Vox AC30CC Head

Price Paid: US $850

Features: N/A
This is a follow up to my review below. It is almost a month later since I got the amp and it has been used for 5 hours a day with no problems. My impressions are still that this amp compares very well to the JMI and HW products. Since owning this amp I have now sold my Top Hat KR and my Matchless DC30 - it is that good. I wish that boneheads would refrain from reviewing a product that isn't actually working. If you get one and it is not working right don't review it. Wait until you have actually heard one and then factor in the non working one into the reliability rating. Trashing all the other criteria like sound quality is really very dishonest and is just an attempt to get even with the company.

Sound Quality: N/A

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A
This amp simply is the best bang for the buck in the history of good tone.

Submitted by wordson at 05/14/2005 13:33

Price Paid: US $719

Features: 10
Amp was made this year, it's the AC/30CCH. Blues,jazz,country,rock&roll,
instrumentals,even electrified folk,funk,soul. 2channels but it does'nt need channel switching though you could put an A/B switcher in front of the 2 inputs. The effects loop's good for delay/chorus/flange. I played thru this amp for 3 weeks before putting a pedal in front of it. I use this amp in my studio but it fulfills my need for a small class A amp to play out with. Plenty of power,headroom and with the handwired features of switching out caps and bias makes for good versatility without the $3K+ price tag. I've played thru some very expensive gear. Vox's use to blow up on stage when I was a kid. This sounds like a Vox.

Sound Quality: 9
Gibson Les Paul,ES137,ES335,all with '57classic humbuckers,PRS Custom 22 with Mcarty Pu's, 2 Fender Tele's with JoeBarden and Seymour Duncan Custom Shop 48 Broadkaster pu's, Fender JB Strat with Lace Sensor Hot Golds, Fender Squire 12 string with Duncan US pu's, ESP Ltd7string with Duncan Designs a Fender Electric mandolin with a Fishman and 2 Martins with Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pu's and even they sound great thru this amp. You can get differing types of clean,hairy and overdriven tones using the caps ouput bias as well as the various channel options. I found the amp to be exceptionally quiet even near mini flourescents and pc display. I use the 82warm bias setting and the 44uf filtercaps. The only noise was when I plugged in pedals; they were the groundloop not the amp.

Reliability: N/A
Vox was notorius during JMI days, we'd joke about needing a fire
extinguisher as a necessary along with sneakers to keep from getting
zapped. So as yet have no opinion yet. They should have a "sofarsogood"
instead of that stupid stoner awesome.

Customer Support: 1
Not very and I don't base that on a friend of a friend or mom in law's
dog. I had several questions about registering product on line and also
questions on construction and I got squat and answers via email that
sounded as canned as an autoreply, meaning they had nothig to do with
what I was asking.

Overall Rating: 10
36 years as a guitarist, 53 years as a musician. I own 5 Fender Amps dating between 1961 and 1967,a'69 Marshall Metal front 50watt TremHead .A VHT Two/Fifty/Two Tube rack setup and a POD2.0. They all work, I've used them all for studio and gigging. I'd buy this one again unless I
heard the quality went in the crapper. I love that I spent less than the$2K to$5K I was agonizing over to get that signature Vox sound. I have several different speaker cab/setups so the head was the best choice for me. I have'nt been able to get a bad sound out of this amp yet and I get to put the difference I saved not buying a Matchless, or AC Handwired,BadCat towards a new guitar. If the quality coming out of China stays consistant then we're in trouble as the fit and finish on this amp was Boutique quality.

Submitted by Anthony Martin at 05/12/2005 22:38

Price Paid: US $849

Features: 8
Bought it new after hearing a friend's. Was not at all disappointed with the tones, they were very good right out of the box! Swapped in some E.I. El-84's and some nos preamp tubes and it got even better. My friend A/B'd his with another friend's early 60's AC-30 and there sure wasn't $2000 worth of difference! Lot's of bang for your buck here in the tone dept. Do have a few issues with it. Cheapo Chinese hardware ain't up to snuff. All 4 chassis bolts were bent at install and one broke off upon removal. Replaced those with some heavy duty US construction screws - problem solved. Switches on back panel are cheapo and you need a tool to change positions, a footswitchable loop would have been nice in place of the manual switch on the back, custom/normal eq switch doesn't seem to do anything? Some of the circuitry components aren't the best quality parts possible, but it'll be an easy cheap upgrade to do. But all that stuff seems minor when I turn it on and play. I'm getting great tones! I'm happy, especially at this price point!

