Wow, an amp demo/comparison where someone actually plays chords and not just noodle about. Way more useful than just about any other demo/comparison out there.
Agreed, really tired of amp/pedal/guitar demos where they only do jazz/blues twiddling with a cleanish sound - there's so much more to explore than that!
royglennie exactly! The greatest percentage of viewers don’t use their gear to sit around and be cool, but they actually play songs that require quite a bit of chording, riffing, and a few tasty licks. I swear, if I had access to lots of gear I’d start a review/demo channel specifically for the average guitar player
..you mean blues till you snooze?generic funky chords?yuck! Andy at proguitar shops plays relevant and interesting stuff in their demos,one of the few.
Amps that easily distort easily on their own, without needing boost or OD, are generally great amps but poor pedal platforms. Most Fender Tweed amps from 1960 or earlier and low power Gibson amps from the same era don't take pedals well. Neither do some great sounding low-power modern boutique amps: Noloatone JuneBug2, ToneKing Imperial, ...and the Morgan AC20 Deluxe.
Wow that AC30 has a lovely sound, both clean and dirty. The Morgan didn't seem to clean up as well. It took the pedals much better as well. No contest.
I have a Morgan AC20 and it does clean up very well. He said he ran his amp pretty clean but in the video it’s not that clean. I run my Morgan clean and use pedals to boost it into OD and it’s great. The power scaling makes it so much easier to dial in good tones at home before playing live.
It is just me or did the VOX wipe the floor with the Morgan? I am not even a VOX fanboy and was never on my radar. With that being said (Just my opinion ) The VOX sounded much better..
I’m sure you can find a Morgan to get closer to that sound. Morgan just makes a bunch of amps. The AC20 and the Abbey are just the two channels of an AC 30 split into two amps
I agree with the consensus that the AC-30 sounds much better, but after listening to this video a few times I went straight to Reverb and bought a used Morgan AC20 Deluxe. Why did I buy the Morgan? Practicality. 1) Usable volume levels: Listen again at 13:46 of this video - the AC30 sounds best at paint-peeling volumes that "sound great in the studio but if you are playing that loud in a live situation you are killing people - you're getting kicked off-stage". 2) Flexibility: the Morgan with its two front switches, switchable preamp tubes and power-level knob (an amazing feature) makes it much more flexible and usable than the VOX. 3) Price and Weight: Vintage AC30's on Reverb in good condition list for $3000-5000+, and weigh 71lbs - the same impractical weight as a Fender Twin Reverb. I paid $1200 for my Morgan (head), $1329 including taxes and shipping. It weighs only 21.5lbs. Also the comparison in this video is not really fair because the amps use different speakers and are recorded at dramatically different volume levels - both of which I suspect favor the Vox. It would be nice if they had tested the Morgan using the Vox's speakers - and shown what both amps are capable of at the same decibel levels. My Morgan just arrived and my initial thoughts are 1) it is not as loud as either my 20w Tone King Imperial or my 15w '59 Fender Tweed Deluxe amps, but probably loud enough to play out with, 2) when using the EF86 preamp tube it is impossible to get a clean tone without at least a little bit of "hair" on it (not necessarily bad because the crunchy sound is what this amp is all about). Using the 12AX7 preamp tube makes the amp both louder and cleaner sounding. 3) it is a fantastic amp for bedroom practice and recording, but lacks the headroom to be a good pedal platform. Best used for getting a crunchy, natural sounding OD tones without pedals at medium to low volumes. Note: the Morgan AC20 Deluxe model has been discontinued. The current AC20 model does not have switchable preamp tubes - it only uses only the cleaner (un-Vox-like) sounding 12AX7 preamp tubes. I hope this helps.
I was a bit surprised how different the amps were. Certainly for lush cleans I'd want the actual AC30. On the gainier sounds it's a bit more apples to oranges. The Morgan has a nice tight and focused gain sound, while the AC has more breadth and a bit more rasp. Not a big surprise as the AC20 is a lower powered amp AND they were only miking a 1x12. Certainly for smaller venues the AC20 is arguably the better option.
great demo. I own both amps and gig with the Morgan. Power scaling is a wonderful thing. And more versatile and better built too. Morgan amps are amazing.
