Vox AC30HW Head

All described before. All the features you need!!

The sound is unbelievable! You simply can't beat it. I also own and 1993 Matchless DC-30, a Bad Cat Black Cat, a Jim Kelley 80 watt all tube head, a 1960's blonde Fender Bassman combo, Fender Vibro King, and 10 more classics. This is the BEST of them all!!

no issues

I haven't needed it so I give that a 10

The best!!!!!!!! I kicks ass over the other Vox's as well. This head and the combo HW (which I also own two of) are the best quality, best sounding, and has the best options of any amp I have ever played.

years 2004 . It has all that I need or want . I like simple . Vol. cut,tremelo,reverb mater vol. ect. Hi/LOW channel . I take it anywhere , anytime, all the time . It's light and looks nice . It' loud enough for what I do .

This Amp has superior sound and I love playing it . I have the 212 with the Celestion blues so I get that warm power bottom and glass breaking top . This is an amp that can do it all .
It sounds the very best when I use a Gibson CS-356 or Johhny A . playing blues .
For rock, I like a PRS custiom 24 or a Gretsch White Penguin .
For country , I use a 52 tele . or Gretsch Nashville solid body .
The clean is the very best . It's a nice thick tone ,clear and very responsive .
The distortion channel is very sweet . It's to die for !

I have had it about 6 months and so far no problems .

like I said , no problems

Been playing 20 years. I would be extremely bummed out if it were stolen . There are a few amps that come along in your life that sound to damn good , and this is one . As for comparing , yes I have , nothing sounds better than a VoxHW for a Vox sound . It gives me the best Blues sounds , period !

As everybody has mentioned in previous emails. Addition of master volume, reverb and a better trem. Main feature I bought this amp for is portability. I actually already have a combo model and liked it so much I decided to get a piggy back so it's easier to gig with and keep my mint combo at home safe and sound. Yes, I am paranoid these will be no where to be found in the future. The head saves you about 35lbs compared to lugging the 70lb combo around.

Like all have indicated. AMAZING! I find these models actually sound better then the originals.

There's a reason why they weigh 70lbs - built extremely well.

No issues with the amp - must be a good sign. However I asked them for a catalog and received it a week later so I will give them great points for the quick service.

What can I say it's my second one so that must say it all.

Wow, got to love the features they added to this classic. Master volume, reverb, proper tremolo. As well the head is so much more comvenient so I will atually mark this in as a feature. And of course the hand wired tag board for the last and most important feature!

AMAZING - don't know what else to say. What ever I plug into this amp it sounds great. Don't just think of The Beatles it's much much more.

Built like a bloody tank - no fears to take out. You do however have to be carefull with the tolex it can rip easiely if your not careful. But it's well worth having to get that great old look. The head is much more lighter then the combo but still quite heavy and bulky on it's own. You would definitely need a road case if you gigged out with it.

So far so good! Very helpful in answering questions.

If this head got stolen I would have to replace it asap!

All the features that a real guitarist could want. I don't use modulation effects (chorus,flanger etc.) however I do use tremolo and reverb and the ones incorporated in this amp are premium as is the amp.

This amp gives me all the sounds I want and then some I don't. Any sound you could possibly want is here for the making. I only have one guitar and that is a Rickenbacker 370.

I will give this amp a ten because Vox really did their homework on this amp.

I have a Vox dealer in town and have always gotten good service.

I have been getting payed for playing guitar for 36 years so I guess I have played a little longer. This amp falls into the category of (To those that understand no explanation is necessary and to those that don't no explanation is possible).

this is ideal. volume, bass, treble and cut then trem, reverb and a master control. this is the purist one channel design with the ingenious master and two beautiful shimmering effects.

playing with 69 les paul custom. i plugged in and there it was that amazing sound . the only way i can describe it is perfectly balanced. the highs cut and the lows make everything resonate. the beauty is that you can hear every note perfectly. when you put some trem on the whole amp just shimmers. stuning... 10 out of 10.

looks like it is built like a tank. its big. will have to wait and see.

great so far. havent had any problems

the best. i never want anything else.