Sound Quality: 9
Played it with a variety of speakers I have here: JBL D-130F, Weber alnico California, Weber P12N, Weber blue pup & silver bell, Celestion blues. Liked it best with the Weber P12N's and of course the Celestion blues. Getting great tones from rock overdrive to blues to clean. Nice chime. Really enjoying this amp!

Reliability: 5
Remains to be seen. I take care of my gear though. I don't think it's built as robustly as it could be, and probably wouldn't put up with much abusive handling.

Customer Support: 5
Emailed Vox for a schematic but got the stock "not available" brush-off answer. Grrrr! Servicing/upgrading one could be an issue for some folks.
I'm not about to drive 100 miles for "authorized" service here. I just think a schematic should be standard fare. All my Fenders came with them!

Overall Rating: 9
Gave it a 9 just because it sounds so good! I've been a musician for 30+ years and took up guitar about 8 years ago. Since then I've owned about 25 amps and at least as many guitars. Most of them cost a lot more than this! Tone was what I wanted and it's what I got. If that's what's most important to you, and you don't get a first-run lemon, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Submitted by chaz at 05/08/2005 08:34

Price Paid: US $849.00

Features: 10
AC30CC Head, made this year,2005.... New model from the China factory.
I used to own the Korg AC30, two years ago I sold it because of concerns about the PCB construction... so I went into the hand wired boutique world...buying several and always wanting the expensive "Clones" to sound like the AC30 I used to have... Now I am back with more features than I am used to...

Sound Quality: 10
I have had so many amps since the 1960's when I started playing that it is hard to remember them all... Many, many handwired tube amps, not to mention the ones I used and didn't own... The AC30CC is one of the best amps I have ever had the pleasure of playing thru! I got the matching 2x12 cabinet with Wharfedale speakers which I think sounded great....alot like the Celestion G12H-30....but I have two vintage VOX AlNiCo Blues that I got out of a 1960's VOX cabinet and put them in... Very Awesome! Plug in my Tele, hit the power switch and I feel like I've called a "Legion of trumpet playing Angels" at my fingertips...
That is with the stock tubes....
Also great with pedals!!!

Reliability: 8
Still concerned about the PCB and being one of the first to own the "New Model" AC30CC head.... Are we, the new owners, Guinea Pigs for the reliability? So far so Good!
Maybe the guy posting right below me about his with the low ratings had bad tubes or a fluke somewhere! It happens....

But that price I would get another one....AND MIGHT!

Customer Support: N/A
At this point way to early, thank goodness, to need customer support for anything...

Overall Rating: 9
I have to give this head and cabinet a high rating because it is everything and more that my Korg AC30 ever was, which I really missed after I sold it.... I have felt like a dog chasing its tail with the boutique stuff I went thru in the last couple of years, just to get back to a VOX AC30 sound....

Submitted by sunkidd at 05/06/2005 17:04

Price Paid: US $849.00

Features: 5
The amp has a lot of features. You can patch the Treble Boost and Normal Channel together, change the eq from a tone stack to a more marshallesque eq with the bass and treble functions. The ideas are good on the amp. But What good are the features if they sound like crap! But I have to say the amp is supposed to be versatile. But I cannot with clear conscience say that it sounds as versatile as the features that are on the amp. So a five is fair in this regard.

Sound Quality: 1
I am using a Gibson SG Standard with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P-90's and Pete Cornish G-2, Pete Cornish Battery Wah, Fulltone Deja Vibe, and some other cool stuff. My musical style is based off of classic rock so this should be the perfect amp for me. Unfortunately this is the biggest disappointment of an amp I have experienced in my life. I was really wanting to love this amp because I've had a really good experience with my Vox AC30 2000 Reissue that I feel sounds very excellent, it just had some "Ghost Note" issues that Pete Cornish told me was due to the Power Supply not being adequate. I thought it was annoying enough to sell it and buy into the new Vox AC30 CC and chose to get the 2X12 Celestion Blue Alnico's to compliment the Head. The cabinet sounds incredible with other heads. But now onto the Vox AC30 CC Head.

