All user reviews of 4/5 for the Vox Cambridge 30R

Purchased used on ebay for $152.00, had brown-out problems.

I tried one out at Guitar Center that sounded good for the small amount of cash. I was impressed how 30 watts projected from this amp. The (2) 10' Celestions seemed fuller than the single speaker version. I have some Thomas amps from the 60's but this one was lighter with a decent spring reverb. The overdrive channel sounded great with my Charvel Model 1 axe. Good saturation with the tube preamp.

As I mentioned this amp was in need of repair due to the brown-out condition. After searching some sites on the net I read a review that identified the problem as the opto-coupler in the tremelo circuit. This was the major contributor to the amp being discontinued! After replacing that part the amp rocks!! If you have this amp or the Cambridge 30 (1) 10" version-thats your fix. Too bad Vox used one crappy component in a nicely concieved amp. One minor gripe is you need (2) footswitches to operate mrb,tremelo,reverb, & overdrive.

See above. Other than the opto-coupler its a nice amp for under $400.00. I did add some AC-30 vents from North Coast Music in the rear panel. Heat is a problem with the stock units.

I'm not in a metal band so I have used this amp to gig with without any problems. Its got enough power, espescially with a (2) 12" extension cab as I used it. I do think they should have put corner protectors on since they always take the hits. Added some stock Vox pieces myself-looks cool! Was going to sell it but changed my mind. Its easier to move than my Buckingham or Super Beatle & I don't want to risk my 1965 tube Cambridge in the clubs.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased at Rhoads Music, Elizabethtown, PA. Paid about $300.

Channel One sounds great. The tremolo is terrific: very creamy, nails the '60s sound. The reverb is also good, not too obtrusive. Of course the amp looks great. It is also very lightweight.

So far it has been very reliable as well.

Channel Two (the tube channel) is, as many have reported, a bit muddy. The MRB is pretty much unusable as delivered. It *is* possible to get a good sound out of this channel by adjusting the Gain and Volume controls. Oddly, this channle doesn't seem to have the output of Channel One (solid state) even when the Gain and Volume are maxed.

Seems well made, solid. Have had no problems.

I think this hybrid amp is a good value for the money. While certainly not an AC-15 or AC-30, it does have a "Vox-ey" sound and is easy to use and carry around.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Hybrid amplifier (tube preamp)
30w power (actually a little sup)
effect: reverb a nice even though I loved more by effects acciones footswtch but ...

UTILIZATION

Operation is simple, no need to get the grain manuel.Pour wished I find it takes quite a push, at low volume it runs out of breath!

SOUNDS

Question I was surprised at its first use: it spits a lot is Grallon (yuck lol), the clean sound is not worth a Fender and it is not the cleanest (meaning limited as filthy ... the rest) but it has its charm, a slight buzz that does not displease me! In distortion we must push it again and shortness of breath, but the hand of the scratch is for many, by attacking some it sounds wickedly hard rock or rock and roll (do not ask him to add a metal pedal). I let go to play some riff to AC-DC and that's happiness!

OVERALL OPINION

... In short a sound that has the character typed blues / rock, a little dirty and very British (all the charm of vox). One thing I like is the time it leaves the place to scratch s express to you to ring the amp!
in short, a brave little that (with the fender cleaner, sound American) is perfect for rock shows (I do not regret having sold my marshall too loud and heavy metal! me my thing is the good old rock Padre of the 70's)

- Hybrid Amplification with the precision of the transistor and the heat and the dynamics of the lamp.
- The amplifier delivers an output of 30W on paper (to 3 / 4 Volume I covered a Marshall 100MG to 8 on the volume) the volume of output depends on many microphones for making the test volume is monstrous with my EMG active.
- The connection base is available, the amplifier has an analog spring reverb has excellent quality comparable to that of electro-harmonix tremolo vintage and one running on the same principle.

UTILIZATION

The configuration is very Vox with medium booster, booster gain, equalization Vox also have a very bizar increase the volume knob. In terms of equalization quickly found his business offers a very large number of diverse and varied sound quite easily, and refined over time.

SOUNDS

Ah! sound, at last! A joy, it took me over 4 years to find that sound.
By clean we obtain according to the position of the microphone:

In-bridge pickup gives a very clean fender twin slamming typed by adding a slight reverb gives excellent sound for reggae, ska and other music-dominance against temps.Une very nice shine and a perfect foil.
-On the handle and central position, in plays on the equalization gives a very clear, round and warm, without being too runny, I use it for many parts of arpeggios, the simplest is listening to U2's Beautiful Days is the typical sound vox (with delay that said
Warning: the volume in clean parrait more powerful than the volume distortion (1 / 2 volume clean = 3 / 4 volume distortion)

In disto:
- Then happiness is the sound Rock by reference, on the bridge pickup volume is enormissime and highly accurate gain by pushing the harmonics and rain naturally occurring when the note fades away any remaining controllable which is very pleasant is good for solo sound is bright with the tone characteristic of at vox in dimin gain a little one falls on the AC / DC, very British sound with a lot of medium and treble.
Powerchord in the distortion makes me think a lot of MESA BOOGIE bottle rocket with a little less gain, however, but it is very near, the sound is really powerful.

PS: I recall that I use EMG active pickups (with preamp) and thus a very large output level, the lamp is a preamp MESA BOOGIE which gives me a particular grain.

OVERALL OPINION

This amp really attracted me because of its versatility, power, the typical sound that can be given to its Channel CLEAN / DISTO.
I searched long these features, snapping a clean and warm like the fenders and a powerful ultra distortion such as MESA but with a less refined grain.
The sound remains SO BRITISH allowing both to take old pieces of 70 years with a well rounded and analog reverb and playing on the gain and equalization of land on a more modern sound, which this amp makes it very versatile.