Vox AC30/6TBX

No frills, though the vib/trem is good cross patched with top boost input for a hint of swamp.

Well everyone's right here. This is the last good AC30 made in the UK (Marshall factory I believe)- possibly one of the best made (so what if it has PCB's?). I have 2, one purple.Very loud, toneful (but heavy at 36kg) amps. Effect friendly.
The current Chinese CC AC30 is cheap and there is a reason, even though it has reverb etc. Watch those transformers.

No problems here. Change tubes, dont bother biasing. I gig 4 nights a week and have had no problems in 8 years.

Never bothered - I suspect it's average.

I have to admit that I've gone the full circle and rely on my AC30. Weight is the only downside but if you want a good sound in any room then this does it for me. I've tried to cheat and use other makes to save lugging this around but always come back. I'm a seasoned (read old!) player.
An 8 is as high as I go for anything, even my missus.

Early '90s to 2003. 3 channels. Six inputs; Normal, Brilliant & Vibrato/Tremolo. Volume for each. Bass, treble, and cut. Very versatile amplifier. Puts out enough sound pressure for any situation. If it weren't 100 lbs, I'd rate it a 10 for features. Can't these be built any lighter? I often jumper the brilliant or normal channels with a little of the vib/trem channel to get some great warbling Hendrix clean sounds (think "1983..(A merman I should turn to be).

I use mostly humbucker equipped guitars with rosewood boards. If your not into metal, or that Hi-Fi TOOL sound, any valve amplifier worth it's salt should suffice for just about any genre of music you can think of. Use the volume and tone controls on your guitar with a good amplifier and you'll know what I'm talking about. About 98% of guitarists really lack this dynamic in their playing these days. Amp is quite loud and clean at the get go but starts to break up at a reasonable volume. There is nothing "brutal" about this "distortion" , only musical overdrive & harmonics that sound great with what you're playing. There's more crunch than a great Fender amp in there, but it's not as "honky" sounding as most all Marshalls made after the JMP series (from many years ago). The nicest, fullest sounding bottom end I've heard in an amplifier. Tons of juicy top-end sparkle. Very 3-dimensional. (I have the blue Vox speakers in mine).

A good tube amp is only as reliable as it's owner. I've had this since about '99/00 without a hitch. The "Vox basket weave" vinyl covering is VERY prone to damage & coming apart in little threads (exposing the glue on the cabinets to dirt & grime). For an amp that sold for $1900 - $2200 new, this is unacceptable. Although, this has no effect on tone or performance. I guess it's akin to buying a Jaguar who's paint melts off with the first rain - you're still left with a beautifully tuned performance machine that does what you'd expect, but why the crap paint?

Useless now, I would imagine, as they're no longer made. The new AC30s are Chinese & loaded with effects and buttons.

I couldn't be more pleased with an amplifier. I don't go for the "boutique" b.s. as there's always a boutique price tag as part of the deal, although most, if not all, reissues these days put out by Fender and the likes are harsh sounding pieces of poop. If paying more money for a guitar amp than you should makes you feel like a better guitar player, then please don't play outside of your bedroom, or at least do a little more research with your own ears. This amp is a perfect example of a "name brand price tag" (which I would never have payed, save for the deal I got buying it used & badly beat up). If you feel that the type of wire used in an amplifier makes a marginal difference in how it sounds, you should be in the wire business instead of the music making field. In hind sight, I feel the quality of sound this puts out and it's usability make it almost worth every exorbitant penny. Every time I play it puts a smile on my face. I must deduct points for the crappy *** covering.

All tube reissue with tube rectifier & Celestion blue speakers. Plenty of power for keeping up with my VERY loud drummer. Tone is the feature of this amplifier. I might wish it lacked a vibe/trem channel, but that's part of the whole reissue thing. More than enough power for pretty big gigs (50-100 people). Normal, Treble & Vibe/Trem channels can be bridged and mixed with a patch chord which is really versatile.

