See if the vox ac30 might be right for your worship guitar rig at. Vox custom ac30c2 30w 2x12 tube guitar combo amp black. Vox ac30 amplifier the specifications of the vox ac306 tb are the result of painstaking research by our guitarists and engineers, who were not happy until they re created the amp that started it all. I sold off all of my hand made amps a while back when i no longer had time to record and now that i have a little time i need to rebuild my amp line. While there will always be purists who scoff at anything but the original, this korgowned vox reissue provides the sound that made the amp famous in the first place. Ac30 top boost modification circuit for above 1961, download diagram. In that case, id stick to the ac15 style power supply with the ez81 rectifier so that the voltages are correct. This 15watt combo amp was one of the first to define the british sound and continues to be used on stages and in studios around the world. To repairsservice on vox ac30 90s limited edition reissue combo. All tube design featuring two 12ax7 preamp tubes and four el84 poweramp tubes. While there will always be purists who scoff at anything but the original, this korgowned vox reissue provides the sound that made the amp. Discontinued vox amphoneac30 active guitar headphones. The vox ac4hw1 gives you that legendary top boost tone in the perfect studiosized package. If you find a vintage ac30, be prepared for some extra costs, because between the caps, pots, tube sockets and transformers, you will be.
Hoffman amplifiers turret board order page watch this shopping cart tips video hand wired point to point turret boards note that these are hoffman layouts, not original amp layouts the layout diagrams, schematics and other info for hoffman boards is on the library page here make sure you look at all the info on the link above first. If you love the ac30 tone and you need a way to practice silently, these are for you. Dec 16, 2008 i also have to admit i had high expectations for the ef86 preamp channel, which vox phased out during the transition to the renowned ac30 6 twin model. Based on the classic ac30 design, the allnew custom series ac30c2 and ac30c2x offer numerous uptodate enhancements.
Vox ac30 preamp plate supply voltage and plate load resistor vox ac30. I would like the top boost channel to be very dirty. This vox ac15 custom delivers the classic chime and complex grind that has made the brand famous. Ac50 amp schematic vox sound ltd, 1976 ac50 amp schematic joe piazza ac1002 amp schematic, os036 jennings, 1965 ac100 amp schematic joe piazza check out the vox showroom for more historic information on the vox amps. Many musicians have a preference, but lets talk about some of the key differences between these powerhouse am. Ac30cc1 musical instrument amplifier pdf manual download. These ac30 amps were mostly offered in the traditional black tolex. Jmi vox ac30 with top boost in panel the vox showroom. Basic theory using 21stcentury technology to design vacuum tube preamps. It is one of the classic most recognisable british amps to this day. To many, the most celebrated ac30 was the top boosted 1964 model manufactured by vox under the original jmi ownership. Tube amp schematics, tube amp information, tube amp projects. Feb 07, 2019 fender, vox, and marshall make fantastic amps.
In the handwired series, tubes, transformers, speakers, chassis, and custom parts all join together in an ideal state to deliver the richest and most powerful. This pentode tube has a higher gain, but a reputation for becoming severely microphonic. Vox ac306 top boost reissue reissue of the 1963 model, bought in 20052006 new celestion g 12m greenbacks ecc83, ecc82, gz34, el84 valves. Design your own custom turret board or eyelet board. The jj electronic 12ax7 ecc83 has quickly become a modern classic in preamp tubes. Ruby tubes replacement tubes kit for the vox ac30 reissue. I cant make any recommendations because i have no first hand experience, but the idea is soundthe vox circuit in a more conventional layout. The ac30 was the product of the furtive mind of dick denny, and vox debuted the amp in 1959.
The design of the vox top boost circuit appears to have been lifted, part for part, from. Vox ac30 standard tube set, jj tubes x4 el84, x3 12ax7. Jun 18, 2014 the vox guitar amplifierand the ac30 model in particularhas played a storied role in popular music history. The ac30 c2 is an up to date take on the classic top boost model, and features some very welcome features, whilst retaining its classic vox styling. Amp possdant lamps 8, not 11 formerly ac 30, as described around i disassemble to check, 4 power tubes electro harmonix, sovtek a rectifier, and two 12ax7 tung sol, and i did not 12ax7b verify the mark i think tung sol. Demo of ac30 tube replacement and tube sound comparison. Never mind that the circuit vox used to create its top boost modification to the original ac30.
