Love My AC30CC w/ Blues-But......

[Lennox Lewis]

I've gone through many amps over the years and always wanted to experience an AC30. I've had one for over a year and totally see what the magic that is the AC30 chime. Now since I'm hooked on that tone, I'm wondering if I would like the AC30 handwired/Heritage series even more...? Or maybe not since I'm happy with the CC ? Do you think it would be worth sellling and getting the Heritage? Are the Heritage superior tonewise? Anyone gone from the C-classics to Heritage and found them better, or justifiable for the extra coin? I really love the amp I have, but you know how the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" syndrome can always leave you wondering if you can improve. I'm kinda torn here, and would love some opinions. I've also toyed with the idea of Valvetech too. Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions here.

 

[blackba]

Do you need/use the features that the CC amp has like effects loop, master volume, tremelo, reverb, normal channel? If so than stick with the CC. Otherwise, I would sure be temped to go with the heritage AC30....

 

[utterhack]

I also love my AC30CC w/Blues... but if I were looking for a change, the biggie on both the Heritage and the Hayseed is the EF86 channel. I'd probably go Hayseed myself, not least because it's sometimes nice to have a master volume with an amp this loud.

Either way you'll be losing a lot of the CC's flexibility, but simplicity can be a feature in its own right. With all of the options it's definitely possible to dial in some unhappy sounds on the CC.

Also keep in mind that at the Heritage price point there are a number of Voxy amps out there that may be worth a look.

 

[Lennox Lewis]

Thanks for the opinions thus far. I do certainly like the master volume, as I've never messed with attenuators much. So the Hayseeds have MV? As for the effects loop and trem, it's not a neccessity, though cool to have at times I suppose. How does the tone match up comparison-wise with the CC's and the others mentioned here?

 

[Wayne Alexander]

Both amps sound superb, and both definitely sound like AC30s The similarities are greater than the differences. To my ears, at full volume the Heritage sounds very slightly better (maybe a bit fuller) than the CC in the core top boost channel, though you can't pick the level of distortion at any particular volume level on the Heritage because there's no master volume, as you can on the CC. And the CC has more variety due to the filtering and cathode resistor switches. The Heritage has the EF86 channel of course, which sounds a little different than the top boost channel - a little grittier, can go a little dirtier at full tilt, though I personally tend to favor the top boost over the EF86 for most of what I play. You really need to put the amps side by side to see whether you favor one over the other. I personally would modify the Heritage by wiring in a master volume, as I did on my AC15TVHW, it makes it vastly more versatile in terms of picking distortion level and volume level.

 

[bigroy]

The ONLY reason I sold my Valvetech Hayseed 30 was due to weight. You should audition one. And it has a master volume....

 

[Mitch T]

It's a different tast of grass. Personally, I like my slightly modded Heritage better, but I know plenty guys who like the CC more than the (stock) Heritage). The upside for the Heritage: no loop (I hate them), the EF86 channel. Downside: no master but that's a quick fix. The same kind of master volume that's on the CC can be applied to the Heritage if you have a good tech in your neighbourhood.