I have several blackface Fenders and this amp is definitely on par with those amps ('65 Bandmaster & '66 Super Reverb). I use a Fender Jazzmaster & Telecaster as well as a Gretsch with it. I'll play stuff by Wilco, Bob Dylan & Tom Waits' later stuff, if that's a point of reference for you. The Tremolo is kind of toyish but that's why I bought a good pedal (Voodoo Lab, Fulltone ex.) Very pedal friendly! Best clean & jangle sound out there with the alnico blue Celestions. There are a lot of great sounds to be had with the turn of the volume dial. The break-up is astounding! There's a reason you'll see these on stage with everyone from Bob Dylan to Tom Petty to Wilco & U2 and so on....

No problems. I've gigged without backup. I've also gigged with a backup.

Haven't needed them.

I've played for 16 years now. I've pretty much stuck with classic examples of classic gear and they've never let me down. I would definitely buy another if stolen. The price kinda hurts though.... I love the tone - hate nothing about this amp.

Just to update my last review - Took this amp apart and it was loaded with up Drake transformers! Very nice. I did a little tube swapping and ended up with new Tung-sols and a sovtek in one position. I also replaced the worn groove tubes el84's with new JJ's and WOW! Much more 3D and less noise!

For some reason the price wasn't listed in my last review, but i paid $2100 + $200 shipping USD for this fine amplifier.

Still kicking!

no problems yet!

still haven't contacted korg/Vox!

1997 "Korg" topboost AC30 with Alnico Blues; a relatively faithful reissue of the original '60s era AC30 built in the UK. Three channels, 6 inputs, no footswitching, pre-gain, master volume, fx loop or any of the 'modern' features found on the new Chinese built Custom Classics. Best features? Tone & response to hand/picking dynamics. This amp was purchased as a replacement for one that was stolen from a club right after a gig while on tour last year. Not an easy amp to hunt down...

Too many guitars too list out; mainstays include a few different Les Pauls & Telecasters; '82 335; '71, '92 & '97 Strats and a few 'specialty' guitars like a USA Jackson dinky & Chandler baritone.

These mid-90s Korg reissues come MUCH closer to nailing the tone of the JMI AC30s then the new CC versions. CC = Complete Crap. Ok maybe not, but they're a different animal. The Korgs have body & depth to the sound while every CC I've tried (several) are just too bright and lack any real low end. No thunk. Sure, you get reverb & can get distortion without running flat out, but the tone & ultra responsive nature isn't there. Its not the most versatile amp ever, actually it only does a few things well but does them REALLY well! Excels at the slightly clean, slightly dirty thing with complex chords... It's not a modern SwissArmy amp but I don't expcet or want it to be one!

I've had this 'replacement' for several weeks and haven't had a problem. My previous AC30 ran for over a dozen years with only one or two minor repairs. The UK Korgs are MUCH more reliable then the new CC's. I went through three of them in less then two months. One lasted only 20 minutes before smoke shot out of the vents! Got a full refund and started my search for an exact replacement after that! That said, it IS an AC30. Tom Petty takes one guy on the road whose sole job is to keep the Vox's running night after night...

I've only had a handful of dealings with Korg over the years, never had a problem.

Been playing full-time for over 25 years. Even with a few other "classic" amps around ('74 Marshall & the like) I love playing the AC30 with Blues. Nothing matches it. Its like the amplifier is directly connected to my hands & brain in a way that nothing else matches. Thankfully insurance covered the stolen AC30 and the other gear but it took a LONG while to track down another identical model as a replacement, a few months of calling dealers & collectors before actually getting one! Currently trying to find Korg reissue another as a backup, just in case.

This is a 1994 AC30/6TBX reissue. I bought it new. The store (Guitar Shop in Port Credit, Ontario) was kind enough to let me A/B a couple of these extensively prior to purchase.

Mine came with Celestion Greenbacks (so I guess it was originally an AC30/6TB), which sounded fine. I've changed just one speaker to the generally preferred Celestion Blue, which also sounds very good. I would have switched both speakers, but the amp sounds really good this way. Try it.

