Vox AC30-TB

1965 JMI Vox AC30-TB. Grey panel top boost, silver alnico speakers, plain Woden transformers, swivel tilt stand, and original Vox cover. I bought this amp from a friend in 1978 who was the original purchaser. He only used the amp lightly for about a year before he quit playing. When I bought it, it still had the original Mullard tubes in it and still sported the showroom hang tag on its center handle. Everything was perfect about the amp's condition.

By now, everyone knows the AC 30 3-channel drill - Top Boost (Brilliant), Normal, and Tremolo. The Top Boost channel uses all 3 tone controls (Treble, Cut, and Bass). The other two channels only have the Cut control at their disposal. I never use the Tremolo channel because I find the tremolo too harsh and abrupt. However, that bit is of no concern to me, as I never use a tremolo circuit to begin with. I have always been pretty much of a "bare bones" player and use effects sparingly. I expect the amp and guitar, in conjunction with my hands, to create that "perfect tone" we all carry in our heads. For me, this amp simply does it all no matter what guitar I plug into it.

Many people say that the AC30-TB is limited as to the tones that can be coaxed from the amp. I beg to differ. I do things the old fashioned way - I daisy chain the Top Boost and Normal channels together with a short jumper cable. Primarily, I plug into the high-gain input on the Top Boost channel and jump the low-gain input of that channel to the high-gain input of the Normal channel. This way, I get loads of versatility because the voicing of the two channels is entirely different from one another. If I want that crystal clear bell chime, I simply turn the Normal channel volume down all the way and adjust the Top Boost volume to where I need it. If I want full out distortion, I dime the Normal channel and bring up the volume on the Top Boost channel to the desired level depending upon which guitar I am using at the time. I also tweak the tone controls to suit what I'm going after.

Face it folks! This is an old amp design and, for its day, it was loaded with features. If you feel Vox should have at least included a reverb and a master volume, then you haven't been around long enough to know that those features would have been superfluous in a live situation. No one played dirty back then and an on-board reverb just got lost in the acoustics of night clubs and dance halls.

The Top Boost (Brilliant) channel is just that - Bright. The treble control is shelved at a higher frequency than most other amps but that is part of what creates the beloved Vox chime. The other part of the chemistry is the Vox/Celestion alnico speakers. The Cut control is somewhat akin to an old radio tone control in that it sweeps between treble and bass but in a mid-range sort of way. The Bass control, like the Treble control, should be used judiciously. Both of them are VERY active and a little bit goes a long way. The amp is also amazingly loud. When needed, I tame its volume down with a THD HotPlate.

No matter what guitar I use, I can get spectacularly clean, rich, warm, and chimey tones to glorious, raging distortion with wonderful compression, sustain and lovely harmonic overtones. In the 80's and early 90's, I had a difficult time getting decent tubes but now I load the thing with JJ Tesla's and am very satisfied. The JJ's give me the closest tone to the original Mullards of all the tubes I've tried to date.

The guitars I use the most with this amp are a handmade "Strat" loaded with Duncan pickups, a '69 Les Paul loaded with DiMarzio pickups, a stock '59 Gretsch Country Gentleman, a '74 Rickenbacker 450-12, and, most recently, a Burns Brian May Signature. This amp allows each guitar to have its own voice no matter what settings I use. I'd say this is the mark of a truly great amp! The only pedals I use with this amp are an ancient Boss Chorus, a 1965 Vox Wah-Wah, and a Crispy Cream Treble Booster built by Scott Humphrey. I use the Wah very little and only use the treble booster with the Brian May Signature.

I play hard rock, blues, a little jazz and some country using this amp. I only turn to my Marshall when I want to have that signature Marshall sound. Otherwise, the AC30-TB can cover it all with ease.

In the 27 years I've had this amp, I have only needed the services of a professional amp tech twice. In 1981, the amp needed its first new set of filter caps. In 2004, it got a new set of filter caps again. In addition, any parts that had gone too far off spec were replaced with NOS parts. When I first got the amp, I noticed how hot it ran so I fabricated a new upper back panel (to preserve to original), cut a hole in it and installed a 5" whisper fan. Since then, I have never had a heat problem. I also control the higher modern voltage issue the cheap, old-fashioned way - I always place a 100' 18 gauge extension cord between the power outlet and my amp. That shaves off enough line voltage to keep the old girl happy.

I toured, recorded and rehearsed with this amp for many years and only had to pull out a backup amp once. That was when the filter caps went south the first time. It was my primary amp from 1978 to 1995. The only special thing I did to it when I was out on the road for 4 solid years was to re-load the thing with EVM 12L's to protect the Vox speakers. The alnico speakers are back in it now protected by the THD.

If this isn't reliable, I don't know what is!

JMI - May you rest in peace! Thanks for the great amp.

Sound quality and tone are very subjective topics. However, let me put it this way. During my 45 years of guitar playing, I have owned many amps, in a variety of models and configurations, from all the major manufacturers. I have sold nearly all of them except this amp. The Vox AC30-TB gives me almost everything I want. The only other amps I use besides this gem are a Vox AC30/6 TBX (which is about to get the full Don Butler treatment) and a Marshall 100 watt Plexi over a 1960a 4x12 loaded with Celestion G12H's. Probably the only amp I regret having sold was a 1964 Fender Bassman.

If someone stole my '65 AC30-TB, I would hunt down the thief like a dog! Then, I would do whatever it took to get another. This is my favorite amp of all time? Period!

1965 Jenning Vox AC 30. Bought it from Ampaholics in Surrey. Sounded great in their shop. Got it home, but it didn't sound the same as my mates. Turned out that Goodhand-Tate (poncey name) had re-coned the speakers - looked fine but sounds harsh. Other bits in the amp had been messed with too. Spent another small fortune getting it sorted, but still needs a pair of genuine speakers to make it good. Beware. Not an honest fella - shop elsewhere. Buys his stuff on E.bay and part exchange junk from music shops, bodges it up then then doubles the price to the unsuspecting. Be warned, buy elsewhere.

Now that it is sorted, it is everything I expected, apart from the sound being a bit harsh - pair of genuine speakers will sort this - more expense, but live and learn.

Too old to gig with without a backup. Still 40 years old so ......

Lots of spares avaliable. Lots of people can work on them - and some that can't of course (or they are just not honest fellas).

