From chime-like “toppy” cleans to mid-forward grind and saturated sustain, the AC30 is an undisputed classic, with an all-star list of users going back to the early 60’s. Vox’s AC30 is among the most recorded and instantly recognizable guitar amplifiers ever made. One of the major forces behind the British Invasion sound, from Day Tripper to Smoke on the Water and from Iggy Pop to the modern Nashville sound, the Vox AC sound is everywhere.

This latest version of Vox’s top-of-the-line hand-wired AC series features old-school turret-board construction, upgraded to deliver even more vintage pedigree alongside modern upgrades essential to modern players.

On the top-mounted “copper” (aka “candy”) panel, the “chicken-head” indicator knobs are arranged in classic design fashion. Up front, the “normal” (clean) channel features high- and low-input jacks, plus “bright” and “boost” toggles. On the Top Boost channel side, bass and treble controls deliver a highly interactive, surprisingly wide tonal range. A master Tone Cut works with both channels, taming shrill tones generated at the power section, a bit like a hyperactive presence control. Along with independent volumes for each channel, the master volume control preserves the sound of a cranked-up and roaring AC30 without shaking the rafters. Or…go ahead, open it up and shake the whole house down. There are also tone and level controls for the tube-driven spring reverb tank, and a modern FX loop—a first of its kind for the Vox AC hand-wired series.

The AC30HWR2 features all-hand-wired-to-turret-board construction, just like the early Jennings-era classics. You’ll find four 12AX7’s and one 12AT7 in the preamp section, a quartet of EL84’s in the power plant, and a GZ34 tube rectifier that adds authentic vintage “sag” while eliminating the need for a standby. This all-new hand-wired AC30 also features a completely redesigned power circuit and transformer design that helps eliminate ghost tones and improve reliability. The Black Tolex-covered Baltic birch cab has been redesigned to slightly thinner vintage specs,  reducing weight while adding resonance and harmonic complexity.

The AC30RHW2 comes loaded with a pair of 25-watt Celestion Greenbacks that add some midrange punch and a bit more of a modern grind. It’s also available with classic Celestion alnico blue speakers as the AC30HWRX, for AC30 tone that’s as classic as it gets.