I wanted an AC30 because it has a voice unlike any other amp. I wasn't looking for a do-it-all combo. That said, the amp is extremely flexible, tone-wise, with just its few features. Link the channels via daisy-chaining, or with a splitter box, and there's a surprizing amount of variety available.

An AC30/6TBX has 3 channels, each with 2 inputs (high and low sensitivity); they are: Brilliant (Top Boost), Normal, and Vib-Trem. That's it. Totally old school.

One more thing; never has 30 watts sounded so loud. I had no idea what a little monster the AC30 was until I opened up the throttle. Wow. The guys who talk about using load boxes like the THD Hot Plate aren't kidding. Even in a large rehearsal space, a cranked AC30 will have band-mates asking you to turn down the volume.

A quick post-script: like a good woman, she smells wonderful when she heats up. Press your nose to the heat vents and inhale.

I currently play a Fender Telecaster with a humbucker in the neck position, a Franken-Strat (modified Strat) with a humbucker at the bridge, a Les Paul Special quasi-reissue with P-100 pickups, and an oddball item called a Gould (like a hollow body Les Paul, if that makes sense) with a single EMG 89 at the bridge. Nothing precious, just stuff that sounds good.

I find that the AC30 prefers a pickup that's not too bass-heavy, although a Les Paul Standard with stock pickups is still okay. The amp will yield such rich distortion at higher volumes that a too-thick sounding pickup will lose definition. The EMG has lots of top end as well as very high output, so it sounds gigantic and yet toothy.

The AC30's potentiometers (pots) seem to be unusually prone to getting dusty (crackly sounding). This can really be annoying to anyone who isn't expecting it, because the static crackles can be very loud when you adjust the volume. I've had the pots cleaned a couple of times, and it keeps coming back. Oh well.

The charm is in the chime, you might say. That's the amp's signature sound, the "blizzard of nails" that people talk about. It's not a pristine, Fender Twin sort of clean. You can get a relatively tamer sound out of the "Normal" channel, but it's less open sounding. If you want the broadest clean sound an AC30 can do, plug into the low-sensitivity input of the Brilliant channel and run a short cable out of that channel's high sensitivity input to the Normal channel (or the Vib-Trem, for that matter). Bring the volumes up slowly, remembering that at 30 watts there's not a supreme amount of clean headroom.

I didn't buy the AC30 to get super-clean sounds. I like a bit of edge even when I play clean. For me, this amp has the absolute best "clean" sound I've ever heard. I owned a '73 non-master Super Reverb, an early Fender '59 Bassman reissue, a '65 Deluxe reissue, and a '62 blonde Bassman (married to a Matchless 2x12). They all sounded wonderful, but the ones I've kept are the '62 Bassman and the Vox.

The range of distortion sounds that an AC30 produces will surprize you. Chime fades gradually into a thicker, more midrangey "barking" sort of crunch, progressing to a truly majestic sounding roar at about 2/3 to 3/4 volume (with a hot pickup into the Brilliant channel).

The thing I love about the distortion that the AC30 produces is that it is so rich with harmonic overtones. At volume, hold a note and move around in front of the amp. You'll get a very musical feedback; the feedback "notes" are always harmonically related to the note you're playing - it isn't squeal.

That said, the amp has definite limitations. It's only 30 watts or so; not your first choice for metal. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, however, used his AC30 for nearly all the guitar sounds on the album "There Is Nothing Left To Lose", and those are some very hard, distorted tones.

Try this: Google "AC30" and see who's using one. The range of sounds will astound you.

But as with anything that has a signature sound; it may not be for you. The AC30, like the 100 watt Marshall Super Lead, the tweed Fender Bassman, etc., is an iconic sound. It is what it is.

I've had no trouble with mine in the nearly 12 years I've owned it. On the other hand, I look after my stuff. Your mileage may vary.

N/A

In addition to the above-mentioned gear, I have a couple of older Marshalls (1982 JCM 800 2203 half-stack, 1968 Super Lead "plexi" full-stack), numerous pedals, bass and acoustic guitars.