Too long to remember. Met lots of friendly sharks in my time. Made it, lost it. Still playing. Like some of the new rock stuff coming through. Hope for the future. Stay safe and watch out.

I have two JMI AC30's from different years and am reviewing both. Pricing above was for BOTH amps. $4,500 for the '62 and $2,800 for the '66. The first is a candy panel 1962 top boost, blue alnicos, Albion transformers, CHROMED chassis courtesy of Plexi Palace (hence the price). The second is a 1966 grey panel top boost, silver alnicos, plain Woden transformers (not painted green). The amp is three basic separate preamp circuits feeding one power amp section. The amp is a one trick pony. However, with an A/B switch I run both the normal and TB channels simultaneously. Instant channel switching! The third tremelo/vibrato preamp section can be used on it's own or combined with another channel. With a bit of simple patching, relatively versatile - certainly useable. My styles of music are pop & rock, the amp suits these just fine. No effects loop, don't need it. No reverb, it would kill the character of the amp anyway. I don't wish for any additional features, with the flexible input patching it has everything I need. The amp is KILLER for recording, both clean and distorted tones. Depending on the drummer & application, it may/may not have enough stage power. With my drummer the amp runs out of clean headroom, but the distortion level is perfect (I have a VERY loud drummer). Both amps are in my studio, I rarely use them live. Plenty of power in a studio environment. I rate the amp an 8 due to no internal channel switching, effects loop, reverb. But keep in mind I never need those features.

Okay, here is where the amps are VERY DIFFERENT. The '62 has dark, thick tones with pronounced lower mids, soft highs. The '66 is brighter with more ringing high end. They BOTH are VOX airy & chimey, and both shine with single coil pickups, mini humbuckers, or full sized humbuckers with low gain. I run out of loud clean tones quickly with Gibson Alnico 490 humbuckers, so the amp still SOUNDS great, it's just less versatile. With low gain pickups and channel switched inputs, the amp is either clean & chimey or saturated & spongy. Good enough variety for me, even with no pedals. The clean channel any channel WILL distort at high volumes - not an issue in the studio. I would describe both amps tones as chimey, airy & spongy. The distortion is never harsh. I run both amps together and the sound is GLORIOUS! But since nothing is PERFECT I rate the amps sounds as 9. Plus they are finicky regarding pickups.

Everyone dismisses old AC30 amps as "unreliable". It depends. Albion & Woden transformers are preferred and more reliable components then Parmiko (which were used after David Jennings sold the company). Also, most ALL JMI Voxes were built well. These original Voxes are reliable IF they are properly serviced and maintained. That means new caps & tubes when required. Operating voltages should be periodically checked. These amps GET HOT. A second set of top vents would have been helpful in the original design. If you are good with a router you can add them. My Voxes have only failed when I installed "NOS" tubes. Now I use only brand new current production tubes and have no problems. I rate the amps an 8 due to the high operating temperatures.

Ha Ha! There hasn't been a JMI VOX company in almost 40 years.
Sorry, Korg doesn't count.

I've been playing 28 years, semi pro. If it were stolen or lost I would get something else - they are simply too expensive. You buy a Vox for the tone, which is GLORIOUS (did I repeat myself?). I compared my Voxes to Matchless amps, which I sold to buy these. The Matchless had too many upper mids and sounded "boxy" to my ears. (Don't get me wrong, Matchless amps are excellent).

Made in England ca. 1978 to 1980. (Rose Morris era) I use it mainly with my 2 Rickenbacker guitars 330 and 330/12. You can plug 6 guitars into this amp, but I only use the brilliant channel. The normal channel sounds a bit dark, the vib/trem channel interesting, but it's nothing against the brilliant channel. Simply perfect. Pure jingle-jangle.
What's missing? A Master-Volume would be ok, but what I really miss is a reverb. So I bought a cheap stomp box for this,and it works great.

The sound is absolutely incredible. I use it only clean with the "cut"-switch turned off completely and I can get all the classics out of it (Beatles, Byrds, The Smiths...)
We were comparing the AC 30 with a Fender Blues de Ville (also tubes), and the AC 30 won by far. It's really a different league.
This amp isn't very variable, and for distortion this one is not the right one. You love or hate it. My advise: If you like clean sounds, buy this. If you like distorted sound, go and buy something else.
10 points here of course, no question.

I have this one since a month now and changed the tubes one time, as the they were quite old. It's buzzing a little bit sometimes.

Don't know.

Playing since 15 years now. 2 Rics and a Tele.
If this amp was stolen I would kill the thief. If this amp was lost, I would kill myself. I will never buy a different one, execpt another AC 30.
The best thing is: The AC 30 upgrades any guitar. Even cheaper guitars are sounding good, and good guitars are sounding great.

Mine is a rare Rose Morris era Vox AC30 made in 1991. It has all the same features previously stated but with the addition on Reverb.

Sounds like smooth, silky, chocolate. I play in an Alt Rock band, but my roots are blues/funk-based. This amp covers it all.
I mostly play just the Normal channel with the tone cut knob at 10 o'clock, volume is on full (keep reading to find out how my ears can stand the volume.) It originally came with greenback speakers, I've swapped those out for Vintage 30s. Man what a difference! smoothed out the highs, and punched the mid-lows. I also use an A/B/Y box to channel switch between the normal channel and the Brilliant channel. This is the only way to do this. Of course the brilliant channel is on full as well with the bass at (3 o'clock) treble (1 o'clock). Now the only way youre ears can handle this is to use an attenuator of some sort between the amp and speakers. I use a Marshall PB100 powerbrake. Keep in mind these are 16ohm cabs. The PB acts as a master volume. But its wide open on stage most of the time anyhow. With the Powerbrake I can "Y" the output to another cab. I use a showman cab with a greenback and a jensen. Man, when used in conjunction with the V30's, life couldnt be better, time doesnt exist. Now folks,, when you drive your AC30 as hard as I do in this setup,, youre gonna find out quick that there aren't a whole lot of tubes that can hold up to the abuse. My personal preference has been JJ tubes both pre and power. 1year4months and counting No Problems!! I had a closely matched quad put in. Let them warmup properly for 20 mins and cool down in stanby for 5min when your done and your tubes will go the extra mile.
I never use the Reverb or the Tremelo. Just an analog delay, chorus pedal, Boss DS1 (to overdrive, not dist,, all knobs at 12o'clock) and another overdrive pedal.
I mostly play an american Telecaster. I just roll off the volume on my guitar to get a clean tone (if there is such a thing, but you guys that drive this amp know what I mean.)
If you have this amp and only play in your home,, get out there and get a PB100/hotplate/Dr Z attenuator (about $200-400) so you can really see/hear what these amps are all about. Sure, you get a great clean tone at low levels, but nothing a bassman or a twin can't get. Roll the volume up to the tone where other amps can't even dream of reaching.