The Vox AC30 CC Head is Garbage!!! I got it in and the footswitch didn't work for the Reverb side. The Tremolo side worked fine but didn't sound as good as my 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue tremolo. But I didn't buy the amp for tremolo, I wanted that Vox AC30 overdrive like my Korg Reissue w/o the "Ghost Notes" This amp had "Ghost Notes" on the treble pickup at a low volume of about 4. For me to get any resemblance of a good overdrive sound I had to turn the Master Volume all the way up and turn the Volume to about 3/4 of the way up and it still sounded like a stompbox style overdrive. It was as uninspiring as Star Search! I tried the Normal Channel and it sounded pretty dead with the brilliance switch on but brighter with the switch off of brilliance. The switch jack was put in exactly 180 degrees of where it was supposed to be. So the Quality Assurance at the NEW CHINESE FACTORY is not very good. The patching link switch was a very good idea, but when you stack crap on crap it sounds like even more crap. What surprised me most about this amp was the lack of highs even with the Blue Alnico Speakers. The Master Volume is TERRIBLE!!!!!! It's unusable!!! It sounds flat and like you were using a Marshall Power Brake which are very terrible in their own right.

Now on to the cleans, not chimey by any stretch. I must say it almost sounds solid state. I don't know what they put in this amp but it is seriously lacking Edge!!! I am thoroughly disappointed in the sound of this amp.

This is at very best an unusable amplifier due to the "Ghost Notes" at moderate volumes. This should be enough to keep anyone from wasting their money on one. And if that is not enough then the Quality Assurance should be enough. Mine came with a broken switch on the footswitch.

The amp looks cool though! If you want to look cool and don't care about using an amp void of tone this the amp for you!

Reliability: 1
I wouldn't trust the reliability of the amp even if it sounded good. The switches are cheap and a little loosey goosey. The power supply on these things are definately not adequate enough to rely on them enough to record with. All you solos would sound partially in and out of key/tune. Mine came out of the box not working properly.

Customer Support: N/A
What's the point!? It's obviously a poorly designed and poorly put together. Nothing for Customer support to do but apologize.

Overall Rating: 1
Well the amp doesn't sound good, it doesn't work properly, and is a waste of time and money. I've owned and performed with Germino's, Dr Z's, Fender Deluxe Reverbs, and Vox AC30 Reissues. All were toneful and musically rich amps and obviously on a whole other level than this amp. Vox has decided to compare this amp with boutique amps, I'm afraid alot of people will be as disappointed as me. I just wanted a Vox AC30. Vox if your reading this review PEEEEEAAAAASSSSE make a real AC30 again! I love them, but this is seriously a crappy amp! You've cut too many corner with this one! I am now in the process of returning it and will be finding another amp to buy in place of it.

Submitted by wade burrow at 05/04/2005 15:01

Price Paid: US $849.00

Features: 8
2005 Vox AC30 custom classic head. Just pulled it out of the box tonight (UPS thankfully didn't destroy it as I know they are capable of...) The first review clearly states ALL of the features per the vox website, so I don't really need to go there. I've gotta say that this is one of the most cleanly and logically laid out amps I've ever played. Very easy to get familiar and comfortable with. Under the hood its got Electro-Harmonix el84's stock (which are pretty good el84's--are you listening MESA/Boogie...) and a sovtek GZ34. I couldn't see the preamp tubes from the vents or the front--yes the grill on the front is partially open to let air get around those tubes! Yay!! Build quality seems very solid--its heavy for a head. North coast music has pictures of the chassis and internal pc boards:
(http://www.voxshowroom.com/northcoast/vox/new_amps/insidestory.html)
Footswitch for reverb/tremolo is a little on the lite side but I'm not real hard on most of my gear. Normal channel with "brilliance" switch uses no eq, only the global "cut" control. Topboost channel with input link to use the normal and topboost channels simultaneously. Topboost channel uses bass and treble and the eq standard/custom switch. Reverb with tone, dwell and a hi/lo drive switch. Tremolo with fully variable rate and depth. Global "cut" and master which I've heard was a Post phase inverter which means that when its all the way up its out of the circuit--very nice. For an amp thats based off of an incredibly simple circuit it has a lot of useful features.

