VOX AC30 Head with Orange 2x12

[barryjohns]

Ok, I think I want to get a Vox AC30. My options are to get the had and use with my Orange 2x12 or get the AC30 2x12 combo. I don't have any experience with Vox amps. I just don't know if I'm going to loose some of the Vox Mojo going through the Orange Cab vice the 2x12 combo.

What are your thoughts?

[Kiwiburger]

Personally, I would be more excited about an Orange head into a Vox cab - the one with Alnico blues.

[barryjohns]

Originally Posted by Kiwiburger

Personally, I would be more excited about an Orange head into a Vox cab - the one with Alnico blues.

I've got an Orange amp as well.

[wehateyourhate]

orange makes great cabs and ac30's are a great amp. i wouldn't hesitate to run that setup for a second.

[the_Chris]

Vox AC-30s are definitely great amps and Orange makes very nice cabinets, but if you go with the Orange 2x12'', make sure to change out the speakers. Vintage 30s really weren't meant for AC-30s (which come stock in the Orange 2X12s I believe). If you want a cheap route, I'd look at Eminence Red Fangs. If you don't want to cut any corners, opt for the Celestion Blues.

With Orange amps, most folks love the Vintage 30s (I have no doubt you would as well). I know with my Bogner setup I'm in love with the Vintage 30s. However, they are speakers that are meant for specific amps and to get the most out of your Vox you'll want to go for one of the options I've posted above.

[BLUElightCory]

I have an AC30 Handwired head and I love it with a passion. That said, I'm generally not a fan of Orange's smaller cabinets in comparison to other brands. The best cabs I've heard so far for my AC-30 were the Vox 2x12 with Alnico Blues and a Collins 2x12 with Eminence Red Fangs.

But I'd definitely go for the head and use it with a separate cab; it gives you more options and it also cuts down on repairs/maintenance on the amp as a result of the speakers vibrating the chassis and electronics.

My two cents,
Cory Spotts

[herecomesyourman]

I have a Vox AC30 with Blue Alnicos (CCX) and I just had the guts transported over to a Doctor Vox chassis in vinylhyde grey / offwhite.

It just looks sick. And it's seriously the best sounding amp ever. I don't care what people say about China, the new Vox amps are much better quality construction as far as electronics go, but I will say that the chassis on the Custom Classic was kind of disapointing, started falling apart on day one honestly.

The handwired looks sexy though, so maybe the chassis will be a bit better all around in construction.

As for whether or not to get another cab. I say just get a combo with Blue Alnico's...that's kind of how they were meant to be heard. (Every Vox I've heard with different speakers never quite chimed right to me) Stacked up on a roadcase it's much more fearsome looking than a halfstack! It's got that Beatles meets Queen charm to me that way.

[tvanveen]

I played my ac30 head through a friend's new orange 2x12 cab yesterday. I usually play it through a vox 2x12 with blues. I also play it through another open back cab with vintage 30's as well as a little lopo 1x12 with one of the wharfedale speakers.

The vox 2x12 with blues sounds best to me. It puts out that open chimey-ness I like to hear from a vox.

There's nothing wrong with V30's, they just sound different. It's a cool sound, sorta smoother and maybe middy-er...more rawk. It works for some things.

I like the orange cab least...sounds good, just not my thing. I've always been partial to open back cabs. The closed back and v30's just sorta kill the chime too much for me. Not a bad sound, just not my thing.

BTW, the cheap wharfedales sound pretty good. I'd rather have those over V30's.

[barryjohns]

I get to Guitar Center; the kid who I called before going told me he had a new head in the box. I get there, nope, floor model (typical of GC), no way I’m buying a floor model amp from guitar center. They offered a good deal on the 2x12 non-blue combo. I pulled out my IPhone and looked up how much the Blue speakers would cost and figured, I'd just get the combo and replace the speakers later. The price difference was only like forty bucks total doing it this way.

So I get home, plug the amp in, pull my Les Paul down and fired her up. Oh my goodness, how is it I've gone this long and not played this amp? Went through all the various settings, amazing. Hung the Les Paul back up, pulled the Fender Stevie Ray Vaughn Strat down, gulp, amazing, then my Carvin CT6, so thick I couldn't breath, now on to the Carvin DC400, smooth as silk. I know it's probably that it's new to me and it's day one, but at this moment, it is the amp I've been waiting on all my life.

All this is without the Blue speakers; I can't wait to see what they will sound like.