I would like to replace some of the tubes and need some advice. The ac15 customs 15watt design offers manageable volume in the live environment while still being able to. The 12ax7 has many many cousins, almost all of which are totally interchangeable. Speaker 12 celestion g12 century vintage the century vintage is a new loudspeaker combining the properties of laima. Before marshall, orange, hiwatt, or any other beloved british amps hit the scene, vox was there, defining in a very authentic sense the sound of the british invasion. Stock tubes are always subject to change by the manufacturer. Singlechannel design inspired by the ac30 s trademark top boost. Lastly, id like to address an issue regarding vox ac30 amplifiers, as seen in print. The guide has new schematics, layout drawings, photographs and parts lists for the vox ac30, vox ac15, vox ac10,and the vox ac4. Given our current inventory, your two choices would be sovtek and jj el84s, as we are not able to consistently provide vox amps with other brands of el84s.
Vox amp heaven schematics berkley cambridge pacemaker. Ac3036 top boost mod schematic, os010 jennings, 1961. Some makers substitute different or more powerful output tubes and. The ac30 model in the vox amphones series faithfully reproduces the sound of the classic vox ac30 amplifier. The rose morris company, who owned the vox name through the 1980s, sold vox to korg in the early 1990s, who then manufactured a reissue of the early 60s ac30 top boost, correcting previous inconsistencies ranging from the correct style grille cloth to the gz34 rectifier tube. The all valve vox ac30 handwired tube guitar amplifier ac30hw2 ac30hw2x. Built like a tank, the jmi ac30 was hand wired on tag strips fastened to a sturdy steel and aluminum chassis. The guide has new schematics, layout drawings, photographs and parts lists for the vox ac30,vox ac15,vox ac10,and the vox ac4. Has anyone in here built a vox ac15 with a layout they like and can share. However, vox would not develop their top boost tone circuitry from sample circuits found in the back pages of a tube manual nor was the top boost circuit a unique jmi design. Ac30 poweramp section of the top boost reissue 1993 onward, download diagram. I opened up the amp, and it looks like the tubes are from multiple manufacturers. Vox ac30tb and ac30tbx amplifiers the vox showroom. Plugging your guitar into this input will route your signal through the top boost channel.
Buying a vox amp page 2 steve hoffman music forums. How about mating the vox top boost preamp section to the power amp of a gibson ga 17 rvt. They will all attempt to the best of their abilities to not interfere with commercial discussions. The vox ac30 custom valve guitar amplifier draws from over 50 years of tube ampbuilding expertise to offer the most versatile ac30 design in vox history search open search box or submit search facebook instagram twitter youtube soundcloud. The design of the vox top boost circuit appears to have been lifted, part for part, from the 1950s era gibson ga70 amplifier see photo at right.
Many musicians have a preference, but lets talk about some of the key differences between these powerhouse amplifier brands. I have heard that the issues with frying tubes comes from the crazy heat and poor ventilation on the ac30. The biggest questions i have there are 1 position of the preamp tubes, i. Hoffman amplifiers turret board order page watch this shopping cart tips video hand wired point to point turret boards note that these are hoffman layouts, not original amp layouts the layout diagrams, schematics and other info for hoffman boards is on the library page here. For the low cost of these tubes, they fixed my issues, and got the amp sounding like new again. This site is run by unpaid, volunteer moderators, some of which have commercial interests in the guitar amplification business. Explore the latest synths, software, bestsellers and moreshop now. Im going to change all tubes this initial time with a match set of four.
Vox amphones ac30 headphones are perfect for practice, listening to your mp3 player or any other source. I have had no issues with the ac15s as their tubes come out the bottom of the chassis instead of being locked in the tube sauna ac30 chassis. The vox ac30 custom valve guitar amplifier vox amps. This is the schematic diagram for the vox ac4 amplifier. Ac30 36 top boost mod schematic, os010 jennings, 1961. The online resource for old vintage vox circuit diagrams. I had a strange sound coming from my vox ac30, and had come upon the decision to either send it in for repair, or try replacing the tubes to see if it would fix my issue.
The guide was originally intended for the use of service engineers, however it has also proved to be very popular with vox ac30 owners and enthusiasts. Whats better, the vox ac30 cc2 or the ac30 6 top boost combo reissue. View and download vox ac30cc1 owners manual online. Vox diagrams, schematics and service manuals download for free. We opted for the c2 over the handwired ac30 for two reasons. Whats better, the vox ac30 cc2 or the ac30 6 top boost. Vox, today a subsidiary of korg, recently began making a highend reissue of its famed 30watt amp in several configurations, and offered to let us take a look at its latest the ac30 custom classic cc with two 12. Vox ac30 schematic drawing upon nearly 60 years of heritage, vox handwired amplifiers have on the legendary top boost tone circuit made famous by the iconic vox ac30. Vox ac4hw1 electric guitar combo amplifier at a glance. Vox ac30 silver jubilee circuit analysis amp books. Im running those in a vox inspired head, and really like both the clean and distorted character. I think i have an idea but its been tough to find anything definitive online.
