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1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 14 Apr 2011, 14:10
by Amanda
Hi all,

Just halfway through repairing one of these amps.

What a pile of poo construction wise, the one I have here is riddled with dry joints
mainly round the valvebases.

After seeing one of these I'd rather have a Chinese CC series.

One huge PCB with EL84's mounted on it - a recipe for problems in later life.

The valve bases are poor quality as well.

All in all one to be avoided!

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2011, 17:13
by kipper
hi amanda i still have the chinese cc you modded for me and fingers crossed when i say this ;) no problams at all. i also have a pinnicle now and that amp would take on any of the big names. its a brilliant amp they should have sold lots more if mine is anything to go by. peter

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2011, 17:33
by 51 Relic
kipper wrote:hi amanda i still have the chinese cc you modded for me and fingers crossed when i say this ;) no problams at all. i also have a pinnicle now and that amp would take on any of the big names. its a brilliant amp they should have sold lots more if mine is anything to go by. peter


Yes i agree the Pinnicle is the best amp i have played at any Shadows club

Kind Regards Nigel :D

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2011, 17:56
by dave robinson
I bought one of those models in 2001 and I have to say it was the most troublesome piece of crap that I ever had the misfortune to own. :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown:
My current Marshall built AC30 however is lovely . . . . . . . 8-)

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 15 Apr 2011, 20:01
by neil2726
Seems some you win - some you loose!

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2011, 09:58
by Amanda
Peter,

I've got a pinnacle in at the moment, tried it at the Hankies the other week EF86 channel was dull and flat.

I've just added a bright switch and cap and done some other mods and am about to try it, the thing is built
like a Tank.

The AC30 is now back in it's case, after resoldering numerous bad connections and replacing all 4 cheap crap
EL84 valve bases with Ceramic ones (required some drilling out of pin holes!!).

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2011, 11:42
by chas
dave robinson wrote:
My current Marshall built AC30 however is lovely . . . . . . . 8-)


Any idea when they were built by Marshall for Vox (Korg) - roughly from and to?

Chas.

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 16 Apr 2011, 12:06
by OLDEREK
I'm not sure when Marshall started to build them for Korg, but they stopped in 2005, and production started in China.

The last five AC 30's built were finished in Red Tolex, I bought the second to last with a letter from Korg to comfirm it.
One of the last five was dropped on delivery to Peter Cooks Guitar World, and was returned to Korg, I tried to purchase it but it was in the skip broken up less the parts they could use as spares.

Here is a photo of mine ( I have sold it since)

VOX AC 30 RED.jpg
Second To Last UK Built AC 30
(44.64 KiB) Downloaded 5467 times

Re: 1990 30th Anniversary AC30

PostPosted: 18 Apr 2011, 17:01
by Strummer
Amanda wrote:Hi all,

Just halfway through repairing one of these amps.

What a pile of poo construction wise, the one I have here is riddled with dry joints
mainly round the valvebases.

After seeing one of these I'd rather have a Chinese CC series.

One huge PCB with EL84's mounted on it - a recipe for problems in later life.

The valve bases are poor quality as well.

All in all one to be avoided!



Hi Amanda,

Do you know if the White Horse brand of Amps are OK? I was looking at two models on the internet they are:
a) The 60w Tube amp + 4 x 8 Cabinet, and
b) The GT260 120w DSP amp that can have only one amp plugged in thus cutting the power to 60watts?

I'd be enormously thankful for your input please only I am after something that will give me a more powerful "shadows" type sound other than the VOX AD 30 VT amps I have now (I own TWO of them Lol!)

Should I save up for a Valve amp do you reckon?

Gratefully yours

Arthur (Strummer)