It's amazing to think that all the various sounds that are used today were available before many of us were born. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
The Morgan was ok, sounded like it wanted to crap out a little at some settings but maybe just kind of guitar specific. That Vox is the sound. No doubt a good cranked loud amp sits at the top of tone mountain. A sound you feel like you can lean into. Great video guys
Thank you Rick! A valuable contribution to TH-cam! I have a '64 AC30TB, a '91 AC30TBR, and a 2012 AC30C2. Though it's in tip-top working order, my '64 is my LEAST favorite. Your Marshall-made UK-era Korg (1994ish-2004ish) sounds fantastic! Morgans sound great in person, but here the AC30 is the clear winner.
I've been circling back to Vox since I got my first one. I love the touch responsiveness and how even when pushed into their high gain sound, you can still hear every note of a chord.
Well Rick, this is the video that did it for me. You are thorough as hell and the guitar/music community is amazingly fortunate to have you. Thank you(and guests) for all your insight!
Matheus Ferreira Biggest difference is price. The sound is terrific and the components and build are excellent. The way some people talk you’d think China was third world. It’s the second biggest economy in the world and it’s getting bigger and more sophisticated everyday.
Gizka You ever been to China? You won't find a line of F-350s rumbling away outside KFC as their gasping drivers queue up in 44” waist trousers to buy a 14 piece bucket to fill in time between lunch and dinner. Pretty soon the USA will only be manufacturing Heinz beans?
The UK manufactured AC30/6TBX is a great amp. In mine I run a Greenback and a Celestion Blue. Very interesting combination of sounds. Even though the Blue is audibly louder than the Greenback the two speaker types complement each other nicely.
I’ve got both Celestion Gold and Blue. I think fair amount of difference heard here is in the speakers. Would be interested in hearing the Morgan through the Gold Vs Blue and same thing with the Vox.
Love the sound of the Morgan on the EF86, and of course the Vox sounds like a Vox! I’d gig with the Morgan through a 2x12 Alnico Blue cab, but the Vox would have to be a combo Vox-Ox-Box thing... no way could I get by with that volume on the stages I play. Both amps sound great, and had me saying “oh, that sounds nice” several times. Then again, I was born not long after “Rumble” came out. That sound is in my DNA somewhere. EDIT: Bought an early 90s AC30TB... damn you Rick Beato!
Wow, have never considered myself an EL84 kinda guy, but your demo really gives me pause to reconsider. I may have to shop for a Vox/Vox-style amp. But that Memory Man, though. And the EP Booster! Super wow! A new series for vintage effects, perhaps those found on classic recordings, or vintage vs. contemporary clones. And you can start with Echoplexes, since the EP Booster has already made its quite amazing channel debut. Another great video, thanks guys!
My favourite amps of all time are the Vox AC series and the Marshall JCMs & Plexi sounding amps (such as the VM). These amps cover all of the bases for me.
It never fails to amaze me that Fender nailed small combo amp design so perfectly in the '50s (and to be fair, Gibson, Ampeg, Supro, and others had their own takes on it as well), but in the late '60s, the decision was handed down from on high that the entire world would go solid state, and guitarists have been scrambling to recover ever since. I'll readily cede the point that there have been some pertinent technological advances since (i.e., surge protection, etc.), but that little has actually transpired that could make these small combos sound better than they originally did. My hat is off to any 'boutique' amp manufacturer who grasps what lies in the details, and can deliver on said promise, but you just have to take your hat off to the original designers...they basically sussed it out from the git go...
Yeah the Dartford VOX can be thrown down a full flight of stairs and work perfectly afterwards like a Sledgehamer amp or speaker. I dont know about the Morgans ability to survive that sort of road life.
Excellent video guys!! Absolutely love this new series!! In this time of digital saturation, it's like a breath of fresh air to hear the sounds from those 2 amps
LOVE my AC30, only amp I'll ever need, every other amp I've had I've gotten tired of or disliked the sound and sold/traded after a year or so until I got my AC30 in 2012, I'll never get rid of it.