Same as previous reviews. Master volume is done right.

I primarily play 60, 70s and 80s rock with Les Pauls. This hand wired head really has tone in spades. I would best describe the clean AC30 tone as an early Bassman/Marshall with that magical chime. This chime is something that's hard to describe but I have only heard it from a Vox. It's like some clear bell tone harmonics that emerge when the notes decay. This hand wired version has serious chime. The other facinating factor of this amp is the smooth high frenquencies while retaining clarity just gorgeous. Master volume preamp distorsion is rich and aggressive like a Boogie Mark III crossed with a cranked JTM 45, very nice alternative vox tone. The master open cranked EL84 is the heavenly Vox tones we have all heard for many many years on Queen recordings as well as tons of other recordings. Reverb is splendid with a very large degree of adjustability having the tone and mix knobs, tremolo is the only average point of this head, I rarely use it so it's not really a negative point. The low noise is really a treat on a class A amp.

Time will tell, but modern Tony Bruno knowledge infused into this beauty gives me confidence.

Don't know.

Having played old and new Marshalls and Fenders along with Boogies' Mark series for years, this Vox is truly refreshing in that it is a new dependable point to point amp that captures every bit if not more tone of a vintage AC30 and adds a lush sounding reverb and a transparent master volume with the lowest noise threshold of any tube amp I have played. Simply an oustanding amp, top all those accolades off with being a limited edition so it will hold its' value and I'm in heaven.

AC30HWH, 30watts, hi/lo input, reverb with adjustable feq. pot., tremelo with speed and depth, cut, bass, treb., master and input volume. Basically all the features you want/need or the original voxac30 should have? Made May of '03. I ordered the amp 4 months prior. The versatility of the amp suits my needs to cover (Steely,Zep,ZZ or Jazz to the Blues) . I believe in pure class A Power for clarity and tone. For channel switching I use a Hughes n Kettner Tupe Factor, a Boss DD5 with Tempo switch for delay and Vox Wah. I will put a ten becuase I believe in letting your playing and the tone of a good amp and axe shine through! However many who play more in the styles of (Fusion, RUSH,YES or Floyd) may disagree for the lack of an effects loop.

I play a PRS McCarty and a Custom Strat with (2)Gold, (1)Red Lace Sensor Pickups. I play the amp through a Marshall 1960ac with greenbacks or a custom 2x12 vin. 30s cabinet. I made the 2x12 out of high grade baltic birch and some help in sound engineering research some 6 years ago. That ended up costing me more than a 4x12 Mesa cab. But it sounds good! We play outdoor gigs from 1,500 to indoor gigs of 100. The power is that of true vox, need I say more! We do have and excellent sound system and a very competent sound engineer, so we mic all the instruments for any gig bigger than 100 people. The amp is extremely quiet @ high levels. However I never run the master and input volumes above 2/3. Most of the time just the short side of 1/2. I use the Hughes to get more of an edge for lead work. (Adjust the input volume higher than the master for some real tight gain with the Hughes of course). For "Stage Sanity" you must keep the amp just purrrring...NEVER OVER 2/3 or 1/2 or you'll smoke the dynamics on stage.

So far so good. I've had the amp eight weeks. I've used the amp for 6-three hour practices and 4 gigs with no problems, except people wanting to play, touch or stroke in envy!!!

The Store I bought the amp at (THE VOX BOX, Marshall, MO. and Mark)are excellent to work with, so I don't expect any problems. However I've yet to work with KORG, so I don't have an opinion.

