Vox AC15

[JB_From_Hell]

Went to see Oz Noy the other night. He had two AC30s, one was the cream hand wired version. It sounded glorious, like the best electric guitar tone I’ve ever heard.

Used AC30s go for under a grand locally, and there are a few 15s for $4-500. I obviously want the AC30, but they’re loud and heavy. Is the 15’s volume that much more manageable?

 

[Securb]

Love my Tech 21 Liverpool. All the AC flavor at a fraction of the cost. I have also heard great things about the Wampler 30 Something. I know you asked about the amp, I am not trying to derail just bringing up options.

 

[Mincer]

I've heard great things about the Liverpool. I get my AC30 fix from a Mesa Blue Angel, which has an EL84 setting.

 

[Blille]

I would go for the AC30.

Double the watts does not translate into double the loudness and the AC15, while a nice amp itself, is not an AC30 and sounds different.

Disclaimer: I’ve never owned one because it’s huge and heavy

 

[Liam1963]

Love my AC30, and it's not as heavy as a Twin, once you understand how the Top Boost works, it's a fantastic amp.

 

[Frater106]

I’ve been wanting an AC-30 myself, but the AC-15 is much more affordable- unless you go for the AC30S1-but that has a digital reverb (bummer).

 

[Ewizard]

Just a word of caution. Not all AC30s are made that well. Check out Psionic Audio's YouTube channel where he has a wealth of details and information about AC30s and AC15s. The AC15 is nothing like the AC30, at least in its traditional form. The modern ones are made more like an AC30, but not quite there. In either case, they are great amps if you can make the sound work for you. I am not a fan of them as I feel they are WAY TOO BRIGHT, but that is just me. I keep hearing the term " brightness is next to godliness " from country guitarists who like that kind of snap and bite. While it doesn't tickle my fancy, I do understand and appreciate that the sound of an AC30 has made the core of the sound for MANY an artist.

 

[jeremy]

the cut control can tame that brightnesss, it does take some time to figure out the eq

 

[Demanic]

Love my AC30, and it's not as heavy as a Twin, once you understand how the Top Boost works, it's a fantastic amp.

How does the top boost work?

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[NegativeEase]

The most compliments I ever got on tone were from my AC-15

 

[LLL]

This is what I use for an EL-84 fix (fits any 6L6, EL34, or 6550 in grid-bias amps):

 

[Liam1963]

How does the top boost work?

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

The Top Boost is an additional gain stage on the Brilliant channel, with it's own Bass & Treble controls. A lot of folks think that the gain generated is a little excessive, as well as being ice-picky, but I run mine with a BOSS GE 7 EQ boosting the low end a little, and get a nice smooth overdrive. With an Epiphone Casino into it, I get a nice "snappy" trebly sound, kind of a cross between the British Invasion sounds and Tele twang....

 

[Demanic]

The Top Boost is an additional gain stage on the Brilliant channel, with it's own Bass & Treble controls. A lot of folks think that the gain generated is a little excessive, as well as being ice-picky, but I run mine with a BOSS GE 7 EQ boosting the low end a little, and get a nice smooth overdrive. With an Epiphone Casino into it, I get a nice "snappy" trebly sound, kind of a cross between the British Invasion sounds and Tele twang....

Just wondering because I use a Keeley Katana boost in the top boost mode for a lead drive. It gets downright frightening boosting the signal from the Metalzone.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[RB522]

I own an AC 15, have played AC 30's. The 15 can get stupid loud, the 30 insanely loud. I think the 30 sounds a bit fuller, but running 2 speakers will do that for you. The main difference, for me anyway, is the available clean headroom. The 30 can punch a sparkling clean to the back wall. The 15 is going to bring the dirt a lot faster. This may be good or bad, depending on what you need. Also, if you're running hot pickups, ( Super Distortions, in my case) a complete clean tone is next to non existent without rolling the guitar volume down. The AC 15 sounds absolutely vicious with a Rat distortion pedal !

 

[Securb]

I am not a fan of them as I feel they are WAY TOO BRIGHT, but that is just me.

The name of the engineer/designer of the AC15 and AC30 escapes me. I have read he was hard of hearing. Employees at VOX would have to yell at him to communicate. People think his hearing loss is what made him design the amp so bright. He had problems hearing high frequencies and dialed the amp in to compensate for his ears.

 

[Blille]

The name of the engineer/designer of the AC15 and AC30 escapes me. I have read he was hard of hearing. Employees at VOX would have to yell at him to communicate. People think his hearing loss is what made him design the amp so bright. He had problems hearing high frequencies and dialed the amp in to compensate for his ears.

Dick Denney?

 

[Securb]

Dick Denney?

Yep, that is who I was thinking about.

The man who many regard as the UK’s most important guitar amp designer was actually deaf in one ear, but Dick Denney’s perforated eardrum may have been the making of him. As a result of his affliction, he was exempted from military service during World War Two and seconded to the Vickers munitions factory – something that would permanently alter the trajectory of his life.

During the pre-war years, Dick had become infatuated with both jazz music and radio electronics. Early experiments resulted in the inevitable destruction of the family radio, but Dick’s skills improved and his wages from the factory enabled him to buy components. His work at Vickers also meant that Dick was freed from an unwanted apprenticeship in his father’s barber shop, and perhaps most importantly of all, it introduced him to a man named Tom Jennings.

During the war, amateur radio activity was prohibited so, as a guitarist, Dick turned his electronic skills to amplifier building. His goal was to develop an amplifier that was loud, but also small and light – and he had ample opportunity to test them out.

 

[Ewizard]

I had read that bands such as The Beatles wanted the amp to be even brighter and were bugging him to make it as such so they could hear it clearly over all the noise of the fans ( screaming women ). This led to the Top Boost implementation which was eventually a standard option. The Celestion Blue is already a bright speaker and by the time it was used in conjunction with the Top Boost, made for an ungodly bright sound.

The top boost is more or less an up to +30db boost at frequencies over 10khz and the bass is more or less a bass cut to thin the sound out or thicken it a little as needed. The amp's original brilliant channel was already pretty bright, the introduction of the " blue " speaker made it a little brighter still, and by the time the Top Boost was implemented, it was VERY bright. A sound I don't care for. The Vox AC30 is a very polarizing amp, you either love it or you hate it. I will be honest in saying that it sounds amazing in the right hands. With 20+ years of doing sound for nearly a thousand different bands, I have more than a few land on my stage. I can only say that it is a 50/50 shot that it is going to be decent sounding or I can't get enough people and other sound-absorbing material between me and that amp... It is so polarizing, I will say that I have never ever played one in my 30+ years as a performing guitarist.

All that being said, you can't deny that it is an amp that has stood the test of time at least in fame, and has shaped the sound of MANY artists.

 

[Mincer]

I love when a good player uses an AC30 or 15. I've never been able to get that kind of sound out of them, but I appreciate the hell out of other people that make them sound great.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Oz really knows how to tame one. We sat maybe 20 feet from him, just offset from the amps. At no point did he sound ice picky or noticeably bright. I’m sure that had to do with his three pedal boards, but still, he rides the Strat’s bridge pickup at least half the set, and it was awesome.