AC30 custom classic 2x12

[idiotbear]

OK, so I found one of these for cheeeeeap and snapped it up - nothing wrong with it beyond a couple of minor cosmetic blemishes. Still not sure whether I'm going to keep it - there's a lot of sense in fixing the blemishes (easy peasy) and making more from the sale than what I paid for it.

It's so, so different from my Marshall. You'd never believe it was 30 watts - it's the loudest amp I think I've ever played through. Breaks up a bit early for me as well, but I  can always keep the channel volumes lowish and ramp the Master if I want a lot of clean.

Right now, I'm playing it through the "top boost" channel, with the "custom" EQ engaged and the "tone cut" completely at zero. The channel volume is at about eleven o'clock, which gives me a nice glassy clean sound with just enough breakup when I drive it fairly hard (e.g. with the Super Duper's "yellow" channel engaged. With both SD channels on, it's proper distortion time).

What I wasn't prepared for is how different my effects setup sounds through it. The delays sound awesome - the DM-2 seems to sparkle and shimmer in a way that is only hinted at with the Marshall. The AD-999 sounds especially sweet if I turn the effect volume down and let the delay self-oscillate, so I have mostly clean sound with crazy noise hooting away in the background. The AC30 seems to have much more detail, and is a lot less forgiving than the Marshall.

Only thing is, I don't like my dirtboxes through it. The Muff sounds bloated and far too bassy. The RAT sounds OK with the distortion dialled down, but really harsh and unpleasantly fizzy at high settings. It seems like the price for the glassy, detailed clean sound is a nasty distortion. I've spent far too long putting this effects setup together to allow a new amp to screw it all up, so I think the Vox might have to go....

[jetset]

AC30's love delays (as you've discovered), but they hate reverb and don't get along with a lot of OD/Distortion pedals.  Some people seem to like a kind of treble boost pedal like a HotCake, Krispy Kreme (sp?), or other boost that is designed to push certain frequencies rather than add extra dirt.  I use a Barber LTD lo-gain OD pedal which works great if you set the tone and drive right.  Or you just crank the amp and use your volume pot on your guitar.  Did you get the version with the Blue speakers?
-John

[idiotbear]

I've been trying just driving it with the Super Duper's red channel - i.e. no "cascading" boost. It sounds pretty good. But I LOVE the sound of my RAT and Muff through my Marshall, and dirt is by far my highest priority, sound-wise. I spend at least 70% of my playing time using a dirty tone of some kind, and I need to have a nice fuzz sound up my sleeve. The jury's still out on this amp.

Maybe an A/B box would be a good idea - the Framptone Amp Switcher looks cool.

[JazzBlaster]

I had an AC30 reissuye back in the 90's and yep I used a hotcake (because of Adam Franklin) my green bigmuff worked well with it too. I would have liked to try some different rectifier tubes to see if I could have gotten some more headroom out of it.

David

[i love sharin foo]

I also used a Hotcake through my AC30CC for a while. It was one of the older 2 knob versions. It sounded really nice with it and seemed a bit more balanced compared to the Big Muffs. But, I have found the Custom Classic series to have enough setup options that it isn't too difficult to dial in a good sound with either pedal. I sold the Hotcake a while back though 

Justin

[JazzBlaster]

I sold the Hotcake a while back though 

Justin

I sold mine to  why does it seem like every time I sell a piece of gear it becomes dificult to find after that?

[i love sharin foo]

I bought mine real cheap and sold it on eBay after being listed for about 10 minutes. My first though was damn, I should've asked more.

I never knew that they were getting hard to find. They are still being made though. I think that it's just not real easy to find somewhere that ahs them in stock. They don't seem to sell used as often as some other pedals though.

Justin

[Jarvis]

I've been trying just driving it with the Super Duper's red channel - i.e. no "cascading" boost. It sounds pretty good. But I LOVE the sound of my RAT and Muff through my Marshall, and dirt is by far my highest priority, sound-wise. I spend at least 70% of my playing time using a dirty tone of some kind, and I need to have a nice fuzz sound up my sleeve. The jury's still out on this amp.

Maybe an A/B box would be a good idea - the Framptone Amp Switcher looks cool.

A Vox AC30 and a Marshall would be a badass setup, dude. Rock out! 

[idiotbear]

A Vox AC30 and a Marshall would be a badass setup, dude. Rock out! 

Telling me. I so don't want to be buying more gear though  It'd be sweet to find a good A/B/both box for less than the Framptone - it's pretty pricey. OOOOOOOH the tone options of running both at the same time....

[Jarvis]

A Vox AC30 and a Marshall would be a badass setup, dude. Rock out! 

Telling me. I so don't want to be buying more gear though  It'd be sweet to find a good A/B/both box for less than the Framptone - it's pretty pricey. OOOOOOOH the tone options of running both at the same time....

http://www.startouchpedals.com/home.html they make A/B/Ys too!!

[vapourtrail]

i just acquired the problem of the overdrive in my CC2 having no drive...
i'm getting no dirt. guessing it's the tubes or a tube. not sure which though.

i suppose i should swap them all out since i have yet to do so since i've owned it.
mullard gz34 for the rectifier, quad NOS mullards, probably switch the ax7's for 5751's for more headroom.

at any rate, since i'm going have to go in there and desolder the speaker wires (.....) i figure i should install removable spade terminals so i won't have to solder/desolder the cables everytime i go in. but what are these things actually called and where do i get them? the speaker wire clips?

[idiotbear]

Here's my amp setup as of now. I own it, and it even makes me GAS for it.... 

[k o y l]

Right now, I'm playing it through the "top boost" channel, with the "custom" EQ engaged and the "tone cut" completely at zero. The channel volume is at about eleven o'clock, which gives me a nice glassy clean sound with just enough breakup when I drive it fairly hard (e.g. with the Super Duper's "yellow" channel engaged. With both SD channels on, it's proper distortion time).

I'd like to buy a tube amp , and will use it  as you described here: on the edge of breakup + the Super Duper for distorded sound.
the Vox AC15CC is on my list of possible choices so I'd be very interested to hear how the AC30 sounds like as you described it...

Would you mind recording a little soundclip of the amp in this setting + with SD on Channel 1, 2 @ both engaged ?? 

[idiotbear]

Would you mind recording a little soundclip of the amp in this setting + with SD on Channel 1, 2 @ both engaged ?? 

Sure. I'll post here when it's done. I might have a chance to do it this weekend.

R

[k o y l]

Thanks !