Fan of all things VOX, GEARED is delighted to discover the legendary UK company has updated its iconic AC15 and AC30 electric guitar amplifiers.

Constantly evolving and perennially delivering in the quality stakes, Vox Amplification (who only recently put out an impossibly nifty AC4TV combo amp) has now updated its classic AC30 and AC15 guitar amplifiers for the 21st century. The models in the new Custom Series – the AC30C2, AC30C2X and AC15C1 – offer everything a Vox admirer could wish for: looks, sound, diamond grill … you name it. Sure, the trusty AC30CC1 has been kicking around for a while as a worthy modern-day substitute for the increasingly rare vintage models, however his brand-spanking-new successors look destined to become etalons of brilliance in guitar amplification.

Ubiquitous since the days of The Beatles and British Invasion, the Vox AC30 combo has long been a worthy rival of Fender Twin Reverb, producing both crisp, crystal clear cleans and gritty overdrive (for those who don’t know, Jimmy Page recorded his guitars on Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love through a cranked-up AC30) heard on countless records since the ‘60s. The AC30’s bright, distinctly “British” sound made it an amplifier of choice for players like Brian May, Paul Weller and Johnny Greenwood – the rest, as they say, is history repeating itself over and over again with 30 Watts of sheer cool. Smaller in size but just as packed with attitude, the AC30’s predecessor AC15 bears the badge of honour as the granddaddy of 15W combo amps everywhere and keeps rocking loud and proud since its 1958 introduction. The Vox Custom Series take on the original design, the AC15C1, offers a hefty dose of classic Vox charm in a robust, modern-lined package. In short, this trinity of amps replicates the much-vaunted sounds of a vintage AC with a modern twist, extra reliability and a broadera tonal palette.

All three Custom Series amps rely on 3 x 12AX7 dual triode vacuum tubes in the preamp section and provide the Classic Tremolo effect with adjustable controls for both speed and depth. An extra feature comes in the shape of a warm-sounding spring reverb for extra sonic spaciousness. Both AC30C2 and AC30C2X incorporate amps Normal and Top Boost channels, 4 x EL84 pentode tubes in the power section, an additional tone control in the Reverb section and an effects loop that allows guitarists to neatly blend their stompboxes with either clean or dirty amp sound. The Tone Cut control in the Master section operates in the power stage rather than the preamp, creating an additional degree of tone-shaping, the True Bypass switch takes the entire effects loop out of the circuit and the specially-designed solid state rectifier makes the amps punchier-sounding and more responsive to pick attack while retaining the B-plus voltage, chime and compression of a vintage Vox AC30.

The AC30C2 is equipped with two 12” Celestion Greenback speakers and the AC30C2X comes with two 12” Celestion Alnico Blues, while the AC15C1 brews the Vox tone in its 2 x EL84 tubes and pumps it out through a G12M Greenback Celestion speaker. The included footswitch does what it should – ie activates/terminates the Reverb and Tremolo effects. Once the balance between the individual and Master volumes is (easily) obtained, the Custom Series effortlessly nail the seminal Vox chime, a rich overdrive and a multitude of usable combinations.

RRP TBA. Available March-April 2010. www.voxamps.co.uk

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