Vox AC30CC2 212 Combo

First off I should state that I dont actually own the amp, yet anyways. More on that later. As you will read here the newer CC model incorporates alot of new features not found on the original AC30 (tube biasing, FX loop, modern vs vintage mods, etc). Technically speaking this is a much more versatile amp than amps before it. Don't expect it to make your axe sound like a flying saucer though...that is not what this thing is about. As far as other features I looked over the hardware and construction. The harware feels cheap and looks as if it will not stand the test of time. Jacks, pots, switches, knob caps, and screws all look and feel cheap. For a serious player though once the unit is out of warranty you can swap out pretty much everything in there and have a good amp assuming the rest of it still works ok.

Rating tone is relative and meaningless. Some guys flat out hate AC30's and some think they are the hold grail of tone. I have yet to try this amp against an original AC30 but even if the tone is slightly off for 1/4 of the going rate I'd say you are in the ballpark. The amp can create a wide variety of tones and as other readers have posted below the amp is very responsive to touch and IS fun to play with. I tried both models and the ALNICO does sound better but not for the extra $600, maybe $350 tops. Some have suggested purchasing aftermarket speakers as a cheaper alternative though there _is_ some confusion as to whether this would invalidate the warranty or not. The jury is still out on that. The amps I tested both had slight 60Hz hums at lower levels that never went away. Some below say they have no noise at all on their amps (which I find hard to believe) and some say they are noisy as hell (which I could believe). These two were the median amps in terms of self noise. Not great but not bad. I have seen Fender De Villes that are quieter and Mesa triples that a 3x noiser.

Ok here is where the story starts. I have been itching to get one of these since I saw them advertised in the "Guitar Mart" circular. For $1k how bad could it be? I came to this forum and did some research and then did some testing of my own. Here is what I found...

First, in any product (especially ANY gear made in China) you need to wait awhile before getting on board. Usually the first few hundred will have weird QC issues and rarely will they get it up to speed right away. A rep from the manufacturer even admitted this to me as well when I probed about the current QC process. The model serials I looked at were in the low 3000's...high enough that one would think the manufacturer would have their act together by now, right?

WRONG!

After playing for a bit I thought the amp sounded fine. Aside from the hum it seemed ok. Once I took a moment to play slow chromatic scales I noticed both floor models exhibited odd oscillations on the NORMAL channel (similar to a lower 5th harmonizer effect). I brought the "GM" rep in and he also confirmed that this didn't sound "right". In a recording situation (where I live 100% of the time) this would render the amp useless, for Live music you _might_ be ok. Generally speaking this is an indication of a tube problem. Also one of the amps grille cloth had already peeled away from the gold beading providing a poor presentation of the product. I believe some QC improvements are still justified for this model, regardless of how good it sounds. Though I had intended to walk with an amp I was unable to given the quality of what was available at the time.

I contacted the manufacturer about these issues and as of this writing I have not heard back from them, though I was assurred in a previous email that VOX has their act together now and things _are_ getting better. The evidence I turned up in 20 minutes flies in the face of such assertions. In terms of support I suppose one could expect the typical mega corporation vibe. Always expect reasonable service between the hours of 10:30AM-11:45AM and 1:15PM-4:45PM Tuesday though Thursday, excluding holidays and vacations. As an aside I did email the manufacturer and asked them to send me their "best" AC30CC amp and I would gladly pay "GM" pricing for it but I have yet to hear back on my offer. I do plan on posting a follow up once I get one though.

To wrap it up any amp that uses light bulbs to get power is prone to weirdness, lets face it there is a reason we stopped using tubes for everything short of amps, audio, and military avionics. Fact is glass audio is unreliable, expensive, and hot. This amp seems to fit right in with what a true "tube" circuit should be...a pain in the butt, but a neccesarry evil to get a great tone. It certainly beats the "new" modeling technology at the moment anyways. As stated though, once I find one that works I'll write in and complete my post. For now, any serious buyers, keep in mind that just like any other mass produced product if you plan on buying this amp plan on going though at least ten before finding one that works the best because the odds are stacked against you if you think the one you first plug into will be "the keeper".

