SeriesVox Hand-Wired

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.

What 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.

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. And of course this is the head version so you'll need to pick up a cabinet to plays with this amp. Preferably a cab that is a fawn match. 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 Key Features and Product Highlights • Hand-wired turret board construction • Birch-ply cabinets featuring solid bracing and a natural high frequency diffuser • All-tube design • ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes (x3) • EL84 power tube quartet; (AC30 models); EL84 Duet (AC15 models) • GZ34 rectifier (AC30 models); EZ81 rectifier (AC15 models) • Fitted with matched Ruby Tubes that provide extended dynamic range • Traditional VOX two-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 cut the amp’s Output Power level in half • Vintage fawn-colored vinyl, reminiscent of the 1960 classic AC30 • VFS1 footswitch controlls the Top Boost channel's HOT/COOL switch • A premium, custom-fit dust cover is included with every model 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. I am not sure what the going rate for these amps are but I have seen used ones going for aroud $1300. That might be a little high for an amp like this 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.

This is the way God intended Vox's to sound like. Let's cut through all the garbage that Vox has put out in different variations and added letters on the model number to get more sale. I understand the sales part of it, but I am talking about tone and purity. I think there has been a loss of integrity on Vox's part with shipping their operation towards China and selling the same amps for the same price. It just makes me sick! Not actually sure if this handwired amp is made there but it would greatly disappoint me if it were true. Vox AC15HW1X Combo Guitar Amplifier Features: * 15-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 * 1 x 12" Alnico Blue Speaker * 3 x ECC83/12AX7 preamp tubes * 2 x EL84 power tubes * 1 x EZ81 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: 24.02" x 10.24" x 21.65" * Weight: 48.9 lbs. * Included VFS1 footswitch controls the Top Boost channel's HOT/COOL switch * Premium, custom-fit dust cover included UTILIZATION Details Type Tube Number of Channels 2 Power 15W Speakers 1 x 12" Alnico Blue Effects Yes Reverb Yes EQ Ch 2: Bass, Treble; Master: Tone Cut Amp Modeling No Number of Tubes 6 Preamp Tubes 3 x 12AX7 Power Tubes 2 x EL84, 1 x EZ81 Inputs 1 x Instrument (Ch 1), 1 x Instrument (Ch 1) Outputs 2 x Speaker Footswitch I/O Yes No Effects Loop Height 21.65" Width 24.02" Depth 10.24" Weight 48.9 lbs. SOUNDS This is a great tone for a great sounding amplifier. The hand wired version basically putts every thing as far as components and wired via a turret board which makes it easier to fix but also makes things harder to break. This is the classic Vox Ac15 tone that you heard on many recordings from the 60's and 70's. The familiar British grind that is so familiar to the tone of Brian May and other is achievable from this amp. It is going to be a little bit more compressed and spongier than an AC30 but definitely have the same character. OVERALL OPINION At new these amps come in at around $1500, which is not bad for a new hand wired amp. I know that when Vox started these hard wired series amps a few years back they were almost double the price. This a little bit more reasonable, but makes me wonder where they are built. If you are in the market for a great sounding amplifier that is hand wired and compacted this might be the one for you. I recommend every person who plays guitar to at least try this amp. If you are getting ready to record than this is an amp you will almost definitely need.