Also you cant switch between the top boost and normal channels without hooking up an ab switch. Vox ac30 silver jubilee circuit analysis amp books. Vox ac15c1 custom 2channel 15watt 1x12 guitar combo reverb. Celebrate 60 years of el84 chime by dialling in some classic ac30 sounds.
Each channel is equipped with its own volume control, and the top boost channel offers highly interactive treble and bass tone controls. I think i might find having the ef86 and top boost channels and no trem as the most useful combination. They were later provided with twin blackcovered ac30s with the rear panel top boost units. The vox handwired series relies on the painstaking technique of turret board handwiring a method requiring a high level of skill and craftsmanship is used, resulting in wiring thats beautiful in its artistry, ensuring an efficient signal path with minimal loss and no restriction in. Ac15 reissue pre amp schematic, ac156002 iss 1 vox, 1996. It combines the prized ef86 preamp channel of 1958 with the legendary 1963 top boost channel in one masterfully designed amplifier. I could drown out a buddy who was using two amps a dual rectifier and a 5150. You have to make very small adjustments until you find the tone you are looking for. Boasting both a normal and top boost channel, the ac15 custom is an alltube, el84 driven workhorse that delivers 15 watts of authentic british tone into your choice of a genuine celestion greenback or alnico blue speaker.
Boasting both a normal and top boost channel, the ac15 custom is an alltube, el84 driven workhorse that delivers 15 watts of authentic british tone into your. The vox ac15 custom tube guitar amplifier vox amps. Notice the treble and bass controls of the vox top boost circuit were added in place of the original ac15 s vibtrem circuitry in that heritage edition. I even use an attenuator with mine which is just 10w. The footswitch on the ac15c1 only controls the tremolo and reverb. Vox ac15 right of the bat you can tell theres a connection between this amp, the greenback and a strat. Gear vox ac15c1 top boost channel not working self. Here you will find our collection of vox schematics.
Guitar submitted 4 years ago by minegoesto11 fendertophat so ive had my amp for about a year and half now, its been working great, no issues. He proposed to build a 1960 vox ac15 for his studio. A postphase inverter master volume is fitted as well. The second is v2, which is the second gain stage for the top boost channel. Historically, the tremolo channel is a second channel, would removing it change the tone of the amp one friend has a 1 channel deluxe reverb which saturates waaaay too early, the builder says its because he omitted the normal channel, and the existing channel has. If you absolutely need the reverb i recommend getting a new tank with. Ac15 control software for usb printermac download this program supports mac os version 10. They made history when they released the original ac15 and ac30 around 1960 and whether youre an ac15 owner looking for some extra power, or a new convert to the world of vox amps, any of these vox ac30 amplifiers is a fantastic choice for achieving that vintageauthentic chime and warm tube tone. If you absolutely need the reverb i recommend getting a new tank with a shorter decay time or a higher quality one. Ac30 standard non top boost model 1960 download diagram ac30 top boost modification circuit for above 1961. In the summer of 2012 bnwitt started a discussion at hoffmans amp forum. It remains fairly tight though, and playing with your volume pots you have a whole array of sounds to choose from. I pushed it through with the tip of the soldering iron. The vox ac15 customs substitution of a 12 celestion 25watt greenback speaker parts from.
The schematics and the layout are the basics of the build. Ac3036 top boost mod schematic, os010 jennings, 1961. The top boost when cranked gets snarly, jagged, and cooked sounding. Historically, the tremolo channel is a second channel, would removing it change the tone of the amp one friend has a 1 channel deluxe reverb which saturates waaaay too early, the builder says its because he omitted the normal channel, and the existing channel. By turning the treble way down on the amp, then plugging in a vox or other brand treble booster, guitarists quickly found out that boost would add a nice overdrive effect. Depending on what version ac15 you have, one schematic i found does have both the normal and top boost channels grounded when no cable is plugged in. For those who want the classic jangle and top boost of the vox ac30 but dont need quite so much power, the ac15c1 is a great option. Need opinions on booster pedal for vox ac15c1 the gear page. Modern vox ac30 amplifiers have two channels normal and top boost and two separate inputs high and low gain for each channel. It does overdrive the treble frequencies aggressively, so just be aware of that. We created several and we have redrawn some schematics that were already available on the internet for readability or ease of use these needed an easiertoread format, corrections or part identifiers. Five overdrives for your top boost vox reverb news. Jun 27, 2008 i went into my vox ac15 and heated up the bottom of the pots board and undid c26. Ac15 control software for usb printermactendaall for.
