In Praise of the Mighty Vox AC-10 !!

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs' started by DANOCASTER, Feb 19, 2012.

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  1. Feb 19, 2012 #1
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    I've had a bunch of AC-30s and always loved them but I found them to be a bit unreliable and TOO LOUD

    a few years ago , I bought an AC-10 twin and had PaulC do a few tweaks and it's just awesome. I use it all the time

    I recently saw another one in the Emporium that had full disclosure that it wasn't "quite right" as it stands - but I made an offer and he ultimately accepted

    so it arrived last week but I didn't wanna plug in and be disappointed - so I waited till I got an old Vox blue speaker ( thanks Moods !! ) and then also loaded it w/ old Telefunken and Mullard tubes and fired it up......

    :omg

    sounds AMAZING.. just super thrilled.

    the trem side sounds about like a non TB AC-30 treble model ( which I love ) - and gets fatter w/ the amp's tone rolled back

    the normal side sounds about like a non TB normal and is thicker and fatter

    it LOVES pedals - trem is awesome - it's dead quiet at idle.... I'm so excited :)

    and look at how big it is !! it's only about 5-6" narrower than an AC-30

    Interestingly - the cabinet's serial # plate reads "AC-30" so it looks to possibly be an older Vox cab . It's built just like all the 60s AC-30s I've had.. Not sure when the plastic vents came into place but I dunno really care anyways. The larger cab and the 12" blue make my TWO AC-10s different

    I freakin' LOVE AC-10s !!

    look at the size of it next to my Tremolux and Marshall in the 1st pic ( compared to my other AC-10 twin in the 2nd pic - next to my Deluxe Reverb )

    AC-10 lovers chime in !

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    DANOCASTER, Feb 19, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Feb 19, 2012
    #1
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  2. Feb 19, 2012 #2
    skintknuckle

    skintknuckle Supporting Member

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    Yes, I saw that new ad for the AC10 in the Emporium. So, I went out to YouTube to listen to some samples. I heard an AC10 Twin and that was a bad idea. It made my wanter swell.
     
    skintknuckle, Feb 19, 2012
    skintknuckle, Feb 19, 2012
    #2
  3. Feb 19, 2012 #3
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    yeah.. I just saw that little single 10" AC-10 as well

    I've never heard an AC-10 w/ a single 10" - interesting
     
    DANOCASTER, Feb 19, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Feb 19, 2012
    #3
  4. Feb 19, 2012 #4
    sink

    sink Member

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    This is the next amp I want to build. It will be an expensive build for just the speakers alone. Probably worth it though.
     
    sink, Feb 19, 2012
    sink, Feb 19, 2012
    #4
  5. Feb 23, 2012 #5
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    If it hasn't been done to yours yet - also replace the 220K input resistor w/ a 68K

    the 220K just loads your guitar down.. makes a sizeable difference
     
    DANOCASTER, Feb 23, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Feb 23, 2012
    #5
  6. Feb 23, 2012 #6
    Veritas

    Veritas Silver Supporting Member

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    Very, very nice. Your collection still needs a Jackson Dinky and a 5150. :)
     
    Veritas, Feb 23, 2012
    Veritas, Feb 23, 2012
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  7. Feb 25, 2012 #7
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    thanks Veritas - but you won't be seeing any Jacksons in my home :)

    UPDATE :

    I just changed ONE of the inputs on EACH channel to a 68K resistor ( leaving the orig 220 on the other input ) - so now it has hi / lo inputs and way more gain on the higher input than stock

    this is probably the best sounding Vox amp I've owned !!! :bow

    it just needed some of the right kind of love to bring her back

    whoa nelly !!
     
    DANOCASTER, Feb 25, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Feb 25, 2012
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  8. Feb 26, 2012 #8
    v-verb

    v-verb Supporting Member

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    Congrats on the AC10. It does something none of the 6 input AC30s do since it has an EF86

    I had that mod done to the Vib side (the EF86 side!) . What a great amp!!

    I'm looking for a Celestion Gold 10 which I think would be perfect - I still have the Vox Alnico 10 this came with.

    Here you go [​IMG]
     
    v-verb, Feb 26, 2012
    v-verb, Feb 26, 2012
    #8
  9. Mar 3, 2012 #9
    vruth

    vruth Member

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    What a beautiful amp!

    Can anyone tell me what the OHMs are for a 64 ac10? I found some mint elacs from a grenadier column cabinet. They are 4 ohm so can be wired for 2 or 8 obviously. I'm guessing the 2x10 ac10 must be 8 OHM? My original and dead speakers don't give me a good reading...
     
    vruth, Mar 3, 2012
    vruth, Mar 3, 2012
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  10. Mar 3, 2012 #10
    v-verb

    v-verb Supporting Member

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    Thanks Vruth!

    Love to see pics of yours please! I would bet that it's 8 ohms. 2 would be very unusual.

    However I would suggest reaching out to one of the Vox experts here - Nickcha comes to mind.

