Vox AC-30/6 Twin Tube Amplifier, c. 1970
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Vox AC-30/6 Twin Model Tube Amplifier, c. 1970, made in Dartford, Kent, England, black tolex covering finish.
One of the most revered of all amplifiers, the Vox AC-30 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.
As the mid-60s rolled on JMI founder Tom Jennings lost control of his company, with majority ownership assumed by The Royston Group, an English electronics conglomerate. The effective end of JMI shortly followed, with a reorganized company called "Vox Sound Equipment Limited", or VSEL (later shortened to just VSL) owning the Vox brand in 1968 and 1969; neither Tom Jennings or head engineer Dick Denney were involved. A confusing series of bankruptcies and sell-outs dot this 1967-1975 period, and many specs of the AC-30 change almost randomly over the next few years as the amps continue to be built (in greatly reduced quantities) by whomever had the wherewithal to build them. This amp dates to that period.
Conceived initially as a response to Fender's Twin, the original AC-30 Twin was a complete overhaul of its single-speaker predecessor. It featured a completely redesigned chassis, abandoning the old top-and-bottom format that had proven problematic as touring musicians threw cables and sundry in the back where the fragile tubes were mounted upright. The new version was a part-aluminum, part-steel construction containing everything at the top of the cabinet including the tubes, like Fender amps of the day. Unlike Fender practice these were mounted front-ward in the chassis requiring heat vents on the top of the cabinet. Three handles were fitted at the top; anyone who has carried an AC-30 up (or down) narrow club stairs appreciates this feature!
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. This particular amp is a faithful continuation of the late 60's 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, as well as Vox's signature Top Boost circuit, comprising of bass, treble and cut controls. Similar to the late 60's amps, this AC-30 sports a grey etched escutcheon panel and black diamond grill cloth. Running four EL84 power tubes into two Vox-branded 12" Celestion speakers, this AC-30 puts out around 30 watts, true to its name. Despite its later post-JMI origins, this amp still offers the classic AC-30 sound and look.
Height is 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm.), 27 1/4 in. (69.2 cm.) width, and 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) deep.
This AC-30 is a generally well-preserved period example (50+ years on now!) with moderate overall wear. The dark 'basketweave' cabinet covering is in nice shape overall, particularly the front of the amp. The top, sides and back show a moderate amount of scuffing and wear. The back plate is sadly missing so there's no serial number to be seen. The 6 small metal vents, which started showing up in '70-'71, are present and combined with 1969 dated speakers likely indicate a date of manufacture in ca. 1970-71.
The etched grey escutcheon top panel appears well-used with a decent amount of scratching and nicks to the paint, particularly around the bass knob in the treble boost area of the panel. The grille cloth appears original, and only shows very minor wear and no notable tears or staining. The three original plastic handles are present, and their hardware shows moderate signs of corrosion. Most of the plastic corner protectors are long gone and broken off. The plastic Vox logo appears original and is intact.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original and largely untouched. The transformers all appear original to the amp. The two 12" Vox-branded Celestion speakers are original and sound and work great. The visible date code on the left-side speaker is EB22, dating the speakers to May 22nd of 1969. The amp has 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, biased to spec and any minor but necessary replacement of out-of-spec components.
Although a "post-JMI" product of the early '70s, this AC-30 Twin still maintains the look and most importantly delivers the classic '60s sound, which has become a lifetime favorite of many guitarists since! Overall Very Good + Condition.
One of the most revered of all amplifiers, the Vox AC-30 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.
As the mid-60s rolled on JMI founder Tom Jennings lost control of his company, with majority ownership assumed by The Royston Group, an English electronics conglomerate. The effective end of JMI shortly followed, with a reorganized company called "Vox Sound Equipment Limited", or VSEL (later shortened to just VSL) owning the Vox brand in 1968 and 1969; neither Tom Jennings or head engineer Dick Denney were involved. A confusing series of bankruptcies and sell-outs dot this 1967-1975 period, and many specs of the AC-30 change almost randomly over the next few years as the amps continue to be built (in greatly reduced quantities) by whomever had the wherewithal to build them. This amp dates to that period.
Conceived initially as a response to Fender's Twin, the original AC-30 Twin was a complete overhaul of its single-speaker predecessor. It featured a completely redesigned chassis, abandoning the old top-and-bottom format that had proven problematic as touring musicians threw cables and sundry in the back where the fragile tubes were mounted upright. The new version was a part-aluminum, part-steel construction containing everything at the top of the cabinet including the tubes, like Fender amps of the day. Unlike Fender practice these were mounted front-ward in the chassis requiring heat vents on the top of the cabinet. Three handles were fitted at the top; anyone who has carried an AC-30 up (or down) narrow club stairs appreciates this feature!
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. This particular amp is a faithful continuation of the late 60's 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, as well as Vox's signature Top Boost circuit, comprising of bass, treble and cut controls. Similar to the late 60's amps, this AC-30 sports a grey etched escutcheon panel and black diamond grill cloth. Running four EL84 power tubes into two Vox-branded 12" Celestion speakers, this AC-30 puts out around 30 watts, true to its name. Despite its later post-JMI origins, this amp still offers the classic AC-30 sound and look.
Height is 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm.), 27 1/4 in. (69.2 cm.) width, and 10 1/4 in. (26 cm.) deep.
This AC-30 is a generally well-preserved period example (50+ years on now!) with moderate overall wear. The dark 'basketweave' cabinet covering is in nice shape overall, particularly the front of the amp. The top, sides and back show a moderate amount of scuffing and wear. The back plate is sadly missing so there's no serial number to be seen. The 6 small metal vents, which started showing up in '70-'71, are present and combined with 1969 dated speakers likely indicate a date of manufacture in ca. 1970-71.
The etched grey escutcheon top panel appears well-used with a decent amount of scratching and nicks to the paint, particularly around the bass knob in the treble boost area of the panel. The grille cloth appears original, and only shows very minor wear and no notable tears or staining. The three original plastic handles are present, and their hardware shows moderate signs of corrosion. Most of the plastic corner protectors are long gone and broken off. The plastic Vox logo appears original and is intact.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original and largely untouched. The transformers all appear original to the amp. The two 12" Vox-branded Celestion speakers are original and sound and work great. The visible date code on the left-side speaker is EB22, dating the speakers to May 22nd of 1969. The amp has 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, biased to spec and any minor but necessary replacement of out-of-spec components.
Although a "post-JMI" product of the early '70s, this AC-30 Twin still maintains the look and most importantly delivers the classic '60s sound, which has become a lifetime favorite of many guitarists since! Overall Very Good + Condition.