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Vox AC30 Hand-Wired Valve Amp Head
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Want to Click and Collect or try items at our Guildford Store?
The store is open 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am - 5pm Sunday and bank holidays.
The stock information shows the quantity of units that are available to purchase at the Guildford store and the quantity of units that are available at our off-site Guildford warehouse. These stock levels are updated in real time.
Our Click and Collect service is available at our Guildford store from 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am - 5pm on Sunday. You can either choose click and collect as your delivery option online or, during store opening hours, call our sales team at 01483 456777 to place a 10% deposit.
If you have placed your order online, you will receive a confirmation email of your order and a separate follow-up text or email to confirm when your item is ready for collection.
Please do not come to the store before you have received the follow-up message, as your order may not yet be ready at the store.
If the only available stock is in our off-site warehouse it can be brought to the store location for you to try - you just need to contact the store within opening hours. Please note any requests received after 3.30pm will not arrive at the store until the following morning.
Please be aware that, unless you have paid a deposit to reserve the item, it will continue to be free, both online and in-store, for another customer to buy. Therefore we would advise you to place a 10% deposit by either using the on-line click and collect service or calling us 01483 456777.
SKU: AC30HWRH
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Product Description
The AC30 Hand-Wired Head is a 30-watt valve amplifier that faithfully reconstructs the sound and response of a vintage 1963 Vox AC30 in a flexible head format. Featuring hand-wired circuitry, custom transformers, and a newly designed power circuit that recreates classic voltage sag, it captures the harmonic complexity and touch sensitivity of original copper panel models. Modern refinements, including a master volume, tube-driven spring reverb, and transparent effects loop makes it suitable for both stage and studio use while preserving authentic British tone.
Timeless Tone for Today
Few amplifiers have shaped music history like the Vox AC30. With the AC30 Hand-Wired Head, that legacy lives on – reborn with painstaking attention to vintage accuracy and updated with modern refinements that make it stage- and studio-ready.
Whether you're pairing it with Vox's matching V212HWRX cabinet or your own favourite speaker setup, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head is the ultimate choice for players who demand authentic British tones in a flexible head format.
This is more than a reissue. It's a complete reconstruction of a vintage legend – hand-wired and fine- tuned to bring the '60s sound back to life. Featuring hand-wired circuitry and custom transformers, this amplifier aligns classic British tone with modern necessities including a master volume that is removed from the circuit when fully engaged, a transparent effects loop, and custom-voiced spring reverb.
Now, the unmistakable sound of a vintage Vox is finally within reach. Built for vintage enthusiasts, aficionados, and modern players alike. The AC30 Hand-Wired Head delivers the unmistakable voice of Vox!
Vintage Tone, Meticulously Recreated
At the core of the AC30's unique voice lies in its EL84 power section, but the magic doesn't stop there. In classic Vox amps, when pushed hard, the phase inverter stage itself begins to distort – a subtle but crucial source of the complex harmonics that define the true AC tone. This distortion is different from preamp overdrive, imparting a texture and openness that simply can't be replicated with pedals alone. The AC30 Hand-Wired Head goes beyond schematic replication to recreate essential details like this, ensuring the amp responds with the same musicality and depth as its '60s predecessors.
This recreation started with sourcing and analysing an original 1963 "copper panel" AC30, measuring its precise electrical behaviour, and mapping out the subtleties in its performance. As a result, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head features a newly-designed power circuit that recreates the classic voltage "sag". This subtle drop under heavy playing can change the overall feel of the amp in the player's fingertips, creating natural compression and sustain. But while vintage amps are prone to ghost notes and noise, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head delivers the right feel while remaining quiet and reliable.
A critical piece of the vintage puzzle is the output transformer. The AC30 Hand-Wired Head uses a custom-wound transformer developed through rigorous prototyping, capturing the bell-like highs and complex harmonic layering that make every note bloom. The subtle winding variations affect the midrange character and saturation behaviour, so no effort was spared to match the magic of the 1963 original.
Two Channels, Iconic Vox Voice
The AC30 Hand-Wired Head offers the two channels that have shaped the sound of Vox over the decades.
- Normal Channel: Midrange warmth with a Bright switch for added top-end clarity, ideal for shaping your sound with single-coils or humbuckers
- Top Boost Channel: The iconic Vox chime and drive, with separate Treble, Bass, and Volume controls for precise tonal shaping. Pushed hard, it sings with the legendary British crunch that defined rock's golden age.
True to its heritage, this amp remains touch-sensitive, expressive, and harmonically complex, whether you're clean or cranked.
Tube-Driven Spring Reverb, Refined
Unlike amps with limited reverb circuits, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head features a genuine spring reverb driven through a dedicated tube stage. The output transformer is designed specifically for matching the impedance of these signals, delivering lush, present reverb tones. Tailor your sound with the reverb's Level and Tone controls and use the included footswitch for instant reverb bypass.
Transparent, Pedalboard-Ready FX Loop
Modern players demand flexibility, and the AC30 Hand-Wired Head delivers with a FET-buffered effects loop designed for maximum clarity. Unlike effect loops that colour your tone, the FET circuitry provides transparency – keeping your modulation and time-based effects pristine, even when the amp is pushed into overdrive. And for purists, it’s fully bypass-able.
Flexible Power for Any Cabinet
Pushing 30 watts via four EL84 power tubes, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head offers enough headroom for the stage, while still delivering glorious breakup when driven. Its versatile speaker outputs make it easy to pair with a wide range of cabinets, and it has the perfect partner in Vox's V212HWRX cabinet for a vintage- inspired stack.
Timeless Craftsmanship and Style
From the copper control panel to the brass vent grills and classic Vox badge, the AC30 Hand-Wired Head is a celebration of Vox’s unmatched heritage. It's not just an amp - it's a piece of rock history reborn for today's guitarist.
Plug in, turn up and experience the legendary tone of Vox.
Features
- 30-watt valve guitar amplifier head
- Four EL84 power tubes
- Hand-wired circuit construction
- Two-channel design: Normal and Top Boost
- Bright switch on Normal channel
- Treble, Bass, and Volume controls on the Top Boost channel
- Custom-designed power circuit with vintage-style voltage sag
- Custom-wound output transformer
- Master volume is removed from the circuit when fully engaged
- Tube-driven spring reverb
- Reverb Level and Tone controls
- Foot-switchable reverb bypass
- FET-buffered effects loop with bypass
- Multiple rear-panel speaker outputs
Specifications
- Dimensions: (W × D × H) 27.76" × 10.35" × 11.89" / 705 × 263 × 302 mm
- Weight: 43.43 lb / 19.7 kg
- Output power: 30W RMS into 8/16Ω
- Tube complement ECC83/12AX7 (preamp) × 4, ECC81/12AT7 (preamp) × 1, EL84 (power amp) × 4, GZ34 (rectifier) × 1
- Inputs: NORMAL INPUT ¼" jacks (HIGH and LOW) TOP BOOST INPUT ¼" jacks (HIGH and LOW), FOOT SWITCH ¼" jack, RETURN ¼" jack
- Outputs: SPEAKER OUTPUT ¼" jacks × 2, SEND ¼" jack
- Included items Power cable, Owner’s manual, VFS1 footswitch, Speaker cable
