Vox AC-30 Super Twin Tube Amplifier (1962)
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Vox AC-30 Super Twin Model Tube Amplifier (1962), made in Dartford, Kent, England, serial # 5455N, Fawn Rexine covering finish.
This early English fawn-covered piggyback set is a well-worn but fairly rare variation of one of the most revered of all amplifiers, the Vox AC-30. This one model in general was literally THE sound of the UK Beat Era and the US British Invasion and is still one of the world's most popular amps among those who prize tone above all. JMI (Jennings Musical Industries) of Dartford, Kent could hardly keep up with the demand as the Beat Boom took England by storm; the players of the time used a number of now-classic guitars but nearly all owned -- or coveted -- an AC-30.
Conceived initially as a response to Fender's revered Twin amplifier, the AC-30 Twin was a complete overhaul of its single-speaker predecessor, overcoming a major problem: there was no speaker made at the time that could handle the ambitious output of the newly developed higher-powered amps. This led to speakers rated for sometimes half the power output of a circuit often blowing as a result of the heavy abuse and high volumes they were subjected to by touring musicians.
The AC-30 twin overhaul featured a completely redesigned chassis, abandoning the old top-and-bottom format. The new version was a part-aluminum, part-steel construction containing everything at the top of the cabinet including the tubes, much like Fender amps of the day. These were mounted front-ward in the chassis and had accompanying vents on the top of the cabinet. By fall of 1960, the AC-30 Twin was given the same split-front styling as the rest of the Vox line-up of the day.
This "Super Twin" was the next development, JMI engineers' solution to separating the amplifier electronics and its speakers in one of the first instances of the now familiar "head" and "cab" format, first mentioned in a 1961 ad in "Melody Maker" magazine. The "Super" referred to the separate but matching units. The speaker cabinets were the same exact size as the AC-30 combo cabinets, but sealed with thickened back panels and both pieces sported a single handle on top. Otherwise, the cosmetic styling followed the rest of the lineup with fawn Rexine covering and the same decorative styling.
Circuit-wise, the AC-30 Twin was essentially the earlier AC-15 with twice as many EL84 power tubes and doubling up the speakers, along with a couple other changes to accommodate the higher power rating. These were notably a GZ34 rectifier tube and overall higher voltages to give the AC-30 more headroom. As groups in the UK moved into bigger venues this became crucial; clean volume was the original goal as the desire for a heavily overdriven guitar sound was still a few years away!
This amp is the AC-30/6 version of the Twin model, featuring Dick Denny's brainchild 6-input/3-channel design; one channel labeled normal, one brilliant and one vib/trem. The additional channel was made possible by going from EF86 pentodes to the dual-triode 12AX7, allowing for two gain-stages per tube, as opposed to one. The 12AX7 was comparatively a far less problematic tube in terms of noise and reliability, though arguably considered less Hi-Fi with a narrower frequency range. This version of the AC-30/6 (version 6) was in production from late 1961 till January of 1963; the most notable change from previous versions was the copper escutcheon panel (and the discontinuation of the AC-30/4 circuit). Running four EL84 power tubes into two 12" blue Celestion T.530 speakers, the AC-30 puts out around 30 watts, true to its name.
Many AC-30s from the early-to-mid 1960s have generations of heavy use behind them and the wear to prove it. This one is no exception, but the sound speaks for itself!
Height is 30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm.), 27 in. (68.6 cm.) width, and 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) deep.
This particular AC-30 is certainly well-worn externally but nicely intact where it counts! It is becoming more and more difficult to find ANY vintage AC-30 in pristine shape; most of those not gigged into the ground 50-60 years ago are now ensconced in recording studios or private collections.
The "Fawn Rexine" head and cabinet covering shows a fair amount of scuffing and wear as well as a darkened patina, with several stains and some bits missing around corners and edges. The serial number plate on the back has some scratches and scrapes but the serial number 5455N is fully legible, dating the amp to mid-1962. The copper escutcheon top panel is in good shape overall considering the wear on the rest of the amp, with moderate wear and scratches, as well as a bit of a bend near the voltage selector. It retains all but one of its original knobs! The rather fragile grille cloths appear original and apart from a handful of scuffs/burns and showing a typical bit of slack around the speakers, they are nicely intact with no big tears.
Even the original handle is still intact and has been received a bit of structural repair to extend its life span. The three fragile brass vents are tastefully aged reproductions. The head cabinet was at one point modified with a speaker out jack, as was the speaker cabinet with a peculiar reinforcement from what appears to be a part from an old British music box! We chose to leave these rather charming DIY alterations intact as they are very much a part of the amps history. Both cabinets have new rubber feet and the amp also retains its original hardwired JMI footswitch for the tremolo.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original. The two blue 12" Celestion T.530 speakers are also original; they have been professionally reconed and both test and sound wonderful. The power, choke and output transformers all appear to be original to the amp. The pots and switches appear all original as well. The amp has otherwise received our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, install of a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets pots and jacks and output tubes biased to spec. This amp also retains some nice old Mullard tubes.
Although appearing very well-used, the tone of this unit quickly proves why when fired up! This is simply one of the coolest AC-30s we have had the honor to feature in our showroom; a beat era masterpiece and a spectacular amp by any standard. Overall Very Good Condition.
