Vox AC30 - what have I been missing!

rsvmark · December 2016

A couple of days ago, I went to a small local recording studio with my neighbour who runs the place. The point of the trip was to try out his Mesa Lonestar special. While the Lonestar was lovely for clean, I struggled to get a dirty sound I liked.

i spotted a battered old AC30 in the corner and as I have never had a blast on one, we set it up. Holy shit- it was epic. Fair play we ran it at proper loud level and my God was this thing nice. Straight forward, jumped channels, and my CS strat was just wonderful. And that was the start. Next we hooked up my pedals and then it really started to sing.

I had had a little tc mini spark booster at about 11 o'clock and that just tipped it into crunchy and a soul food on top for dirt. So I had a couple of lasting impressions:

It is fecking loud

When digging in the natural valve compression is luuuuuverly and you almost don't need a separate compressor for funky clean stuff

The detail is superb- but your playing has to be good. Any mistakes/sloppy playing is audible

It responds really nicely to dynamics and clean/soft playing

It is fecking loud

The base sound / tone is just lovely- just my thing

It's quite big and heavy so probably a bit gig unfriendly by modern standards

This particular one didn't have an fx loop or MV but didn't seem to suffer

Superb fun. All I need is a roadie and bigger gigs!

Dodge · December 2016

Best amp ever for me. I've been around the houses with amps, boutique loveliness included and I'm back with two 60's AC30's and I'm done.

ICBM · December 2016

The bad news is that you will not get that sound in a smaller, lighter or quieter package. You might get into the same ballpark, but a cranked AC30 with two Blues or Greenbacks will always be better - it's harder to replicate at lower volume than most of the other classic amps in my opinion.

Dodge · December 2016

ICBM said:

The bad news is that you will not get that sound in a smaller, lighter or quieter package. You might get into the same ballpark, but a cranked AC30 with two Blues or Greenbacks will always be better - it's harder to replicate at lower volume than most of the other classic amps in my opinion.

Wisdom there. There's something about the slightly underbuilt cabs, the world's greatest loudspeaker and that circuit that contributes to the tone.

They do respond well to simple resistive attenuators too, as long as you're not expecting bedroom volumes.

Cacofonix · December 2016

What about the Matchlesses and the Bad cats, and the Top Hats? Been Gassing for a boxy thing for absolutely ages. Probably never happen now. Simply no room left for a new amp.

hotpickups · December 2016

Heavy though?

IvisonGuitars · December 2016

hotpickups said:

Heavy though?

Not too heavy, it's the backup amp and fire extinguisher you need to also carry that makes up the weight.... ;-)

ICBM · December 2016

hotpickups said:

Heavy though?

Yes, slightly heavier than a Fender Twin (other than a late-SF 135W version and/or one with JBLs), and although they have end handles they're not in the most useful place for carrying between two people, it's still a bit of an awkward lift.

One thing that's really surprising about them - and why smaller amps don't sound as good - is the amount of bottom-end they have, even with the Blue speakers. I recently A/B'd one with my Mesa Trem-o-verb - which is basically a Dual Rectifier combo, so has tons - and the AC30 had *more*. But not boomy or overpowering, just really full-sounding.

Dodge · December 2016

Cacofonix said:

What about the Matchlesses and the Bad cats, and the Top Hats? Been Gassing for a boxy thing for absolutely ages. Probably never happen now. Simply no room left for a new amp.

Never owned a Top Hat, but the Matchless DC30 and Bad Cat equivalent are in the same tonal area but they're not the same as a good AC30.

Not worse, not better just different.

IvisonGuitars · December 2016

Dodge said:

Cacofonix said:

What about the Matchlesses and the Bad cats, and the Top Hats? Been Gassing for a boxy thing for absolutely ages. Probably never happen now. Simply no room left for a new amp.

Never owned a Top Hat, but the Matchless DC30 and Bad Cat equivalent are in the same tonal area but they're not the same as a good AC30.

Not worse, not better just different.

I had - and foolishly sold - a Top Hat King Royale 2x12 which, IMO, was an incredible vintage Vox clone. Not as 3D and swirly as the DC30 or Black Cat, just a straight up versatile, vintage Vox. Would love to get it back. Sold it in a moment of madness.

rsvmark · December 2016

ICBM said:

The bad news is that you will not get that sound in a smaller, lighter or quieter package. You might get into the same ballpark, but a cranked AC30 with two Blues or Greenbacks will always be better - it's harder to replicate at lower volume than most of the other classic amps in my opinion.

Iirc this had vox branded speakers in. They may be one and the same? If it's better with blue or greenbacks then that must be just superb cranked up

ICBM · December 2016

If they were Vox-labeled silver-coloured speakers with a large domed magnet they're essentially the same as Blues. These were the standard speakers used from the mid 60s up to the mid 70s.

rsvmark · December 2016

ICBM said:

If they were Vox-labeled silver-coloured speakers with a large domed magnet they're essentially the same as Blues. These were the standard speakers used from the mid 60s up to the mid 70s.

Ah ok. Is there much difference between blues and greens?

ICBM · December 2016

rsvmark said:

Ah ok. Is there much difference between blues and greens?

Yes, although both sound good in different ways. Blues are louder, looser and more 'chimey' sounding, Greenbacks are tighter, dirtier-sounding and crunchier.

GavRichList · December 2016

I have the AC30CCH as my "lighter alternative" to my twin... and it weighs a bloody tonne for a head!

rsvmark · December 2016

GavRichList said:

I have the AC30CCH as my "lighter alternative" to my twin... and it weighs a bloody tonne for a head!

Blimey! Heads heavy as well? The 2x12 combo was hernia inducing!

GavRichList · December 2016

rsvmark said:

GavRichList said:

I have the AC30CCH as my "lighter alternative" to my twin... and it weighs a bloody tonne for a head!

Blimey! Heads heavy as well? The 2x12 combo was hernia inducing!

Absolutely, and I'm a man used to a heavy amp (Blackstar artisan 30 and fender twin my main gigging Amps for years). Thankfully it sounds superb - bought it just as a backup really, but it had second thoughts it seems; every time I use it I love it.

rsvmark · December 2016

GavRichList said:

rsvmark said:

GavRichList said:

I have the AC30CCH as my "lighter alternative" to my twin... and it weighs a bloody tonne for a head!

Blimey! Heads heavy as well? The 2x12 combo was hernia inducing!

Absolutely, and I'm a man used to a heavy amp (Blackstar artisan 30 and fender twin my main gigging Amps for years). Thankfully it sounds superb - bought it just as a backup really, but it had second thoughts it seems; every time I use it I love it.

I can understand why. Superb sound

Voxman · December 2016

Had a 1974 AC30 top boost in my younger playing days - 6 input, tremolo but no reverb, honestly don't know what the speakers were - they were silver coloured and I always thought they were a variation of a Greenback but maybe as ICBM said its possible they could have been Alnico's. In those days I knew nothing about amps/speakers and bought it second-hand. It was darned loud and weighed a ton, and it had no M/V control so wasn't great for home playing. Traded a Fender 2x12 Silverface for it I think, and subsequently traded the AC30 for a Marshall Plexi head & cab.

impmann · January 2017

I've own several early 60s AC30s - they sound incredible, but aren't great bedroom amps! They do weigh a ton too.
But *nothing* sounds like a proper AC30.

Gassage · January 2017

AC30's are amazing things. The break up is seminal.

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Vox AC30 - what have I been missing!

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