The Morgan does have a few interesting alternatives with the tube configuration,being a big plus! However Nothing else sounds or responds to the touch in the way AC 30s do! The clarity,and pristine gliss of the Vox is like no other..period! And when you go into Top boost territory..cranking the volume brings you into a compressed sonic,overdriven richness,yet you willl still b able to distinguish individual notes when hitting those big chords. The Morgan seems to me to mudd out in the mix. I could be wrong its hard to really tell! I own an ac30,and had a ac15. They both take pedals very well.not to mention ACs never need any tube biasing,Does the Morgan ? This is without any doubt one of if not the best representation,and demonstration,of two of the best sounding amps ...and you two each shown what the amps are capable of delivering ...Kudos gentlemen!
Rhett and Rick know what they are talking about! Really in depth comparison as always! Although I don't own either, I would definitely go with a Morgan!
Rafael Pretto Hence my comment. People spend excessive money trying to buy an amp that sounds more like a Vox than an actual Vox. Or sound more like a 60s Vox than a new Vox can. Which is to disregard the fact that 60s Vox amps were built to a schematic that changed multiple times so there is no definitive amp to copy. They’re lovely amps but cost as much as a vintage amp and really are no closer to the real thing (hand wiring doesn’t affect the sound quality).
Rafael Pretto I have the same amp but with the Greenback. I decided I could buy an alnico blue with the money I saved and have both options for the same price. I actually never got around to it because I really like the greenback. I might build a cab or buy a broken AC15 and put an alnico blue in it. They really are fantastic amps for the money. And I’ve compared it with vintage Vox amps and a Matchless and it really nails the sound at a fraction of the price.
Mine came with the Greenback, it is a really good speaker, obviously not the same as the late 60s Pulsonic Greenbacks, but still sounds good (anyways, I replaced it with an Alnico Blue). It all depends on what sound you are searching for. If you want classic 60s chimey Vox, then try the Alnico Blue. If you want more a Marshall heavy on mids sound, then stay with the Greenback. It is a good idea to put the Alnico Blue in the amp cab and have the option of the Greenback in an external speaker cab.
The Dr. Z vox inspired amps (Stang ray, prescription, even maz) are all killer alternatives too. I have a Maz 8 with an alnico blue and Prescription rx, killer tones
Its the Vox for me, that chime does it every time, and maybe the fact I've been brought up on ac30s since 1961, I still have my brothers old one 1963 Vox with back boost, which is better sounding than a top boost which came out the following year, and I'm selling it.
Rick, how about a video on how certain gear inspires creativity/playing? Going in I thought I'd pick the Morgan, but the Vox just has something. I think the Vox made you guys play better.
I have two modern AC30 heads. They are not excessively bright at all. They may not have the "magic" sound of the vintage ones, but they sound fantastic in their own right. As others have mentioned, a lot of the character of the amp comes after the speakers break in, which can take a long time for AlNiCo Blues.
45 seconds in and there goes Rhetts Vox Endorsement offer … it’s nice to hear someone speak honestly about gear they like, dislike or are middle of the road about.
Buy a new one, as a former owner of two of them, when the music plays you won't hear the difference as much as that price difference suggests. You can get another new/used in a heartbeat too, thats pretty useful, if you actually want to play music.
I picked up a Laney "VC 30" about 15 year ago. Call it a "poor man's AC 30". With a Strat in particular, the "chimey" sound is intoxicating. It works well for a variety of genres I'd say but, without a pedal, the distortion is not quite "dirty" enough for a lot of classic rock. And, with a Tele, trying to play country, it falls short as well. For a clean, classic Strat sound or a slightly dirty 'blues" sound it gets it done.
Another great video. I've watched a lot of this type of video (amp comparisons), but these have a different flavor and they are really enjoyable. Keep it going.
have to agree with Rhett regarding AC30 for rhythm/funk.....also Memory Man Pedal is Killer!! Not ignoring Awesome Guitar Playing....Thanks gents.....damn Now What do i do!!....lol
Really appreciate this comparison. I was all set with getting the Morgan until I heard the AC30. Its like Rhett brought a knife to a gun fight. The clarity and headroom on the AC30 is amazing. I do worry about buying a new AC30 and where it is made vs the British made version.
Rhett, you played Tie Your Mother Down bro, you rock. I’m a Vox man myself, i own 3 models- Vox ad120, a Vox ac30 Brian May amp & a regular Vox ac30 cc2. They say Marshall is the sound of Rock, i say Vox is the sound of legends.
