The VOX Showroom - The AC-30 Twin

The AC-30 Twin

The AC-30 is the amplifier that became forever linked with The Beatles and the British Invasion. While The Beatles for the most part only utilized this amplifier during 1963 and 1964, its legend looms large among Beatle fans and purveyors of Beatle and VOX folk lure. The AC-30 also holds the distinction of having the most configurations of any VOX model. Along with the usual brown/black fret cloth, red/grey control panel color and vynide variations, the AC-30 had no fewer than six officially produced variations.
The Beatles, as well as other major bands of the day, signed exclusive use contracts with VOX. This contract precluded The Beatles from utilizing any other amplifier on stage, although they were free to use other manufactures' amplifiers while in the recording studio. It seems apparent that the AC-30 was all but eliminated from Beatle recording and stage work by late 1964 in favor of VOX's newly released AC-50's and AC-100 MkI amplifiers.
The holy grail among VOX collectors today is the AC-30 Top Boosted Twin. While The Beatles most likely utilized all the AC-30's configurations, the most sought after "Beatle" VOX is a AC-30 factory added Top Boost model with a candy apple red control panel, two blue VOX Celestion Alnico 12" speakers (which were specially designed Celestion G12M's) and brown fret cloth. VOX originally introduced the AC-30 without the extra Top Boost feature and later added this feature as a "return to the factory" upgrade. These AC-30 models have the extra bass and treble controls added to the rear panel. Later models were modified to include the Top Boost feature in the control panel proper. The Top Boost feature was an "upgrade" feature for most of the AC-30's production during JMI's tenure whether as a "return to the factory" upgrade or as an "in the control panel" addition.
The officially released models are as follows: AC-30/4 Twin, AC-30/6 Twin, AC-30/6 TB Twin, AC-30/6 Twin Bass (2x15" speakers), AC-30/6 TB Super Twin, AC-30 Super Twin Reverb, AC-30 TB Super Twin Reverb as well as colored vynide versions of the twin models.
In the above examples the number after the "/" represents the number of inputs and TB stands for "Top Boost".

Features

Output Power 36 watts

Tube Compliment ECC83 (x4), 12AU7, EL84 Quartet + GZ34

Channel One Two inputs,
one volume,
one Vib-Trem Selector,
one Vib-Trem Speed/Depth

Channel Two Two inputs,
one volume

Channel Three Two inputs,
one volume,
one tone

Speaker(s) Two VOX Celestion Alnico 12" speakers
OR
two VOX Celestion 15" speakers

Size 27" W x 21" H x 10" D

Accessories Cover, Chrome trolley, Foot pedal.

Features
Output Power	36 watts
Tube Compliment	ECC83 (x4), 12AU7, EL84 Quartet + GZ34
Channel One	Two inputs, one volume, one Vib-Trem Selector, one Vib-Trem Speed/Depth
Channel Two	Two inputs, one volume
Channel Three	Two inputs, one volume, one tone
Speaker(s)	Two VOX Celestion Alnico 12" speakers OR two VOX Celestion 15" speakers
Size	27" W x 21" H x 10" D
Accessories	Cover, Chrome trolley, Foot pedal.

Photo courtesy Gary Hahlbeck, Sonic Speakers.