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PEDAL
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DELAYREVERB Amp/Effect
27
darned loud in fact - but it was no match for 1,000 + screaming fans! Remember
folks, back in the late ’50s/early ’60s, guitar amps weren’t being fed through the PA
- that was reserved purely for vocals, the band’s back-line had to do the rest.
Clearly VOX needed to come up with a louder amp and the company was only too
happy to rise to the challenge...
The fruit of VOX’s labour was unveiled to the world in 1959 - the 30 Watt,
2x12, AC30. Several top British bands graduated up to the AC30 instantly and,
within months, one of them had scored a number one single with a stirring guitar
instrumental. Not surprisingly, pretty much every other UK act worth its salt immedi-
ately followed suit and the AC30 became the amp behind the so-called “Beat Boom”
of the time. More importantly, it also became the driving force behind the now leg-
endary “British Invasion” - the name given to the huge wave of success that several
English bands enjoyed in America during the ’60s. This charge was led by a quartet
hailing from Liverpool who quickly became VOX’s most famous ambassadors ever.
We’ve modelled the sterling sounds of the AC30’s Normal channel as they defi-
nitely encapsulate those classic tones that defined the aforementioned British invasion.
Just like its smaller brother, the AC15, the AC30’s Normal channel boasts the bare mini-
mum of knobs - Volume and Top Cut (modelled by GAIN and PRESENCE* respectively).
*CONTROL NOTE: Once again, our PRESENCE control models the “Top Cut” on
the original AC30 exactly - except in reverse (“off” = cut) to make it more logical,
just like on our AC15 model.
Original’s valve compliment: 4 x ECC83s, 1 x ECC82 in the preamp, 1 x
GZ34 rectifier, 4 x EL84s in the power amp.
4. AC30TB
Even though the AC30 was a runaway success, several artists expressed a desire for the
amp to have more tonal flexibility and a pinch of extra gain too. VOX reacted quickly and
came up with some clever extra tone circuitry that featured an additional ECC83 valve
and was called “Top Boost.”* When “Top Boost” was added to an AC30 it increased the
gain of the combo’s Brilliant channel, and added two extra EQ controls, giving the amp
three tone controls -Treble, Bass and Cut. To say it was an instant hit with the guitar play-
ing public would be a gross understatement! In fact, its gutsy tone became an instantly
recognisable signature sound of many major groups in the mid ’60s.
NERDY HISTORICAL NOTE: VOX initially called this their “Brilliance Unit” but it
quickly became known as “Top Boost.” When Top Boost was first introduced it was
only available as a retrofit assembly. Even though this modification was not particu-
larly difficult to add, it was beyond most folk (hey, I don’t know about you, but mess-
ing around with electricity is hardly my idea of fun!). Consequently, in 1964, Top
Boost was fitted to the AC30 as standard.
Once again, the PRESENCE control of our model acts as the original’s Cut
(but in reverse: “off” = cut) while the GAIN, TREBLE and BASS mimic the original’s
Volume, Treble and Bass controls. The MIDDLE is an “extra” with 12 o’clock being
its “neutral” position.
Our AC30TB model produces clean sounds that are rich and jangly with a
smooth yet detailed top end, and overdrives that have a glorious, throaty bark -
just like those classic, “Class A” tones that have made the original a “must have” in
any serious player’s amp collection.