I'd find it hard not having my AC30 reissue; the AC and the JCM are my main recording amps. If it were lost or stolen I'd feel very sorry for myself, drink heavily, then go buy another one if possible.

I am of the opinion that if you don't put unreasonable expectations on a piece of gear in the first place, then as long as it's decently built, there's nothing to hate. A Hiwatt won't sound like a Marshall, which won't sound like a Twin, etc. And a software amp modeler won't really sound like any of them, if you listen carefully (well okay, maybe Amp Farm). You have to know what you're getting into, or you'll be disappointed.

I like the AC, with all its quirks; it's unique.

Made in 2003. I am sure everyone knows the features by now. Personally I rate the versatility on one's own ablity.

Guitars I use are a Warmoth Tele, Fender Am Std Strat, Rick 360, and a Guild BHM. Being a big fan of U2 & Queen, I naturally gravitated to this amp and was not dissapointed. Not that I play (or sound) like the Edge or Brian May, I don't think there isn't anything I couldn't play (OK metal is out, go look at the Mesa or Marshall reviews) with it. Until recently, my main stay was a Tube Screamer & a DredgeTone but just got a Jeckle & Hyde, and with it, everything's covered (will still keep the Dredge hooked up though - come back to us John!!!). Of course, be prepared to play loud. It sounds OK in the 8-10 o'clock range, but get it up around 12:00, it sounds awesome!!! Haven't tried a load box yet, still thinking...

I am the second owner & it came with a road case (where it stays) so I have yet to expirience any problems.

Heard the reissues are no longer being made (at least in England), just like the AC15 I have. If true, such a shame.

Always wanted one. Finally got one. Not dissapointed in any way. Waiting to see what the "Custom Classic" sounds like, but I wanted "old school" so there you go. Would definately replace it if anything happened to it. Was a close call with a Dr Z MAZ 38Sr but I would have had to wait for one of those, Matchless & Bad Cat are WAY to far out of reach.

its been said already

I compared this to an original my friends dad has, and its not exactly the same. There is a certain vibe to the '63, of which is totaly, (and tonaly) impossible to duplicate. In the new re-issues of many manufacturers, they cannot source the same physical parts that were made in the U.S. If you think the parts inside any re-issue are made in the U.S...fogetaboutit. They are usually Korean, or Taiwanese, made components drawn up from the same electrical blue prints, but in NO WAY are the SAME!!!!!!! Conclusion: The sound cannot be the same! If your happy with the sound, great. But dont think for a moment, that ANY Re-issue is made with the same components made over 40 years ago. You have been led down the garden path,,,,,,,a garden of B.C Bud.!!!

who knows!

Vox probably stinks now. Its run by Korg or something, but certainly not a Mesa type of Customer service which is ,,,the best.

If your after the AC30 top boost , go and put out the money, and get one, or build one yourself, with sourced parts that are the same as (or closer than you'd find today in any re-issue). You will spend more, but if your after the real vibe, you gotta spend real money.

This is the re-issue of the famous 1963 Vox AC-30 amplifier with built in Top Boost and Blue Celestion Re-issue loud speakers.This amp was made in 2004.I ordered it thru a major music store.It took 4 months to come in.I own a few re-issue and original vintage amps,namely from Fender.Now I own a Vox.
This amp features 6 inputs:2 for "Normal" Channel,2 for "Bright" channel,and 2 for "Vib-Trem" channel.(Vib-Trem channel also has knob to select either Vibrato or Tremolo,hence Vib-Trem).This amp is all tube in both the pre-amp section and power amp section,as well as 2 rectifier tubes just as the originals had.The amp has everything I need as far as features.