If your amp is popping or getting volume "jumps" , you aren't allowing your tubes to warm up enough. Turn on your amp, go make yourself a sandwich, come back and rock out till you puke. good times.
Almost a year and a half on the JJ's I threw in, and Im still cranking out tone. Take care of your tubes, and your amp will sing to you.
Ive gigged with this for 2 years with no backup, practice for 3 hours 3x's a week, and never had any problems with it.
Oh yeah, make sure your tubes are closely matched. If you dont know what Im talking about,, take your amp in to a pro and have him order the tubes for you. Or ask some guys here.

never dealt with them,, I wouldnt know who to go to anyhow. Rose Morris? JMI? Korg?
whatever, thats what forums are for.

Ive been playing for 17 years actively. Ive owned soo many amps and guitars its sick. One day a friend took me into a vintage shop and I tried out an AC30 for the first time. From the 2 minutes it took for the Sales guy to walk over to me to tell me to turn down,, I knew where my tone was gonna come from for the rest of my life till I get rich ofcourse. :) Smooth, silky chocolate. Ive sold my 100 watt Marshall DSL Stack for this 33watt 2x12 box with no frills or thrills, and havent looked at anything else.
Amps ive owned/tried: Marshall DSL/TSL/JCM 800/ MARSHALL Artist/Mesa Boogie Nomad 100/Nomad 55/Carvin XB100/Fender Bassman/MusicMan HD130r/HD150/LINE6 crap/fender twins/JC120. And I still only play my AC30. Though I will give alot of credit to the Fender Bassman 4x10 combo's. A respectable alternative.
www.Mannaray.com

Not sure of the year its a reissue bought new in 2000. I always loved the tone of these amps and not only gig but have a recording studio so I need a variety of amps. I give it an 8 due to no reverb.

Awesome tone I was mainly using this as my clean tone amp with a Les Paul or a Rickenbacker. Very good amp for that jangly sound but starts to dirty up at higher volumes. After a few months it started making really weird noises while just sitting after being played for a couple hours, I figured it was the tubes going.

Well now for the bad news I used this onstage and bought a very expensive flight case to protect it during travel so I did not mistreat the thing. It was retubed several times which can get
kind of spendy if you buy quality tubes. After it went out on me at a gig I would not gig without a backup. 2 months after the last retube
it went out on me at a show.....thats it, if a piece of equipment fails on me twice on stage it never goes on stage again. I will retube it (AGAIN) and only use it for studio work where it doesnt matter as much if it craps out. Bottom line its not the amp for a regularly gigging musician.

Never dealt with the company as the distributor for the US is back east and I live out west.

I will have to knock it way down due to the reliability issues. I have several different fender amps, marshall amps, and a couple of smaller crate amps. I have 18 guitars and have been playing in bands and recording for over 30 years. Great studio amp if you can afford it for the unique sound, but for a gigging musician, especially if you don't have tons of cash, get something else.

Although the amp has minimal features they can be used to great effect, and any number of tones can be created using the 3 channels all with low and high inputs( so 6 in total).
Mine is an 80's model with reverb and vibrato features, although the vibrato effect has recently stopped working. However I don't mind as I never used it anyway.It has G-12 speakers and cut, bass and treble tone controls.
I play rock'n'roll music and have always found it loud enough to cope at gigs (which with a PA shouldn't matter anyway.

I use a '77 Gibson the Paul with seymour duncan pick-ups.
I use the brilliant channel for my clean sounds and the vibrato channel ( which overdrives at a much lower volume) for a really honking typa 60's sound. Also I use a Boss Blues driver on both channels for a more fuzzed up modern sound.
For my solos I also use an ibanez compression pedal which used in conjunction with the 2 distortions is possibly the biggest fattest sound I have ever heard from an amp.
It took me a while to get used to using all these different tones and sounds but was well worth it.
It also has great sonic capabilities for feedback which I am presently mastering.

I have had no problems except the loss of the vibrato effect. This doesn't matter to me and appart from that it has been great.
Also I buy my equipment from a long-time indepedent guitar shop who carry out repairs to my gear free of charge. hurray!!

Like I say its second hand

Before buying this amp I have Had Marshall, crate, peavey, laney, fender and carlsboro amps. In my opinion the vox had by far the most character (and looked the best). Also some people I have spoken to claim the 80's version to be one of the worst. This may be true but there will always be exceptions, I was going to swap mine for a '68 version but it really didn't sound as good. So make up your own minds cos when it comes down to it nobodies opinion matters but your own.

Bought it used, I think it's a 2001. This thing has unbelievable gain, sweet tone; sounds amazing clean or dirty. It's a bare bones Class A tube amp, no reverb, vibrato isn't that great.

I use a Tele Nashville Deluxe through the normal channel and a Gretsch Tennessee Rose through the Brilliant channel and it's a dream. I bought it to play in larger venues and theatres but it sounds great at lower volumes at home also. I use a Yamaha GT Stomp and I can dial in just about anything you can think of: Sparkling clean tones, slightly overdriven to thrash tones, punk tones etc. The tone cut feature is very good, I found that it produces more mid range than a typical Fender tube amp.

I Just got it, haven't had any problems.

I haven't called them so nothing to say here.