Sound Quality: 9
I'm using a fender tele thinline with the wide range humbuckers, a fender standard tele with vintage noiseless pickups and a gibson les paul standard with some sort of PAF in the bridge. I have never owned a vox before this and had never even played this particular model before I bought it. I knew I liked the sound of the AC30 and decided I'd put vox to the test since they have said that this is basically every ac30 ever made and more. I use pedals (keeley modded ts7, boss blues driver, superoverdrive and rat) and wanted to get an amp with a great clean tone to really make my pedals shine. I am running this head through a marshall 4x12 w/vintage 30's and a mesa 3/4 back 1x12 with the stock celestion 90. Through the 4x12 this amp just rocks. The clean tones are perfect for effects or just perfect all by themselves. I was playing for awile with my pedals untill I remembered that this thing has a master. Down went the master and up went the channel volumes. Wow--this thing does a great ac/dc type drive all by itself. Just rips, really snarly with lots of attitude. Something I noticed is that when you're really pushing a clean setting hard, it starts to break up but in the best way I've heard and I think it has to do with the absence of negative feedback. Fenders and Mesa's are clean, Clean, CLEAN and then all the sudden distorted where as the vox will distort if you strum hard but then set back down once your attack wears off a bit and it blends well with other distortion effects going into it. Amazing. I'm not used to amps that can do this. Usually I've looked for amps with a loud clean channel that can stay clean up untill a high volume but then once its to the point where it distorts its no longer usable for pedals. This amp can stay clean at pretty high volumes but once it starts to break up it just gets better. Really cool. The lo-power setting sounds good as does the modern voiceing setting--makes it a little tighter for when you're using the amps preamp distortion. The difference between the standard and custom eq options is subtle but it is there. It makes the controls much less interactive and more independant. Through my 1x12 cab it can get a great glassy blues tone and more airy clean sounds--real sweet. The reverb is not as deep as a fender but who needs that much? Sounds very musical. The tremolo sounds nice. Doesn't get insanely fast but I think I can find a use for it. Vox really didn't waste any features or controls--they all do something cool and useful.

Reliability: N/A
Well, like I said I just got it. I have heard the vox horror stories but I also know somethings about where those problems came from--either bad rectifier tubes or overheated pc boards. Well, the powertube sockets are mounted to the chassis this time around and the stock rectifier is not too shabby. I will probably replace with a jj rectifier in the future though. Well, I'm gonna gig with it tommorow night so we'll see how things go eh...

Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them... Warranty is 1 year I believe.

Overall Rating: 10
I think its a great amp and certainly a great value. This amp gives alot of chowder for the clams. I can't think of anything that should be different.

Submitted by Peter Trulin at 04/15/2005 00:17

Price Paid: US $849

Features: 10
2005 Custom Classic Vox tube head made in China with more features then you can shake a stick at. I play power pop and alternative rock music. I have been using this amp at home, at rehearsal and on tape for the last week and a half. It has pretty much all the features that I wished an ac30 would have as listed below. Plenty of power and switchable form 33 to 22 watts at the flip of a knob, as well as a useful master volume.

I will list the features as stated on their website: http://www.voxamps.co.uk/products/ac30/ac_30cc.htm.
With twin inputs (high and Low) and a Master Volume circuit, these amps offer highly interactive Bass and Treble tone controls, as well as the VOX Tone Cut control (which varies the presence in the power amp section) for even greater tonal variety. Included is Classic Tremolo with variable Depth control and a tube-driven Accutronics reverb with Level and Tone controls as well as a Dwell switch.Not only does the AC30 Custom Classic include two channels, it also offers the ability to blend those channels together (a first for the AC30!). The Top Boost Channel serves up that classic AC30 tone, while our new expanded Normal Channel now offers two modes, Normal and Bright, which allow you to achieve the sounds of an assortment of vintage AC30s. Use the channels individually or blend them together for increased tonal flexibility to create a unique sound and feel that's all your own.The AC30 Custom Classic is fully equipped with well thought out and easy to use controls. With a Custom/Normal EQ switch, Tone control and Dwell switch for the spring reverb, Master Volume, fully variable Tremolo on all channels and a true bypass Effects Loop! It has a switchable cathode resistor that lowers power output and increases tube life. The Custom Classic comes with standard controls like Treble, Bass, Tone, Volume, Standby and more.