12:49 comes alive! AC30’s.... so freakin’ loud. 15:58...a fine line between amazing and a bit too compressed (listening on an iPhone....must consider that) After that...Rick is so right on.... such a consistent (and great) sound.
Yes!! Loved your choice of riffs ( queen, u2 and aerosmith) and love the ef 86 valves (especially on dan stienhardt's ac30). Rhett's shirt is also pretty cool
As Rick knows I'm a AC 15 guy. It's all you need and a few pedals for the bits of extra. Must say thought the little Morgan has cajonas. I once used the H & H stage thingy 100 watt amp waaaay too powerful for the gig; I was dialling it back for ages. The 15 was perfect - try it up against a JCM900 I think we were level to about 6-7, it was mad!! You DO NOT need a 100 watt stack for the average pub/bar gig. 30 watts more than enough for most places. ( with small pedals you can fit in a shoe box) take less, turn down more - practice and be better and the crowd love it as does the venue. Music - even rock is NOT all about ear splitting amp volume, it's about good times, good musicianship where you showboat in the last chorus of the last song and get out with a good vibe.
Rhett, I agree with you on the Chinese AC30 being brighter than the vintage Vox's. Nice Playing Rick. I heard Rush on the Cars when you first started playing. Nice series!!
Just saw the part where you were talking about how painfully loud the Vox is for live performance. I would like to point out that the vibrato channel of the AC30 works really well for lower volume scenarios. That channel has a ton less volume, and is actually a tighter bass/brighter trebble tone. It's not the exact same tone, but it is nice in its own way.
Zachary Drummond is my favourite channel. The normal channel is noisy and warm (I also love it) and top boost is too much piercing for some situations (sometimes it sounds amazing too). But man, the vib trem channel is pure joy to play and accepts pedals perfectly
I have both amps and actually perfected the vox I ended up buying a Morgan with out ever playing it just because everyone said how it was like a old hand wired ac30 but I found the Morgan dull and not musical it was still a good amp but not a ac30 I remember my dotted 8th delays on the Morgan just didn’t have the clarity like the vox so I ended up selling my Morgan because I just thought the vox ac30 was so much better. So now I play vox ac30 and a fender tweed amp and couldn’t be happier
@5:23 "The EF86 has a lot less headroom. It breaks up a lot sooner than the 12AX7." -So it might SEEM, but that description as stated is simply not true. In reality the EF86 has a lot MORE headroom than the 12AX7, and it is actually quite difficult to saturate the EF86. As such the EF86 is a dandy tube to find in an amp's initial "V1" position at the end of an effect pedal chain. What actually happens when you flip the switch to EF86 on that Morgan is a boost in the output FROM V1 which saturates the amp's components DOWN THE LINE.
This made me cry. Literally, not kidding! See, I've had an old vintage AC30 that I bought when I was 16 years old and that thing was the best sounding amp I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot!). I swear, I couldn't even get a bad sound out of it. It had the original Silver Bell speakers in it. I never understood why people said the AC30 sounds too bright or even harsh. My old Vox sounded clear, but there was always a warmth in it that I never found in any other amp. Yes, there are lots of darker sounding amps, but that's more like an eq thing (sorry, I'm Dutch, I'm not sure if this makes any sense), the warmth of my old Vox was unique. The thing that pisses me off a bit is that people hear a new Chinese AC30 and they think they know what a Vox AC30 sounds like. Hell no!!! Vox captured that Vox tone to some degree, but you really can not compare the two at all. And I had both of them, the old beaten up Vox (which btw still had the original output tubes!!! Not lying, just didn't need the change, they were still sounding great!) and I had a new AC30. Not only the sound was very different, but the amount of volume coming out of those Silver Bell Speakers..., just UNBELIEVABLE!!! You could crank up the new AC30 and sure, it was loud, but again, not comparable with the old one. So what made me cry? I've had the old Vox for 30 years. And I've had other amps, just to enlargen my options, but I was completely happy with what I had. On stage I used my two Voxes, a Marshall JCM2000 on a Marshall 1960A cabinet, an all tube Koch Pedaltone preamp and some great stompboxes. Tele, Strat, ES-347 and a Les Paul DC. And for atleast 15 years long, I couldn't care less for new gear. That