Looking for: Vox AC30 Combo

Discussion in 'Guitar Gear Talk Forum' started by Angellica, Jun 23, 2010.

  1. Angellica

    Angellica New Member

    Hi, I have a Mesa Boogie Triple Recto. I want to get some more classic tones so am looking to pick up a used AC30. If you know anyone who's selling, please let me know.

    Cheers,
    Angellica
     
  2. D_minor7

    D_minor7 New Member

    In India???....Best of luck...
     
  3. ultrabot90

    ultrabot90 Like fishes need bicycles

  4. shailm

    shailm New Member

    bajaao.com sells new ac30s. If budget is an issue and you dont need all 30 watts, the ac15 that bajaao sells would be a good alternative. It will get you in the same tonal range as the ac30.
    If you are not a gigging musicians i suggest the Vox AC4TV, tonally has the Vox "chime", and has the ability to get true tube distortion at bedroom volumes. At 5watts might work for gigs that dont involve a drummer, or you could mic it.
     
  5. flood

    flood New Member

    the ac15, ac30 and ac4tv are all completely different amplifiers.

    i doubt the 5w pup will help a guy who wants to make a shift from a triple rec...

    the AC30 at bajaao doesn't really sound like a vintage AC30. the AC30CC would be a better choice. the other thing about the one at bajaao is that it has "greenbacks" in it - definitely need to get rid of those and put alnico blues or golds or WGS alnicos in there.

    that being said, the price at bajaao seems all right. and it's not a bad amp either. i'd probably want to put down the extra bucks and get a vintage repro kit built, or pick up the HW series and get it shipped down.

    FWIW, the original AC30 is one of my favorite amplifiers and i'll probably want to buy one someday myself. or build it from a high quality repro kit.
     
  6. shailm

    shailm New Member

    well nowhere does the OP mention that he/she wants to make a shift , so if its just for added "flavour" a 5W amp might satisfy the appetite.

    What does sound like a vintage AC30 besides a vintage AC30 or a "boutique" clone?( both might end up being as expensive and nearly impossible to find in this country). From what I understand the HW version doesnt get that close to the originals either. Also i dont seem to see any of the handwired ones out there (except the head at musiciansfriend), you might have to resort to ebay.
     
  7. unet

    unet New Member

    The AC4TB is a piece of crap.
    Fact.

    It sounds horrible and nowhere close to what you'd want or get out of an AC30.
    It's all mushy and the tone control doesnt help.
     
  8. flood

    flood New Member

    aha! back in this cesspit, i see?

    trivia: the vox AC4TB is a rethinking of an old vox model that sounded quite crap. the difference was that the old vox model, like the original fender champ model, had a pentode input preamp. this was replaced by a 2-stage 12AX7 preamp later. didn't seem to help.

    perhaps a speaker upgrade could help, but i wouldn't really bother with that.

    i like the 5W amps i've built which have an extra tube as a cathode follower. they add more compression for sure but i like that.
     
  9. ultrabot90

    ultrabot90 Like fishes need bicycles

    Why the heck does that amp get rave reviews on every site I've seen except for IGT? o_O

    (Have I been seeing the wrong reviews? Point me.)
     
  10. flood

    flood New Member

    i guess it suits some genres well. i can imagine it working welll for slide, blues and lapsteel players. dime it and go. also, these amps are very dynamic. works better for some. i've never played the vox though, only a couple of other amps with a similar topology.
     
  11. vaibhav.mittal

    vaibhav.mittal New Member

    Vox AC30 for Sale

    Hi

    I have Vox AC30 Handwired Heritage Head - 50th anniversary edition, This amp has original circuitry which includes a Top boost channel and a EF86 based channel, Dial in any tone and you will get rich Creamy distortion!
    Check out its videos onlilne on YT and read rave reviews everywhere.
    I'm based out of Punjab and a hobbyist musician.

    Contact me on er.v.mittal@gmail.com for details.

    Regards
    Vaibhav Mittal
    Youtube user ID: Vaibhav8584
     
  12. shailm

    shailm New Member

    I love the Vox AC4tv!! It is the best small amp for the cash and wattage(ive tried the champ, epi valve jr). I agree the tone control doesnt do shit when clean , but it does make a difference when distorted. Distorted it gets almost fuzzy and saturated. only issue is that headroom with humbuckers sucks (even low output ones). but i still love this amp.
    tone is subjective i guess, but show me a better amp(keeping price and wattage in mind)?
     
  13. gamebore

    gamebore New Member

    ummm... laney cub 10, and cub 12 maybe!! :-S
     
  14. unet

    unet New Member

    +1

    These are some niiiice amps.
     
  15. flood

    flood New Member

    i think this is something i didn't like about the amps i played (valve junior and peavey royal 8). the cleans - whatever little they had - were quite nice, and the area before breakup was pretty cool though. when everything was maxed, however, it just had the kind of fuzzy breakup that i wasn't looking for - i like a creamy breakup, and the cathode follower seems to work wonders in this case. fuzz i love, but only before the amp :)

    shail, did you get my PM?
     
  16. shailm

    shailm New Member

    Yes i did, and just replied.
    I personally dont mind the fuzzy break up.kinda compressedish too. but my favorite is when just breaking up(but thats my favorite with any sort of tube amp). I just wish the damned tone control worked better!
     
  17. shailm

    shailm New Member

    also for some reason the thing doesnt like muffs when the amp itself is breaking up, gets all boomy, nor does it like the keeley Ge sd1 that much, but loves the fuzz factory. lets hope it has no issues with a fuzz face.
     
  18. flood

    flood New Member

    the thing about muffs is that you simply can't use them with low-power amps. there's a LOT of output on a muff, they cause saturation far too early. the bass content is also bloody high... my germ muff sounds horrible through my 5W amp, but great with the 2061x.
     

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