I've been playing about 20 years. I needed a music elective my junior year of high school and I already knew how to read music so what the hell! I put the guitar down for a while in college and again my junior year decided it's time. I hooked up with my/our current bass player. After graduating we continued to play with various people for 6 or 7 years until the formation of this band 4-5 years ago. I've owned at least 20 amps and 10 guitars over the last 15 years, including: Vox AC30, (2)AC15s; Marshall: JCM900, JTM45 Reisue; Fender: Deluxe, Pro-Sonic(good amp) a bunch of Crates and Tube works; (2)Mesa Boogie(good amps); TopHat Club Royale (excellent amp, if it only had reverb)? I still have a Gibson Goldtone GA15RV and GA30RVS (Also Excellent Tone/Amps).I believe the AC30HWH amp to be equal in quality, tone and craftsmanship to that of the TopHat, with more features (AND A LITTLE MORE OF THAT OLD SCHOOL VOX SHIMMER WITHOUT THE OLD SCHOOL PROBLEMS). I would own 2 of these amps if I could afford them without divorce! Since they are only making 200 heads, I think I hold on to this one for a long time. At least until my 5 year old decides if he want's to play guitar or drums. If he chooses drums I'll hold on till my grave! If he chooses guitar mabe when he's 18? Yes, I would buy another if it were stolen...If I could find one?

Amp is a brilliantly designed work of art. The amount of effort put into gettting created by Mitch Colby @ Korg deserves world wide recognition. Hats off as well to Tony Bruno and Steve Grindrod.
Single channel with Hi & Lo inputs and can cover music styles from Geo. Harrison to Cream with the twist of the volume knob! The tone is exceptionally 3-D. Vox AC-30's in general can cover many different styles/tastes of music. This amp is just the best combination of what's been offered before but better.
Has plenty of power to cover anything I do from small shows(150-800 seat theatre's) to venues like House of Blues or any outdoor shed gigs where sound reinforcement is used.
My only little niggle is that I wish the foot switch pedal for the Reverb and Trem was in a larger cast egg shaped housing.

I use many guitars. Main guitar though is an Elliot Easton Model Gretsch with TV Jones Classic FliterTron's. I also use a Ric 360V64/12, a Strat(w/ Duncan Antiquity p.u.'s) an Elite Series Epiphone Casino & SG. I have around 8 Gretsches and 2 Gibson's, the Epi's, a `93 PRS Custom 22 and a few Fender style guitars.
They all sound amazing through this amp on either clean or dirty settings.

Built like it meant to last for the next 100 years. Only service one would need to do is replace the Filter Cans in 10 years and the valves when they get dodgy.
I've got two 40 year old AC-30's that have required more work than this amp will ever need in the next 100 years.
What's the old saying: "Learn from your mistakes". Well the current Vox ownership by Korg has certainly taken all the past problems with AC-30's and rectified them.
the design of this amp was a serios consideration from the start. I played the prototype 4 years ago so I know!

Mitch Colby has done more to bring the original spirt of the JMI-era back to Vox than anyone else. I'm sure Tom Jennings and Dick Denny would be extremly proud of Mitch and his accoplishments for Vox.
They are extremly helpful and concerned that any problems that do arise are delt with immediately. Vox will go out of it's way to help rectify any problems with their product. Customer Service, satisfaction & support seem to be just as important as sales are. Alot of other amp manufactures should take a chapter from Vox/Korg's book on Customer Service & Customer Relations.

I've been playing since 1965(yeah, I'm an old fart of 50 but so F`in what!) Age and experience should count for alot but it seems like only people in the U.K. and Europe are that considerate.
I would certainly buy another if something were to happen to this amp. I have #48. but since it's a limited editon that might not be possible. I do have an excellent alarm system and insurance on all my gear! I have 4 other vintage JMI-era Vox amps, an old Marshall head, an old Selmer head and a brown `61 Fender Deluxe to use as comparisons. This amp sounds better than the original's & that's hard to top!

Amp was built late 2002. This is the most versatile ac-30 around. Having the master volume allows tonal variety unsurpassed. I play a clapton strat and ric 360/6v64 throught it. There is nothing I would change about this amp. The sweeping tremelo switch (rather than selctor) is awesome. Though not a big reverb user, this is the most awesome revertb and beats any analog/digital pedal, and knocks over the stand alone tube reverb units I have tried with my old ac-30 over the years. Got it with the trolley stand for free and that makes it is easy to tilt.