Great array of features. I'm sure you all know them. However, there is one thing that really bugs me about vintage reissue amps . . . none of the features except for tremolo and reverb are footswitchable. Yes, I know the originally voxes didn't have channel changing capabilities. But, those who don't like to switch channels should leave their footswitch at home and let the rest of the world at least have the option of changing channels and modes on the fly.

Imagine this amp if you could switch between Tremolo, Reverb, Normal Channel/Top Boost, Channel Blend, and the FX Loop with a footswitch. Yes, I five button footswitch would be large, but the tonal options available in a live situation would be incredibile. It would also make finding a particular sound easier, as well. Because of this, I give it a seven.

Ok, so even though I would like to be able to footswitch between some of the different features, the amp is still incredibly versatile. Amazingly responsive to pick attack, organic, LOUD (but the master helps although the amp doesn't begin to speak IMHO until the master is at least 1/3 of the way up and it's at its best at half-way or higher). The tonal options are amazing. The normal channel with the brilliant switch provides a wonderfully organic clean. It is a really complex and rich sound, much different than a fender clean. I would call a fender clean "pristine" and "cutting" but I would call the vox "smooth" and "warm."

However, the Top Boost channel is where it's at. With my 62 RI Tele, I can go between clean and smooth overdrive entirely with picking dynamics. Throw a humbucker on the amp and it can get into crunch territory with INCREDIBLE note clarity. I use tons of weird inversions and the Vox never sounds muddy.

The channel blend is a great feature because it brings back some of the warmth of the normal channel and adds some gain. I was in the studio one time recording some relatively heavy sounding guitar parts. I had previously used a Les Paul into a Mesa Formula Pre-amp and a Mesa simul-class 90 power amp into a mesa cab with vintage 30's. Needless to say, I had a pretty huge sound. However, when I went back to add in some riffs to the song, the mesa blew a tube. Out of curiosity, I put the Les Paul directly into the Vox, blended the channels and cranked the volume and Bam, I got a great rock crunch that hung with the Mesa even with the AC 30's open back cab! In fact, I liked it better than the original thick sound I had with the mesa stuff. Now, I don't mean to say that the vox was heavier or thicker than the Mesa, but it was thick, punchy, rockin, and articulate all at the same time! This was done without even so much as a booster pedal in front of the amp.

Ok, i bought mine from a retailer that went ahead and changed out the preamp tubes AND changed the speaker connectors so that I wouldn't have to solder and resoulder every time I want to change tubes. The new pre-amp tubes are DEAD quiet, especially on a class A amp. I had no problems in the studio when I had the volume cranked and the tubes cooking. I also use this thing regularly and have been using it regularly for a while and it holds up well. BUT, I let it warm up for 10-20 minutes everytime I play it. I also let it cool down before I move it and I treat all my equipment with the utmost care. I always wanted a Vox, I saved up for this thing, and I don't want ANYTHING to happen to it.

Great amp. Most of the problems with this series comes from the poor pre-amp tubes. Replace those and change the speaker connectors and you're good to go! I agree that the reverb isn't that great, but who buys a Vox expecting awesome reverb?

I wish more retailers would follow in Vox's footsteps and bring the price of amps back down. I don't care where it's made as long as it sounds great (which this thing does) and holds up (which it better since I take great care of my equipment). It doesn't sound exactly like a vintage vox, but then again, every vintage vox sounds different. This does, however, sound way better than other amps in the 500-1500 dollar price range. It also sounds hella better than a JCM 2000 which costs twice as much (though I know they are different beasts). If you're gonna buy this thing, check out northcoastmusic.com so you can avoid some of the reliability issues. With those things taken care of, you've got yourself a great amp at a great price!

Judging by the serial number, this is a fairly early run AC30CC2.

The vintage AC30s that we grew to love were barebones, this however has many features that allow it to be more verstile and friendly for the modern musician.

The AC30CC features a Top Boost and Normal Channel, the Normal Channel has a brilliance switch and the Top Boost Channel is paired with a Low and High EQ and a Custom/Standard Toggle. The Brilliant feature about the new CC amps...you can blend the channels. I often times find the Top Boost channel to be a touch "shrill" and the Normal channel to be a touch "flat", so being able to blend to two channels creates a very nice balance.