meant that I found the perfect sound for me. Now, how many guitarists can say that?!?! That old Vox was the beating heart of my sound. I knew that amp so well. I knew exactly how it would behave on any pedal in any circumstances. That amp was my life! Four and a half years ago I had to amputate my right leg after a five year period of bad luck and pain, in which I lost my father, my job, then my sister (and best friend) committed suicide, I had to leave my wife, I struggled with a drug addiction, I lost my money, I had a stroke, I lost my memory, I lost my ability to play the guitar because of that (and I succesfully graduated at the conservatory of music, doing jazz - it was all gone!), I lost my band, my passion, my main reason to live..., and then there was so much more. So when I was lying in that hospital I just lost my mind basically. I got psychoses, I hallucinated and while I was fighting for my last chance to save my leg from being amputated, THAT's when my (by then) ex wife decided to sell all my amps and flightcases, without me knowing it off course. She probably sold it for a couple of grams of cocaine. Fortunately she never found my guitars. I swear I still get tears in my eyes everytime I see an old Vox AC30. I lost my right leg, but believe me, losing that old Vox felt like I lost my left leg as well. It hurts so badly. You know, the newer AC30, the Marshall, even my early silver face Fender Twin Reverb..., it's all gone and it's sad, but ok. But I don't think I will ever get over the loss of my Silver Bell AC30. I'm so sorry for the long story. I guess I just needed to get it out somewhere. Rick, I wanna thank you for your hard work and your magnificent video's! I eat them. I can't thank you enough. Love ya, man!!!
Agus G.T. Thank you, man.... It's just.. that one was special. It really had its own sound. I'm not sure that I could ever find another AC30 with the same sound. But, since I lost my leg, I'm not even sure if I can ever have an AC30 again, or any other heavy amp. I need other people to carry my amps. And unfortunately, I don't have roadies anymore. :-) But thank you very much for your care. Means a lot to me. ❤️
Very good demo and comparison. For me the Vox sounds much better for my taste. Personally, I love the new AC30s with Greenbacks with single coils and the channels jumped.
Would've loved to see a Matchless thrown in there as well. Great comparison all around though. I think there is a case to be made that a well-made modern amp can go toe-to-toe with a vintage amp... and certainly save you a few bucks too!!!
The Morgan is pretty cool. I've even been contemplating buying one mostly because of the power scaling but maybe a Boss TAE would be better for me. My 6 British-built AC30 Top Boost amps will have to be pried from my cold, dead hands before I'd give them up! Two 1965s, two 1998s and two 2001s! I started playing one in 1965 and I've been using them as my primary amps most of my life. Every other make and model of tube amp has come and gone but my VOX amps are forever! If you don't think they kick 'A' enough as they are, plug one into a 4x12 cab with Greenbacks, dime it and watch the walls come down!
Maybe a Morgan 30/800 on the "30" side would've been a more fair comparison?... I still think sell them all and get a couple of /13 amps, they'll be all you'll ever need and twice as good as vintage anything. 👍 Fred's amps are killer!
I know what you’re saying about new AC30s being so bright if only they made some sort of knob with which someone could increase the bass frequencies. Or if not that, maybe one that can reduce the treble? Alas
Rhett, your u jumped shop from /13 amps I guess it's good to have a diverse range of maps for our ever changing desire for different tones. The Morgan has a really great crunch tone, it's quite defined
Wow, an amp demo/comparison where someone actually plays chords and not just noodle about. Way more useful than just about any other demo/comparison out there.
kslique yes! someone else who thinks like me. Playing chords show the differences much more than just soloing. 👍🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸👍🤘🏻🎸
Agreed, really tired of amp/pedal/guitar demos where they only do jazz/blues twiddling with a cleanish sound - there's so much more to explore than that!
royglennie exactly! The greatest percentage of viewers don’t use their gear to sit around and be cool, but they actually play songs that require quite a bit of chording, riffing, and a few tasty licks. I swear, if I had access to lots of gear I’d start a review/demo channel specifically for the average guitar player
..you mean blues till you snooze?generic funky chords?yuck!
