VOX AC-30...which is the better to get?

[paologregorio]

And it's purple!

Or maybe Kenny; I don't know if he has one in purple, but he collects them in every color.

Jerry is aware that I have an interest in his purple AC30. Right, Jerry?

I knew it!!

While you're at it Kenny, you should probably get one in the new white tolex.
After that, you'll need to shoot a video or play a huge venue that will allow you to stack your entire colorful collection together behind you on stage, Brian May style.

[shamustwin]

Oh, yes sir, Mr. Kenny!

[kennyhowes]

Now this is just getting silly.

[johnallg]

Now this is just getting silly.

Which we obviously do best around here.

[36012c63]

Doggone you, Jake! It's all your fault! You got me looking at the VOX AC30H2 amps. I sold my beautiful tweed Fender '57 Twin amp and ordered one of these. I got a cream-colored combo from Gary at North Coast Music. Same price at any other place, but here's why I ordered from Gary. Free shipping..........these are really heavy at 75 lb., and Gary takes your amp out of the box and burns it in, checking for problems before he ships it out to you. He also carries covers and I think, VOX stands for these. Four good reasons.
These amps are simply major eye-candy to look at. Best looking amp I've ever owned. But, does the prettiness hide something underneath? Not in this case. My favorite channel is the EF86 channel. Tasty breakup early on for those with humbucking pickups, and warm crunchiness for singlecoils. This is the 1958 sound of VOX. The other channel is 1963 all over again. For me......best sounding amp I've ever owned.
Thanks gain, Jake, you're my pal for life!

MMMM, mmmmm!

[paologregorio]

I picked one up earlier this week as well. It's pretty sweet. I opened it up; it's hand wired-I can see all of the components wired it. What's weird is the location of the preamp tubes, which are locatecd on the opposite side of the chassis from where every other AC30 I've ever opened up has had them. They're immediately behind the upper rear panel cover-very strange. A nice feature is that the speakers are not hard wired to the chassis-they unplug via a jack for easy removal of the chassis for servicing and tube replacement.

The EF 86 Channel is pretty cool; a little more beefy with the brilliance switch in the off position. I've fiddled around with the pentode and triode a bit. At lower volumes, pentode is the way to go, haven't played at higher volumes, so I haven't messed with the triode mode much, but is sounds too thin at low volume, which makes sense. I will probably use the TB channel most of the time. I haven't gigged or rehearsed with the amp yet, so I haven't used it at stage volume. It's pretty cool so far though. Sounds like an AC 30!

[JakeK]

Steve and Paul...glad I could help out...I guess.

I'm hoping to get one of these sooner rather than later along with the 1997. I have a feeling that they're going to be the best guitar/amp combo a boy could have.

[lennon211]

I pulled my AC-30 HW out of storage at my parents' tonight and I have to say that I absolutely missed the sounds of it. The tones sparkle when needed and can get very dirty too. I'm playing a gig Friday night and was practicing with a Fender Esquire...needless to say that I digressed a bit by pulling out the Vox Tonebender to run through some Yardbirds material.

[paologregorio]

Steve and Paul...glad I could help out...I guess.

I'm hoping to get one of these sooner rather than later along with the 1997. I have a feeling that they're going to be the best guitar/amp combo a boy could have.

I had planned on getting one of the HWs sooner or later, but a new scratch and dent model fell into my lap at a price less than half of retail, so I couldn't refuse.

Unlike some of the other forumites, I love each of my different AC 30s, including the CC2X, which is a super cool amp. I think the CC2Xs rip, especially after the tubes are changed out. It also helps if one reads the manual and hits the "vintage smoothing" switch.

The HW is a pretty cool as well though; the nice thing about this it is that the controls are relatively simple. The only thing one has to fiddle with is are the pentode/triode switches, and the bass shift" switch-easy; the rest are just volume, treble, bass, and tone cut on the TB channel, and volume and "brilliance" on the EF86 channel-SIMPLE! It was difficult for me to refrain from cranking the amp while playing through it in my bedroom yesterday morning, but I really didn't want to awaken the rest of the house, or scare the hell out of my cats, who were both lounging fast asleep atop the bed.

[JakeK]

Lemme ask you this, Paul: How can you get the Townshend style feedback from a Vox HW?

[paologregorio]

Lemme ask you this, Paul: How can you get the Townshend style feedback from a Vox HW?

The same way as I mentioned earlier-the controls are the same at the heart of it;volume, treble, base, tone cut, at least on the TB channel. Start with the settings I mentioned before, play with the volume, then tweak the adjustments to the other controls, especially the tone cut control. The adjustments you make or how you set the controls will probably vary by room. I usually use a distortion pedal or two in my signal path so it's even easier, but you can get the guitar and amp to do it as well. I had mine singing last night. Boy, it's rough waking up early on a Monday morning after a Sunday night show.

On the EF 86 channel it's going to be even easier; volume and use of the brilliance switch, and flipping the bass shift switch to what pleases your ear or gets the job done more easily.

I can pipe in a bit more after Tuesday; I'll have a chance to use it at stage volume; I probably won't be using the EF86 channel though.

[sloop_john_b]

Lemme ask you this, Paul: How can you get the Townshend style feedback from a Vox HW?

Not hard with a hollowbody guitar. Just stand in front and crank it.

[kennyhowes]

Lemme ask you this, Paul: How can you get the Townshend style feedback from a Vox HW?

Not hard with a hollowbody guitar. Just stand in front and crank it.

+1!!!

[tennis_nick]

Lemme ask you this, Paul: How can you get the Townshend style feedback from a Vox HW?

Not hard with a hollowbody guitar. Just stand in front and crank it.

+1!!!

At playing levels, I can get a great feedback tone out of a cranked 15 watt Fender and a Gibson SG... Feedback isn't rocket science. Volume +position = Feedback

[libratune]

Anyone have any experience with the AC-30 BM (Brian May Sig model)? It's handwired and has Alnico Blues. Although no longer in production, there's some good deals to be had price-wise.