NEW Vox AC30 Heritage Series Pix

[FFTT]

Big thanks to Robbert at maxguitarstore.com for sending these photos.

UNFORTUNATELY, the UK version IS NOT set up for international Voltage.

So us poor folks on the other side of the pond will have to wait for the US version.

The amp looks beautiful!

[IMG]******//img260.imageshack.us/img260/3539/voxac30whiteke7.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]******//img253.imageshack.us/img253/8737/voxpanelln2.th.jpg[/IMG]

[dewey decibel]

Wow, that's interesting. It's not a reissue, is it? The control panel looks different than an early AC-30 or a topboost AC-30.

[Meriphew]

Any links for more info? That amp looks divine.

[vs.Gotham]

I honestly don't know if I'm classy enough to own that amp. I think I'd have to get dressed up before plugging in.

Golly that's purty.

[FFTT]

The new anniversary Heritage series
AC30 is the 1960's AC30/4 circuit.


Vox - Maximumguitars.nl

Some great reviews!

AC15H1TV
Compared two TV-front AC15's today... from 1959 & 2007! - The Gear Page

AC30H2
Got to try out the new Vox AC30 Heritage amp - The Gear Page

There are also the "L" series that are the collector limited edition wood
cabinet models.

The Limited versions are reserve order only.
The standard series are available.

Model numbers are as follows
AC30H2 Heritage
Vox AC30H2 Heritage series AC 30 - Maximumguitars.nl
AC30H2L Heritage Limited Edition
Vox AC30H2L Heritage series AC 30 - Maximumguitars.nl
AC15H1TV Heritage Combo
Vox Heritage Collection AC15H1TV Tube Guitar Amp combo - Maximumguitars.nl
AC15H1TVL Heritage Limited Edition
Vox Limited Edition AC15H1TVL - Maximumguitars.nl
AC15HTVH Heritage Head-Cabinet version
Vox Heritage Collection AC15HTVH 15W Tube Guitar Amp Head + Cab - Maximumguitars.nl

[dewey decibel]

It looks cool. I don't think it's a reissue, though. No trem for one thing. Looks like it has an EF-86 channel like the 4 input AC-30s had and then a top boost channel with the cut knob too.

The gear page is down right now, so I'd wait to see what they said, but that's what it looks like to me. It looks like a really cool amp, just not a reissue of a 4 input AC-30.


How many are you picking up? At least two for stereo, right?

[FFTT]

One thing you always need to keep in mind is that these hand wired circuits are going
to differ from one to the other and just like in the good old days one may be good
and the next so so. The original design also had few overheating issues due to
less than adequate ventilation, so that's another consideration and reason touring
bands had several back-ups.

In the long haul, the AC15 is probably a better design, but the AC30 has more headroom, power and chime.

We'll have to see how these new one's do on quality control.

Like with any hot new product, it's probably a good idea to go for that extended warranty, so figure that into your price.

[FFTT]

Seem there's a bit of a controversey brewing over the way these new amps are being built, at least the U.S. version.
Vintage Amps Bulletin Board :: View topic - Okay, it's July 31........

Would be very interesting to find out if the U.K. versions are constructed in the same manner. ?Especially consider the prices we're seeing from over here.



This is a photo of a new AC15HTVH Head U.S. version
[img]******//img406.imageshack.us/img406/2346/voxac15htvh02wc0.jpg[/img]

Since we can not see the back of the pcb material, it's difficult to tell what is going on.
[IMG]******//img519.imageshack.us/img519/531/voxac15htvh01rp7.th.jpg[/IMG]


From what everyone can tell it looks to be a pre-printed turret board to guide assembly workers.

At least the tone reports coming in are good, so to some that's all that matters.

Just really awful of them to use green pcb for their tag boards, bad form!

[Wes Kuhnley]

why would the color of the pcb matter? why would using a pcb at all matter?

[FFTT]

When someone promotes an amp as "Hand Wired" and charges what they are charging using low cost Chinese labor, it's just want not what many purists were expecting to see.

If they had used brown eyelet turret or tag board material and said "Hand Wired Boards", no one would have given it a thought.

To many purists Hand Wired means Point to Point construction which
can also be confusing, since many well made hand wired amps use eyelet boards or tag boards in their construction.

Since we can not see the back of the board, the construction method appears to be
what might be considered as "partial PCB construction"

Note the different in the original tag board used on a Vox AC10
[img]******//mhuss.com/AmpInfo/images/VoxTag.jpg[/img]

Big credit to mhuss.com for this great breakdown of amp construction methods!

Guitar Amp Construction Methods

[Tibbon]

Yea, i dunno about that amp. I never figured out why Vox is pushing the 2 channel thing as they are. I understand it as the 6 inputs, but as having the 2 switchable channels, it just non-voxish to me.

And yea, the insides of that look un-vox to me as well. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for (and for this you are probably overpaying).