This early English fawn-covered piggyback set is a well-worn but fairly rare variation of one of the most revered of all amplifiers, the Vox AC-30. This one model in general was literally THE sound of the UK Beat Era and the US British Invasion and is still one of the world's most popular amps among those who prize tone above all. JMI (Jennings Musical Industries) of Dartford, Kent could hardly keep up with the demand as the Beat Boom took England by storm; the players of the time used a number of now-classic guitars but nearly all owned -- or coveted -- an AC-30.
Conceived initially as a response to Fender's revered Twin amplifier, the AC-30 Twin was a complete overhaul of its single-speaker predecessor, overcoming a major problem: there was no speaker made at the time that could handle the ambitious output of the newly developed higher-powered amps. This led to speakers rated for sometimes half the power output of a circuit often blowing as a result of the heavy abuse and high volumes they were subjected to by touring musicians.
The AC-30 twin overhaul featured a completely redesigned chassis, abandoning the old top-and-bottom format. The new version was a part-aluminum, part-steel construction containing everything at the top of the cabinet including the tubes, much like Fender amps of the day. These were mounted front-ward in the chassis and had accompanying vents on the top of the cabinet. By fall of 1960, the AC-30 Twin was given the same split-front styling as the rest of the Vox line-up of the day.
This "Super Twin" was the next development, JMI engineers' solution to separating the amplifier electronics and its speakers in one of the first instances of the now familiar "head" and "cab" format, first mentioned in a 1961 ad in "Melody Maker" magazine. The "Super" referred to the separate but matching units. The speaker cabinets were the same exact size as the AC-30 combo cabinets, but sealed with thickened back panels and both pieces sported a single handle on top. Otherwise, the cosmetic styling followed the rest of the lineup with fawn Rexine covering and the same decorative styling.
Circuit-wise, the AC-30 Twin was essentially the earlier AC-15 with twice as many EL84 power tubes and doubling up the speakers, along with a couple other changes to accommodate the higher power rating. These were notably a GZ34 rectifier tube and overall higher voltages to give the AC-30 more headroom. As groups in the UK moved into bigger venues this became crucial; clean volume was the original goal as the desire for a heavily overdriven guitar sound was still a few years away!
This amp is the AC-30/6 version of the Twin model, featuring Dick Denny's brainchild 6-input/3-channel design; one channel labeled normal, one brilliant and one vib/trem. The additional channel was made possible by going from EF86 pentodes to the dual-triode 12AX7, allowing for two gain-stages per tube, as opposed to one. The 12AX7 was comparatively a far less problematic tube in terms of noise and reliability, though arguably considered less Hi-Fi with a narrower frequency range. This version of the AC-30/6 (version 6) was in production from late 1961 till January of 1963; the most notable change from previous versions was the copper escutcheon panel (and the discontinuation of the AC-30/4 circuit). Running four EL84 power tubes into two 12" blue Celestion T.530 speakers, the AC-30 puts out around 30 watts, true to its name.
Many AC-30s from the early-to-mid 1960s have generations of heavy use behind them and the wear to prove it. This one is no exception, but the sound speaks for itself!
Height is 30 1/2 in. (77.5 cm.), 27 in. (68.6 cm.) width, and 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm.) deep.
This particular AC-30 is certainly well-worn externally but nicely intact where it counts! It is becoming more and more difficult to find ANY vintage AC-30 in pristine shape; most of those not gigged into the ground 50-60 years ago are now ensconced in recording studios or private collections.
The "Fawn Rexine" head and cabinet covering shows a fair amount of scuffing and wear as well as a darkened patina, with several stains and some bits missing around corners and edges. The serial number plate on the back has some scratches and scrapes but the serial number 5455N is fully legible, dating the amp to mid-1962. The copper escutcheon top panel is in good shape overall considering the wear on the rest of the amp, with moderate wear and scratches, as well as a bit of a bend near the voltage selector. It retains all but one of its original knobs! The rather fragile grille cloths appear original and apart from a handful of scuffs/burns and showing a typical bit of slack around the speakers, they are nicely intact with no big tears.
Even the original handle is still intact and has been received a bit of structural repair to extend its life span. The three fragile brass vents are tastefully aged reproductions. The head cabinet was at one point modified with a speaker out jack, as was the speaker cabinet with a peculiar reinforcement from what appears to be a part from an old British music box! We chose to leave these rather charming DIY alterations intact as they are very much a part of the amps history. Both cabinets have new rubber feet and the amp also retains its original hardwired JMI footswitch for the tremolo.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original. The two blue 12" Celestion T.530 speakers are also original; they have been professionally reconed and both test and sound wonderful. The power, choke and output transformers all appear to be original to the amp. The pots and switches appear all original as well. The amp has otherwise received our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, install of a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets pots and jacks and output tubes biased to spec. This amp also retains some nice old Mullard tubes.
Although appearing very well-used, the tone of this unit quickly proves why when fired up! This is simply one of the coolest AC-30s we have had the honor to feature in our showroom; a beat era masterpiece and a spectacular amp by any standard. Overall Very Good Condition.