The
Vox AC30 is a
guitar amplifierAn instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...
manufactured by
VoxVox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
and known for its "jangly" high-end sound.
The Vox AC30 was originally introduced in 1958 as “big brother” for the fifteen watt AC15 model, Vox's original flagship amplifier. The AC15 was powered by a pair of EL84 tubes, an EF86-driven Normal channel and ECC83-driven Vib-Trem channel, and rectified by an EZ81. The Original AC30, or AC30/4, had only a single 12 inch Goodman 60 watt speaker as opposed to the later, conventional twin 12” speaker configuration.
The
Vox AC30 is a
guitar amplifierAn instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...
manufactured by
VoxVox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
and known for its "jangly" high-end sound.
History
The Vox AC30 was originally introduced in 1958 as “big brother” for the fifteen watt AC15 model, Vox's original flagship amplifier. The AC15 was powered by a pair of EL84 tubes, an EF86-driven Normal channel and ECC83-driven Vib-Trem channel, and rectified by an EZ81. The Original AC30, or AC30/4, had only a single 12 inch Goodman 60 watt speaker as opposed to the later, conventional twin 12” speaker configuration. AC30/4 sported two channels with two inputs – hence the “4” in the model name. There was only a single tone control in it as well. The power amplifier circuit had EL34 tubes and the preamplifier used an EF86, which was a pretty unreliable tube and could fail due to vibration. The amplifier had a tube rectifier.
This first generation of AC30's were housed in "TV-front" cabinets, much like the early to mid 50's tweed Fender amps. However, the Voxes sported a thin white covering (Rexine) with a small printed diamond pattern and larger diamond pattern grill cloth. The EL34 powered AC30 was short lived, and was soon powered by a quartet of EL84 (6BQ5) power tubes, making it truly a doubling of the AC15. Vox initially offered a 1X12" version and subsequently introduced the 2X12" AC30 Twin, which solved the volume problem at larger venues. The original TV-front AC30's are extremely rare. The first AC30 Twins used Goodmans Audiom 60's 15 Watt Speakers, followed by Celestion G12 alnico speakers, although not yet sporting the handsome blue paintjob.
By 1960, Vox had forsaken the more conservative TV-front look for the now legendary cabinet design that has remained largely unchanged since 1960. The new cabinets featured a different covering known as fawn Rexine, which was a sort of beige leathercloth with a subtle printed grain. The front baffle was now divided by a thin gold-toned strip with the upper valence covered in fawn Rexine, and the lower grill covered in brown diamond cloth. Ventilation was provided by three small brass vents on the top of the cabinet, and the TV-front's single suitcase type handle was replaced with three leather straps.
To cure the unreliability issues Vox introduced another version of AC30 in 1961 that substituted the EF86 with ECC83's (a.k.a. 12AX7's). Its circuit had three channels, each with two inputs, and was therefore named AC30/6. The amplifiers also came with three different “voicing” alternatives (Normal, Brilliant, and Bass) that were accomplished by slight circuit modifications.
As musicians' demand for features continued to grow, Vox also introduced something that would become known as “Top Boost” modification. The "Top Boost" or "Brilliance", as it was originally called, was an addition of a rear panel-mounted unit that introduced an extra gain stage and tone controls for bass and treble (as opposed to single "tone" control of early AC30s). The unit became so popular that its features were soon implemented to newer AC30/6 models and the controls moved from rear panel to the control panel. Vox AC30/6 amplifiers from around 1963 had already “implemented” the top boost, and therefore had 3 tone controls. People began to refer to these amplifiers as AC30TBs.. Around the same time, Vox also introduced Treble and Bass versions of the AC30 without the Top Boost unit. Instead, the circuits of the Treble and Bass versions were slightly modified to emphasize those frequencies.
In late 60’s Jennings drifted into financial problems and the company experienced various owner changes. Quality control was also inconsistent.
During Vox' early '70s "
Dallas ArbiterDallas Arbiter is a company formed by the merger of John E. Dallas and Sons musical instrument company and Arbiter Electronics. Dallas Arbiter Ltd. produced a number of guitar effects which changed the ordinary sound of the electric guitar into something more noticeable...