Here is a quick look at the different models and my recommendation on the two best versions to buy. Hoffman amplifiers tube amp forum, vox ac15 layouts. I have had no issues with the ac15s as their tubes come out the bottom of the chassis instead of being locked in the tube sauna. Chimera boombox vintage guitars guitar amp benson bass music instruments layout cabinet. Sound clips page tube amp sound clips and tunes of all types. Commonly we replace the pi driver 12ax7 along with the power tube set. I feel that this reissue of the ac30 has real historic significance. Shop for the vox custom ac30c2 30w 2x12 tube guitar combo amp and. That reissue the pictures here are of is more like the old tweed fendersontrols on top, tubes hanging down, all on boards but at least sectionalized.
The vox ac30 is one of the most popular amplifiers of all time. The result is a faithful reproduction in sound and style of those pioneering vox amps of the early 60s. So i searched for pics, took the schematic ac30 tb reverb 1978 and started. Finally, vox has brought the soughtafter top boost tone in a handwired, all tube combination. This allnew ac30 represents the evolution of an iconic sound, pairing legendary vox tones with a simple, modern approach to amplifier design. Vox ac30c2 custom 2channel 30watt 2x12 guitar combo reverb. In the excellent tome the ultimate tone writer kevin oconnor states all vox products but especially the ac30 are a servicemans nightmare. Since the vox ac30 runs power tubes extremely hot, we were only able to test el84s that consistently have a lower idle current draw. Since the higher output ac304 shared its preamplifier design with the lower powered ac15, vox discovered the highgain ef86 tube was susceptible to. Stock original our stock tube kit comes with the exact same tubes that vox stocks the vox ac30 with sovtek el84s.
In the ac15c1 and all other tube amps, each tube in the preamp has a discrete function, and advantage can be taken of this to place a particular tube for optimum result. Removal of output tubes circuit board for access to faulty tube bases this was the cause of the crackle. In terms of tone control, it is split into three sections volume, tone, and vibrato. I also have to admit i had high expectations for the ef86 preamp channel, which vox phased out during the transition to the renowned ac306 twin model. I have a set of ac15 trannies and i need to get the vox sound for my recently risen from the grave recording studio. Free vox diagrams, schematics, service manuals schematics. Electro harmonix replacement tubes kit for the vox ac30 reissue.
Buy vox ac30 standard tube set, jj tubes x4 el84, x3 12ax7. Vox ac30c2 custom 2channel 30watt 2x12 guitar combo. Someone has the reverb board layout of this version of the vox ac30. The audio was recorded with the line 6 tone port ux2 vox ac30 preset, into audacity software. Of course, vox is still around todayand still vital. For many vox fans, the ac30c2 represents a return to form, moving away from the redesigns of the late 70s and 80s and employing the original tube and speaker configuration. Ac15 reissue pre amp schematic, ac156002 iss 1 vox, 1996. Vox ac4hw1 4watt 1x12 handwired tube combo amp sweetwater. It means i cant guarantee proper functioning of my amp layouts. Supply 1 x matched quad set of premium jj el84 output tubes. Its rugged design and rich harmonics make this tube an obvious choice for musicians who need a reliable and high quality tube at a reasonable price. Tubes for the vox ac30 the vox ac30 amplifier requires the. Ac30 vs ac15 output section is to taste but if you want it sound like an ac30 use the ac30 values other than cathode bias resistor and capacitor match that to the ac15 power section to keep the proper bias voltages. A in v1 position, a tube that can provide a nice chimey clean classic ac30 tone for normal channel, as well as supplying the dirt for the initial top boost gain b in v2 position, a tube that can break up early and provide the overdrive for my top boost.
It sounds absolutely gorgeous and i bitterly regret over and over again selling my 1960s one. For example, one strategy is to put a more expensive, quieter tube at v1. Electro harmonix replacement tubes kit for the vox ac30c2. Ac30cc2 schematic heaven, tube books, schematics galore. Im not sure how many watts are delivered, but this thing can really crank. Tubes free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Building an ac15 or ac30 to completely original specs is very teadious and expensive. Fender bassman vintage reissue, i bought this about a week before i got my 65 twin reverb. Vox ac30cc2 wharfedale gsh1230 speakers gz34 rectifier tube everything else is factory default. Bear in mind im a passionate only, and i only get started in tube world. But i am getting this buzz that i wasnt getting just a day ago. Pick this tube kit if youre tubes have worn out, but you happy with the way your amp sounded before.
296 203 526 1499 145 1509 996 214 240 1453 63 1365 862 1065 728 1501 950 506 1210 399 382 1323 120 1222 996 1250 599 435 1444 1313