The AC30CC also features switchable Tremelo, Reverb, Tone Cut, a Master Volume(really useful). However people will appreciate this amp by what is found on the rear of the amp. Finally, an effects loop to bypass the preamp stage, Output Biasing and Smoothing can affect the clip stages and voicings, all with a move of the switch.

I use a Fender 40th Anniversary Custom Strat with a Coil Tapped Duncan SH-1 and a Wire Tapped Duncan SH-6. I must say the new Vox AC30 is amazing.

I've wanted an AC30 ever since I first heard Queen. I must say that the re-issues retain the woodsy mids and shimmering highs. The amp has a very organic sound...you won't get a sterile clean sound..so jazz players be warned. What you will get is an amazing amount of sparkle and shine to an almost gritty drive.

It will not play metal...so all you gain heads, avoid this amp. I use my Vox AC30 with my Keeley Blues Driver, Keeley DS-1, Keeley Compressor, Keeley AD-9, and Keeley Javaboost...and I must say, it really showcases the pedals, and when combined, 2nd wave harmonics, sweet smooth overdrives are served wonderfully.

I have owned the amp for about 2 months now and so far I haven't had a problem...but I know that retubing the amp will be a headache...whoever designed the chassis should be slapped.

I don't want to know...I can only imagine how dismal Korg is.

Features are great, a very versatile amp, read Vox's website for the sales pitch. If you're going to demo this amp, make sure you test out every setting including the switches on the rear panel. The "Smoothing" switch is a very cool feature that really changes the "feel" of the amp.

Sounds are great, no complaints, read Vox's website for the sales pitch.
When using the "Top Boost," spend some time with the EQ - especially in the "Standard" mode. It may be two knobs but they are very interactive and can sound dull, harsh, or several shades of excellent. I'm still finding many new sounds to play with.

Here are my complaints:
1) Reverb tank is poor quality - mine broke within two months.
2) Poor construction has led to several different buzzes that I've had to find and fix.
3) Preamp tubes should be upgraded.
4) Opening up the amp is a real pain and is either designed to deter users from trying to fix their own amps or just badly designed. Changing tubes is quite a hassle. There really should be a speaker jack.

That said, the amp has always fired up and produced good tone. Unfortunately, sometimes this great sound is accompannied by very annoying buzzing or worse than is not acceptable for a $1000 amp.

As the amp still makes sound, I have not gone through the hassle of offically repairing it. It appears that the amp will be okay, its just going to cost me more time and money to make it the AC30 I thought I was buying.

It sounds great, the features are great, but any AC30CC2 buyer should be prepared to recieve a lemon and realize they may need to "send it in" to get what they paid for.

Well, This amp has everything you need to sound awesome. I play Rock music as well as Contemporary Christian music, let me tell you Its awesome for both and I would imagine a lot of different styles of Music.
It features a normal and top boost channel which cand be blended (via flip switch) to get a thick sound (I Use the blended mode all the time). It also fetures a tone cut, brilliant switch (to get "jangly" type highs), reverb (with a tone switch), tremolo with depth and speed controls, and Bass and Treble EQ with a custom switch.

I use a Fulltone Distortion Pro to get my overdrive... I put all my pedals through the Fx loop. I think the od pedals sound too gritty through the input... the manual tells you to use the fx loop for stomp/rack effects anyway.

I like to push my tone to the limit so I use all the features of this amp... In my opinion I think this is the greatest amp I have ever played. I dont have much experience with vintage amps... I had an old gibson hawk (not a good experience).

I use a Epi flame top custom with this amps and it sounds BiG. I also owend a telecaster 72 which sounded cleaner and more articulate. However I prefer the Les Paul Humbucker sound. I get compliments on my tone wherever I go... So Im sure it sounds Sweeet.

Well, I take realy good care of my equipment. I have had the amp for 6 months now and I have never had any kinds of problems like some unfortunate souls on this page. However I am going to relace the stock tubes soon. Oh, the one thing I hate is that the speakers are soddered on.

The warranty is for a year I believe.