Unlike its predecessor, the ac4tv, this does amp does not get mushy when you run dime it. Hence the ac15 offers both the bright chimelike clean sound and gutsy, smooth full volume overdriven tone that has made the ac30 such a legend. Over 60 years since its introduction, the ac15 combo is still a firm fixture in voxs current catalogue. For example a lot of people complain about how overly bright a ac15 is but they are probably talking about the older one from the 2000s with just top boost the new one comes with top boost and a normal channel in case you feel the top boost is too much top end. The treble and bass controls are from the 1963 top boost circuit and are extremely interactive. The gibson ga70 tone circuit included one 12ax7 tube. A click on the schematics or the layout opens a pdf file of the respective plan. His idea was to develop a layout for a single chassis, marshall style amp. Although the normal is great for those classic beatles tones the top boost channel. While there have been a number of ac15 variants since its debut in 1957, the current ac15c1 uses an alltube, 15w 1x12 design to capture the tone of its predecessors. Ac15 1960 download diagram ac15 1996 onward preamp section.
Vox diagrams, schematics and service manuals download for free. Vox ac30 top boost 1967 repair and restoration amploft. Flexible power the op switch adds even more flexibility to the. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items. Free vox diagrams, schematics, service manuals schematics. How to get classic vox ac30 tones using guitar modelling. Quick test of a vintage jmi ac30 non top boost with additional top boost unit in the back panel. The top boost channel receives a treble and bass control. Additionally, the added treble in the top boost circuit can make it very. The schematics below come from the service manual pictured above, issued by thomas organ in september 1967. The current nonhandwired c1 model has benefitted from some useful upgrades to make it more relevant for modern musicmaking, yet the cosmetic and sonic dna of the original is still evident to anyone with more than a passing interest in the legendary amp brand that powered beatlemania. Tone cut control this circuit is placed in the power amp as opposed to the preamp section like the treble and bass controls. I went into my vox ac15 and heated up the bottom of the pots board and undid c26. Ac30 top boost modification circuit for above 1961, download diagram.
So when you have cables plugged into both inputs that run back to the aby, there may only be guitar signal going into 1 input, but the input not being used is left ungrounded. Notice the treble and bass controls of the vox top boost circuit were added in. Vox vox heritage ac15htvh 15w head musicians friend. Coveted for its tight jangly alltube tone, it was literally the sound of the british invasion in the 60s. Vox, fender, marshall vox amplifiers ac15, ac30 the. Top boost jack plugging your guitar into this input will route your signal through the top boost channel. There may never have been an amp boasting such a lofty and pure sound in the entire history of vox. Given the option, id use a dimed vox ac30 or ac15 top boost for 90. Vox ac15 handwired versus vox ac30 handwired gearslutz. Its handwired in viet nam, and comes with an alnico blue and as a result must weigh close to 50 lbs. The best boost i used with that amp, was a super hard on. The circuit and overall design behind each of these clubsized. Jmi vox ac30 with top boost in panel the vox showroom.
Deluxe reverb vs ac15 discussion in amp input normal or bright started by thekid, jan 20, 2018. Because of their similarities, the vox ac15 and fender deluxe reverb share a history of friendly rivalry. This was not an error in the drawing this did go into. This 15 watt class a guitar amplifier design is based on the brilliant preamp channel of the classic 1960s ac30 top boost.
