Vox AC30HW2X

Let me begin by saying that this amp is everything that the ACHW2 is but with just Celestion Alnico Blue speakers. In my opinion this is the only way this amp should come. My favorite speaker is the Celestion Greenbacks but I play hard rock and metal and they fit my tone, but when it comes to Vox AC30 then there is only one speaker to be had and that is the Celestion Alnico Blue. This was the speaker of choice when the amp began in the late 50's early 60's and still is the best voicing speaker for this particular amp. It sounds better in every way comparatively to the Greenbacks. The tone is brighter but sparkles and drives a lot better in my opinion.


Vox AC30HW2X 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" Celestion Alnico Blue 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

Detail
Type Tube
Number of Channels 2
Power 30W
Speakers 2 x 12" Celestion Alnico Blue
Effects No Effects
Reverb No Reverb
EQ Ch 2: Treble, Bass; Master: Tone Cut
Amp Modeling No Amp Modeling
Number of Models 0
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
Effects Loop No Effects Loop
Height 21.65"
Width 27.76"
Depth 10.24"
Weight 70.6 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 chimey 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 $2000, which isn't bad for a handwired Vox Ac30. Years ago Vox did a run of hand wired and they were almost twice the price. I think these may be made in China which would constitute the lower price.

The major difference in this amp to the regular production Vox Ac30 is that is is all hand wired components. There are no PCB boards and everything is hooked up via turret boards. This makes the construction of the unit a lot stronger and easier to fix if you ever run into any problems with the amp.

The combination of this hand wired amp and the Celestion Alnico Blue Dog speakers give a sparkling and a sweet warm classic Vox tone. There are a few different features to this particular amp then the latest reissues that came out a few years ago. One of those being the Hot/Cold switch which changes the treble in the top boost channel. And also the wattage selector from 30 to 15 watts.

UTILIZATION


Vox AC30HW2X Combo Guitar Amplifier Features at a Glance:

* 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" Celestion Alnico Blue 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
* Dimensions: 27.76" x 10.24" x 21.65"
* Weight: 70.6 lbs.
* Included VFS1 footswitch controlls the Top Boost channel's HOT/COOL switch

SOUNDS

This amp is more used for country, blues, and mild rock tones. The biggest users of the amp is the Edge and Brian May. Not this particular amp model but the Vox AC30 in general. The best thing about Vox Ac30 is their ability to take pedal extremely well. You can throw just about any pedal in front of the amp and it just accepts the tone from the pedal and blends it with the Vox darker amp character that is present in its voicing.

A Les Paul works quite well with this amp. You get a great blues rock tone that is extremely warm and smooth in tone. I like to use a Strat with this amp as I'm a big fan of the Edge and his Strat is very recognizable in the songs I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Bullet The Blue Sky.

OVERALL OPINION

If you need a well built combo amp and are playing anything from country to mild rock then this might be an amp for you. If you use overdrive or effects pedals frequently then this is just about the best amp you could use effects with.

At new they come in at around $2000. That might be a little high for a combo amp but it is hand wired and that price is recognized in that feature. For the regular production Vox AC30 then you would look at about a few hundred dollars cheaper than this. I would recommend this amp to anyone who needs a Vox tone which is very unique and distinct from all other amplifiers.