It it were stolen or lost I would buy another one. I love that this amp feels and looks awesome... It is verry heavy which i like a lot. I wanted It, I tried it out, I liked it, then I bought it. Reviews are from everyones personal experience, and opinions (Good and bad). I you like something, be your own judge... try it out, and make a move

Let me begin by telling you, this review will not be pretty. I'm an unhappy customer. I've been playing since the 80's, and always wanted an AC30. They're just flat-out cool and nothing else sounds like one. I couldn't afford one then, so I settled with something within my budget - a solid state Peavey.

Fast forward to the 90s. I'm making some money but not a lot. I'm gigging on a regular basis and I still want an AC30, but they're pricey and unreliable. I buy a tube Fender instead.

Okay, so it's 2005. I sold the Fender 3 years ago and got a Mesa Boogie Rectoverb - a versatile, excellent amp built like a tank. Now I can afford another "pro" amp. The AC30 Custom Classic appears on the market, priced less than the previous Korg incarnation. My time has ffinally come - I order one from a widely-known online retailer and wait for it's arrival with great expectations ...

On paper, the features are great - the original had no master volume or reverb, or any of the other "goodies" they've designed into this box.

I unpacked the amp from it's shrink-wrapped box, plugged it in and took it for a ride. It sounds as it should at low to medium volume. The sound is unique - bright without tiring your ears, distortion without grit. It's smooth. Not noisy at all - even with my Strat Custom Shop '54 pickups.

I discovered a problem before I got to any high gain or high volume settings ...

The reverb was not working at all on my amp. I figured it had been bounced around a little in transit from China, probably a loose connection? When I removed the back panel to investigate, I found rusty fasteners and a reverb tank built as cheap as I've ever seen.

My dream of owning a Vox died right then and there. This is a tragedy - a great technical design, executed with high priority on cosmetics and low priority on quality components. Come on, they at least could have made it tough enough to survive shipping to the States! I wouldn't gig with it - but more importantly, I wouldn't invest US $1600 in a product without durability or resistance to corrosion.

When I called Korg USA customer support, I explained the problem (broken reverb) and my concern about rusty fasteners. They denied any known problems with the amplifier - surprising after reading the other reviews here. Of course they suggested a warranty repair, but how do you repair something which is built wrong?

I see the name Mitch Colby here in a few posts - he seems to be the one person at Vox who makes people happy, but I found no contact information for him anywhere. If you have it, please share?

I traded a few emails with a Korg/Marshall/Vox guitar product specialist and sent him some photos of the amp. He was a bit more sympathetic and concerned, but in the end they offered nothing more than to pass my comments along to the technical team. I returned the amp to my retailer for refund.

Frankly, I?m disgusted by this experience. The percentage of musicians who seek out an authentic AC30 must be a small fraction of the total market. Like me, they are serious musicians (for the most part) who want the tone and the look of a classic. No less important, they want durability and longevity. At US $1,600 the Custom Classic is no small investment. Buyers must have confidence that the product will perform each and every time.

Perhaps Korg's vision was idyllic ? ?we?ll bring back the Vox AC30, better than ever, and make it affordable for everyone!? In reality, they have tarnished the legacy of the AC30 by imprisoning that legendary tone within a shabby Chinese rust bucket. Selling this product as a ?boutique? amp is an absolute affront to the target consumer base.

The features have been stated before. Many people seem to bitch about the fact that there are hardley any controls for EQ, and even though it's got two channels its not footswitchable... to that I say BAH! It's more than the origianl AC30 had (closer to a Top Boost) but it's still WAY more versatile than my Fender Twin!

There is an effects loop
You can blend two channels together for a really unique tone
It's 30 tube watts

And its more than versatile for me, hell... I really only use the Normal channel with the brilliant switch on.

Mine is loaded with the Warfendales.... which I switched for greenbacks.

I use this amp mostly with Gibson 335's and Fender HH Telecasters, and I play a variety of styles, but mostly use it for Rock and Blues.

I find that if I'm feeling basic and just want pure tone I'll just plug straight into the amp, crank up the normal channel volume, and keep the master low to get that great overdriven tone, then use my volume control on my guitar to control the amp and get my different sounds.

But, for the most part my amp feels the pain of two brands of distortion boxes (diamond and hotcake), a Seymour duncan pickup booster, as well as a variety of modulation pedals.

