Vox AC15 Custom Head, AC30 Custom Head

first play
17
july 2016 Guitarist
Vox AC15 & AC30 Custom HeAds
I
n 1962, a young, upwardly mobile pop
group called The Beatles became proud
owners of a set of Vox amplifiers, thanks
to a canny endorsement deal struck by their
manager, Brian Epstein. In the years that
followed, The Beatles took over the world and,
together with other high-profile users such
as The Shadows’ Hank Marvin, their success
helped Vox become established worldwide
as the sound of British pop in the swinging
60s. However, it wasn’t until 1992 when Vox
was bought by its present owner, Korg, that
the brand’s true potential was finally realised,
and ever since Vox has gone from strength
to strength. For 2016, Vox has widened its
high-end Custom range to include two new
heads – the AC15 and AC30 Custom – that
feature Vox’s new Reactive Attenuator.
The AC15 and AC30 Custom heads are
both fabricated in China, but all the R&D
work takes place here in the UK at Vox’s UK
headquarters. Vox was among the first to shift
its manufacturing base overseas and, as you
would expect from Korg, the quality control
is first class. Inside the cabinets, both amps
follow a similar construction, with a robust
steel chassis and two main printed circuit
boards. The top one is oriented vertically
and holds all the controls, while the lower
one sits horizontally and holds all the valve
bases. Access to the valves is easier than some
older Voxes: a wooden panel on the underside
fastened by woodscrews is all that needs to be
removed to get to the 12AX7s and EL84s (two
in the AC15 and four in the AC30). The wiring
Words Nick Guppy Photography Joseph Branston
Yet another spin on two Brit classics, these new
Custom Heads add portability and power
attenutation to the mix
Stacked In
Your Favour
Video demo http://b it.ly/guitaristextra
GIT408.rev_vox.indd 17 5/12/16 2:32 PM