Vox AC30C2

108 Guitarist April 2010
VOX AC30C2 & AC15C1
£822 & £528
GUITAR AMPS
Photog ra P hy by PhiliP s ow els
T
he Vox AC15 and 30:
bastions of British tone
that defined a generation
in sound. Since the UK-made
reissues of the 1990s, the brand
has been continually evolving
its solution to affordable-yet-
authentic new versions of its
number one sons. A significant
watershed came in 2005 when
Vox switched production to
China for the well-received
Custom Classic series. Player
feedback, however, told Vox’s
designers that the CC’s myriad
switches and options were
largely surplus to requirements,
so what better reason to revisit
the design, save a bit of cash and
offer an all-new, more stripped-
down AC30 and AC15 Custom?
Intrigued? Yep, us too…
AC30C2
The very first AC30s didn’t
have the fabled Top Boost
section; it was originally
something you could have as an
upgrade if you returned your
amp to the JMI factory in Kent.
Later models had it as standard
of course, and it’s no surprise to
see it included here alongside a
‘normal’ channel. The two
channels aren’t footswitchable,
though each has its own inputs
and volume control, feeding the
master volume – unlike original
AC30s – and Tone Cut pots.
The Top Boost channel also
has a pair of tone controls while
the onboard reverb and tremolo
sections, both controlled by two
further pairs of controls, are
applicable to both channels. It’s
possible to plug instruments
into both channels at once.
The livery here is evocative of
the old-school as always, with
the chicken-head knobs and
purple top panel working
perfectly with gold piping and
brown diamond grille cloth.
One of the most important
features for tonehounds and
collectors when considering a
vintage AC30 is the provision of
Celestion Alnico Blue speakers.
Our review model has the more
affordable 25W Celestion G12M
Greenbacks, though there is
also a Blue-loaded version
(the AC302X at £1,292).
The rear panel offers a mono
effects loop, with the additional
feature of a bypass switch to
enable you to remove it from the
signal chain entirely, and
there’s also a choice of speaker
outputs: the extension jack
allows you to link a second cab
in the traditional manner, plus
the socket marked External
outputs the sound while also
muting the internal Celestions.
The optional two-way VFS2
footswitch turns the reverb and
tremolo on and off – it seems a
bit stingy to have to shell out
another £32 for the privilege.
Weighing in just over 32kg,
it’s a fairly hefty amp, as you’d
expect but any portability
issues are done away with
thanks to the three strong
plastic handles that enable you
alone, or with help from a
bandmate, to move it.
Internally, the Custom is built
around a modern PCB design
like the majority of new amps
from the big brands. One
notable change from ‘proper’
AC30 spec is that the Custom
has a solid-state rectifier
instead of a GZ34 valve.
Sounds
Traditionally, the classic-spec
Top Boost AC30 offers chiming
clean tones with a brilliant-
bordering-on-gritty edge, all of
which gets darker and more
overdriven as you wind it up.
Much of that is in evidence in
the Top Boost channel here, but
thanks to the master volume
setup, it’s much easier to coax
the AC30C2 into overdrive at
lower levels. The Normal
channel has less scope for
adjustment and is cleaner
sounding – we achieved good
results jumping the channels
with a patch lead and mixing
the two. Overall, this amp feels
more overdriven than one of
the older UK-made reissues,
and as a result, slightly less
visceral too which is no bad
thing. Few players have the
luxury of cranking a non-
master volume AC30 to its full
potential; the new amp is still
plenty loud enough for gigging,
but gives you the f lexibility to
set up tones from ’60s-inspired
cleans through to a convincing
classic rock overdrive at any
output level. Don’t expect
super-clean cleans when the
master is cranked, however:
this amp loves to drive. We’ve
run through myriad tones
during the video demo on this
month’s CD, but whether it’s a
brash Fender Tele ably
mimicking Lennon’s trademark
Ricky twang or a soupy
Epiphone Casino that adds
cream to the mix, this AC30
Custom is certainly versatile – it
even does a good Brian May at –
gasp! – a manageable volume!
The reverb can span subtle
and warm or deep and brash –
as you like it – while the tremolo
throbs deep and beautiful for
atmospheric musings.
AC15C1
If the thought of an AC30 hurts
your back and eardrums, the 15
will appeal, a classic in its own
right. Rated at 15 watts this new
version also offers Top Boost
and Normal channels, albeit
with just one input for each
instead of the 30’s two. The
remainder of the black front
panel is the same as that of the
AC30C2 and the entire chassis
is sited the opposite way
around. The build principles
are the same as the 30, but with
a single 12-inch speaker.
Sounds
The cabinet here is what Vox
historians would described as
‘oversized’ when compared to
vintage AC15s but, at 602mm
wide, the additional cubic
volume should add depth to the
tone in the familiar manner.
The rivals
AC30C2
For a hotter Class A
experience, a good choice is
the vintage-styled Laney
VC30-212 (£649). The 1 x 12
Peavey Classic 30 (£592)
also bristles with EL84 power
valves, although the definitive
American AC30 tribute [and
then some – Ed] remains the
wonderful Matchless DC-30
(from £3,699).
AC15C1
Try the Eminence-loaded
Fender Blues Junior (£499)
or Laney’s VC15 (£389), the
latter loaded with a single
10-inch Jensen speaker. For
the ultimate in low-powered
tone machines, give Dennis
Cornell’s all-valve Romany
Plus (£999) a whirl – it can
provide as low as 0.05 watts
of output.
Vox AC30C2
& AC15C1
£822 & £528
Has Vox got the balance between authentic spec, classic
tone and affordability right? With these two AC Custom
models, it’s taken another step closer… by Simon Bradley
The colour scheme and top-mounted chicken-head knobs are quintessential AC30
GIT327.rev_vox 108 25/2/10 5:24:26 pm