I've played a bunch of Fender and Marshall tube amps and the more recent "clone amps". I've been a Fender advocate for many years but nothing comes close to the AC30 in terms of gain and versatility of the tone. There expensive, but worth every penny. You gotta try one.

it's an oldie, maybe 30-35 years old, don't know, great for blues, rock, surf, you name it...that british crunch and overdrive if you turn the volume knob high up, otherwise use a pedal for very high gain (i use marshall bluesbreaker 2 and it's a great combination).
doesn't have many features though, but who needs them?3 channels (brilliant, normal and tremolo), volume, bass, treble, cut, reverb, vib. tremolo and speed (for vib.t.).i use it all the time and it works perfectly, it's also loud enough to play in any club.you guys which are hung up on buttons and artificial effects and similar knobs take 3 for this rating.

i use a strat.sound on this machine is the best i've heard ever, no wonder that beatles, animals, hendrix, clapton, queen and many others used this amp.sound gets distorded at high volumes, maybe some of you find this as a minus, but i just turn volume on my guitar down and it's clean.i don't know how these new vox's sounds like, but this one is the best!i'll never sell it.

like i said, it's very old, but still in one piece!i broke a handle on it, but it's not a surprise after such a long time.i'll change the tubes, they're pretty old too.i'd use this amp anywhere and anyhow, without backup.

if there was anything to fix, i'd try to do it on my own, i think that the warranty is long gone.

every guitar player has it's own taste, i say that all of you should hear this amp before buying any other, if there was a "hall of fame" for amps, this one would surely get in immidiately.you hear this amp every day, listening to beatles, clapton, queen, animals, cream, hendrix, yardbirds, etc., just try it, you've got nothing to lose!i highly recommend it.

I think it's a 90s.
It gets a zillion tones, all excellent, from clean to end of the world.
3 channels - vibrato, normal, brilliant.
The vibrato channel is kind of goofy - you have to patch it into one of the other channels with a short cable - on it's own, it's such an extreme effect is virtually useless. At best, it gets kind of a leslie sound.
I use this amp at gigs and at home in my studio. It has an overabundance of power.
The main thing is it gets the best tone you've ever heard.

My main guitar is a cheapie (that I continually pick for for it's tone), a Squire SuperSonic, 90s, Japan.
The AC30 suits my style well because I like to play clean a lot but I like to have headroom to crank the thing up and get a nice overdriven sound, which the AC30 is unrivaled for by any other amp. I play rock, pop, blues, r'n'b, country.
At high volumes, there is some degree of noise, but the signal-to-noise ratio is neglegeble.
You can play clean loud enough to get over a loud drumer in a small club.
The distortion is the most colorful, detailed, rich, sweet, yummy distortion in the world. Ref "we will rock you" Queen.

So far, no problems.

not applicable

I've been playing gigs since age 15 in the early 80s.
If lost stolen, would have to be replaced.
I just love this amp, period. It rules.
The only other amp I like as much as this is my Balls M18 http://ballsamps.com/ which is a clone of a Marshall 18 watter / Watkins Dominator. My only beef is the weird tremelo, but I guess that's part of it's charm. Overall, this is the greatest amplifier in the world.

Because there are not too many effects (or none at all), I give this a 9. simplicity at its best. I'd give it a 10 if there was actually some sort of gain option. The level the volume needs to be at to get that distortion over powers the rest of the band. (I really dont mind, but then you cant hear what I'm playing along with!)

amazing. I bought this amp 'broken-in' not 'used' I gave up my Vox Valvetronix for this thing. There is nothing wrong with ad120, in fact its amazing itself with all of its features. But I could hear a bit of a tin cup sound, and decided to fork out the bucks for 'the real thing.' And am NOT disappointed at all. I'm recording an album next month and am sooooo happy to have this for it.

I use a Tele Deluxe through 12 effects, if you want to know them, email me. The sound is superb. Extremely clean and clear, but more importantly, the tone is smooth AND vicious. I've been using the normail channel, but am making the switch to the brillian channel for that extra something.

Havent had any problems yet, but its a tube amp and will have backups with me for shows and recordings, and recommend you all do the same. It's a shame to bring this beautiful amp to a show and not be able to play it.

Havnt

I play in a alt band, www.themood.ca , and this amp completes me and the band loves it as well. First rehearsal with the new amp the band was smiling at the amp, not me. I havent had it long enough to truly give an overall review, but at this point I got to say with a TELE and the effects that I use, I think its a very happy family.

If you'd like to hear the band with a Valvetronix, which I still dearly love, check out the website. Otherwise come back in two more monthes to hear the AC30. Sorry for the plug, but we're all musicians here....

1965 JMI AC 30 top boost grey panel.(factory top boost not a later modification on the back panel.)
6 inputs.high and low for 3 settings.Vibrato/tremolo channel,Normal channel,and Brilliant channel.
Treble and bass effect only the brilliant channel.Cut switch effects tone on the other two.You can link up the channels for various tones.egg shaped footswitch.I don't mind the basic controls.I suppose a master volume would be nice but I bought this amp for it's famous tone.So I won't attempt to tell vox what to change.It is a classic.Seeing as they continue to make reissues of this amp today I 'm guessing it is as close to perfect as they can make it.
It has one "on" switch no "standby" switch.
Versatility ?You either love this tone or you don't .
The dials are basic.The control is subtle and intuitive.

I primarily use a Gibson semi- hollowbody with humbuckers.
It suits my musical style which is mid 60's rock / blues .
It is noisy and at times .Occasionally picks up radio signals.
It's an old amp so I expected this.It has great tone all the way through.It stays warm and rich in lower volume and then gets an
amazing natural overdrive when pushed louder.However the level needed to get this overdrive is very loud.The distortion is smooth and defined .Beautiful Classic tone.I play straight through it at times but have recently added an effects processor and this has really added to the richness of sound.
Starting with such a great tone it can only get better as you build on it.I know a lot of people claim to leave it without any effects but it is amazing to hear the difference.I can get alot of the beautiful overdrive at lower volumes this way as well.very touch sensitive amplifier.

Me and this amp are the same age.I haven't had any problems with it so far.It 's bound to need check ups and fixes sooner or later but not too worried .

haven't used them.I think the warranty ran out quite awhile ago.

I've been playing for over 20 years.I own another ac30 '63 candy panel.If stolen I would try and find another exactly like it.Beautiful classic tone.I love it.
What do I hate about it?
(1)-I hate lifting it.
When inside it's road case it is almost impossiible lift it on my own.
(2)It won't fit into the trunk of a cab.It is too precious to chance it without the case.
(3)It heats up like a nuclear reactor really fast.
But it is all worth it for the tone.
I heard alot about this classic amp before buying it.
It truly delivers the goods.

