"Guys,
Got my AC30CC2 (vox spkrs) yesterday...here's my take:
first, in the past I have owned: grey panel AC30 with silver bells, 2 mid 90's RI's, one w/ greens, one blues, and an AC15 RI, with blue.
I currently have a Top Hat Club Royale 1x12, and a 74 JMP (non master) 50w.
I am VERY pleased with the new AC30CC. Upon firing it up, I plugged into the TB channel, set my EQ the way I set my old AC30, and heard pretty much what I expected to hear, with some added treble. Not bad. I play Tele's so I decided to see what the normal channel sounded like. I dig it more than the TB channel. My tonal recipe with this amp ended up being: normal channel/set to brilliant (emulating an old 4 input "treble" amp), tone settings to "modern", (like the HW AC30), and the bias to 44uf (again, like the HW). The 22 setting was a bit blurry for me. Bassically, there isn't a "bad" tone in the box. It does everything an AC30 should, and more. To be honest, the amp's flexibility, and ability to combine different features/tones from several lines on the AC30 pedigree, is it's strongest feature.....in my opinin anyway. these features greatly add to one's ability to "tailor" the tone to their liking. Ac30's have always been great, but let's face it....in the past it was a buy it, grab your favorite pedals....and hope for the best. Now, this amp allows more tweakage, sans pedals, and has a decent verb, and useable trem as well.
For those interested: a/b's withe the Club Royale, the Vox sounded....well, more Voxy. The CR totally held it's own (as I knew it would) but it's Marshall 18 watt characteritics became abundantly clear when a/b's with the Vox. It was really nice to finally be able to compare these amps. The great thing was to hear a brand new, un-broken in amp, stand toe-to-toe with the TH, and to be honest.....exceed it in some ways. The Vox is less boxy (directional), and despite the cheaper spkrs, it is a more refined, prettier tone. This so confirmed the TH's added Marshall bite, and conversly.....the absence of such in the Vox. I love the AC30CC, and I am one picky SOB.
The only downsides: (and they are minor), they went to plastic vents....and the knobs are no longer the same as the old re-issues. They are morte like the ones on the modeling series. Cheaper in feel, and smaller. The cab is the same, from what I can tell, and did not have any flaws at all. Everything lines up perfect, no gaps, no rattles, no buzzes at all. For $999, I am not complaining.
Hope this was helpful to someone.
Oh, fogot to add: sorry
the master......is KILLER. It is perhaps the best sounding masster volume circuit I have heard. It sounds great a resonable volumes, meaning: I do NOT have to use my Weber Mass with this amp. It does not turn to buzz and fizz with no low end at low volumes. Set at the 22watt setting, it crunches up great at low volumes, and simply blooms as you raise the volume, tone remaining relatively consistent up the dial. In this respect, it handily outshines the Club Royale, which needs to be working pretty hard to sound as good. (I play med. dirt/crunch, ride my vol. knob.....think Grissom meets Peter Stroud (S. Crow band).
I am also very happy to report that the speakers (wharfdales?), turned out to be very decent, definitely celestion g12H in character. Darker than a green back, or blue.....and they are less doped than a v30 too. (I peaked at the cones w a flashlight). This amp will be a hit, no doubt. "
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