Another Vox For Me!

[theedgeu2]

This lovely Vox AC30 C2 arrived today and I've been playing around with my M13 and other effects pedals through this amp and it sounds lovely.

My Explorer plugged in through one of my favorite delay pedals, a EHX #1 Echo Digital Delay into the AC30

I own a Vox AC4 (I started a thread here about that way back in July) and this mighty amp sounds much better than the smaller AC4 (this was expected). It should as it costs $1,000!! This is the latest model Custom AC30, the C2. This amp is much heavier also. At 70 pounds I'm gonna need some help carting this to gigs... road case anyone? I got it specifically for gigging with my band as we're starting to get more gigs as well as heading into summer. We'll not have school to worry about and more gigs. We're a punk band btw and I figure that it shouldn't do too bad. Plus I've come up with a song that has an Edge inspired riff that we play live, everybody always seems to like it.

I have nothing but great things to say about this amp. It's got that great chimey Edge sound. I've been playing mainly through the Top Boost channel as you can totally control your tone there. The onboard Reverb sounds lovely and paired with some reverb from my M13 I've gotten some lush, ambient sounds through this. The Tremolo is nice too but I've a Boss Tremolo and Tremolo on my M13 so I've got that covered. This amp is incredibly loud in our house. The amp currently sits in our way huge music room and it fills up the whole room nicely. The AC4 comes close but no-where near what this real deal can do. I am glad to say that I am officially a proud owner of a Vox AC30!

Since there's not been too much activity here I hope any of you don't mind. I figure most would enjoy looking at the p0rn anyway. I'll have a couple of pics up tomorrow for you as well, along with the AC4, when I can find my real camera (those pics are from my phone ).

 

[Chill Mike D]

Very nice, one of my brothers bought an AC15 about 6 months ago and it sounds great.

 

[the tourist]

I had one of the UK made Top Boost models from '02 that I got rid of and replaced with a Matchless that sounds better and is less temperamental. But sometimes I miss the exact chime of the Vox even though the Matchless has a very, very nice chime. Enjoy!

 

[AnCatKatie]

Ohhh, they go so well together

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

Congrats!

This lovely Vox AC30 C2 arrived today and I've been playing around with my M13 and other effects pedals through this amp and it sounds lovely.

My Explorer plugged in through one of my favorite delay pedals, a EHX #1 Echo Digital Delay into the AC30

I own a Vox AC4 (I started a thread here about that way back in July) and this mighty amp sounds much better than the smaller AC4 (this was expected). It should as it costs $1,000!! This is the latest model Custom AC30, the C2. This amp is much heavier also. At 70 pounds I'm gonna need some help carting this to gigs... road case anyone? I got it specifically for gigging with my band as we're starting to get more gigs as well as heading into summer. We'll not have school to worry about and more gigs. We're a punk band btw and I figure that it shouldn't do too bad. Plus I've come up with a song that has an Edge inspired riff that we play live, everybody always seems to like it.

I have nothing but great things to say about this amp. It's got that great chimey Edge sound. I've been playing mainly through the Top Boost channel as you can totally control your tone there. The onboard Reverb sounds lovely and paired with some reverb from my M13 I've gotten some lush, ambient sounds through this. The Tremolo is nice too but I've a Boss Tremolo and Tremolo on my M13 so I've got that covered. This amp is incredibly loud in our house. The amp currently sits in our way huge music room and it fills up the whole room nicely. The AC4 comes close but no-where near what this real deal can do. I am glad to say that I am officially a proud owner of a Vox AC30!

Since there's not been too much activity here I hope any of you don't mind. I figure most would enjoy looking at the p0rn anyway. I'll have a couple of pics up tomorrow for you as well, along with the AC4, when I can find my real camera (those pics are from my phone ).

 

[domo-kun]

Damn , thats nice You are one happy owner of a great amp.

 

[breathe]

Dude i would love to hear that edge inspired song do u have a video for it?

 

[theedgeu2]

Dude i would love to hear that edge inspired song do u have a video for it?

Yes sir breathe!

YouTube - Abandoned (New Session Version)

It's called "Abandoned". That's a version that I like to call a "studio" version that was recorded in my home. I did all the instruments and the vocals. It was really influenced by U2 and some of it by the Doves, a band from the UK in case you've not heard of them. I really got into the Doves around the time I wrote this.

Tools for recording the song: The amp used for the guitar part was my AC4 TV mic'd with an Shure SM57 and the bass was run direct to the mixer. The drums were mic'd using 2 mics. (1) An MXL condenser mic a couple feet out in front of the kick drum and (2) a Shure SM57 between the hi-hat and the snare. Program I used was GarageBand.