AC30 TB Vintage 1991 model for UK market.
Bought USED for #480.
Combination of of Marshall and Harma valves with a MesaBoogie GZ34 Rectifer.
All usual channels, vibe, normal, brilliant (and it is!)
Built solid. I expect no problems, but I do own a Ducati :)
I'm not a big Vibrato fan, so I don't know how much I'll be using this...mine has no reverb, but in a hall who needs it? Use a pedal if you need it. I don't miss it.
I opened it up and the board is in great shape for 13 year old amp used for gigging by previous owner. clean with no BBQ smells.

Wow, what a sound. Nirvana for me.
I use a Burns Brian May and '73 Strat with Kinman AVn Blues pickups and they both wail on the VOX..
BMay Special through this is full of wonderfull tone. Using the top boost channel and my VOX tone bender fuzz, blood appears out of my eyes and ears. Small animals run for cover and dogs who hear past 22KHZ ask for forgiveness.
Really its a nice tone both for vintage brit 60's and crunchy power of the blues. Distorts nicely using Normal channel at not too high a level..I think a tube change to Groove Tubes may improve this.
I heard a THD hotplate is good for this amp, but UK stores are a fu'%ing ripoff charging #249 for them.
Top Boost is a signal now for a special secret club...if you see someone with a VOX T Shirt for example, wink and say quietly (or loud if they have hearing problems) 'TOP BOOST'.
PS You will lose the sensitivity of frequencies >15KHz if you play out with this amp.

OK so far. Stop whinging.

Not called Korg yet. Will call to order a cover and new cloth for front in a few days.
I did email them for a catalogue and it came in 3 days delivered with the Valvetronix demo CD....that was good service.

Playing for 15+ years on and off.
Previous guitars are (were) VOX teardrop and Rickenbacker 12 string.
If it were nicked I'd buy another.
Buy one. Its a piece of history that sounds as good today as it did 40 yrs ago..isn;t that why you own a Fender?

1993 reissue. I believe this is possibly the 1st year that Korg reissued the AC-30's. Very simple design. No effects loop, or reverb. 33 watts which drowns out any 100 watt stacks I have ever owned. All tube with tube rectifier. I mostly use this amp in a live setting in stereo with an Orange AD/15 combo. Bottom line this amp cuts through any loud drummer or bass player.

This is where this amp smokes the competition in my opinion. Mine has the Vox "blue" speakers and they sound amazing. I like class A balls to the wall sound. I like it at high volume with a Bionic Expandora distortion pedal. I mostly use a Rickenabacker 360 and a Rickenbacker 370/12 through a TC Electronics 2290 delay then into an Eventide Harmonizer. Talk about heaven. I have worked years of trial and error to get this set up but this now works perfect for me. One thing I have noticed on the reisse sound though is they are not all equal....This is a 1993 reissue that for some reason sounded much better than my 1995 purple reissue that I used to have. It was something about the wood in the cabinet design. I swapped out the guts in both amps and the 93 reissue was still the better sounding amp even though the components were identical so it had to be the cabinet. I would not change a thing about the sound. Maybe make it a little less noisy when not being played.

My 1993 reissue has never broken down but I always bring a backup. My 1995 reissue broke down twice but it was just a faulty rectifer tube. Once I changed that it ran fine.

Never had to deal with them. I would rather skip the corporate bullshit and pay the $$$ and have a tech I trust service the amp.

I would replace this sucker in a heartbeat. I would for sure look for another 1993 resissue and probably pass on a 1995 reissue. My guess is the 1993 was a little better quality because Korg wanted to impress since it was their first year. My only complaint is these things are really pricy new. Why pay $1850 for a new Korg reissue when you can get an original JMI for this price. The new Korg reissues come loaded with Ei power tubes which are nice.

I have this on long term loan from a friend -hooray ! It could be late '60s or early 70's -it has Celestion/Rola G12 speakers. Tag strip wiring. The chassis is held in by 4 rear screws. We know what AC30 TBs are, so no more from me.

Fender Tele & Gretsch guitars. I play rockabilly and use the Brilliant channel. Having gigged with this amp, all other amps are now no longer satisfactory. It has THE sound -thats it !!

Its old, but so far so good. Needs new input jacks -it gets hot but it hasn't broken yet. I have Ei Yugoslavian tubes and they sound great.

N/A I am a tech, so I do any fixing myself

This amp over all others has the tone to die for. I f my friend wants it back - I don't know what I'll do.

The AC#) \6TB I bought was made in 1993 I believe. It has three channels with a high and low input for each. There ia a Normal channel, a brilliant channel and a vibro-trem channel. Its a class "A" amp and is very loud for a 33W ot 36W depending on where you read the wattage info. There are two 12" Celestion "Greenback" speakers which I really like. There is no reverb which would be a nice addition but I just use a reverb or delay pedal if I feel the need. The AC30 is a tube amp which for me is mandatory. I am used to playing Fender amps so it took a bit of getting used to but I realy think the amp is bad to the bone. I recommend it.

I use it for blues mostly but if you are into the Beatles, you can nail their sound with the correct adjustments of the controls. Amp is pretty clean but at high volumns you can get some distortion. I use a TS-808 for a clean boost and that satisfies me but if I add drive to the amp from the TS-808 it really sounds cool. Overdriven withiut being distorted beyond belief.

So far so good. No problems yet. Appears to be well built.

Never delt with the company. There is a website where I got the schematics for the amp for free.

Been playing a while. I am 48 yrs old now. Wish it had a reverb built in. Kinda heavy.

***Does anyone know how to use patch cords to jump between the various channel inputs for different sounds? I need to know how to do this. Please help!!!! Thanks.......Joe

VOX AC30 TOP BOOST REVERB, made early seventies (1969-1972), previous owner said it was made in '70. This one comes WITH REVERB! It's one of the "square Vox logo'd" AC30's, and the double row of large style vent grilles (5 in total). Has got 4 push pull's: the volume pot of the three channels + the reverb pot; it also has the original footswitch. Since this is only my sixth day that I own the amp, I'm still experimenting with it: if anyone knows what the push-pulls are for, let me know. Still some cosmetic & electronic work to do (some joker painted it silver ...; one vent grille missing; not the original knobs; springs missing; loose connection check to perform). I was looking for an amp that had a reverb, vibrato and a reputation, this AC30 has it (or will have once I get a new reverb unit).

