iamqman « Fantastic tone! »
Published on 05/18/11 at 08:07What a fantastic tone! I love the sound of this amp. There is nothing that sounds like a Vox other than a Vox. Being the Ac30 their flagship amplifier this is amp that is hand wired is going to be one great tone machine. If you are after tone then there isn't many amps that can top the sweet warmth that this amp produces.
Vox AC30HW2 Combo Guitar Amplifier Features:
* 30-watt power output (8 and 16 ohms)
* Hand-wired turret board construction
* Birch-ply cabinet features solid bracing and a natural high-frequency diffuser
* All-tube design
* 2 x 12" G12M Greenback Speakers
* 3 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes
* 4 x EL84 power tubes
* 1 x GZ34 rectifier tube
* Fitted with matched Ruby Tubes for extended dynamic range
* Traditional VOX 2-channel design
* Top Boost and Normal
* High and Low inputs for each channel
* The Normal channel provides an additional BRIGHT switch
* The top boost channel provides a HOT/COOL switch to achieve even more gain
* Master Volume/BYPASS switch completely bypasses the Master Volume section
* OP mode switch cuts the output power level in half
* Vintage fawn-colored vinyl, reminiscent of the 1960 classic AC30
* 2 x 1/4" output jacks for extension cabinets
* Included VFS1 footswitch controlls the Top Boost channel's HOT/COOL switch
* Premium, custom-fit dust cover included
UTILIZATION
Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 30W
Speakers 2 x 12" Celestion G12M Greenback
No Effects
No Reverb
EQ Ch 2: Treble, Bass; Master: Tone Cut
No Amp Modeling
Number of Tubes 8
Preamp Tubes 3 x ECC83/12AX7
Power Tubes 4 x EL84, 1 x GZ34 (Rectifier)
Inputs 2 x Instrument (Ch 1), 2 x Instrument (Ch 2)
Outputs 2 x Speaker
Footswitch I/O Yes
No Effects Loop
Height 21.65"
Width 27.76"
Depth 10.24"
Weight 67.9 lbs.
SOUNDS
The ability for this amp to take pedal is exceptional. There isn't really any better amp that can take pedals better than this amp. Throw a delay pedal and a TS9 in front of this amp and you'll get some great tone that is hard to beat.
I like this amp with every guitar you can throw at it. My personal favorite would have to be a nice Gibson Les Paul. It gets a round warm tone that fills the air. Say you want to get a nice U2 sound then slap a Fender Stratocaster in front of it and use the master gain controls and you'll get a great Edge tone.
OVERALL OPINION
The only thing that I don't like about this amp is the Greenback speakers. Don't get me wrong the Greenbacks are my favorite speaker but I mostly use Marshall's so it works for me. I think this amp sounds best with the blue alnico speakers. They get you a great solid chimy tone that mixes best with the amp.
I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a vintage Vox Ac30 tone. OR any sound engineer who needs to add to his catalog. At new these amps come in at around $1500.
Vox AC30HW2 Combo Guitar Amplifier Features:
* 30-watt power output (8 and 16 ohms)
* Hand-wired turret board construction
* Birch-ply cabinet features solid bracing and a natural high-frequency diffuser
* All-tube design
* 2 x 12" G12M Greenback Speakers
* 3 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes
* 4 x EL84 power tubes
* 1 x GZ34 rectifier tube
* Fitted with matched Ruby Tubes for extended dynamic range
* Traditional VOX 2-channel design
* Top Boost and Normal
* High and Low inputs for each channel
* The Normal channel provides an additional BRIGHT switch
* The top boost channel provides a HOT/COOL switch to achieve even more gain
* Master Volume/BYPASS switch completely bypasses the Master Volume section
* OP mode switch cuts the output power level in half
* Vintage fawn-colored vinyl, reminiscent of the 1960 classic AC30
* 2 x 1/4" output jacks for extension cabinets
* Included VFS1 footswitch controlls the Top Boost channel's HOT/COOL switch
* Premium, custom-fit dust cover included
UTILIZATION
Details
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 30W
Speakers 2 x 12" Celestion G12M Greenback
No Effects
No Reverb
EQ Ch 2: Treble, Bass; Master: Tone Cut
No Amp Modeling
Number of Tubes 8
Preamp Tubes 3 x ECC83/12AX7
Power Tubes 4 x EL84, 1 x GZ34 (Rectifier)
Inputs 2 x Instrument (Ch 1), 2 x Instrument (Ch 2)
Outputs 2 x Speaker
Footswitch I/O Yes
No Effects Loop
Height 21.65"
Width 27.76"
Depth 10.24"
Weight 67.9 lbs.
SOUNDS
The ability for this amp to take pedal is exceptional. There isn't really any better amp that can take pedals better than this amp. Throw a delay pedal and a TS9 in front of this amp and you'll get some great tone that is hard to beat.
I like this amp with every guitar you can throw at it. My personal favorite would have to be a nice Gibson Les Paul. It gets a round warm tone that fills the air. Say you want to get a nice U2 sound then slap a Fender Stratocaster in front of it and use the master gain controls and you'll get a great Edge tone.
OVERALL OPINION
The only thing that I don't like about this amp is the Greenback speakers. Don't get me wrong the Greenbacks are my favorite speaker but I mostly use Marshall's so it works for me. I think this amp sounds best with the blue alnico speakers. They get you a great solid chimy tone that mixes best with the amp.
I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a vintage Vox Ac30 tone. OR any sound engineer who needs to add to his catalog. At new these amps come in at around $1500.