Like I said, clapton strat and ric 360/6v64. This amp suits a variety of my styles from neil young, tom petty, to clapton or 10000 maniacs and rem. Even has a sweet plexi style sound when running the clapton strat through it and playing with the neck pick ups. It is the quietest ac-30 i have owned as far as noise goes and I run a number of pedals through it for the ric (fat boost, modded valvetone and vox distortion booster, vox clyde wah. The distortion is so variable on this with master volume, it is too good to be true.

Have been cranking it for about 4 months now to break in the speakers. No problems. It arrived in perfect shape, of course the guy I buy from checks everything both electronics and cosmetics before shipping. Wouldn't hesitate using it without a back up, of course I transport my gear very carefully.

I have dealth with usa/korg guy mitch colby many a time. Not over reliability issues , but over release dates, shipping, etc. Mitch is great, answers email graciously, in a timely fashion, and politely. Don't hesitate twice about doing business with him, the guy is great and was a driving force in the creation of ac-30 hwh.

Been playing about 30 years (no longer but thats all i admit to (LOL). If lost or stolen i would replace without a second thought. Love the sound the looks the whole 9 yards. Have tried it against fenders etc, and would stick with this, especially due to its versatility. Run out and get one, there are only 500 being made, if you can get one with trolley, get it with trolley.

Brand new AC30HW.This is the head and cab version. Just the perfect Vox as designed by Tony Bruno. Hi and Lo inputs based on the 63 Vox Brilliant channel. It can drive a 16 ohm cab or an 8 ohm cab or 2 8 ohm cabs. Has variable vibrato, reverb and a footswitch to control both. Cab has 2 vox alnico speakers. 33 watts rms of class A power - this baby rocks. The master volume allows for practical distortion at club level. It has more features than most other boutique amps, and sounds just as good.

I use teles and les pauls. This amp is perfect for me - I'm a vox nut. I've traded in almost everything for this amp. It is quite quiet when idling. It does that vox jangle than better than any vox amp I have heard even the 60's ones (JMI). It sounds better than my Matchless Clubman and Badcat Cub. The distortion is as a vox should be creamy and biting all at once- can I get an amen.

This remains to be seen. You never know with a Class A amp, but since this amp is basically a studio amp due to its pricetag, it does not matter much.

I have no idea how vox are today. They better be cool about warranty with the price tag on this work of art.

Ok, so is it worth the hefty price tag? Yes and no. Yes because it is the coolest sounding Vox one can own IMO. But in a way no because who in their right minds will gig with this amp - I would never risk it getting stolen this way. If you are a rich pro like U2 or something, then yes it is worth it, because you could actually afford to replace it. I'd rather keep it in the studio where it is nice and insured. I've compared it to all matchless and badcat products (really!!), and those other amps are really great, but they just don't nail that Vox tone with perfection. The 60's versions do, but dirty chasisses and damaged transformers and caps usually stifle their full capability. By the time you fully work the chassis of a 60's vox you can expect to add a couple of grand to the cost of buying one. I think it is only after a super thorough servicing that you would finally get the tone of the VOXHW. The VOXHW gets you there without the hassle, and there is some premium to be paid for that. Like the 60's ones this is destined to appreciate or at least I hope so - too bad they did not make it in fawn! So in conclusion, if you have been searching for that perfect vox tone, don't want the hassle of refurbishing a 60's model to spec, or are somehow convinced your Matchless or Badcat is an UberVox, then you should check the VOXHW out - it really is the super vox that the DC 30 or Bad Cat Black Cat claim to be; I don't mean to diss Matchless or Badcat - they are awesome sounding amps, and they have something in common tonally with a Vox, but they really don't sound like a Vox, they sound derived from a Vox. Finally with the AC30HW we see a vox amp that nails the complexity and articulation of Badcat or Matchless but still sounds like a Vox, and in a sick way, if you are a fan of that tone, this amp is a must have, even for 4000 USD. If you are a Vox afficanado, you'll instantly understand when you play this amp! If Vox is just a color in an arsenal of tones, then you can certainly get away with a Badcat or Matchless. In any case you could never get away with the pitiful excuse for a Vox that Korg force feeds the masses with the PCB in it -better off with a line 6 and that is pretty mean insult. I love the AC30HW, and I suspect many of you will too!