the CC2 just had the vintage vox thing going on. The C2, i have read that they have some overdrive circuit in them - if that makes sense! They sound very modern and a lot more gain on them than the CC2 where as the CC2 has that classic top boost sparkly driven tone when plugged in to that channel. I sold my C2 and kept the CC2.

There's no extra overdrive circuit in the C series, but I completely agree that it does have more gain and a much tighter, less Voxy sound. Partly down to the lack of a valve rectifier, but there some other differences too.

I much prefer the CC series as well. It doesn't sound exactly like a vintage AC30, but it's much closer - I just felt the C sounded a bit flat and characterless by comparison.

DJH83004

I can only comment from a design / build perspective, but agree totally with previous posts, the CC2 is the one to have, they are a bit hard on rectifier valves in my experience, so suggest fitting a new JJ as a matter of course.  

ICBM

The problem is that the standby switch is in the wrong place in the circuit - which seems to be a common fault with modern amps - so it stresses the rectifier valve when you switch from standby to fully on. It's actually better for the rectifier (although slightly worse for the power valves) just to not use the switch.

Unfortunately modding the amp to put the switch in the right place isn't easy.

DJH83004

Totally agree, with ICBM, but not a deal breaker, just leave the switch on and pretend it doesn't exist (there are a lot of differing views on standby switches - Google Merlin Blencowe's take on it). Hope you have a strong back mind - they are heavy beasts  

Modulus_Amps

siraxeman said:

darthed1981 said:

A chap in my local guitar shop told me the Vox amps are manufactured in one of Marshall's factories these days!

that was true about 10yrs ago! The C2's and the CC2 before it are made in China. The Handwired series HW2/HW2X are made in Vietnam. I've got a HW2X, had a C2 before it. Both seemed good.

I think that was actually in the 90's, anyway that's what I recall Dagnall telling me as they made the transformers for that batch.

MrBump

Thanks, guys. Are the CC models still in production? The names are a little confusing... So many proper words available, why use code?

Cirrus

No, CC was discontinued and replaced by C in 2010

MrBump

Ok, Ta.

Voxman

If you want Alnico Blue speakers, those in the Custom Classic are made in China with the Vox label. However, the cone paper and laqueur are different to those in UK Celestions. The new AC30C2X has chinese made blues but made with the UK type cone paper.  Both sound good but they are different...I prefer the blues with the uk type cone paper.