Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Brian May's on-stage setup currently has three banks of three AC30s (used to be three banks of four before he went to digital effects). Only one bank is used -- the other two are backups. Triple redundancy, like the space shuttle systems. Of course, this is not necessarily because AC30s are prone to ...

Greg,

If you'd rather see exactly what's going on, Vox has circuit diagrams available on their web site - www.voxamps.co.uk - in the "support" area.

Greg,

I don't know what was used in the Marshalls, but the MV used in the AC30CC (and the HW and the 90's-era AC15-TB) is in the Phase Inverter stage. It's actually a modification of the Cut control. The Phase Inverter takes the signal, splits it in two, and flips one of the two signals 180 ...

Peter,

The rectifier and its interaction with the standby switch is one of the issues that was addressed with the new CC design. Once again, I'll try to dig up some info...

Greg,

FWIW, reliability of the new amps has been brought up on a couple of other boards I frequent. There have been some issues with preamp tubes, but Vox covers preamp tubes under warrantee for the first 90 days and direct email addresses are available to the folks at KorgUSA if there are any ...

Peter,

I guess what I'm getting at is the initial exchange on this thread. You posted, "Charlie: Perhaps it is too early to make an informed opinion on Vox amplifiers made in China. Nonetheless, I am curious what you may have seen on the bench or heard about the tonality and quality control of ...

Okay, here is some of what Steve said, culled from a couple of posts on VoxTalks:

-------------------

Just to give you guys a bit more in-sight on the detail of the new design: -

Carbon Film resistors in the right places of the signal chain.

Axial Polyester capacitors.

Both ...

The chassis design is very much like the vintage JMI design. It's an L-shaped chassis that sits on a wooden slide-in shelf. The problems people were having working on the amp (and replacing tubes, etc) were due to the fact that, just like JMI AC30s, the speakers are hard-wired to the chassis ...

Well, Greg, FWIW, the same guy (Steve Grindrod) designed both the UK-made Korg/Vox AC30 and the new Chinese-made AC30CC amps. I love my AC30-TBXP, but I think it's fair to say that those amps had their share of issues. I know that Steve has addressed many of those issues with the design of the new ...

Charlie,

Sorry to be sounding like I'm pinning you down, here, but I want to make sure of this. I honestly couldn't tell from your reply. So...

Have you seen, in person, the insides of a Chinese-made Vox AC30CC? Have you seen the insides of the 90's UK-made AC30-TB amps?

Charlie,

Just checking... have you actually had one of the AC30CCs on your bench, or are you just guessing at the quality?

Ahhh, that must be where Rick Nielsen got the idea for that monster he plays during "Surrender". Damn thing weighs a ton...

Dane, if that sort of thing is painful, you might want to check with a doctor...

That's my opinion, too, Howard. New until first sold, whatever the condition.

Kenny,

For some reason, I didn't know you bought that guitar the day after the drinking contest. That musta been one helluva road trip.