    And please do recone those elacs when they work as you know they ROCK!! Although for high volume may I suggest the Cele Gold 10's. Right now I have a Weber blue Pup Alnico 10 and I think it's not the right one for this amp.

    I had a great AC10 2-10 with brown grill and candy panel - got it maybe 9 years ago for $800. What a killer! But I traded it away sadly.

    I'm holding on to this one as long as possible but I have an Unobtanium beast coming in - Landgraff 50 watt head:rimshot

    Cheers and keep us posted

    nigel
     
    v-verb, Mar 3, 2012
    v-verb, Mar 3, 2012
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  11. Mar 3, 2012 #11
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    the AC-10 can be wired at 8 or 16 ohm

    when you pull the back off , there's a little terminal strip that the spk hooks into w/ three lugs ( 8 /16 / ground )

    Interesting what vverb says about the Elacs... My 1st AC-10 also came w/ the orig Elacs but I've never even heard them. It had an old pair of Celestions from the 60s installed (which sound fantastic ) so I never even tried the Elacs.. but now I'm curious
     
    DANOCASTER, Mar 3, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Mar 3, 2012
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  12. Mar 3, 2012 #12
    v-verb

    v-verb Supporting Member

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    Hey Dano and Vruth

    One thing about the Elacs, if you're cranking the amp - even if you have a 2-10, you'll cakk the speakers. They'll sound glorious though until they die.

    For medium volume, they sound great.

    Cheers

    nigel
     
    v-verb, Mar 3, 2012
    v-verb, Mar 3, 2012
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  13. Mar 3, 2012 #13
    DANOCASTER

    DANOCASTER Supporting Member

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    thanks V-Verb

    I'll just leave mine in the boxes in case I ever sell it

    I crank mine pretty regularly
     
    DANOCASTER, Mar 3, 2012
    DANOCASTER, Mar 3, 2012
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  14. Mar 3, 2012 #14
    blackba

    blackba Supporting Member

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    AC10's are cool. Its one of the amps I wish Vox would reissue along with the AC50 and AC100. With the popularity of small amps now, I think the AC10 reissue would do very well.
     
    blackba, Mar 3, 2012
    blackba, Mar 3, 2012
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  15. Mar 3, 2012 #15
    BurgundyMist

    BurgundyMist Member

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    Congrats on your new amp. Nice amp collection too! I've never had an AC10, but I've been lucky to have an AC15 and AC30 at some point.
     
    BurgundyMist, Mar 3, 2012
    BurgundyMist, Mar 3, 2012
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  16. Mar 3, 2012 #16
    vruth

    vruth Member

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    Good to know because I've been running the amp at full tilt (maybe thats why my elacs died) I'm going to buy these 4 elacs (alnicos) since they are 4 ohms. They are pretty mint and came out of a Vox column. About twice the cost of reconing my pair so a good deal I think and a spare pair too!
     
    vruth, Mar 3, 2012
    vruth, Mar 3, 2012
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  17. Mar 5, 2012 #17
    flatpole

    flatpole Member

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    This is a timely thread, as I just got one of these, a '63 twin with blue elacs. They are 16 ohm speakers wired in parallel for 8 ohms.

    I really love this amp, you can get usuable tones from both channels. I am a little worried about blowing the elacs though? It doesn't seem like the amp really works both speakers all that hard, but who knows. I'd prefer not to blow them.

    So apparently weber blue pups aren't the way to go? Anything else worth a shot? I'd like to save the elacs for lower volume use, 'cause once they are blown, i'm not sure anyone out there does a proper recone?
     
    flatpole, Mar 5, 2012
    flatpole, Mar 5, 2012
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  18. Mar 5, 2012 #18
    v-verb

    v-verb Supporting Member

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    hey flatpole. I'm looking for a Celestion Gold 10". I've heard these and they are killer!

    But not cheap. You won't blow them though. Cheers

    BTW have you done the 68k mod? It's a must IMO
     
    v-verb, Mar 5, 2012
    v-verb, Mar 5, 2012
    #18
  19. Mar 5, 2012 #19
    flatpole

    flatpole Member

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    Hey V-Verb-

    Yeah, when I got the amp, someone had cleverly paralleld one of the 200k w/ a 100k, effectively making 68k(original solder joints intact). I tack soldered a 100k on the other channel, so now I have high/low inputs on either channel, and I didn't disturb any of the original red solder joints. That mod makes a huge difference for sure.

    Another trick is the amplitude knob on the vibrato channel- it effects the tone of that channel, even when the vibrato is disengaged. It's almost like a gain control...it changes voltage on the ef86 screen- try it out.

    What didn't you like about the blue pups in this amp?
     
    flatpole, Mar 5, 2012
    flatpole, Mar 5, 2012
    #19
  20. Mar 5, 2012 #20
    v-verb

    v-verb Supporting Member

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    thanks flatpole - I'll try that.

    The blue pup seems constrained. Not open at all. Still sounds good but I've had a 2-10 with elacs and it felt lots bigger apart from teh configuration. The Gold is a bigger sounding speaker.
     
    v-verb, Mar 5, 2012
    v-verb, Mar 5, 2012
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