Need help with a VOX amp!!

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 6:52 am

Hey all...

I have the opportunity to purchase this Vox amp locally.....The guy had a '60s Gibson LP and a '60s Fender Reverbolux? head along with this at one time...long since sold...so I believe this is a '60's Vox cab....

Can anyone here help me ID it and give me some price to go by?? Thanks in advance!!

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 8:55 am

It looks like an old JMI-era Vox AC50 speaker cabinet. I'd estimate it to be '64-'66. The separate V-O-X lettering tells me it's old and British. Those letters are expensive to replace if lost or damaged. The speakers, handles, and wheels are not original. The bottom rear panel appears to be missing. Is there a Goodman horn located between the speakers? There should be. I think reproductions can be bought new from Northcoast Music. I'd check them out before I paid too much for this piece. Looks kinda beat to this Vox collector.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 9:14 am

Chris - I may have made a mistake identifying this cabinet. I'll check out my references when I get home tonight and verify or alter my previous posting. I would hate to mislead you, because I don't appreciate it when "experts" guess about stuff like this. I've got a bunch of resources I can look at. I'll get you an accurate ID on it.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 9:20 am

Thanks Randy! Yes, there is the Goodman horn between the speakers....It's very dirty, but it's not torn up...my brother just bought a guitar, amp head and this cab from a gentleman that's owned them since , he said, "the 60's". He sold the guitar and head and was thinking I could use the cab for bass perhaps....

I am not well versed on Vox....is this a guitar or bass cab? I'm assuming it's a guitar cab.....

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 9:21 am

Thanks Randy! I do appreciate it....

rob · Post by **rob** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:26 am

Those are some really huge magnets on the backs of those speakers.

How much is the guy asking for it? Or is he letting you name a price?

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:41 am

It's my brothers.....he got it in a "deal" where he got an old Gibson guitar and an old Fender amp head, which he's already sold.....he thought I might like it for a bass cab.....

Yeah, those magnets are bigger than the 50 ouncers I put in my Cybertwin!! lol!!

I'll get it cheap if I get it....

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 1:39 pm

Chris- I need to stop doubting myself. I was correct. It's a speaker cabinet from an AC50 Super Twin. The AC50 was a 50W tube British-built amp. There were two types and this one is known as the 'Big Box' version. These amps were also known as a "Royal Guardsman", not to be confused with the solid state model of the same name built later in the USA. The Beatles used the 'Small Box' units in their well-documented Washington DC concerts. The cabinet should measure approximately 33"x22"x11.5". They came originally with 2 x 12" speakers and a Goodman horn. The replacement handle is in the same position as the original type. Most of these units were sold with an optional tilt/roll chrome "trolley". The logo is the rarer type with three individual letters. I can't tell what color the grille cloth is in the picture. Brown cloth was used up through 1964. In 1965 the background of the cloth changed to black. Most of these units were built between 1964 and 1966. Northcoast Music has reproduction cabinets like this available for $395 without horns or speakers. I'm not very familiar with the back of the cabinet, but yours looks like it was a closed back type (with one panel missing) for use with a bass guitar. Most Vox guitar cabinets have an open back. I don't know how important this is. I've used both types with guitars from time to time. I don't know what it's worth since it's slightly rough and the original speakers are gone. Cheers!

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:21 pm

Thanks Randy! I'm going to go ahead and get it. It is indeed those dimensions you've posted. The cloth is the brown type according to my brother....so it is around '64ish....
Since this is vintage, I'll try to get it "original" looking , but usable in today's world....

Thanks for the info, much appreciated!!

ken_j · Post by **ken_j** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 3:33 am

Chris, Am I reading Electro Voice on those speakers? They appear to have covers on the magnet structures as the old JBL's with Alnico V's did.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 5:20 am

Chris if you are going to use it for bass I would seal it somehow, if not, flabby sound and possibly goodbye speakers.
They look like EV speakers to me.

jps · Post by **jps** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:49 pm

I too, thought they looked like EV SROs.

glen_l · Post by **glen_l** » Tue Dec 28, 2004 10:54 pm

If it has brown cloth it would most likely have been a '64 AC50 open backed speaker cab. Black cloth started appearing in mid '64 but there appears to have been concurrency due to the different contractors making the cabs for JMI. I have a trap head '64 AC30ST with black diamond cloth and seperate lettered logo on the cab.

The top section of the rear panels is still in place, showing that it was on open backed cab. The original audio connector still appears to be there. It would likely have had a pair of Oyster grey Buldog speakers, with a 4uF capacitor to cut low frequencies, leading to the Midax horn.

This is actually very close to a Washington Cab. It's from the same period, has the same size cabinet, and same speaker lineup. The AC30 style margined area & logo on the baffle face, and the two piece rear panel are the only differences.

A good find...

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 5:00 am

Glen,

I've had a trap head AC30 'Super Twin Reverb' since about 1980. It has black cloth, so I've always assumed that it was a '65. It's a neat amp because it's a top boost with the little add-on reverb panel in the back of the head. It has the single button pedal, gray Vox speakers and the individual VOX lettering on the speaker cabinet. Unfortunately the back of the speaker cabinet is missing so I don't know what it looked like. The rest of the head, speaker, and trolley are near mint. I found this thing sitting in the back room of a tiny music store in Lubbock, Texas. It had been returned by a customer in '65 and still had the original dust cover on the head. I took it in for servicing and new tubes. The shop said it was the cleanest old Vox amp they had ever seen. All they found were a few loose connections to repair. I'm keeping this one!

Randy

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 6:30 am

Thanks for the info guys!! This is an exciting find!!

Glen, it does have the original brown cloth!!

Nice find for you too, Randy!!

This is great news!