Vox AC30/6 manufacture info please

[telstarstuff]

Hi y'all! Any Vintage Vox amp experts out there? I've been been working on this amp for my good friend. We're trying to find the proper date of production for it. There are no markings (serial numbers, back plate etc.) to help. All I can tell is that it's an AC30/6 Normal circuit, no Top Boost. The circuit is hand wired on a tag board, had original Mullard output/preamp tubes. The speakers are Greenback Celestions along with a high frequency horn. I'm assuming that's not original, though it's a clean install which could be factory installed. I tried researching it on the voxshowroom.com site. It doesn't match the criteria of any Rose Morris amp. What gives?

 

[Deluxe Reverb]

No pics visible to me due to PB changes.

 

[TM1]

Hi! I work on original AC-30's all the time. I can not see your photos. The originals should have Blue alnico Celestions up until April 1964 when the colour changed to "poly gray". There are date codes on some parts, mainly the Wima Tropyfol caps(gold coloured) and also on the "mustard" caps, woden Tranny's & Hunts filter Caps. The AC-30 never had a high freq. Horn. Those were the AC50's that had a horn. But JMI/Vox never made an AC-50 combo.
Anyway, until I can see some photos I can't give you any clue as to when it was made, however since it's a non-Top Boost, it will have to have been made before late 1965. Vox/JMI made these models: Bass, Normal, Treble, Top Boost and all model w/o Top Boost could be retro-fitted with a Top Boost on the back panel. There should be a "Ser.#" on the chassis under the power switch. This Is Not the actual Serial number, but an inventory control #. All JMI/Vox Amps had a Serial Number on the plate that was affixed to the back panel of the cabinet. That was the only Serial Number that was recognized by the factory. AC30 Serial numbers started with the number #4000 and JMI made around 20,000 AC-30's. My first AC30 was serial # 4290 W. It had a "W" as it had white knobs and was one of "The Shadow's" amps and made in early 1960. My serial # for my Aug. 1964 AC30 is "#12911 N" So by mid `64 they had already made nearly 9,000 AC30's.(8911).

 

[F-Hole]

The originals should have Blue alnico Celestions up until April 1964 when the colour changed to "poly gray".

....other than early on, when they were oyster hammerite with small Vox logos.

 

[telstarstuff]

Hi! I work on original AC-30's all the time. I can not see your photos. The originals should have Blue alnico Celestions up until April 1964 when the colour changed to "poly gray". There are date codes on some parts, mainly the Wima Tropyfol caps(gold coloured) and also on the "mustard" caps, woden Tranny's & Hunts filter Caps. The AC-30 never had a high freq. Horn. Those were the AC50's that had a horn. But JMI/Vox never made an AC-50 combo.
Anyway, until I can see some photos I can't give you any clue as to when it was made, however since it's a non-Top Boost, it will have to have been made before late 1965. Vox/JMI made these models: Bass, Normal, Treble, Top Boost and all model w/o Top Boost could be retro-fitted with a Top Boost on the back panel. There should be a "Ser.#" on the chassis under the power switch. This Is Not the actual Serial number, but an inventory control #. All JMI/Vox Amps had a Serial Number on the plate that was affixed to the back panel of the cabinet. That was the only Serial Number that was recognized by the factory. AC30 Serial numbers started with the number #4000 and JMI made around 20,000 AC-30's. My first AC30 was serial # 4290 W. It had a "W" as it had white knobs and was one of "The Shadow's" amps and made in early 1960. My serial # for my Aug. 1964 AC30 is "#12911 N" So by mid `64 they had already made nearly 9,000 AC30's.(8911).

Thanks for the reply, TM1. I’m stumped re: photos. Used to be easy to upload. I guess I have to pony up with Photobucket in order to post.

I can tell you that I did a main filter recap and there were Hunts caps in it. I will check for dates. The OT was replaced. You should see the char on the chassis from it burning up. The PT is original. I’m not sure who made it. It’s not Woden. No stamp. I believe it had a sticker on it that ran lengthwise. Also, the faceplate is black with gold print. The vent panels are smaller black plastic. The handles say Vox.

Another thing is the Tone on this thing is in the Normal channel. Very rich and bold. The Brilliant channel lacks output as well as the Vib channel. They sound good, but nowhere near as loud. I have all new tubes in it. I don’t believe in gutting components unless it’s absolutely necessary. Is this normal behavior for this model?

 

[telstarstuff]

Maybe this will help with photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/155738836@N06/shares

 

[chasenblues]

.

 

[telstarstuff]

Nope.

Sorry. I'm stumped on how to post photos.

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Sorry. I'm stumped on how to post photos.

I think your flickr account is set to private..maybe change the settings to public.

Alternatively there's a photobucket work around here:


http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?206007-Photobucket-fix


The only downside is that other members have to have downloaded the fix to see your pictures. It does work though and is a 15 second install. Hence why I can see your pictures.

:salude

 

[renderit]

Hey! He got you to the Flikr PAGE.....You can set up your own account from that! Cheesh!