Andy at proguitar shops plays relevant and interesting stuff in their demos,one of the few.
Well Rick just does EVERYTHING right!
At some point I want someone to demonstrate about five or six amps that don't "take pedals well."
A really small amp won't do well with reverb/delay pedals - it'll get really muddy. A tweed champ, tone king falcon, etc.
Amps that easily distort easily on their own, without needing boost or OD, are generally great amps but poor pedal platforms. Most Fender Tweed amps from 1960 or earlier and low power Gibson amps from the same era don't take pedals well. Neither do some great sounding low-power modern boutique amps: Noloatone JuneBug2, ToneKing Imperial, ...and the Morgan AC20 Deluxe.
Octal preamp amps don't play well with a lot of pedals. Deluxe Reverbs are picky too due to their bright cap
@@quicklynamed Why don't 6S(N/L/J)7s work well with pedals?
Yeah, it seems like EVERY amp these days people say take pedals well and "responds to your pick attack".
They both sound sweet but that AC30 just seems so balanced.. gotta love it!
Wow that AC30 has a lovely sound, both clean and dirty. The Morgan didn't seem to clean up as well. It took the pedals much better as well. No contest.
I have a Morgan AC20 and it does clean up very well. He said he ran his amp pretty clean but in the video it’s not that clean. I run my Morgan clean and use pedals to boost it into OD and it’s great. The power scaling makes it so much easier to dial in good tones at home before playing live.
It is just me or did the VOX wipe the floor with the Morgan? I am not even a VOX fanboy and was never on my radar. With that being said (Just my opinion ) The VOX sounded much better..
Yeah, it did!
I’m sure you can find a Morgan to get closer to that sound. Morgan just makes a bunch of amps. The AC20 and the Abbey are just the two channels of an AC 30 split into two amps
These are the UK made voxs ac30/6 TB they are awesome
Yep, AC30's just sound so sweet!
I wonder how much a difference the Blues vs. Gold made?
I agree with the consensus that the AC-30 sounds much better, but after listening to this video a few times I went straight to Reverb and bought a used Morgan AC20 Deluxe. Why did I buy the Morgan? Practicality.
1) Usable volume levels: Listen again at 13:46 of this video - the AC30 sounds best at paint-peeling volumes that "sound great in the studio but if you are playing that loud in a live situation you are killing people - you're getting kicked off-stage".
2) Flexibility: the Morgan with its two front switches, switchable preamp tubes and power-level knob (an amazing feature) makes it much more flexible and usable than the VOX.
3) Price and Weight: Vintage AC30's on Reverb in good condition list for $3000-5000+, and weigh 71lbs - the same impractical weight as a Fender Twin Reverb. I paid $1200 for my Morgan (head), $1329 including taxes and shipping. It weighs only 21.5lbs.
Also the comparison in this video is not really fair because the amps use different speakers and are recorded at dramatically different volume levels - both of which I suspect favor the Vox. It would be nice if they had tested the Morgan using the Vox's speakers - and shown what both amps are capable of at the same decibel levels.
My Morgan just arrived and my initial thoughts are 1) it is not as loud as either my 20w Tone King Imperial or my 15w '59 Fender Tweed Deluxe amps, but probably loud enough to play out with, 2) when using the EF86 preamp tube it is impossible to get a clean tone without at least a little bit of "hair" on it (not necessarily bad because the crunchy sound is what this amp is all about). Using the 12AX7 preamp tube makes the amp both louder and cleaner sounding. 3) it is a fantastic amp for bedroom practice and recording, but lacks the headroom to be a good pedal platform. Best used for getting a crunchy, natural sounding OD tones without pedals at medium to low volumes.
Note: the Morgan AC20 Deluxe model has been discontinued. The current AC20 model does not have switchable preamp tubes - it only uses only the cleaner (un-Vox-like) sounding 12AX7 preamp tubes.
I hope this helps.
Honestly, this comment had given me a greater insight into the two amps, and other amps in general as well. Thanks mate.
I was a bit surprised how different the amps were. Certainly for lush cleans I'd want the actual AC30. On the gainier sounds it's a bit more apples to oranges. The Morgan has a nice tight and focused gain sound, while the AC has more breadth and a bit more rasp. Not a big surprise as the AC20 is a lower powered amp AND they were only miking a 1x12. Certainly for smaller venues the AC20 is arguably the better option.