Don't pay too much attention to my terrible lip synching in the video. The treble on the guitar might be a tad too much. Hope you like it!

 

[breathe]

WOOOOW man thats great i love it!!!!

 

[theedgeu2]

WOOOOW man thats great i love it!!!!

Thank you! If you want it I'll upload it to SoundClick in a few seconds and you can download it for free.

 

[breathe]

That would be great!

 

[theedgeu2]

Having a few upload troubles.

 

[breathe]

ohhhhh man

 

[theedgeu2]

Here we go!

SoundClick artist: Vincent Magnarella - page with MP3 music downloads

Just click download in that box.

 

[breathe]

Thank you!

 

[theedgeu2]

I had one of the UK made Top Boost models from '02 that I got rid of and replaced with a Matchless that sounds better and is less temperamental. But sometimes I miss the exact chime of the Vox even though the Matchless has a very, very nice chime. Enjoy!

Hmm I've not really checked out Matchless. Heard of them but not done much research on them. And since I was looking at a used UK made AC30 I must ask how did you like yours? I found a UK made one on eBay going for around $1,100 dollars and I was going to bid on it but went out to eat the night it ended and forgot about it. I just decided to go brand new instead but I am not dissatisfied with what I got.

 

[the tourist]

Hmm I've not really checked out Matchless. Heard of them but not done much research on them. And since I was looking at a used UK made AC30 I must ask how did you like yours? I found a UK made one on eBay going for around $1,100 dollars and I was going to bid on it but went out to eat the night it ended and forgot about it. I just decided to go brand new instead but I am not dissatisfied with what I got.

Matchless is amazing. Like everything about it is amazing. It can do any sound and do any sound well except for super high gain stuff, put it takes pedals well. The one I got retails for $2800 (I got it in mint condition used, 6 months old for $800 less because a millionaire wanted to upgrade and his wife only allows him to keep 2 amps in the house).

I'm not super familiar with the new Custom AC30s, but I think I read they're solid state rectified (so they have tubes for the preamp and power amp but not the rectifier). Also I'm not sure about the speakers, but I know stock Celestions/Vox speakers are made in China and sound a little different. The AC30 I had was tube rectified and had Celestion Greenback speakers made in the UK. No onboard reverb. Tremolo wasn't versatile. Normal channel was quite dark. When I didn't have my Blues Jr. with me, I used it for shimmer since I keep my shimmer out of my main effects chain. Top Boost channel sounded heavenly, though it was quite hissy when idle. It also didn't care for higher gain dirt pedals, and also since there's no effect's loop, time based effects got a tad muddy for how hard I liked to drive the amp. Also, no master volume (which to me is a plus because I like the tone when I drive both the preamp and power amp tubes better than just driving the preamp tubes--I just used an attenuator). Great amp, though. I'll never rule out another Vox. When I sold my AC30, I was going to replace it with either the new AC30 Handwired (and swap out the Chinese Speakers for either UK Blues or Ted Weber Blue Dogs), 65 Amps Soho, or Matchless Avalon 30 and I chose the Matchless because of the deal that presented itself.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling! Hope you're loving your new amp! I love getting new music toys.

 

[Fernando-]

Okay, so quick question. What things do you have to consider before buying a Vox amp?

Sorry if it's a stupid question.

 

[the tourist]

I'm a bit of a gear snob, but to me the best ones are either (a) made in the UK with speakers that were made in the UK or (b) handwired with speakers that were made in the UK. Not to say that a new stock model isn't very good because they are. I would stay away from the non-Celestion Blue non-UK speakers that come stock if at all possible. Wharfdales, etc. I've heard nothing but bad things about them. Then moving on from the top, top end, I'd say it's better to get one that is tube rectified over solid-state rectified. Generally, having tube components is always better than having those same components solid-state. Some will disagree, but that's my two cents.

EDIT: Also, I find I like the tone of AC30s better coming from amps that do not have a master volume, or have a master volume that you can (and should) bypass. Running the pre-amp tubes hot and the power-tubes cold leaves tone sterile, and usually that is what people do to achieve "bedroom level" volume. All you need for a non-master volume model to quiet the amp without destroying the tone is an attenuator (THD, Ted Weber, Dr. Z Airbrake/Brake Lite, etc.). And if you get a master-volume model, it's best to run it at full volume an then attenuate. The only master volumes that don't kill tone are post-phase inversion and power scaling (which doesn't change the output of the power tubes but lowers the wattage of an amp) and neither of those options are available with AC30s.

 

[the tourist]

I'm sorry if I was too technical, and also sorry if I'm insulting you by insinuation because it's not technical to you at all.

 

[Fernando-]

No worries, and thanks a lot for the answer! It was very helpful.