UAFX RUBY ’63

TOTAL GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2022
86
T
he Fender 5E3 narrow panel Tweed Deluxe amps made
between 1955 and 1960 are beloved by players including
Billy Gibbons and Neil Young, and yet, the more vintage
vibe of the Woodrow means it is probably going to remain
the dark horse of this trio next to the other two pedals.
UA has already had success with a plugin based on Fender’s
original and here the original amp’s separate instrument and mic
volumes are represented on the control panel. And understanding
the sweep and relationship of these is vital to unlocking the
Woodrow’s potential. To simplify, the Instrument Volume dials in
some dirty gain while the Mic Volume o ers low end warmth.
UA help to negate the one amp pedal/£350 price critics by o ering
a good amount of versatility around the Woodrow blueprint; the six
cab models all bring distinct character, but the boost section brings
an even more enhanced Tweed experience. A stock boost, EP-III
based on the Echoplex tape echo’s preamp section and KP-3K based
on a Korg SDD-3000 delay are carefully curated mods that o er
warmth, higher end and mid boost, respectively.
The gamut of gain is great for
rootsy Americana cleans to
scrappy Neil Young all the way
to self-imploding fuzz when
cranked with the boost. The
room reverb o ers authentic
studio ambience that feels
great for vintage blues, and the
sensitivity to playing of this
pedal goes beyond pick
dynamics and responds well to
your guitar’s controls. Just like
an amp! It also stacks well with
our Klon-style Wampler
Tumnus overdrive. Don’t
overlook this pedal.
T
he Ruby is actually two AC30s in one pedal; though main
draw here is the later ’63 Top Boost, the Normal channel
here is based on the 1961 Vox model. The former added an
additional tube for more gain and treble, and is what many
of us associate with the classic AC30 character. These
modes are selectable with the right hand mini toggle switch,
alongside a Vibrato mode that uses the Top-Boost as its foundation.
You can assign this to be a switchable channel via the UAFX
Control app with the bottom three control settings Speed, Intensity
and Room reverb when set to alt mode. It’s great for slower Uni
Vibe-esque sounds as well as choppier fare.
If you’re new to AC30s you need to understand some basics; they
need time to shine. First, know that the Bass and Treble controls of
the Top-Boost channel (like the real 1961 amp they aren’t usable in
Normal mode) are cuts that work in the opposite way to most amps;
you’re taking away those frequencies as you turn the controls
clockwise. Then, confusingly, the AC30 o ers a separate Cut control
that adjusts a di erent high end frequency to the Treble Cut’s tone
stack. Explore the relationship
between them alongside the
Volume control’s gain and the
onboard boost and you’ve got
the key to the Edge and Brian
May with all the chime, crunch
and Voxy boxy goodness of
a real AC30 Top-Boost.
UA’s designer James Santiago
and the team have done their
homework big time, and the
six-cab selection allows you to
hone in on brightness or
warmth for your speci c
pickups through a FRFR cab,
PA and recording.
UAFX WOODROW ’55
Ragged glory
UAFX RUBY ’63
Sly Vox
AT A GLANCE
AT A GLANCE
CONTROLS: Instrument Volume,
Mic Channel Volume, Output, Room
(reverb), Tone, Boost; 3 x toggle
switches for Speaker cab type, preset
store and boost type; preset and
bypass footswitches
FEATURES: USB-C for app control and
updates, Mono/stereo inputs and
outputs, Bluetooth for app control;
switchable true or buffered bypass
(via app)
POWER SUPPLY: 9-volt mains supply
only (minimum 400mA, not included)
DIMENSIONS: 148 x 92 x 65mm
CONTROLS: Volume, Output, Cut, Bass
/ Room (reverb), Treble / (vibrato)
Intensity, Boost / (vibrato) Speed,
Speaker cab select switch, Control
mode switch: ALT / Amp / Preset store
mode; Channel select switch; bypass
and preset footswitches
FEATURES: USB-C for app control and
updates, Mono/stereo inputs and
outputs, Bluetooth for app control;
switchable true or buffered bypass
(via app)
POWER: 9-volt mains supply only
(minimum 400mA, not included)
£349
£349
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