Smaller alternatives to an AC30

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:37 pm

hotrodperlmutter wrote:(the chinese ac's are just such shit quality on all fronts, that i won't even weigh in on them in this consideration. EDIT: GRRRRR, fran.)

I was playing.
They're prolly good for the money lal.

othomas2 · Post by **othomas2** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:51 pm

Hows about a Peavey Classic 20. Quite rare but can be had for cheaps because of this factor. They're actually 15 watt too.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:09 pm

mrperson wrote:
hotrodperlmutter wrote:the chinese ac's are just such shit quality on all fronts, that i won't even weigh in on them in this consideration. EDIT: GRRRRR, fran.
Nope mine is top-notch, been gigged quite alot by the previous owner and also by myself. Not had one issue. Sounds great - even when it needs re-tubing desperately.

They crop up on eBay really cheap, I bought mine for around Â£400 so just keep your eye out. If you want a 1x12 they sell for even less, as do the AC15s.

well, you lucked out and got a good one. i played on a display unit for about 45 minutes at a friends shop while checking out various guitars he had, and ended up overheating and unsoldering the tube sockets. he sent it back, got a replacement, and the exact same thing happened just a few days after getting it (he was playing it this time). this has been probably 5 years ago, however.

i've heard various other horror stories, with symptoms similar to the cambridge series 'brown outs,' the overheating/tube socket issue, as well as seemingly untraceable electrical gremlins and vox not giving a fuck about it.

glad you like yours though, they don't sound half bad, but not really representative of the quality i expect from an amp that costs that much and is fully chubed.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 10:28 pm

Dude. Why do you hate the Chinese? Affinity Strats are cool and they make loads of quality stuff for cheaps. Buy Chinese and support oppression

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:43 am

hotrodperlmutter wrote:well, you lucked out and got a good one. i played on a display unit for about 45 minutes at a friends shop while checking out various guitars he had, and ended up overheating and unsoldering the tube sockets. he sent it back, got a replacement, and the exact same thing happened just a few days after getting it (he was playing it this time). this has been probably 5 years ago, however.

I bought my Classic 30 off a dude in 2006 and he used the money to fund a AC15.... within 2 days it started smoking and pooped out... He took it back and tried buying the Classic 30 back off me..... I kept the C30...suck my bawss.....

AaronGuitarDude · Post by **AaronGuitarDude** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:27 am

vox ac30vr cheaper version of vox ac30

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 10:28 am

lorez wrote:George, check out the Laney VC 15s or VC30s. I love my VC15 and if you want to have a blast I can arrange to meet up with you. Mine is the ltd edition one which is hand made in the UK but you can get normal ones for around Â£200 new.

At a meetup or something would be ideal but no need to go out your way, plus I think my local guitar shop does a lot of Laney and might also stock Vox too but thanks for the offer!

If I'm honest I love the idea of a used CC1. Tube rectifier and reverb? Tremolo? Affordable? SHEEE-IT!

I've been reading and apparently the quality stepped up in 2006 and before that they were pretty hazardous.

Objectively the VR sounds good but they don't come around used and I could theoretically get a used choob one cheaper.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 11:42 am

It was a classic case of shipping the units out before they'd been properly tested and assessed and they've paid for it in spades considering how much people start frothing at the cock when Chinese AC30s are mentioned. They aren't the only company to do this, of course, but it was a big deal at the time because an iconic British amp was being made in the far east. It really doesn't matter now, the complaints are still the old ones from the first few runs that were atrocious.

We currently have a 1990 British 30th Anniversary sitting under our stairs that is completely broken. I'd be happy to trade it in for a Chinese Vox that I might at least be able to send back when it breaks down, rather than paying an amp tech another Â£150 just for parts for the second time round.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:02 pm

ekwatts wrote:It was a classic case of shipping the units out before they'd been properly tested and assessed and they've paid for it in spades considering how much people start frothing at the cock when Chinese AC30s are mentioned. They aren't the only company to do this, of course, but it was a big deal at the time because an iconic British amp was being made in the far east. It really doesn't matter now, the complaints are still the old ones from the first few runs that were atrocious.