It looks nice on the front, but then you get to the controls, and it's screwed.
If you want a good and solid but new AC30 get an AC30HW. Someone on GS was selling one, and I was interested but just don't have the cash at the moment (and now I work again at a studio with more good amps than the Hollywood GC).

[Meriphew]

I won't buy an AC30 that's made in China. It just isn't right. I keep forgetting that they're not made in the UK anymore.

[dewey decibel]

Originally Posted by FFTT

One thing you always need to keep in mind is that these hand wired circuits are going
to differ from one to the other and just like in the good old days one may be good
and the next so so.

I don't know if I agree wth that. I agree that the old ones sound different, but that's mainly due to the fact that they're old- the passive component's values drift over time, speaker cones age differently, and of course things get fixed/replaced- which is why they sound different.

Originally Posted by FFTT

Seem there's a bit of a controversey brewing over the way these new amps are being built, at least the U.S. version.
Vintage Amps Bulletin Board :: View topic - Okay, it's July 31........

Would be very interesting to find out if the U.K. versions are constructed in the same manner. ?Especially consider the prices we're seeing from over here.



This is a photo of a new AC15HTVH Head U.S. version
[IMG]******//img406.imageshack.us/img406/2346/voxac15htvh02wc0.jpg[/IMG]

Since we can not see the back of the pcb material, it's difficult to tell what is going on.
[IMG]******//img519.imageshack.us/img519/531/voxac15htvh01rp7.th.jpg[/IMG]


From what everyone can tell it looks to be a pre-printed turret board to guide assembly workers.

At least the tone reports coming in are good, so to some that's all that matters.

Just really awful of them to use green pcb for their tag boards, bad form!

Looks like you have to pull the tubes to work on the board? Not a very good design... ...plus they got those hot tubes next to all the passives inside the chassis? I thought they we're trying to reduce overheating issues.

Originally Posted by Wes Kuhnley

why would the color of the pcb matter? why would using a pcb at all matter?

Mainly it matters to me because of the price difference- something "handwired" these days I think ofas a luxury or boutique item, and that's why they have a boutique price. If it's not really handwired then what are you paying the extra for?

I think PCB board amps are fine if they're done right. Handwired amps are often easier to work on/repair. In general, most PCB are designed to be sold cheap with cheap components and when they break you don't fix them, you replace them. That's why they get a bad rap.

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Yea, i dunno about that amp. I never figured out why Vox is pushing the 2 channel thing as they are. I understand it as the 6 inputs, but as having the 2 switchable channels, it just non-voxish to me.

Are you talking about the AC30CC? The Custom Classic? That one's channel switching, but I don't think the Heritage Series models are- just two independant channels with no switching.

[rectifier]

Originally Posted by Meriphew

I won't buy an AC30 that's made in China. It just isn't right. I keep forgetting that they're not made in the UK anymore.

Pretty much agree.. I hope this amp rocks but..

Anyone tried one yet?

[Wes Kuhnley]

Maybe you guys are looking at a different amp than I am, but I do see ALOT of stuff that is hand wired on this thing. Tube sockets, input wiring (which is shielded, unlike LOTS of boutique amps), it's all built on turrets to facilitate maintenence and modification...in fact, the only thing that doesn't look hand wired is the interboard connections which are on the PCB, which is actually an improvement on the usual nest of wiring a vintage vox usually looks like. This is the exact same kind of construction as you would see in a Matamp...

I think the trouble lies in people expecting new Fender, Marshall, and Vox amps to be of the same quality as amps built lovingly in someone's basement or garage. That's like expecting a First Act guitar from Wal Mart to be the same quality as a Gretsch 6120...If you're willing to fork out the same amount of cash for the shitty guitar, it's not Wal Mart's fault, it's your own. Capitolism people...it's only worth what someone is willing to pay.

[FFTT]

Even if you ignore the method of construction, you still have to consider how much Vox
and other BIG LOGO's are charging for their current products made with the cheapest labor available, bulk purchasing power on materials and so on.

I would guess there's at LEAST a 100% profit margine built into just about anything
built in China or Mexico.

I guess we'll see how the quality control holds up as these amps hit the streets.

[Wes Kuhnley]

And they wouldn't build it if they didn't think someone (or lots of someones) would buy it.

[FFTT]

Well lots of somebody mores would buy them if they were $799.00 like they should be.

[Tetness]

These amps look really cool, but I would love to hear how they sound. I hope someone who hears one can post his thoughts. Here's some eye candy: My '59 AC15 and '60 AC30/4 black panels.

[FFTT]

I've continued to hear horror stories about Vox reliability.

It's a crying shame that an amp that can sound so good, simply doesn't
hold up on reliability.

In the studio where it's not getting bumped around, a bit better, but
on the road, better have back ups.

The Bad Cat Black Cat is a much more reliable alternative.