I tried it with a so-called superstrat (H-S-S), but I prefer to use my Epiphone Casino with it. I play rock and pop, also Beatles and sixties things, so this amp should get my tone closer to that. I only had one occasion to turn it up all the way: I was pleasantly surprised by the awesome tone and the sound of the distortion. This is not for bedroom or living room use, at least not when you have direct neighbors or a wife located in the same house... Because the only way to get some distortion is to put the volume all the way up! Anyway, I still want to try it in combination with some FX pedals. The vibrato channel is something I can't resist, it sounds really cool. But the trick is to COMBINE the channels: connect the inputs with patch cords and you can mix the 3 channels: you'll have the muddy normal channel, the brighter brilliant channel and the vibrato as switchable channel sounding together. I was also amazed by the (musical) range of the treble and bass pots.

In some reviews, I read something about "ghost notes": sometimes I hear indeed a note that I don't play, so I think my amp suffers from it too. If anyone knows what to do in this case: all help is welcome. For the rest: I can't really tell, since I only have it 6 days.

There's a lot of info on the net, and for the rest I'll do my own check ups.

I've been playing since 1989, my first real amp was (and still is) a Marshall JMP 50 Watt combo with even fewer features than the AC30, the only feature is bass-mid-treble-presence. So it's a progress for me :-) to have tremelo and reverb on it (once I fix the reverb, that is). As I felt it was a bargain for the price paid, I don't mind the small fixable defects and cosmetic stuff: I'm anxious to start fixing it, once I get to know the amp a little better. The purpose is to make it my main amp for gigs. If I find another one in the same condition I'll buy it too (for that money). I would NEVER buy a new one, since I think that the pricing is WAY OUT OF LINE!!! No matter how good the tone, it's still wood, vinyl, some electronical components and 2 speakers, same thing applies for some guitars: half your amp's price is the name it carries. I'm not into that game. But overall, my first impression is an 8.

this is a reisue, 2001, I think. 6 inputs , 3 non switchable channels.feature wise you would think less knobs equals less features.I just got done with the 20 knob mesa tremoverb combo, what a nightmare.This amps simplicicty makes it easy to dial in a good tone, if you can't get a good sound out of this amp, your guitar is a hunk of shite, or you don't know how to eq. this is my main amp I will gig with it soon. I like the vibe trem feature, although limited they sound nice, better than any pedal I have used. I play alt rock,but this amp would be good for just about any kind of music. I have seen every kind of band using these amps, frank black-u2-son volt-some local punk bands. If I were a heavy metal artist I would have kept the mesa, great distotion in those. i am giving this amp a ten in versatility because of the they diverse reaction and response this amp makes depending on what pickup I have on how hard or light I play, the tone of your guitar and fingers really make this amp sort of a chamelon. I have not experienced this with sensitivity with any other kind of amplifier. oh yeah, mine has green back speakers and they sound just fine to me, however I will eventually get the blue speakers, that many users can't be too wrong.

I use a prs ce22 with dragon 2 pickups.I use lots of delay. tirppy guitar sounds. heavy distortion(mesa v-twin), and wah and loop effects. still get the tone of the ampand guitar very nicely.this amps clean tone are very distinct, bellish/chimey, in a really sweet way. check u2, daniel lanois. This amp overdrives very nicely really smooth with out that high buzzing sound most distortion units make. check u2's untill the end of the world. that is the sound. this amp sounds excellent. it took a lot of amps, money and experience to get to this one, glad I made it.

I only know what I have heard, lots of negativitey here, but I have also heard that the reissue models wont break down like the old ones. class a amps eat tubes, but I haven't had that trouble yet. so I have no expeinced opinion here.

I would give this amp the highest marks, but it is the right amp for me. I loved my mesas, but they weren't the right amp for my taste. I am a big u2 fan and I have always loved the sound of the edges guitar. the more research I did the more I found that I liked the sound these amps make, just about every band I really like use one of these. like many I wish there was reverb but that is a small price to pay for such an excellent tone. If it were stolen I would steal another one. I love you like you were my own daughter.

This is an update of an earlier post of mine. I still love this amp but it has been in the shop a couple of times for solder joints beaking loose. I have had some problems with the original drake transformers but seems ok now. I have put a fan in the unit and put in a master volume in place of the cut switch..this makes the amp much more versatile. If I was dependent on this for my livlyhood, I'd have this guy named Don Butler go thru it and upgrade the important componants..I understand the difference is amazing once he finishes with the upgrades. But regardless, the amp still chimes and roars the way I want it to and will never get rid of it....I give it a 7 so far..

My AC30 is actually a Jennings AC40. These were made by Tom Jennings and Dick Denny (the Vox creators and designers) after their departure from the original Vox company in the late 60's and early 70's. The design and electrics are almost identical to the Vox AC30 (as is the output), and the changes are mostly cosmetic to avoid ending up in court! I love the two band EQ (bass and treble only), it's easier to get great sounds from it, as the two controls take on a wider range than on three band EQ amps - to take into account the lack of specific mid adjustment. The three imputs means that you can plug more than one instrument into the amp - a feature loved by 60's musicians who couldn't afford more than one amp, though the sound quality is a bit crap! The 33 watt power rating is great. A bit much for the bedroom perhaps, but at leat you don't have to wear earplugs when you crank it. The 16 Ohm speaker out put is a little anoying at times, if you use an extension cab, and the fact that they are wired in series means that if one speaker goes dead, it takes the other one out too. I need no other features, so this amp rates highly for it's no nonsense ease of use.

The Normal channel is a bit muddy for me, but great for mellow blues/jazz...Brian May uses the Normal channel for all his lead work, but uses a treble boost to get some more highs in the sound! This contributes just as much to his tone as the home-made guitar. The vibe/trem channel is lush! The best I've ever heard, and this is really where the suberb class A tube sound comes into its own. The bright channel may be a little thin and harsh for those who love a fat tone, but it's great for cutting solos, and good for 60's or indie jangle! It's also the quietest valve amp I've ever heard - and quieter than any tranny I've come across too! The three channes and teo inputs on each (high and low) make for a great range if you know how to use them for the best, and with the use of patch leads between them the range is even greater! If the bright is too bright and the normal too dulkl, try a combination of the two!!!! The G12-M Celestions are superb and woody in character, and are better then the Blues for coping with volume, and give a less mushy sound too.