AC30 Custom Classic Specifications:

* Front panel controls: Inputs x 2 (Top Boost & Normal);
* Input Link Switch for blending channels;
* Normal Volume;
* Brilliance Switch;
* Top Boost Volume;
* Treble;
* EQ Standard/Custom Switch;
* Bass; Reverb Controls (Tone, Mix, Dwell Switch);
* Tremolo Speed & Depth;
* Tone Cut;
* Master Volume;
* Standby Switch;
* Power Switch

Rear panel controls:

* Loudspeaker output jack x 2 (Extension & External);
* Output (O/P) Impedance Select (8 or 16 Ohm);
* Output Bias (82 "Warm" or 50 "Hot");
* Smoothing (22uF "Vintage" or 44uF "Modern");
* FX Loop (Send, Return and Bypass Switch);
* Footswitch Jack (Tremolo and Reverb);
* HT Fuse;
* Mains Input;
* Mains Fuse;

Sound Quality: 10
I use mainly ASATS, and other single coil guitars (rickys and a dearmond as well as LP copy).The amp suits my style perfectly, I have found that the classic vox tone is what suits my style best. The amp is very quiet for a cathode biased amp. It does all the classic vox sounds you wished you could get from an ac30. It has a normal channel for those darker tones and with the flip of a switch you get the brilliant channel of a non tb ac30. Plug into the tb channel ans you have an awesome sounding Vox tob boost amp. With the flip of the link switch you can use the top boost vox at the same time as the normal channel and for the first time you can listen to a brilliant non tb vox with a tb vox sound. The tones are awesome - if you like Byrds, here you have it. Enjoy early Beatle tones - this is your amp. Do you have a craving for Tom Petty or REM jangle - this is your amp. Do you want classic rock crunch like Zep - crank up the volume and turn down the MV and you're there. Use a Rangemaster and now you're into Brian May territory. This amp covers all the ac30 grounds and does so brilliantly. I have now A/B'd this amp with the HW Vox series, and a host of "boutique" amps. The CC hangs in there and in most cases I preferred its sounds to the boutiques. It has all the chime of any Vox I've heard with the ability to turn the volume down to bedroom levels. This amp nails and in some cases surpasses the sound of any Vox I have ever owned including the HW, the Korg UK ones, Rose Morris era, Vox product era and JMI. Through a set of old bulldogs you are right there in JMI territory. The reverb is the 2nd best I have heard in a Vox with the best having been in an HW series. The trem is nice but not capable of the same depth and speed of the HW series, though it is variable so that puts it above most previous incarnations of the AC30. This amp is amongst best sounding Voxes I have heard and easily competes with the other higher end offerings I have owned or own and that list includes Matchless, Bad Cat, Top Hat, Valvetech, Dr. Z etc. It is a real winner.

Reliability: N/A
I would never gig without a back up but with all the simulator boxes out there (tonelab, pod) it is easy to have a portable back up these days. It is too early to comment on reliability, time will tell as with any new product. It is PCB construction with several PCB boards connected by ribbon cables a very common modern amp construction technique. The inputs are soldered onto a seperate and small PCB board as are the knobs. It hasn't misbehaved on me yet and I've put in about 40 hours already - knock on wood. All the speculation in the world will not reveal how this will pan out so I cannot give a rating here.

Customer Support: N/A
Customer support on these new products is in early days. All I know is that anyone who has ever contacted Vox personally, especially the higher ups, has received stellar service. I have never had to be one of those people yet so I cannot fairly rate this yet. If I ever have to I will be sure to come on this site again and enter a rating. I will say this, the designer of the amp Mr. Steve Grindrod as well as Mitch Colby are unafraid to haunt and post on the various vox boards out there and are always helpful and forthcoming on any matters. If their support is as good as this, it bodes well for Vox customers.

Overall Rating: 10
Here we go, the list of things that HC wants you to write at this stage of the review: been playing for 20 years, and I currently have a Vox HW head, a Valvetech Hayseed 30, a Top Hat King Royale, and the CC. The CC sounds as good or better than any of these. I have previously had Matchless DC30's, Bad Cats, Alessandros, etc etc etc you get it - I have heard the best constructed amps on the planet as have many of us. The CC sounds as good as any of them. Many would prefer these boutiques over any Vox, but if you are looking for a Vox tone that sounds as good as any of the best Voxes recorded in rock history look no further because the CC is for you. I love everything about the CC except for the trem which I like - for the price you cannot do better and for triple the price you will not get a better sounding Vox type of tone - you may get a Vox inspired tone you prefer, like some may prefer a DC30 - but it has way more midrange and aggression than most Voxes I have heard - it is filtered so differently than a Vox - if you like that sound then get a Matchless, but the CC out Voxes a Matchless or Badcat or "insert boutique Vox inspired amp here". If a great sounding Vox AC30 is what you seek, the CC is for you - and for the price this is a no brainer. It is the first Vox that makes fabulous tone available to the masses. Vox lovers rejoice!!

Submitted by wordson at 04/13/2005 21:08