Good distortion pedal to go along with vox ac15 gearslutz. And voxs ac circuit is famous for how well it takes any variety of your favorite effects pedals. Vox ac30 schematic drawing upon nearly 60 years of heritage, vox handwired amplifiers have on the legendary top boost tone circuit made famous by the iconic vox ac30. John lennons first vox was a fawncoloured twinspeaker ac15, while george harrisons was a fawn ac30 with a top boost unit installed in the rear panel. Here is a list of the schematics that are exclusive to this site. The sound clips on the page i linked are the original schematic which is posted and some of it sounds bassy and raw imo. I need a foot switch to change channels on my vox ac15. If you bypass both these opamps by copying the 70s ac30 dallas schematic provided by vox youll get rid of it. Vox ac15 c2, egitarren combo, vollrohre, 15 watt,2x12celestion g12m. The unique vibrato circuit of this amp has intrigued me for a long time.
Youll also find a full set of ac15 hallmarks, including independent volume control for each channel, as well as the vox classic tremolo. Vox ac30 top boost 1967 repair and restoration this ac30 came to me with a strong smell of burnt mains transformer. Hi all, ive been using guitar rig 4 for the past few years, and decided it was time to get back into the world of real guitar amps. The master still works, and the tone controls work, just not the top boost volume pot. Ac100 amp schematic joe piazza check out the vox showroom for more historic information on the vox amps. And true to vox form is the top cut control, which cuts high from either channel end as its turned up. Someone has the reverb board layout of this version of the vox ac30. The ac15c1 now features both normal and top boost channels, and has many common features with the ac30c2xac30c2. Plus, since its part of the custom series, it comes with spring reverb and is compatible with the vox vfs2 footswitch.
This has to do with the placement of the presence knob in the circuit which is. Vibroverb 6g16 tremolo fender parallel 12at7 reverb driver bassman, class ab, and ac ripple. However, vox would not develop their top boost tone circuitry from sample circuits found in the back pages of a tube manual nor was the top boost circuit a unique jmi design. My cc1 has a switch to blend both the top boost and normal channels, i use that amp that way, using the normal channel to dial in some additional low mids, but i never use the normal channel alone. Download my full size board layout, drill guide, jumper guide, ground scheme, schematic, and more in a single pdf. Sep 12, 2012 historically, the top boost was not in the ac15, so i guess taking an old schematic and removing the tremolo wouldnt work.
Jun 17, 2009 the ac15 was also too bassy for my tastes hence the changes i made on mine although the top boost channel is decent. It was a great amp but it was too heavy and too loud. The third the one closest to the power tubes is the phase inverter. Boasting both a normal and top boost channel, this el84 driven workhorse delivers authentic british tone. Even though its older brother is so famous, the ac15 was actually the first of the two amplifiers to be made by vox. Assuming you are looking at the back of the amp, going from left to right, the first preamp tube the one with the shield is v1, and is thefirst gain stage for both the normal and the top boost channels.
To view this site, you must enable javascript or upgrade to a javascriptcapable browser. The vox ac15c1 and ac30c2 limited edition custom series amps offer two channels. Otherwise it wouldnt be sitting in my living room with my esquire plugged into it. Got the other one sitting in my work apartment about 300 miles. With the amp at full blast on the normal channel the hiss is almost inaudible and the top boost channel has a manageable amount of it. The vox ac15c2 features a pair of 12 speakers and a tremolo circuit, while the vox custom ac15 models have a spring reverb to complement your tremolo and top boost tones. It was easily the loudest 15 watt amp ive ever used. My ac30 is a jmi 64 and had a hard life before i had it but the fact that it still works and sounds amazing after 47. The only pedals i have problems with are tubescreamers and derivatives thereof. A service engineers guide to the vox ac30 valve amplifier. My biggest requirement is that i want the amp to have a topboost. Ac15 s are really quite mid heavy anyway, and the ts circuit boosts your kids quite a bit, so just be mindful if you are using a pedal based on that. The combination of the vox ac15 customs class a, el84driven power amp and its top boost preamp gives the amp its iconic sound.