Both are awesome in different ways. The AC30 would be my desert Island amp.
@Scram Jam a desert island is a desert with nothing and or no one on it.
AC30 all the way. It's alive and soulful. Almost like it's breathing out the sound
great demo. I own both amps and gig with the Morgan. Power scaling is a wonderful thing. And more versatile and better built too. Morgan amps are amazing.
I like how at 7:50 Rick starts shaking his head at the tones coming from the neck P90. Thats when a sound hits you in the feels.
It's amazing to think that all the various sounds that are used today were available before many of us were born. The more things change, the more they stay the same!
The Morgan was ok, sounded like it wanted to crap out a little at some settings but maybe just kind of guitar specific. That Vox is the sound. No doubt a good cranked loud amp sits at the top of tone mountain. A sound you feel like you can lean into.
Great video guys
Thank you Rick!
A valuable contribution to TH-cam!
I have a '64 AC30TB, a '91 AC30TBR, and a 2012 AC30C2.
Though it's in tip-top working order, my '64 is my LEAST favorite.
Your Marshall-made UK-era Korg (1994ish-2004ish) sounds fantastic!
Morgans sound great in person, but here the AC30 is the clear winner.
I've been circling back to Vox since I got my first one. I love the touch responsiveness and how even when pushed into their high gain sound, you can still hear every note of a chord.
Well Rick, this is the video that did it for me. You are thorough as hell and the guitar/music community is amazingly fortunate to have you. Thank you(and guests) for all your insight!
I just got a used AC30 for $680 !! First tube amp
I'm in love 😍
Chinese made or british made? There's a big difference on that lol
Matheus Ferreira Biggest difference is price. The sound is terrific and the components and build are excellent. The way some people talk you’d think China was third world. It’s the second biggest economy in the world and it’s getting bigger and more sophisticated everyday.
@@donharrold1375 CUNTRY snobs! ;oP
@@donharrold1375 how much does chairman winnie the poo pay you to post all day?
Gizka You ever been to China? You won't find a line of F-350s rumbling away outside KFC as their gasping drivers queue up in 44” waist trousers to buy a 14 piece bucket to fill in time between lunch and dinner. Pretty soon the USA will only be manufacturing Heinz beans?
That AC30 sounds incredible, that is the sound i have been looking for!
The UK manufactured AC30/6TBX is a great amp. In mine I run a Greenback and a Celestion Blue. Very interesting combination of sounds. Even though the Blue is audibly louder than the Greenback the two speaker types complement each other nicely.
I’ve got both Celestion Gold and Blue. I think fair amount of difference heard here is in the speakers. Would be interested in hearing the Morgan through the Gold Vs Blue and same thing with the Vox.
Wow! The AC 30 sounds SO good. No wonder this amp is so famous.
I gotta go with the AC-30. I love mine so much
Love the sound of the Morgan on the EF86, and of course the Vox sounds like a Vox! I’d gig with the Morgan through a 2x12 Alnico Blue cab, but the Vox would have to be a combo Vox-Ox-Box thing... no way could I get by with that volume on the stages I play. Both amps sound great, and had me saying “oh, that sounds nice” several times. Then again, I was born not long after “Rumble” came out. That sound is in my DNA somewhere.
EDIT: Bought an early 90s AC30TB... damn you Rick Beato!
The sound of that Strat in the AC30 is from another dimension, pure ecstasy :) Both sweet amps though! Great video guys, love it! :)
Wow, have never considered myself an EL84 kinda guy, but your demo really gives me pause to reconsider. I may have to shop for a Vox/Vox-style amp.
But that Memory Man, though. And the EP Booster! Super wow!
A new series for vintage effects, perhaps those found on classic recordings, or vintage vs. contemporary clones. And you can start with Echoplexes, since the EP Booster has already made its quite amazing channel debut.
Another great video, thanks guys!
Early 90's is vintage - that makes me ancient
Gotta give the "edge" to the AC30 - close though
Always mean to ask - Is that Strat a '62 RI?
Sooby I laughed so hard at this it gave me vertigo.
Yeah, me too, brother!
