AC 30 questions - FAQ

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:32 pm

Most people over 30yrs know that the Vox AC 30 is a very desirable amp with a tone which is loved worldwide.

However, most of those who do not own such a beauty look in total disdain upon its puny 30W+ output. Even taking on board that it is a full valve amp - 30W is pretty damn low (esp for around $3,500 new price)

In these days where only a few brave/misguided musos would venture on stage with anything less than 100W guitar amps, how would you Vox afficiandos describe the AC30's ability to foot it in a band situation?

Note - this thread could become a FAQ for this amp is used correctly.

philipnz · Post by **philipnz** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:59 pm

I used an AC-30 reissue for a year and now using a Matchless which is pretty much the same.

If you want to run clean then the most volume you can run it at is about 3 (Scale 1 to 10). Thats loud enough for small to medium clubs. Any louder than that if you want to play clean you are going to have to mic. I run with the volume at 5 which gives it a grit, its not going to sound clean but if you back off the guitar volume, ease off the pick attack and use both pickups (LP) its not too bad. Punch it hard for a gritty rhythm. If you want to run it cranked then its WAY loud. But then you have no clean ability at all.

philipnz · Post by **philipnz** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 1:01 pm

It almost creates a whole new thread on what is needed to gig with. I dont see a need for half and full stacks and 100 watt heads in any pub gig. Even most of the touring bands I have seen lately have used small combo's. Stacks are for stadiums and for show.

Bluesbird · Post by **Bluesbird** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 4:33 pm

30W is plenty in my opinion. For larger gigs you can mic it, or use a stack and strip the paint off the nearby walls and take the enamel off the teeth of the patrons in the front row.

My amp, while not an AC30, it shares some design similarities (EL84/6BQ5), but is slightly lower powered at 20W. I find it has plenty of clean head-room for my needs. This obviously depends on the guitar you're using, and specifically the pickups. Even with humbuckers, my amp stays clean with more than enough volume (set to about 1/3). To get natural tube overdrive, I have to turn the amp up (to around 1/2 for nice mild, smooth overdrive) and my guitar down to keep the volume manageable.

Polar Bear · Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:26 pm

I don't know what it is about the AC30 but those 30watts are enough to kill children. It's loudre than my 100 watt Holden through a 4x12. go figure. Mine has the Celestion Blues in it as well, as opposed to my 4x12 whihc has Celestion reds.
Anyway I can't really stand in the same room as it when I have it running at absolute full gainand I ahve pretty hardy ears.

Richy11 · Post by **Richy11** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:00 pm

[quote="Polar Bear"]I don't know what it is about the AC30 but those 30watts are enough to kill children.quote]

Have you tried this?

Polar Bear · Post by **Polar Bear** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:10 pm

should I be talking about this further here?? Maybe not...

porkpie · Post by **porkpie** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:26 pm

30 watts is more than enuff with an AC30, ive found that anything above about 6 on the volume knob on the normal low gain input is more than enuff to keep up with anything a drummer can do, if its mic'd up through the PA then who cares, 100 watt amps are a waste of time, theres no venue in NZ that requires that kind of power from a valve amp.
The AC30 has a hell of alot of clean headroom, my amp has to be cranked upto about 8 with my gat plugged into the high gain input for it to crunch up, its a fantastic noise but you cant stand it for long.
My amp has the top boost factory added on the back panel but i never use the top boost channel, its far too bright for my taste.

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:04 am

I've heard the top boost model is the most sought after variation.

porkpie · Post by **porkpie** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:40 am

DrRog wrote:I've heard the top boost model is the most sought after variation.

your not wrong there, the reissue AC30 sounds very different to my amp, all the original AC30s had their own voice, just like early marshalls, when they switched from hand wired tag boards to PCPs they lost alot of character, my particular top boost sounds very very bright and it adds a huge amount of power to the signal so i can overdrive my amp with the volume on about 4 but its extremely loud, its not for me, i prefer the darker more bluesy feel of the normal channel.

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:57 am

When did they change for p2p to pcb?
Worth knowing in case I ever find a bargain...

philipnz · Post by **philipnz** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:05 am

All of the Korg reissues are PCB. They started making them about 1991 I think. There was recently a limited run of hand wired ones but these are very expensive $US3000+. There are still a few in some stores in America and the odd one on ebay. They differ from a normal AC30 in that they only have one channel (the top boosted channel) and they have reverb and tremolo. 110 volts only I think.

porkpie · Post by **porkpie** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:08 am

i think most of the 70s AC30s' are PCBs arnt they? I know marshall switched in '73-'74.

philipnz · Post by **philipnz** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 4:08 pm

Yes, I think Vox went to PCB under the Rose Morris Era from the 70's to early 90's. There were also models in that time with reverb, some with solid state and mostly solid state rectifiers. Rose Morris era AC-30's are somewhat looked down on.
The Korg reissues are pretty close, a bit dodgy reliability wise (read the Harmony Central reviews), they get a fair way towards "the" sound whatever "the" is.

Hot_Grits · Post by **Hot_Grits** » Wed Feb 16, 2005 3:26 pm

AC30s are great amps, IF they're meticulously maintained by a good technician.

I've seen more AC30s fall over at gigs than any other amp, and finding one that has been well looked after in NZ, where good techs and knowledgeable owners are thin on the ground, can be a tricky process.

As for wattage and headroom, depends on the task. If you want clean tone and play with a loud drummer or in a large band, the AC may not quite have the clean headroom you need. If you prefer a bit of grit to your sound, the AC will do very nicely. I play in a ten piece band with horns, and the AC's clean is just a little too quiet to cut over a horn section in close proximity. Of course, that's what mics, PAs and monitors are for...