The GUITARS I use thru this amp are as follows:
1.)Gibson Les Paul Classic 1960 re-issue Gold Top equipped with Seymour Duncan Classic 59' humbucking pick-ups.
2.)Gibson Les Paul Special 1960 re-issue equipped with P-90 single coil pick-ups
3.)Fender Telecaster 1952 re-issue equipped with re-issue single coil Fender pick-ups
4.)Epiphone Sheraton 2 equipped with stock humbucking pickup

The AMPS I play are as follows:
1.)Vox AC-30/6 TBX Re-issue (33 watts rated) with re-issue blue Celestion loud speakers
2.)1965 Re-issue Fender Twin Reverb (85 watts rated) equipped with 2 Jensen C12-K loud speakers
3.)1968 Fender Bassman Head(50 watts rated) with 4x10 Fender cabinet equipped with 1966 CTS loud speakers
4.)1997 Sovtek Mig-50 head(50 watts rated) with Marshall 1960 ax re-issue 4x12 angled cabinet equipped with 25 watt Celestion Greenback re-issue loud speakers(cabinet rated at 100 watts maximum)
5.)1968 Sears Silvertone 40-XL 1x12 combo amp(25 watts rated?) equipped with a celestion Vintage-30 loud speaker

The effects I own are as follows:
1.)Tech 21 NYC Sans Amp GT 2 Overdrive
2.)Vox Tone-Bender re-issue Fuzz box
3.)Dunlop TS-1 Tremolo-stereo pan
4.)Dunlop Cry-Baby Wah-Wah
5.)Marshall Blues Breaker Overdrive
6.Line 6 POD 2.3 Effects Processor
This Vox AC-30 TBX just plain nails the Beatles tone.No effects,no tricks or studio secrets.This is the only tone I did without until now.If I use an overdrive to push the front end,I can also nail the QUEEN sound which Brian May made so famous with his AC-30'S with Blue Celestions.The harmonics and sustain are heavenly.
When cranking the amp into natural overdrive,the tone is edgy yet syrup-like(due to the dual rectifier tubes)yet keeps the vox tone and ringing clarity all the way up the numbers.The overdriven tones are so pleasing and useful.I would not describe the natural overdrive of this amp as distortion,because distortion is just that.Distorted.
This amp produces a crunchy,rich,deep,musical,and wonderful overdriven tube sound.Think"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen.That is the overdriven tone this amplifier produces when turned up full,or close to full.
This amp is very quiet as far as electrical noise and hissing are concerned.It is as quiet as any of my amps.No rattles or anything at all.Another perfect studio/home amplifier to add to my collection of fine instruments.I did indeed check this amplifier before purchasing it when it came in.I played it at volume in a sound proof room for 2 hours at the store and tried a slew of guitars thru it.It never gave me any problems or poor tone.Just the musical piano-like tone I had expected for my money.I always put the guitars and amps I purchase thru a grueling inspection.I check all fit and finish as well as a lengthy sound test,using every control on the particular instrument/amp.I test all amps for atleast an hour straight at volume,playing both low power chords or notes to test for rattles and speaker malfunctions.I won't get into my methods of testing the equipment I purchase,as it is way off topic.
In short,a perfect example of what a guitar amplifier should be.Playing thru this amp definately puts the guitar in the piano family.

I purchased the warranty because I have heard good and bad things about Korg and these amps.It seems most people do fine with this amp,while others do not.I guess they do not check the equipment before they purchase it.So far,I have owned this amp for 5 months and play thru it almost everyday.I have yet to have a complaint.For the price I paid,I expect nothing but the best.The price is rediculous.

I believe the warranty is good for 1 year.I hope this expensive amplifier out-lasts me.It's too expensive for me to accept any malfunctions other than normal tube wear.

I am confident in my purchase,and I know I am happy with this wonderful amplifier.It just looks so good in my living room too.The tone is Beatles and there is alot to love about that tone.I wanted this tone since I was 9 years of age.I finally got around to trying one of these amps and there it was.I could not leave this tone out of my collection.This amp just makes you want to keep playing and sounds so raw and piano-like.There is no other description I could think of besides the ones I have already mentioned thru out my review.
I believe in purchasing the best equipment I can afford.I know people who refused to save money to buy what they really wanted,but could not wait and bought cheaper generic equipment.They were sorry they did not save.They always expressed how they were just wanna-bees.I saved,I knew what I wanted,I inspected my purchases,and now I am reaping the rewards every time I walk past my fine collection of re-issues and originals and plug in.
Never be a wanna-bee.Always save and then go for it.I own all professional equipment,yet I am no pro musician.I don't play in a band,but I do sit down with some friends in my home and play guitar.They always bring their own gear over,but they seem to end up trying out my collection.They say it's like being in a music store stocked with most of the sought after instruments.I am very fortunate to own the equipment I do.
With that being said,you decide if this amp is right for you.Try one out after reading my review,then make your decision.Don't be a wanna-be.