" period, the tube rectifiers of AC30s were replaced by silicon rectifiers. This became a standard for later AC30TB models. In the late 1970’s Vox also introduced a solid-state AC30 (AC30SS), which was quite successful. For example, this is the AC30 model that was used by
Status QuoStatus Quo, also known as The Quo or just Quo, are an English rock band whose music is characterized by their distinctive brand of boogie rock....
. A tube AC30TB with spring reverb feature was reintroduced in 1978.
In spite of at least one AC30 production run titled “Limited Edition” (1991), production of the AC30 has practically never ceased: Newer AC30s are reissues of the various top boost AC30/6 (AC30TB) models. AC30s made between 1989 and 1993 also had spring reverb as a standard feature.
The Rose Morris company, who owned the Vox name through the 1980s, sold Vox to
Korgis a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments and electronic tuners. The company is one of the most widely used and respected names in professional music worldwide.-Company history:...
in the early 1990s, who then manufactured a superb reissue of the early '60s AC30 Top Boost, correcting previous inconsistencies from the correct style grille cloth to the GZ34 rectifier tube. These AC30 amps were mostly offered in the traditional black Tolex/brown diamond grille configuration, but were also available in limited numbers with purple, red, or tan tolex. These amplifiers, like all AC30s to this point, were manufactured in Great Britain. These were available with a choice of
CelestionCelestion is a British maker of loudspeakers.The work of what would become Celestion started in Hampton Wick in 1924. Celestion Radio Company and Celestion Limited were formed in 1927, and two years later the company moved across the Thames to Kingston. The company grew rapidly, but was hit by the...
"Blue" or Greenback speakers.
AC30 Custom Classic Series
In 2004, Vox introduced a new series of amplifier called the
AC30 Custom Classic. It claims to combine attributes of the original AC30 with what Vox sales literature refers to as a "boutique" of features. Specifications of the AC30CC series are two Inputs (Top Boost & Normal) an Input Link Switch for blending channels, a Normal Volume knob, a Brilliance Switch, a Top Boost Volume knob, a Treble knob, a EQ Standard/Custom Switch, Bass and Reverb Controls (Tone, Mix, and a Dwell Switch), Tremolo Speed & Depth knobs, a Tone Cut knob, a Master Volume knob, a Standby and a Power Switch, switchable cathode bias (low-power switch: 33W at full power, 22W at low power), switchable filter values (vintage/modern) and a true bypass effects loop. Newer AC30CC (or “Custom Classic”) reissues (CC1, CC2X CCH head) are produced in China. All AC30CC series amps, although believed to be 30watts, are in fact 40 watts in power handling.
AC30BM
Recently, Vox released a limited edition version of the amp, the
AC30BM, based on the tone of one of the amp's most prominent and consistent endorsers,
Brian MayBrian Harold May, CBE, is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special", and has composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Who Wants to Live Forever",...
of
QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
. The amp is limited to only a few hundred examples worldwide, in a 'never-to-be-repeated' run. As the amp is designed to replicate May's tone, there are no controls on the amp except for a single volume control, though a switch enables the user to halve the number of output valves (therefore reducing the output to 15 watts as well as the volume, making it more suitable for home use), and there is a boost function operated from the included footswitch.
JMI returns
As of 2006, a company having licensed the name JMI (
Jennings Musical InstrumentsJennings Musical Instruments is a manufacturer of musical instruments, notably the original owner of the Vox brand. The company was founded by Thomas Walter Jennings.-History:...
) began manufacturing period correct, British made AC30 "copy" amplifiers, available in both black and beige. Since this incarnation of JMI has never owned the Vox brand, their official website lists the disclaimer "JMI amplification are in no way affiliated with Vox amplification (Korg)", and the models are listed as 30/6 (6 input) and 30/4 (4 inputs, sans "Brilliant" channel). As originally the case in the 1960s, Top Boost is offered as a retrofit upgrade and is not standard, and the original configuration 4/6 inputs are offered, with options for Green/Blue speakers, the blue speakers being similar in appearance to the Celestion alnico speaker but made by Fane with fiberglass voice coils which allow them a much higher 100 watt power rating.
