Originally posted by j631378
Which current boutique builder makes the best AC 30 top boost clone?
Originally posted by mainstreetexile
"Best," like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Mayfly, Bruno, Top Hat get mentioned a lot.
Are you looking for additional features or straight-up tone? I was looking for simple Vox tone and ordered a Valvetech Hayseed after trying it out for about an hour. $975 without speakers (I'm supplying Celestion Blues) with the additional option to switch in and out of an EF86 preamp on the Normal/Bypass channel. Hard to beat that price for a hand-wired amp with quality components, e.g., Heyboer transformers, etc.
Do a search for "Hayseed" and you'll get a better idea about them. Just fyi, I sold my AC30HW (which Bruno had a hand in designing) to buy the Hayseed. The HW is a great amp, I'm sure the Bruno is too, but I was looking for something like the tone of my AC30TBX, but with reverb and tremelo. It just didn't have the same chime as the TBX. The Hayseed is much closer to the TBX version of the AC-30 Reissue, but handwired and better components. All IMHO of course.
Originally posted by bluesbreaker59
Lovin my Hayseed 30, but make sure that you get 15 watt Alnico speakers, that is very important to the tone of the amp. I chose Weber Blue Dogs, but I know the Celestions would be VERY excellent as well.
Originally posted by Onswah
so between the celestion blues, the weber blue dog alnicos and eminences red fang which would be the best in a hayseed?