VOX

T
he EL84 valve was
originally made for small
radios and portable record
players, and was also the heart
of Mullard’s legendary 5-10
hi-fi amplifi er. A true pentode,
the EL84 was designed with
high internal gain so it could be
used without a driver valve in
low-cost circuits. Together with
its small size, this made the
EL84 very popular, and
hundreds of European audio
products used it.
Introduced in 1953, it was still
quite new when Vox chose it for
its AC15, and quickly became a
key part of the classic Vox
sound, powering many British
pop and blues bands from that
era. Vintage EL84s weren’t so
good at withstanding the
torture of guitar amp use;
thankfully modern versions are
much more rugged. Today, the
EL84 is still a very popular valve
for many amp brands. Of
course, as with many other
innovations, Vox was there
right at the beginning.
EL84 power
Still going strong: the
EL84 valve remains Vox’s
secret sauce
inaudible levels. With the gain set
low and master volume set high,
the AC30S1 delivers some cracking
vintage pop and blues tones.
Shadows fans in particular will be
impressed with the digital spring
reverb emulation, which can be
used at extreme levels without
swamping the guitar. Using the
Strat’s bridge pickup and playing in
‘Marvin style’, with the little fi nger
holding the tremolo arm and the
pick over the neck pickup, all that’s
really needed is a decent delay in
the eff ects loop for a sound that’s
uncannily close to Hank’s original
recordings.
The elusive treble chime of
classic Beatles hits is there, too,
with the heavier tones of their later
albums if you add extra gain. Push
the gain higher, and you’re into
classic early-70s blues-rock, while
with everything maxed out, the
AC30S1 will almost get you into
Brian May territory, with that
heavily compressed, vocal lead
tone. There’s lots of bass from the
single 12” speaker mounted in a
near closed-back cabinet, and
volume to spare for any gig.
We think Vox has nailed it with
the AC30S1: killer Top Boost tones
plus authentic vintage styling and a
studio-quality onboard digital
reverb makes for a very tempting
package. It’s a real player’s amp
that will fl atter any guitar and style
– and it’s particularly well-suited
to pedalboard users. If you’re in the
market for an AC30 that won’t
break your back or your wallet, the
AC30S1 is just what you need.
Nick Guppy
ORANGE ROCKER 32
Costs a little more but features two
channels, two 10” speakers and
proper stereo.
PEAVEY CLASSIC 30 112
The same quartet of EL84s adds a
unique British flavour to a USA
voice. Competitive prices, too.
LANEY LIONHEART L20T
Another quartet of EL84s, arranged
in a unique parallel single-ended
circuit for 20 pure Class A watts.
ALSO TRY...
There’s nothing paltry
about these chicken
head knobs
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SuMMarY
£899
£829
£949
92
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ToTal GuiTar SEPTEMBER 2018
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TGR310.gear_lead.indd 92 14/08/2018 17:23