When running clean the amp is crystal clear, and has a very chimey vibe to it. This is what the amp seems built for as it's just as clean as my 1973 AC30, and definatly gives you that midrangey nasal vibe.

When cranked up, it dosn't seem to have enough 'whump' for me. My 1973 AC30 just breaksup and really gets you rockin. HOWEVER, this was fixed when I replaced the original speakers with Celestion Greenbacks. The lower wattage speakers make this thing sound way more like a vintage AV30 than these Warfendales (which I actually liked better than the Blues... couldn't justify the extra $1000 for $600 worth of speaker...)


The Trem is nice and thick, something I always loved about Vox trem. The Reverb is a lil bland, but still nice and wet sounding. Not as great as a twin, but hey, I barley have it on anyways!


The coolest thing that I noticed with this amp is that it reveals all your dirty little secrets.... For example, when I played through my Fender Twin I thought I was a pretty decent player, very tight rhythm. But the Vox just showed me how sloppy I really was by not hiding any of my playing faults. It shows every minor mistake, that other amps like to cover up! I love it!

9/10 because the stock speakers just don't give you the breakup of an original one... but hey, this isn't an original AC30...this is a new breed of AC30!

Oh, and I also use the 412 extension cab with the amp. (loaded with Celestion Lead 80's)

.......okay people....you all got problems, and you all got one thing in common.. YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES!

I'm serious.... these amps were almost 5 months late in the Canadian market because they were held up at the border because they were not reliable enough for Canadian standards.

I'm VERY hard on my amps, blowing my Fender Twin up on a bi-montly basis, and my old 1973 AC30 up almost weekly! I even got a Yorkville 400 bass head to catch on fire... but this amp has been rock solid for almost 5 months now! The funny thing is I've tried to blow it up too....

But there are complaints:

Cheap small screws
speakercable is of poor quality, and really short. You need to unsolder the cable if you want to remove the chassis (and you will) to replace the tubes
Gets UBER hot... oh wait... All AC30's do this
Plastic jacks suck...

I upgraded all the commonly used parts to metal (jacks, amp corners) and changed the small toggle switches over to small touch switches (those line 6 switches that are under the foot pads work really well!)

Vox has always been good to me. Hell, the even found me a Union Jack Wah pedal brand new in factory sealed box to replace one of mine that died on me two years after waranty was up... and they replaced it free of charge, no questions asked, so dibs in!

They even gave me a new set of tubes for free when the tubes I got with mine were shot from day one. They even supplied a second set becuase their nice guys.

Love Vox!

I love AC30s. I've been using a variety of them for almost 6 years now. My current rig uses two amps, one for clean, and one for dirty, and the second amp will probably be replaced with an AC30CC very soon just because I'm very impressed by them!

Obviously I would buy another one if it was stolen or lost.

Did I test it vs other amps? Yes I did. The Lonestar Special by Mesa Boogie are amazing amps, as are the Orange Rocker series. But for the money the Vox beat them out... if I were to go back and do it again with unlimited funds.. I'd probably go with an Orange Rockerverb100.....but the Vox tone is my tone, and nothing can do that but a Vox!

It's an El84-powered 33w tube amp. That's the feature you need. I could personally care less about the reverb, tremolo and all the extra switches (though the "blend" feature is pretty cool).

Simply the best-sounding mass-produced amp out there for rock, punk, garage -- pretty much anything but metal. This thing may be made in China, but it kicks the UK-made Korg reissues up and down the block for sound quality. These guys really worked on getting it right -- especially with regards to the output transformer. By the way, you must pay the extra scratch for the Celestion Blue speakers. Half the AC30 tone is in those AlNiCo-powered puppies (not to mention half its volume -- those things are efficient as heck).

Er... I hear they're making improvements. So far, it's been a crap shoot. Though, apparently 90% of the problems stem from cheap preamp valves.

Mitch Colby and Co. are incredible. They're really on our side. Best customer service out there.

It is a fantastic value. Just be prepared for glitches. Though, any JMI AC30 player will tell you that those come with the territory.