[84K]

to my ears, a Vox only sounds right with Blues. A Hitwatt only sounds right with Fanes. Other amps like Marshall and Fender have more speaker options, but those two are married to their traditional accompaniment.

[numrologst]

I gotta say that my ac-30 only sounds like an ac-30 when it's going into the vox cab with blues.

I've used it with bandmaster cab, orange 2x12, marshall 4x12, dr.z z best, and cheap vox cabinet.

It just doesn't have the mojo without the blues... As a side note, my JTM45 sounds absolutely amazing through the vox cab too.

[Jamz]

I have to agree...AC 30 through the 2x12 Blues is a matched set. Especially, if you want that vox sound. Owning both the Vox and a 2x12 Orange with V30s I can tell you it works when switching to the Orange but you get a slightly different sound.
The vox cab is an open back and the Orange cab is a closed back. The Vox tends to sound more open and lends itself to that "Chimey" Vox sound. The Orange is darker, very solid and thicker sounding. I love both set ups and choice is determined by the song. If I had only the Vox head I would first purchase the Vox cab with blues as a starting point. BTW the Orange 2x12 cab is not that expensive if you wanted to add it down the road.

[barryjohns]

Originally Posted by Jamz

I have to agree...AC 30 through the 2x12 Blues is a matched set. Especially, if you want that vox sound. Owning both the Vox and a 2x12 Orange with V30s I can tell you it works when switching to the Orange but you get a slightly different sound.
The vox cab is an open back and the Orange cab is a closed back. The Vox tends to sound more open and lends itself to that "Chimey" Vox sound. The Orange is darker, very solid and thicker sounding. I love both set ups and choice is determined by the song. If I had only the Vox head I would first purchase the Vox cab with blues as a starting point. BTW the Orange 2x12 cab is not that expensive if you wanted to add it down the road.

\

Yea, Iv'e got a Tiny Terror to go with my Orange 2x12 as well. Plugged in my Vox AC30CC Combo to the Orange Cap, and it's not bad, but not the same. NOw, I've got to order the Bule Speakers and put those in quick.

[lordnielson]

Originally Posted by herecomesyourman

I have a Vox AC30 with Blue Alnicos (CCX) and I just had the guts transported over to a Doctor Vox chassis in vinylhyde grey / offwhite.

It just looks sick. And it's seriously the best sounding amp ever. I don't care what people say about China, the new Vox amps are much better quality construction as far as electronics go, but I will say that the chassis on the Custom Classic was kind of disapointing, started falling apart on day one honestly.

The handwired looks sexy though, so maybe the chassis will be a bit better all around in construction.

As for whether or not to get another cab. I say just get a combo with Blue Alnico's...that's kind of how they were meant to be heard. (Every Vox I've heard with different speakers never quite chimed right to me) Stacked up on a roadcase it's much more fearsome looking than a halfstack! It's got that Beatles meets Queen charm to me that way.

So you're talking about the custom classic series ? How do these compare to Tophat, Badcat etc.?

I've got a twin silverface, and a Pro Junior and I'm having a really hard time coaxing a good PRO tone from them for recording.

[pootkao]

Originally Posted by barryjohns

So I get home, plug the amp in, pull my Les Paul down and fired her up. Oh my goodness, how is it I've gone this long and not played this amp? Went through all the various settings, amazing. Hung the Les Paul back up, pulled the Fender Stevie Ray Vaughn Strat down, gulp, amazing, then my Carvin CT6, so thick I couldn't breath, now on to the Carvin DC400, smooth as silk. I know it's probably that it's new to me and it's day one, but at this moment, it is the amp I've been waiting on all my life.

All this is without the Blue speakers; I can't wait to see what they will sound like.

I had that exact same experience 14 months ago and have not looked back since. The AC30 is the sound I've been searching for over the last 5 years.

[gavinprovidence]

so i've been reading through everyones opinions on the ac30 through the orange 2x12 cab...and ive seen about the same response over, "different and not your traditional ac30 soung" "less chimey, more solid" and so on...well what about this:

My band recently got artist price deals for vox and orange...ive always loved orange cabs...and ive always dreamed of having a vox with the alnico blues... so what i was thinking of doing was getting a vox ac30 212 combo with the alnico blues...and then getting a orange 212 ext cab with the v30s and running em both,..having our sound engineer mic up both and mix the tones. though i love the chimey vox tone through the blues...i thought it might be cool to mix in some closed back orange v30 tone in there as well. am i just being greedy? or do you guys think this might work out well for some midgain pop/rock tone?