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 | Download Example 1 Ch. 1 (EF86 pentode mode) Vol. 2 o'clock, Brill. off, Cut noon |
| Download Example 2 Ch. 2 "Top Boost," Vol. 10 o'clock, Treb. 1 o'clock, Bass 11 o'clock, Cut noon |
| Download Example 3 Ch. 2, Vol. 1 o'clock, Treb. 2 o'clock, Bass 11 o'clock, Top Cut 9 o'clock |
| Nash S63 Lollar bridge pup; recorded in Sound Studio on a MacBook Pro using Digidesign Mbox (SM57). | |
Everyone knows that VOX is a name to conjure
by. The AC30 in particular has achieved its
reputation among all types of rock ‘n’ rollers
by earning it over the long haul. Tonehounds
know it as a great all-around amp with a
sound entirely its own—as sought after for
its bell-like, pristine cleans as it is for its raw,
saturated overdrive that gets rich and creamy
with just the flick of a knob. Anyone who’s
ever played a good one knows it’s a dynamic,
sensitive and responsive tone machine, and
almost as simple as they come. A good guitar
and an AC30 can be the quickest trip to tone
heaven you can take.
So, plugging a guitar into the handwired
AC30H2 Heritage combo, made to celebrate
VOX’s fiftieth anniversary, expectations are
going to be… well, high. In addition to a reputation
that precedes it, this amp has a smart
vintage styling, with cream vinyl covering, gold
trim and logo, light brown leather handles and
brown diamond grillcloth, complete with a
VOX 50th anniversary badge. Under the hood
it sports a handwired circuit (using TAG board)
with the usual EL84 power section, GZ34 rectifier
and a pair of VOX/Celestion Alnico Blue
speakers, as well as combining, for the first
time, the EF86-driven preamp channel from
1958 with the ECC83/12AX7-driven Top Boost
channel of the early sixties.
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. This pentode tube has
a higher gain, but a reputation for becoming
severely microphonic; although debate flourishes
about the exact nature of the problem,
most agree it can be temperamental. It’s also
become legendary for its tone and character,
which is why the EF86 has been showing up
for years in VOX-inspired (and other) boutique
designs by Matchless, Valvetech, Dr. Z, 65
amps, Top Hat and Xits, just to name a few.
Channel one of the AC30H2 features two
inputs and only one knob for volume. The
remaining controls are all switches: a three-way
Brilliance switch that offers a flat response and
two other voicings for tone shaping; a Bass
Shift switch for a vintage-correct or a tightened
bass response; and a switch that changes the
operating mode of the EF86 from Pentode
to Triode. True to form, this channel boasts
a somewhat darker, more aggressive sound,
without so much of the chime or compression.
It does have fat, punchy mids and a meaty
grind, and a very different breakup than the
more common ECC83/12AX7 preamp. It’s a
splendid complement to the brightness and
clarity of channel two—think down and dirty
rock. The pentode mode does indeed put out
a sweet high gain tone, but the triode mode
has a less vibrant response and sounds dull
in comparison. Personally, this option doesn’t
appeal to me because I don’t see why you’d
want to run a Pentode circuit in triode mode.
The sound of channel two is the inimitable
sound of the Top Boost preamp circuit.
Everyone has heard the description, so perhaps
I’ll narrate instead. For a test, I took the
VOX out to a recent gig. Setting up for the
sound check, I decided to forego my usual
desire for versatility and run my new Nash S63
Strat-style guitar with Lollar pickups into the
AC30H2 on the backline with no mic and nothing
in the signal chain but an EH Small Stone
Nano phase shifter (gotta have some of that
Outlaw sound), a Lizard Leg Flying Dragon
boost, and a Boss tuner. I had my Duesenberg
out on a stand, and another rig ready to go,
but I shouldn’t have bothered—I didn’t touch
either one all night. Although I hadn’t played
the Nash and the VOX together yet, I’d played
them both and had a good feeling about the
combination. Damn if it wasn’t the best decision
I’ve made in months.
The dynamic sensitivity was just right, and the
clarity was just ridiculous. That rig merged
into a single instrument that unceremoniously
knocked me and my band mates out, over and
over again all night.
The shimmering, sparkly highs, the focused
mids and low end, the compression, the richness
of the harmonics, the breakup—all of it
was brilliant. The sweet, ringing cleans opened
up a lot of the tunes on which I normally look
for a darker sound, and the vintage character
of the tone was so warm and woody. The flawless
sixties sounds would have been enough
for me, but I also got some fat, muscly blues
tones, SRV and Rory Gallagher tones, a seriously
spanking country tone, and some delicious
in-betweens—all without touching the
amp. I stayed on channel two with the same
settings for four and half hours. That might
sound more like a testament to the quality of
guitar and the pickups than the amp, but that
kind of control is exceptional. The “swish” of
that phaser has never sounded clearer, and it
took the boost like a champ. And, while I’m
used to using a bit of reverb and a slap delay
every once in a while, I didn’t miss either of
them—the openness and depth of the amp
made up for their absence.
The amp also offers output Pentode/Triode
switching, which changes the operating mode
of the EL84s as a way of achieving a half-power
mode in the amp—the idea is to get the same
cranked tone at tamer volume levels, but it’s
not correct to say the volume is cut in half, or
even necessarily “tame.” More importantly,
changing to Triode mode seems to take some
of the swagger out of the amp when it’s
cranked, and I’m not sure about what I’m getting
in return for giving that up. A half-power
mode can be a useful feature (and clearly
popular), but in this amp it seems like a shortcut.
There are other ways to offer that kind of
control, like “shutting off” one pair of output
tubes while allowing the other pair to work the
way they were designed. It’s not that I have
a problem with this feature, it’s just another
option I wouldn’t use.
To be sure, any reissue should
have an old-school look that harkens back to
the days when it all began, but it’s the tone
that really makes it a celebration, and the tone
of this one is above reproach—two channels
of real VOX magic. Although it’s got a vintage
look, up close it discloses the signs of modern
mass production: plastic vent covers, small
flaws in the cabinet fit and covering—nothing
major, but it’s got me wondering.
For me, the downside is that I’d feel like I was
paying for features I wouldn’t use, and it has
a look I’d have to get used to; the upside is
that an amp this good doesn’t need a lot of
features, and it does have a look of its own.
It’s dead simple to use, and it gives up great
tones. My expectations of the AC30H2 turned
out just a bit higher than what it delivered,
but it unquestionably lives up to its name and
reputation sonically. I have concerns about its
roadworthiness, but I would have no qualms
whatsoever about using it in the studio or on
an occasional gig.
Buy if...
you’re looking to add an AC30 (or another AC30) to your lineup, and you want it a bit different.
Skip if...
you’re looking for more of a straight-up reissue or something better suited for road abuse.
Rating...
Street: $2000 - Vox Amplification - voxamps.com |