NAD! Vox ac30cc2 / Pedal help!

[danbond]

Been looking for an AC30 ever since recording with an AC15c1 (through a 4x12) a few weeks back, but I have loved the sound for a long time since recording with a Bad Cat Black cat 30 for our album last year. Found a pretty much mint condition ac30cc2 on ebay, but the guy sold it to me off ebay for £550 with the flight case. Tried it out at a show yesterday and it sounds totally awesome. I go into both channels from my stereo delay and set both channels to the same volume, so the delays kind of ping-pong between the 2 pre-amp EQ's (sounds great) and use a drive pedal to take it from clean/crunch to distortion.

Going to swap out one of the speakers for a Private Jack, and probably put a Greenback or Alnico blue in at some point.




It replaced my Fender Twin which I am now selling - it's pretty much night and day difference in tone when it's cranked - the AC30 is so responsive and expressive and it's so fun to play lightly for clean, and just dig in for dirty.

EDIT: I want to use the amp cranked for my dirty tones and use a pedal to "pull" the signal for cleans. What pedal is best for that? The EHX signal pad looks good and cheap, but rolls off treble. Pretty much all EQ's look too fragile for serious stomping and the LPB is too fiddly to dial in the right "pull".

My overdrive sounds great, but the amp sounds so good without it, I'd like to just crank it!

Suggestions?

[studawson]

I'd say backing off the volume on your guitar would do it better then a pedal. Gives you more options too (clean/cleanish/dirt/dirtier) Might reduce treble that way too but pop a treble bleed onto the volume pot.

[Les Paul Lover]

I'd say backing off the volume on your guitar would do it better then a pedal. Gives you more options too (clean/cleanish/dirt/dirtier) Might reduce treble that way too but pop a treble bleed onto the volume pot.

I need to do something like that on my LP - either treble bleed or 50s wiring.

would you recommend one over another?


Congrats about the AC30 - the nice tremolo & reverb in a non fender sounding way is a cool bonus too, isn't it?

[jason41224]

shoot a PM to Neil Oler. maybe he could design you the equivalent of a Volume Knob with a stomp and a treble bleed mod. I would think that shouldn't be too hard.

[danbond]

Our songs go from clean to dirty too fast for me to use my volume knob for that really. I use the volume knob all the time during the set, but for strictly going from clean to dirty sounds, I have to stamp on something for that.

The signal pad does seem cool, but I've heard the treble rolls off a lot. I'll shoot neil an email!

My tele is great because the middle and neck positions sound drastically different - I have a bareknuckle flat 50 in the bridge and on its own it's great for lead/heavy rhythm, but the middle position is much rounder and great for verse chording etc.

I think the reverb is actually kind of busted on this amp, even at its deepest it's hardly noticible. I usually turn off amp reverb at shows anyway - when our bassist starts jumping about it starts rattling really badly! I'll see if I can fix it easy anyway.

[misterfolkertsma]

The signal pad does seem cool, but I've heard the treble rolls off a lot.

It does, it's horrible in front of delay's too.

[savage8190]

Why not roll the volume back on the amp a bit to where you like it and push it into overdrive with a nice transparent boost? Basically the same result as cranking the amp up.

Oh and congrats! I love me some AC30...I got my hands on an old UK built one, god I LOVE that thing.

[danbond]

I think I'm going to have to do that. There are very few options for pedals that bring your volume down, and most reviews I see imply some negative aspects of this method.

Any good suggestions for a booster? I have a few overdrives I will test, but they seem to bring in a little fizz/fuzz edge to the sound, which I'd like to keep to a minimum.

[jason41224]

if you're looking to cut out some fizz, you might want to check out a Crowther Hot Cake. those things were pretty much made for AC30s, and it has a very usable presence control to dial out some of the fizz.

[nedcronin]

Nice new amp! Better eat your wheaties I'm sure you already know it weighs a ton. Awesome dog too.

[savage8190]

I think I'm going to have to do that. There are very few options for pedals that bring your volume down, and most reviews I see imply some negative aspects of this method.

Any good suggestions for a booster? I have a few overdrives I will test, but they seem to bring in a little fizz/fuzz edge to the sound, which I'd like to keep to a minimum.

I really like my Diamond Boost/EQ. The EQ is dead simple and by-passable...the boost is totally clean. For an OD with mine I use the Suhr Shiba...my Vox is non MV so I cant always just boost it for drive.