Okay. I had to rate this amp a 7 on features. I mean it just doesn't really have many features. It has three channels, but I really only use one of them on a regular basis. The vibrato and tremolo aren't controllable enough, although you can get that "How Soon is Now" sound out of it. It also has a "Cut" knob in the tone section, but honestly I always leave it turned down. I can't really give it a 10 on features because it probably would be more useful if:

A) the tremolo were controllable
B) the tremolo was usable from the brilliant and normal channels
C) it had an effects loop

However, for my purposes the amp works just fine. You don't really need a ton of features when an amp sounds as good as this one. A lot of people said theirs have the Blue Bulldogs. Is mine weird or something? It has Greenbacks. I don't know much about what speakers they put in these things, but I know that both the Blue and Green Celestions are great speakers. So it doesn't matter that much to me.

The tone is what you want from this monster (and it IS a monster, plan on getting a road case with casters). I've run a ton of guitars through this baby (Squier Affinity Strat, Eric Clapton Strat, '74 Tele Deluxe, Rickenbacker 360v64, Les Paul Studio Lite, Danelectro U2) and all of these sound wonderful. My main guitars are a nondescript 70s Japanese Epiphone and a Rickenbacker 360/12B. With the Epiphone I get the most tremendous clean sound ever. It's not a very clean clean sound. I mean if you're specting solid-state sparkle, forget it. But you can get a really good crunchy jangly tone with plenty of sparkling high end. And that's what I look for. When cranked to halfway or above you can get a pretty good range of overdriven sounds, although its hard to stand next to this thing with the Brilliant channel cranked all the way up. The distortion is very much like the sounds Neil Young uses on his more rocking Crazy Horse tunes. I know he uses a Fender amp, but still - it has the same kind of warm menacing growl. Very much like a Marshall but with a warmer, less "metal" sound.

There is one problem I've experienced with the sound. The EL84s act up sometimes. Especially when I first plug it up and turn it on, the tubes seem to rattle a lot. If I let the amp sit for a little while it tends to go away, but it can be kind of annoying when you're playing at high volumes. Most nonmusicians aren't going to notice, because it's a very tambourine-like rattle. I thought this would be a problem when I was recording, but I cut an album this summer and used the Vox for every single electric guitar track (usually 3-5 per song) and the rattle isn't evident anywehere on the album. It's a quirk I'm willing to put up with for superior tone.

Okay. I can't really say a lot about this. The EL84s rattle a bit as I said above, but the amp has never been unusable. The tolex is pretty thin and cheaply applied for such a high dollar amp, so I recommend getting a road case. The tolex started peeling of mine after two days or carrying it around without a case, so I'd definitely look into protecting this amp. Never had real problems with the amp, but they kind of have a reputation - so I'm going to put 7.

Never needed customer support.

I've been playing for 9 or 10 years and I've played through many other amps in the past, including a Fender Super Reverb, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Fender Twin Reverb, Peavey Classic 30, and Peavey Classic 60. I've also plugged into Marshalls, Voxes, Line 6s, Traynors, and a ton of other amps. This amp has a really distinct tone, and I would never trade it for another amp. I'd like to bolster my collection with a 50-watt Kustom, but that would just be an alternate. This amplifier will be my main squeeze for life. The only annoying things about the amp are the occasional tube rattle and the sheer weight of the beast. But it's all worth it to me for that beautiful Vox tone. Don't be fooled by that new Vox digital-thingamajig. If you want a REAL Vox amp, buy an AC30.