There is an ac15 handwired with an ef86 channel its the heritage handwired ac15 model ac15h1tv. I just purchased a vox ac15c1 and really love the way it sounds with my strat an american standard with a humbucker in the bridge. The younger brother of the worldfamous vox ac30, offering all the classic tones in an easier and quieter size. Ac15 top boost was never offered in the line until now. Perhaps this is simply to say that they are both extremely versatile and popular amplifiers. Vox amp schematics to assist you with your amplifier repairs and modifications. Ive owned an ac15c1 in the past and this amp does sound like the top boost channel of that amp. Question about ef86 and 12ax7 tubes vox ac15 reissue. Very minor adjustments of these controls can yield dramatic changes in tone color.
Besides the ac100, the other britishmade amps encompassed are. When you plug into the top boost channel of a vox, youll have. However if i want to push the gain up a little higher i know a lot of vox ac15 owners put a booster of some sort on the front end. My hw from 2003 has only the top boost channel, it sounds amazing. A dude on youtube compared a brand new greenback in a hardwired vox ac15 with a speaker that had around 100 hours of play time not loud gigging volume and the new speaker was more gritty and fizzy and the speaker with some use was bigger and rounder in the bottom with a less grating midrange and less fizzy with some top boost overdrive. The online resource for old vintage vox circuit diagrams. Need opinions on booster pedal for vox ac15c1 discussion in amps and cabs started by sirroderick, may 29.
I put the unit back together and if fires up but now the top boost volume does nothing. A fairly common trick to get even more mojo out of a vox ac30 is to jump the channels together. Among many products that claim some sort of iconic status, voxs ac30 guitar amplifier is the real deal, occupying a unique place in the history of pop music, and youll find one in. With a vox ac15, the word custom applies in more ways than one. The vox ac15 custom will never go out of style because of all of the players still depending on this design today. This is not unusual as old transformer windings are insulated with paper and wax sometimes you can see it leaking out of your vintage amp. Jul 15, 2011 the top boost when cranked gets snarly, jagged, and cooked sounding. The master still works, and the tone controls work, just not the top boost.
Vox, schematics, amps, amplifiers, tubes, valves, top boost, venue, berkley. Inside that pretty head is a handwired masterpiece of tone that can transport you through the golden age of vox tone. So i searched for pics, took the schematic ac30 tb reverb 1978 and started. To view this site, you must enable javascript or upgrade to a. Sound is all there, easy to haul, versatile, top boost, tone cut switch and has spring reverb and tremolo, the higher end, hand wired ac 15 hw is a lot more expensive and also doesnt have the reverb and tremolo. Normal jack plugging your guitar into this input will route your signal through the normal channel. For those looking for that vintage vox magic with some more modern sensibilities, check out the ac15vr valve reactor, a tubesolidstate hybrid with normal and overdrive channels. I did that because i didnt use the reverb at all and the hiss is way lower now. Tips on optimizing vox ac15 page 2 gretschtalk forum. Circuit simulation modeling vacuum tube guitar amplifiers using spice. Vox amp heaven schematics berkley cambridge pacemaker. The downside of it is that you will lose the reverb. Top jack for high input, and bottom jack for low input. Ac30cc2 schematic heaven, tube books, schematics galore.
It needs to be really, really loud to get the best tone out of it. The fender deluxe reverb and the vox ac15 are roughly the same size, often used by roughly similar musicians to play broadly similar music. Ordinarily, if i bring my 18 watt to a gig which is actually quieter than the ac15 i. The ac15 was also too bassy for my tastes hence the changes i made on mine although the top boost channel is decent. There is no other way to switch between the two channels on the amp because of the separate inputs. Real producers and engineers know how to use amp eq page. Hoffman amplifiers tube amp forum, vox ac15 layouts. Youll need an ab switch and have one output from the switch going to the normal input and the other going into the top boost input.
One half of the tube was used for gain, the second half was a. Vox custom ac15c1 15w 1x12 tube guitar combo amp vintage. Historically, the top boost was not in the ac15, so i guess taking an old schematic and removing the tremolo wouldnt work. Not only are these boutique amps designed by one of the best amp engineers in the business, but theyre also loaded with all the controls and connectivity you need to completely personalize your tone. Component layout ac15 power supply and output stages. Deluxe reverb vs ac15 fender stratocaster guitar forum. Ac15 clone with ef86 and top boost channel youtube.