I hate to give such a low score on such a great sounding amp, but this amp was never built for versatility. Still, the tones it does give are amazing. Well suited to the styles of the artists that made the AC30 so well known (Brian May, Jimmy Page, Dave Evans, etc..).

I'm using a Gibson ES-335, and it sings with this amp. I play rock and jazz, generally, and it works beautifully. Vox DID cut down on the quality of some components; but as amps go mine is pretty quiet. The sound breaks up very nicely, with a good amount of headroom. Obviously the distortion isn't well suited towards metal (buy a pedal for that).

Once again, there are some pretty severe quality control issues, as it's made in China. I STRONGLY URGE you buy from North Coast Music (www.northcoastmusic.com) - they replace the microphonic tubes and test your ac30 "to prevent infant mortalities" before double-box shipping it (free shipping, too). This probably sounds like some bull**** advertisement, but if you wanted to buy any Vox amp this is where i would go. I'll give it an 8 because from the proper source it'll probably be as reliable as any tube amp.

I haven't had problems yet.

This amp is a terrific value (despite the major quality control issues); if you get a "good" amp and not a dud (and once again, www.northcoastmusic.com seems the best bet), you'll be in heaven with the unbelievable tone this beauty can produce.

First off I am going to refrain from using the rating system here. I don't want to bring down the overall score of this amp. I have a special place in my heart for this guy and even though I have issues the CC I don't want to see the amp go away.
Being a vintage reissue style amp, the features are pretty staightforward. The CC ads an effects loop, channel combination (no footswitch) tremolo, reverb (with tone control) and master volume to the original classic. There are 2 channels but they can only be combined with a switch not a footswitch. Normal channel has a tremble boost switch, (no tone controls) The second channel has a "custom eq" switch, treble and bass. It comes with a 2 button footswitch that controls reverb and tremolo. I would rather see a channel switch but this is easily done with some sort of A-B box. On the back is an effects loop, speaker extension and external (cut off internal speakers), switches for matching speaker ohms, and 2 switches that control Bias options. I won't pretend to understand what the they are doing but it's basically vintage vs modern sound. The dam thing is heavy as hell. I looks like it's a one person job but try carrying it more than a few yards and you'll wish you had bought the AD100 instead.(BTW Great amps) You wanted those trannies and tubes so now you gotta pay! The cab is built well. Baltic Birch (does it really come from the Baltica?) and a well built box. The fit and finish is well done and I think the cab should last longer than my Silverface Twin which is built from particle board. Nice little touches like the gold trim. The amp is mounted on a piece of wood that pulls out for servicing. The speaker lead and soldered on, which is good but what's bad is they are not long enough to make removing the amp possible. So if you want to change tubes you have to unsolder the speakers. The amp uses 3 12AX7s and 2 EL34s. (please correct me if I'm wrong) The amp looks well done and its built on a solid metal welded box. The wiring looks neat and clean and closely resembles the original layout with the preamp tubes mounted verticle. Unfortunatley the preamp tube and not really mounted to the metal box. It looks that way but they just go through to the circuit board underneath. The hole is grometted with rubber sleeves but this looks like it would hold in heat and mounting to the circuit board I don't think is the best for heat distribution either. The amp comes with Electo Harmonics EL34 which are good tubes. On the downside the 3 preamp 12AX7s are noname Chinese and are questionable. There's more but I'm bored with this part and you already know this stuff anyway. I want to get to the good part.