 

[telstarstuff]

Hunts Electrolytic cap gives a code of: SWY KBQ 562
Can anyone decipher that?

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Hunts Electrolytic cap gives a code of: SWY KBQ 562
Can anyone decipher that?

It's easier cracking the enigma code.

Using the Hunts/Erie accepted manufacturing decoder*, this cap is :


SWY = October 1965.


* Decoder. WHITSUNDAY = 1234567890

W = 1
H = 2
I = 3
T = 4
S = 5
U = 6
N = 7
D = 8
A= 9
Y = 0

Therefore S = 5 ( 1965 )
W = 1
Y = 0
Therefore.... WY = 10 = October

SWY = 10th October 1965.

I'll bet you wish you hadn't asked...:laugh2:

 

[chasenblues]

Sorry. I'm stumped on how to post photos.

Imgur.com

 

[telstarstuff]

It's easier cracking the enigma code.

Using the Hunts/Erie accepted manufacturing decoder*, this cap is :


SWY = October 1965.


* Decoder. WHITSUNDAY = 1234567890

W = 1
H = 2
I = 3
T = 4
S = 5
U = 6
N = 7
D = 8
A= 9
Y = 0

Therefore S = 5 ( 1965 )
W = 1
Y = 0
Therefore.... WY = 10 = October

SWY = 10th October 1965.

I'll bet you wish you hadn't asked...:laugh2:

That's hilarious! Thank you!! So, no earlier than 10/65. I'll check out the others.

 

[telstarstuff]

https://www.seymourduncan.com/forum...1981-VOX-AC30-mystery-sticker-on-loudspeakers

Check out this thread on another forum. Scroll down and you can see what the chassis of the amp I have looks like. What's different about mine is the vent holes (smaller, thin black molded plastic). The layout is exact , 6 input, no Top Boost, black panel with gold stencil, says JMI product.

I wonder if mine was put in an older cabinet or maybe a factory replacement faceplate?

 

[telstarstuff]

More investigating finds it has a Haddon PT. All replaced filter caps pre 1965 per the code provided above.

 

[telstarstuff]

Hi! I work on original AC-30's all the time. I can not see your photos. The originals should have Blue alnico Celestions up until April 1964 when the colour changed to "poly gray". There are date codes on some parts, mainly the Wima Tropyfol caps(gold coloured) and also on the "mustard" caps, woden Tranny's & Hunts filter Caps. The AC-30 never had a high freq. Horn. Those were the AC50's that had a horn. But JMI/Vox never made an AC-50 combo.
Anyway, until I can see some photos I can't give you any clue as to when it was made, however since it's a non-Top Boost, it will have to have been made before late 1965. Vox/JMI made these models: Bass, Normal, Treble, Top Boost and all model w/o Top Boost could be retro-fitted with a Top Boost on the back panel. There should be a "Ser.#" on the chassis under the power switch. This Is Not the actual Serial number, but an inventory control #. All JMI/Vox Amps had a Serial Number on the plate that was affixed to the back panel of the cabinet. That was the only Serial Number that was recognized by the factory. AC30 Serial numbers started with the number #4000 and JMI made around 20,000 AC-30's. My first AC30 was serial # 4290 W. It had a "W" as it had white knobs and was one of "The Shadow's" amps and made in early 1960. My serial # for my Aug. 1964 AC30 is "#12911 N" So by mid `64 they had already made nearly 9,000 AC30's.(8911).

http://www.vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=49292

Hey TM1, I found this link. Is this you? The post has your login name as well as the amp mentioned above. Aside from the white knobs it matches my amp! Black faceplate, gold stencil AC30/6. I wonder if mine is a 1960 as well? Maybe I should just plunk down the cash for Jim Elyea's book to get to the bottom of this.

 

[hogy]

Your amp is an early black panel (1960 to '61) chassis in a later cab. The Haddon transformers fit that time frame, too. By '62 Vox had switched to Albion transformers.

The first black panel AC30s had 4 inputs and an EF-86 pentode channel. Then came black 6 hole panels like yours, and by '62, the familiar candy panels.

here's my 1960 AC30. Same 6 hole black panel and Haddon transformers as yours.

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

Your amp is an early black panel (1960 to '61) chassis in a later cab. The Haddon transformers fit that time frame, too. By '62 Vox had switched to Albion transformers.

The first black panel AC30s had 4 inputs and an EF-86 pentode channel. Then came black 6 hole panels like yours, and by '62, the familiar candy panels.

here's my 1960 AC30. Same 6 hole black panel and Haddon transformers as yours.

Beautiful picture. :salude

Agreed about the early chassis in a later cab. The two pin corners dating it from 1966 onwards. I can't help but wonder if the amp was repaired around about the same time as the cab was swapped? Pure guesswork on my part of course. But I do love putting 2 + 2 together and getting an odd number....:laugh2:

 

[DrRobert]

Another possibility for image hosting is the Gear Page image storage facility. You can't directly post pictures there, but as a contributing member you can store images and then post links to them.