Also, you have to keep in mind the cost of adding a pair of Celestion Blues, Golds
or Scumnicos to your 2X12 cab.

[Tibbon]

Would you buy a French cheese that was actually made in China? No.

Ok, so why would you buy a British handmade amp made in China?

Don't tell me the parts and labor are all the same because they aren't. If you've ever looked inside a REAL AC30, it looks nothing like most of the crap they kick out today. Different parts. Different transformers, different tubes.

And the labor isn't at all the same. I can't imagine that most of these amps were put together with any love at all. Love is why you'll pay a lot for a good amp.

Trainwreck? Ken put nothing but love into those amps. You wouldn't buy a Chinese clone for any reason, because there is no love there.

Not to say that some Chinese guys couldn't figure out how to build an amazing amp, that they took time to build, craft and love. But just as it, it's the same as them putting together an HDTV, Camera, or any other electronic gizmo. Another factory line mess.

[gollumsluvslave]

Well just to put another spin on the whole China / Vox thing, I'll have to say:-

I've recently bought a Vox CC1, and it is great - it sounds sweet, couldn't be happier.

I'm GLAD they introduced this amp, China or not, because I could actually afford it and justify the price.

As always YMMV.

[lakeshorephatty]

This thread went many different places.

For the record I wanted to say we have an ac15 handwired tv or whatever its called and we always get compliments on the sound. It gets me to the sound i'm looking for.

We've had it for a year or so. It may crap out on us and that would be a shame. It hasn't yet. Sound i give it an A+ and reliability ?

This thread seemed to go off topic towards manufacturing techniques and conjecture about possible reliability with no firm user stories so i just wanted to bring it back to base...

Certainly if it proves unreliable I will invest in a solid north american built amp of reputable status, but until then, i will enjoy what i have immensely, and that may not ever happen!

Russell

[geareyes]

Out of curiosity,has anyone had a Bad Cat Black next to any one of the new Vox Heritage Hand Wired options?

Ive got a Bad Cat Black Cat head,and was considering picking up a new Vox AC30 Heritage Handwired head for a little variation.

I am after beautiful shimmering overdriven tones,nothing exceptionally aggressive or raucous...

If anyone with first hand knowledge could chime in,is the Vox's overdrive to similar in sound to sensibly use them side by side?

Mike

[FFTT]

I'd love to hear a qualified shootout with a real 1964 AC30 with 2X12 AlNiCo Blues

vs the new AC30 HW and then vs.

The Top selling real hand wired 4XEL84 heads.

It's so darn frustrating because when you hear a proper working Vox AC30, it does sound great, but....... add up the cost of a re-issue Vox WITH Celestion Blues and the mark-up is excessive
considering what they have into it in parts, labor and quality control.


I do hear that the 15 sound pretty darn good,
but man the reliability issues are a bountiful crap shoot.

I'm certain that our friends over the pond know some gifted amp guru that can build
the original coveted '64 circuit, supporting local craftsmanship.

Here,

I keep hearing the Bad Cat Black Cat gets it good and more and it's all hand wired.
But you're not going to get the real experience without some well broken
in Blues. So add about 450.00 for the speaker upgrade.

I would sure trust James @ Bad Cat to oversee a well built amp any day over
the Chinese bean counters handling Vox.

[Tibbon]

I haven't played a badcat in a while, but as I remember they are pretty nice amps. The studio I generally go has a handwired custom AC15 that was made for Joe Perry which sings pretty well. Also two Matchless DC-30's which are nice AC-30ish amps. The Vox alternatives have been better than what Vox could deliver since Matchless started making amps. Now there are dozens of them, all doing point-to-point handmade construction.

All I know is the amp that I desire most is a Divided by 13 amp. If Paul McCartney likes them (and he has a closet full surely of original Vox amps and can afford anything), then they've gotta be good enough for me (Yes product endorsement sometimes does a damn good job).

[the_Chris]

I have heard plenty of comparisons for Vox amps and it seems as if those cheaper chinese ones are actually jsut as good sounding if not better sounding than the originals. Vox has always had a history of having unreliable amps. Those older amps could double as furnaces, so don't think you're shortcutting yourself by actually liking the tone on the newer ones.

[FFTT]

My father worked on many vintage Vox circuits and remarked at how inconsistent
the workmanship was. Part of human error or worker apathy not sure, but Vox has always had quality control problems.


The more recent Vox inspired amps take all the lessons learned from maintaining
those vintage amps and improving reliability.

I still have not understood why Fred at /13 pulled the ERT 33 from his line-up.

I was going for one for the same reason, seeing Rusty perform with one live.

[audiomichael]

Originally Posted by Tetness

These amps look really cool, but I would love to hear how they sound. I hope someone who hears one can post his thoughts. Here's some eye candy: My '59 AC15 and '60 AC30/4 black panels.

I want Tetness to adopt me.