OK I'm a classic rock guy with a lot of years of old school but I still keep up with what's going on thanks to my 3 sons who have reached the age of reasoning. So much for a point of reference. I bought this amp the first day I saw it at GC. I plugged it in and loved it. The sound takes me back. I tried it out sitting right in front of it and loved the richness of the sound. When I got home and had a chance to compare to my other amps I realized it was not as full a sound as I thought. In comparison it was a little thin, but really that is the Vox sound, it's not a Marshall. Strangely though it has a lot of Marshall character to it when you crank it. There's a nice grind there and what I really like about it is the raw character. Let me repeat that...it's raw. This edgyness is what I like most about the Vox sound.It's a mid range thing that cuts through the mix and sits in a cool place. It does not have that deep low end chug and balls. People talk alot about the "Vox Chime". Well it's got that but only at very low volumes. I set the master on 10 to get the most output but as soon as you get the channel pre volumes past 9 o' clock (not volume 9) you get into the barking sound. Not that this is a bad thing but I would love to be able to get a clean sound a littke louder without the breakup. That being said this is only a 30 watt amp and I'm probably not being fair here. I can't believe The Beatles played Shay with these things. On to recordiing...Every track I cut with this amp was great. No complaints. I got a beautifully chimeing sound, bluesy sounds, funky sounds, rocked out, metal (kinda) whatever I recorded with this amp came back better than I expected. If you want a great recording amp the AC30CC is great. I did have some problems though. I wanted a virgin amp in the box and GC told me to take the one on the floor and as soon as a boxed unit came in, they would switch it out for the boxed. Great! When the new one came in it played fine except there was a little rattle noise that sounded like a microphonic preamp tube. I had read on this forum from other AC30CC owners that the tubes where sometimes problematic. So rather than start buying tubes for a new amp I decided to try another. I went back to GC but the first amp I had and returned had already sold but they got me another from a different store. That one did not have the tube noise but it did have a distinct 60 cycle hum at idle. That went back and I got my second one with the tube problem back. At least I thought I could deal with a tube problem and it was quiet at idle. BTW I have read others on this forum mention this amp is noisy. It's not, at least it's not suppose to be. If you have one that hums without anything plugged in or the gain turned up all the way, something is wrong. The amp is quiet as a mouse at idle. I heard this problem with the third amp I had. OK I know this is getting a little hard to follow but now I'm back to AC30CC2 #2 with the tube issue. I sprung for the Mullard type Groove tubes, Gold Series that GC gave me for cost to help out. I replaced them and it got rid of the noise, for a while. Then it came back accompanied by all kinds of other noises. Little noises, not too bad but still it's not suppose to make noise. After going through 3 of these things I know what they are suppose to sound like. The problem noises were crackles, and fissels, and little pops and now and then on certain notes with the amp cranked up, a sound that wobbled and almost cut out. Weird. I tryed switching guitars, cables and tubes. It seemed to happen after the amp was on for a while and I had been playing it hard. Then sometimes is was quiet and the problems didn't show up. Don't you hate that? I finally gave up and as much as I really wanted to keep that amp I had to take it back. I go with the old "3 strikes and your out" theory. I gave it every chance cause I really liked looking at it. I have an AD50VT "Steel series" and love it. No problems and it can get the Vox tone along with a great Blackface Fender and the Classic Marshall sounds. It looks cheezy compared to the AC30CC but it works. And I've shown no mercy to that amp.

Well I think I covered this already.

My customer support is Guitar Center sadly. GC really provided more help and support than anyone at the factory. Everyone bashes GC but they did everything possible to make sure I was a happy with my purchase. Ultimately I wasn't but they never questioned my sanity and just kept trying to work things out. I did try reaching Korg which is the only option for support since they control distribution. I received a call back about a week later from a person who was not at all familar with the products, much less technical problems. A person who actually is familar with the amps and is maybe a guitar player who know how they sound and operate would be good. Why don't these companies get it. A common problem nowadays and it is getting worse.

Again I am not going to rate this amp. I still like it despite all the problems I had.
I love Vox. It was my first really good amp back in the day and it was used by all the great bands of the day. It holds a special place in my heart. I think I bought this amp mostly just to look at. It's finished equally well as my 60's amp was. I wouldn't mind just using it for furniture. It's just so cool to look at. The problem is that what I love about Vox has nothing to do with this amp. This amp is not a Vox, it's a good Chinese copy of an old Classic amp. I have no complaints with the Chinese, Korea, or any overseas or south of the border products. Their craftmanship is equal to most American products. Isn't that sad. We use to rule the world in innovation and craftsmanship but now we just try to rule the world. (OK I'll get off my soapbox) Made in China and fathered in England (I assume) by a company that has no direct link to anything that Vox was. Nowadays it's like we are buying fake reproductions of anything that we use to make really good just because it reminds us of how quaility equipment use to look. Those ingenious individuals who created legendary gear have been replaced long ago with bean counters and slick marketing suits. OK now I'll get off my soapbox.