Without a regular service all amps can be unreliable (you wouldn't drive a car without an MOT or a service, would you?!). The only problem I've had with this in a year and a half of owning it was when I put Chinese EL84 valves it. They were shite, and blew the amp up. Four resistors later and it now works fine again. Just goes to show that you have to pay for quality, but everyone knows that. All the other components are original, so it's obviously worked fine for the last 30 or so years! I have had no problems due to the heat of the amp, but the use of a fan, especially at gigs or hot environments is recommended. The rating reflects the need for servicing and quality valves (ie, cost of upkeep).

Vox, now owned by Korg, know little about the vintage amps (and nothing about my Jennings version), as the records were not well preserved. There are some great people out there helping to keep the old ones alive. Check the web pages for Tone Heaven, Plexi Palace etc. A special mention must go to Dave Peterson, who worked on Brian May's AC30's. I have spoken with him when my amp blew, and he was most helpful. There are good guys out there if you look. ALWAYS get a qualified tech to look at you amp, and if possible one who has a wealth of experience/knowledge. I don't know what the service is like for the Korg reissues, as I have never dealt with them.

The AC30 (and Jennings AC40) are in a class apart. No one seems to have accurately copied them, and their popularity and longevity shows them to well constructed, professional quality equipment for the working musician. I have only had my AC40 for a year and a half, but the experience I've had of AC30s over the 9 years I've been playing has been has been superb. They do things that Fenders and Marshalls just can't. As soon as the pennies are saved up I'm gonna buy a new reissue one, and maybe a JMI too - as long as the price hasn't gone through the roof by then! I'll give it an 8 rating. I knocked two points off due to the stupid prices for an original!

The amp doesn't have a huge variety of sounds, but I'll give it half-points, simply because the Cut control really alters your tone beyond recognition depending on its setting. There are Bass, Treble and Cut controls, but they only operate under the Brilliant Channel, which is the only channel I use. The Normal channel is dull, lifeless and employs far too much bass for the sound I look for, and the VibroTrem channel.. well, this has been somewhat confusing. I bought mine second-hand, and although it is perfect condition, the egg-shaped foot pedal did not come with mine, so I can't seem to do anything at all with the 'VibroTrem' effect, although I've heard that it's quite disappointing, anyway.
The Vox AC-30 works excellently with any sort of effects pedal. It gains very high marks here; very functional.

True, the amp itself does sound fantastic. The all-valve, Class A models have a truly definitive sound that cannot be matched at high volumes, but this is precisely where the amp loses a single point in this category. Its volume. It is insanely loud, and anyone looking for a bedroom-specific amp that is able to be 'cranked' to replicate that famous AC-30 distortion is in for a nasty surprise. Accepting this, the completely clean sounds given-off by this amp are wonderful. I tend to use the Brilliant channel with the volume, Treble and Bass set at 5 with the Cut at 7, which I use for most of my clean lead with a BOSS SD-1 pedal for some artificial overdrive (blasphemy with this amp, but I can't handle the volume in my nice little suburbanite surroundings). You would be a complete fool to buy this amp if that dire metal or punk stuff is your sort of thing; this amp is really only useful for people into soft indie, Britpop or early 60s-70s British music. Excellent for all Radiohead and Beatles plagiarisms.

I have only had mine for a few days thus far, and it has given me no problems, but needless to say, given the other opinions listed here, I'm more than a little concerned.

Again, I haven't dealt with them, but I've found their website and contact telephone numbers.

I use this amplifier with an American Fender Stratocaster, a Marshall Shredmaster, a BOSS SD-1 overdrive and DD-3 delay pedal and an Electro Harmonix Smallstone Phaser. All of which were initially bought to plagiarise Radiohead material, but all have come in useful for other projects, and all of which sound absolutely astonishing through the amp. With effects, this amp gains an overall 10, because the way it reacts with them must be heard to be believed, but I'll give it 9, assuming that most people aren't as interested in otherworldly sounds as I am. Excellent sound and an awesome overdrive if you can handle the volume. HUGELY recommended for indie concerts.

Amp years - i have spent over 32,000 on Vox amps in past 26 years.
How many channels - huh ??? Each is different !
What features does one wish Vox had ? HuH /? We buy em , do we have a choice ? i.e. Customer service has not been a prime concern of the company's policy !
Where have I used Vox amps ? Everywhere, but ALWAYS with a backup on stage!

Professionally until 1988 undersigned utilized typical Fender Strat, Tele, Gibson, Trussart , Anderson, Gretsch Corvette - Falcon, Gibson and Moonstone 335 type excellent tone wood guitars. Now all I use are older 86 thru 1991 PRS Custom 24's Standard and maple tops , which ever sounds best thru amp for thE particular night. Each amplifier's tone is dependant on ax plugged in thaT NIGHT! Older PRS guitars are a God send for players who love perfect intonation! A PRS thru a Vox amp - which happens to function PERFECTLY that enchanted evening - is absolutely a guitar players heaven on earth !!!PS If Vox were a car it would run out of gas every 57 miles..... and the owner would be a walking ....

Reliability --- hmmmmm , let me put it this way .... a cross between a 1970 Datsun 240Z and a 1961 Volkswagon Van in the Himalaya mountains 14,000 feet above sea level during the latter part of February !

Valley girl as a Nobel winner for 2003 !

Playining professionally for 29 years, also a BSEE and BSCS engineer aqnd sound engineer for large venues . AMp sounds great but works like an older 1969 Volkswagon in the mountains. If one does not have a hair blow dryer to defrost the VW engine after a cold morning, it most likely would not start . Reliability has been a big issue from DAY ONE !!!

The Vox AC30 Top Boost I recently purchased, was made in 2000. I am into British Invasion stuff like The Who, Hendrix, Yardbirds, Stones from the late 60's and 70's. This Class A all-tube amp has no less than 11 tubes and delivers the goods with a very special roar and a punch, second to none. Since Vox replicated the original 1965 design, it's by no means a modern amp, and it is missing some of the features you might expect from an $1850 amp, such as an effects loop. Two important improvements over the original are a stand-by switch and slightly larger vent grills to dissipate the heat generated by the tubes. So far I've only used the amp for rehearsal, but I'm dying to take it on a gig. Two models of the Vox AC30 TB are available. I read so much about the original Blue Bulldog speakers, that I had to have them in my amp. When I was sixteen, I borrowed one of these amps for gigs and I have always wanted to have that sound again. Before you buy, you really should live with that amp a few weeks and play it a lot. It's such a weird, expensive and "nostalgic" gizmo, that you either fall in love with the sound, or you'll hate it. For my part, I was at first disappointed with the lack of features -but after playing for two weeks again, I feel a lot better. It seems that the VOX AC30 TB is more than an amp: It is so responsive and dynamic, that I call it an instrument, and it somehow became part of myself. Imagine you meet a very plain girl, with a fantastic personality -that's the AC30!