We currently have a 1990 British 30th Anniversary sitting under our stairs that is completely broken. I'd be happy to trade it in for a Chinese Vox that I might at least be able to send back when it breaks down, rather than paying an amp tech another Â£150 just for parts for the second time round.

Flip that mofo on ebay.

I agree with what you said about the Chinese stuff (my previous posts were drunken lulz) and the quality is improving all the time with all their products. In the case of Vox and some other brands the snobbery will eventually disappear, unless that is of course they do a UK custom shop run or something. I still think the AC30s are overpriced though, i'd expect handwired for that money but i presume they are not.

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 12:27 pm

If you look around your house everything's made in China or the far east. The reason why it's gotten a bad rap is only because of specifications and allowances made on this side of the world by Fender, Vox, Oranger, Marshall et al. The potential craftsmanship could be as good as literally anywhere on the world. It just has to be paid for.

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 2:26 pm

George wrote:If I'm honest I love the idea of a used CC1. Tube rectifier and reverb? Tremolo? Affordable? SHEEE-IT!

I've been reading and apparently the quality stepped up in 2006 and before that they were pretty hazardous. .

Maybe thats why mine is so good, its from late 2006.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 3:22 pm

Everything in my house is made in Britain from British stuff, RIGHT?!

I remember Aug bashing an "authentic English breakfast" of bacon, eggs and stuff. Said it was obvious that British food was bad because it was made by a British guy using British ingredients, and I remember thinking "What, you had eggs, bacon, tomatoes and black pudding imported from Britain? Why? Asshole. I hope you get banned you fucking idiot."

So yeah, people try portraying the output of any country using sweeping generalisations like that all the time. So if you're one of them, just remember: You're being like Aug.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:07 pm

watts is a chinaman lover.

George · Post by **George** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 5:43 pm

A one by twelve just sold for Â£350.

UlricvonCatalyst · Post by **UlricvonCatalyst** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:03 pm

Best value Vox you can buy these days - unless you're lucky enough to find some old geezer who doesn't have internet selling the one he bought new in 1964 for peanuts - is a Cambridge or Pathfinder.
The Korg-era Cambridge has a valve preamp and a Celestion Blue Bulldog. Not really a viable alternative to an AC30 but, for less than Â£150 in most cases, a nice wee amp for the money.

MikeG · Post by **MikeG** » Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:46 pm

There's something a little pathetic about Laney's list of 'well known' players in that video. Regardless, lovely amps.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:15 am

ekwatts wrote:It was a classic case of shipping the units out before they'd been properly tested and assessed and they've paid for it in spades considering how much people start frothing at the cock when Chinese AC30s are mentioned. They aren't the only company to do this, of course, but it was a big deal at the time because an iconic British amp was being made in the far east. It really doesn't matter now, the complaints are still the old ones from the first few runs that were atrocious.

We currently have a 1990 British 30th Anniversary sitting under our stairs that is completely broken. I'd be happy to trade it in for a Chinese Vox that I might at least be able to send back when it breaks down, rather than paying an amp tech another Â£150 just for parts for the second time round.

oh man, that's exactly what i had. precisely. i was fucking maddened when mine borked. do you know what the case is with yours? if you decide to part ways with it, i'd love to figure out a way to take it off your hands.

cambridges are great when you fix all the busted shit with them.

ekwatts · Post by **ekwatts** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:58 am

First time round was the main output transformer, I think. It required a replacement which was rather more expensive than me or my brother had hoped. This time we think it's probably the same, just with some extra issues thrown in as well, so whatever repair was made last time wasn't enough and there's possibly another issue that fucked the transformer for instance. We're rather poor right now so reluctant to take it in to get looked at at the moment, but we will. Definitely not selling it, when it works it's one of the best-sounding amps ever.