Electronics
An AC-30 is a 30-watt tube (valve) guitar amplifier. Though widely believed to be a
Class-A amplifierAn electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal. It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude...
,
it is in fact a class AB1 amp with cathode bias . It utilizes a quartet of EL-84 output tubes. The high bias condition is believed by some to be the source of the amplifier's famous immediate response and "jangly" high-end, though the lack of negative feedback, minimal preamp circuit, simple low loss tone stack, and the use of cathode biasing on the output stage play at least as large a role, if not larger. Its Celestion "Blue" speakers are integral to the AC-30, and also contribute much to the sound of the unit. The two 12" 15-watt speakers, often overdriven and at the brink of their power handling capability provide a cutting mid-range speaker sound that is immediate and sharp, distinct from the
MarshallMarshall Amplification is a British company which designs and manufactures music amplifiers. Marshall is based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. Marshall amplifiers are well known and highly popular among guitarists...
or
FenderFender Musical Instruments Corporation of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster. The company, previously named the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company, was founded...
-style amplifier.
Notable users of the AC30
- Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is a BAFTA and Grammy-nominated musician and composer-in-residence for the BBC, best known as a member of English alternative rock group Radiohead. Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist, but serves mainly as a guitarist and keyboard player. He is the younger brother...
of RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992...
- Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
, Bruce WelchBruce Welch OBE, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows....
and Jet HarrisJet Harris was the bass guitarist of The Shadows until April 1962, and had subsequent success as a soloist and as a duo with the drummer, Tony Meehan.-Life and career:...
of The ShadowsThe Shadows are Britain's most successful instrumental and vocal group with a grand total of 69 UK hit singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and The Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s...
, for whom the amplifier was developed
- John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE was an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, author, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles...
, Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
and George HarrisonGeorge Harrison MBE was an English rock guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian mysticism, and helped broaden the horizons of the other Beatles, as well as...
of The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
- Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer, record producer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones. As a guitarist, Richards is mostly known for his innovative rhythm playing. In 2003 he was ranked 10th on Rolling Stone magazine's "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of...
and Brian JonesLewis Brian Hopkin Jones was an English musician and one of the founding members of the rock group The Rolling Stones. Jones was known for his use of multiple instruments, his flamboyant attire and his recreational drug excesses.- Early life :Jones was born in the Park Nursing Home in Cheltenham,...
of The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
- Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
- Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter.Starting with the very successful punk-rock band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
of The JamThe Jam were an English rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock...
- Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher was an Irish blues/rock guitarist. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland on March 2, 1948, he grew up in Cork City. He is best known for his solo albums throughout the 1970's and 1980's, and for his tenure in the band Taste during the late 1960s...
- John Scofield
John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham, Medeski Martin...
, noted jazz/fusion guitarist
- Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE, is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. As a guitarist he uses his home built guitar, "Red Special", and has composed hits such as "Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You", "Who Wants to Live Forever",...
of QueenQueen were an English rock band. Formed in London in 1970 following the demise of the band Smile, Queen consisted of vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. The band became popular with audiences via their hit songs, live performances,...
- Snowy White
Snowy White is an English guitarist, primarily known for having played with Thin Lizzy and with Pink Floyd and, more recently, for Roger...
- The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his nickname and stage name The Edge , is an Irish musician known best as the guitarist, keyboardist, and main backing vocalist for the Irish rock band U2...
and BonoPaul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife,...
of U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
- Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and Mike CampbellMichael Wayne Campbell is an American guitarist and record producer, best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers....
of Tom Petty and the HeartbreakersThomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
- Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M....
of R.E.M.
- Justin Hayward
David Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as a singer, guitarist and composer in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward attended The Commonweal School, in Swindon, Wiltshire.-Career:...
of the Moody BluesThe Moody Blues are an English band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. Founding members Michael Pinder and Ray Thomas performed an initially rhythm and blues-based sound in Birmingham in 1964 along with Graeme Edge and others, and were later joined by John Lodge and Justin...
External links