I am playing Fender American Strats, but own a few other guitars. I prefer the Strats for the VOX, because of their chimey, ringing sustain, and the powerful attack. When the volume is set at only 30%, I can already hear sweet harmonic overtones, and your playing style really translates beautifully into a rich dynamic spectrum. The amp has three sets of dual inputs, but there is no way to switch channels on the fly. Your axe is plugged into one of three channels: The "Brilliant" Channel has a beautiful sparkling clarity, but never sounds thin (It's my favorite). The Vibrato/Tremolo Channel allows for these effects to be added when you step on the footswitch. My amp for some reason lacks power on this channel, and since the effects cannot be modified much (two speeds only), I find them useless. The normal channel is, well -normal and not especially interesting to me. I particularly like using a ZOOM 505II pedal with only very light distortion, or compression. Keep in mind, that it is at times kinda noisy, but that depends a great deal on the pedal and your guitar pickups. This sound takes me right back to the old days, paint peeling from the walls, all kinds of shaking goin' on, and at this age I already lost some of my hearing anyway. The VOX AC30 TB is an instrument with an awesome personality plus a time machine all rolled in one.

My amp has not broken down yet, and I don't expect it to. Prior to buying it, I'd heard of people putting fans on it, because it supposedly creates a lot of heat -not so. I recommend using the standby switch between sets, it just makes good sense. As soon as I can, I do want to purchase a second set of tubes, just in case.

Haven't dealt with customer support. But since I met this great electronics guru and tube expert in our area, I feel confident that I can call on his support, If I ever have a problem.

I've been playing for 35 years, and own all kinds of stuff. My favorite guitars are American Stratocasters. My favorite is a sunburst 1994 American Standard with a Roland GK2A Hex Pickup added for my VG8 Virtual Guitar system. If the VOX got stolen, I would not buy it again, although I love it very much. I am absolutely in love with the small range of raunchy sounds, but I hate the fact that there is no effects loop. I did compare it to a Mesa Boogie Maverick (which is also Class A), but my emotions told me to buy the VOX.

This i a reissue of the "legendary" vox ac30, true almost entirely to the original specs, with the exception of 4 conspicuous bolts holding the chassis in, and the top panel being maroon, and of course the added standby switch. The amp can cover any style of music... i personally play rock/blues, but i've heard it played for country, jazz.. it works. It has 3 channels, vibrato, normal, and brilliant. Each have 2 inputs. The channels are not interchangeable with a swithc, however, the switch allows you to turn the tremolo on and off when using the vibrato channel. It's 35 watts on 2 12" celestion alnico blues speakers.. and it sounds more like 80 watts. Very powerful. It needs reverb though, in my opinion... because it's impossible to find a decent reverb effect in a pedal or rackmount. I never use the normal channel.. it sounds identical, except slightly louder, in relation to the vibrato channel.

I mainly play on it through an EMG with Rio Grande custom pickups. Sounds really great, i use a boss ds-1 which is really transparent, and the amp has a lot of color. Using the treble/bass/cut(tone) controls, you can get any sound of of the brilliant channel. While the cut is the only one that works for normal and vibrato, you still get nice variety. The amp has a real bright sound in general, but can get really dark, and extremely raunchy when you crank it up. Even though there is no distortion channel, using celestion speakers (which are pretty filthy on their own) you can get some hellacious crunch. Only drawback is you have to crank it past 8-9, which is too loud for most practice situations.

This amp is THE worst quality i've ever seen. I treat it like a porcelain doll. It's broken down FIVE times in under 8 months, and i've found, through a little research, this is the NORMAL way these amps perform. Total crap.

The company sucks. They honor the warranty, but very slowly. No reimbursement for shipping, and keep in mind, there are about 5 locations in the USA that can service it under warranty. Korg in new york acts like they have nothing to do with vox when you call the number and talk to a person (hah) and IF you can get ahold of vox over in england, they talk down to you for being american. The warranty is 1 year, but good luck finding a service center. It took me a month, and my $1,700 amp was a sitting duck

I've been playing for 5 years or so, and i use only one amp, one guitar, and a few pedals. I find that i can get more sounds by just being comfortable and familiar with a small amount of gear, and using it correctly. If this amp were stolen, they'd bring it back to me. I love the tone, i love the styling and the look of the amp.. it's beautiful. But i hate the quality. I'd sooner buy a rogue guitar than replace this amp with another of the same kind. If it had 'verb it would help, but without some quality, it's no good. I recommend strongly against buying this amplifier, you're asking for trouble if you do.

Mine is from the early 70's and has the grey panel and greenbacks...
I think you all know the faetures of an AC-30TB. I really like the greenback speakers, for me the sound a little less harsh and sharp then the bulldogs, which I like!
But what I like best is the brilliant channel!

What can I say....it's THE AC-30 sound! There are people who say the the AC-30's from the 60's are better tehn the ones from the 70's, but I don't hear too much difference.... I think the have more value simply because they are harder to find! The important thing is to get yourself a vintage AC-30 (60's, 70's doesn't matter!), and you will have point-to-point wiring! It's this basic wiring that seems to do the trick! Also on the new AC-30 you have crappy circuit boards with the tubes mounted sideways on it...you don't want this!
The good this about AC-30's is that this is one of the few combos which have the tubes poining up of down or sideways!

Anyway, as I said before...I like the brilliant channel best, the typical VOX tone is unique!

I had no problems with mine yet (even though it is vintage), but it's build like a brick house!
The amp does get hot though (VERY HOT!), so this micht become a problem in the future....

Never dealt with them

Even though it has limited features, and it does get very hot....the amp is of fantastic value, a true 'must have'!
Just be sure to get a vintage one...the new ones I would rate about 8/9