My favourite amps of all time are the Vox AC series and the Marshall JCMs & Plexi sounding amps (such as the VM). These amps cover all of the bases for me.
"It cleans up nice like the Morgan"
Um dude, the Morgan isn't even in the same galaxy as that vintage AC30. Not even close.
It never fails to amaze me that Fender nailed small combo amp design so perfectly in the '50s (and to be fair, Gibson, Ampeg, Supro, and others had their own takes on it as well), but in the late '60s, the decision was handed down from on high that the entire world would go solid state, and guitarists have been scrambling to recover ever since. I'll readily cede the point that there have been some pertinent technological advances since (i.e., surge protection, etc.), but that little has actually transpired that could make these small combos sound better than they originally did. My hat is off to any 'boutique' amp manufacturer who grasps what lies in the details, and can deliver on said promise, but you just have to take your hat off to the original designers...they basically sussed it out from the git go...
I’d love to hear you compare a Matchless DC-30 to these two!
DC30 does not sound like a Vox. Common misconception.
I had a Matchless several years ago. It sounded nothing like either of these amps.
The VOX won big time. The Morgan is more practical for agiging musician.
Yeah the Dartford VOX can be thrown down a full flight of stairs and work perfectly afterwards like a Sledgehamer amp or speaker. I dont know about the Morgans ability to survive that sort of road life.
@@andrewallen9993 problem is getting it up the full flight of stairs.
@@tamirkeren6750 lol, I hear that man!
Excellent video guys!! Absolutely love this new series!! In this time of digital saturation, it's like a breath of fresh air to hear the sounds from those 2 amps
Memoryman and the AC30 is pure ear candy
Owned an AC30 for many years now, I don't think I'll ever want to buy another amp!
crypto It’s the sound you hear in your head!! Clear, crisp, articulate, and CHIMEYYYY
LOVE my AC30, only amp I'll ever need, every other amp I've had I've gotten tired of or disliked the sound and sold/traded after a year or so until I got my AC30 in 2012, I'll never get rid of it.
The Morgan does have a few interesting alternatives with the tube configuration,being a big plus! However Nothing else sounds or responds to the touch in the way AC 30s do! The clarity,and pristine gliss of the Vox is like no other..period! And when you go into Top boost territory..cranking the volume brings you into a compressed sonic,overdriven richness,yet you willl still b able to distinguish individual notes when hitting those big chords. The Morgan seems to me to mudd out in the mix. I could be wrong its hard to really tell! I own an ac30,and had a ac15. They both take pedals very well.not to mention ACs never need any tube biasing,Does the Morgan ? This is without any doubt one of if not the best representation,and demonstration,of two of the best sounding amps ...and you two each shown what the amps are capable of delivering ...Kudos gentlemen!
Rhett and Rick know what they are talking about! Really in depth comparison as always! Although I don't own either, I would definitely go with a Morgan!
RC32 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Ye my man!!! 🤘
My vote for the AC30.
Great Job
Thanks.
No comparison, AC30
I have one from China and love it
I played the Chinese models in a store next to the 90s UK and the Chinese ones actually sounded amazing. People underestimate the basic c2 line
You know what really sounds like a Vox?
A Vox.
And the new ones lose the brittleness in the top end as the speaker breaks in.
There are other amps brands based on Vox style architecture: Matchless, Bad Cat, Top Hat, Bruno and even Trainwreck (Liverpool model).
Rafael Pretto Hence my comment. People spend excessive money trying to buy an amp that sounds more like a Vox than an actual Vox. Or sound more like a 60s Vox than a new Vox can. Which is to disregard the fact that 60s Vox amps were built to a schematic that changed multiple times so there is no definitive amp to copy.
They’re lovely amps but cost as much as a vintage amp and really are no closer to the real thing (hand wiring doesn’t affect the sound quality).
Sure that's a good point. I own a Vox AC-15C1 with an Alnico Blue speaker, sounds really good and it is not that expensive.
Rafael Pretto I have the same amp but with the Greenback. I decided I could buy an alnico blue with the money I saved and have both options for the same price. I actually never got around to it because I really like the greenback. I might build a cab or buy a broken AC15 and put an alnico blue in it.
They really are fantastic amps for the money. And I’ve compared it with vintage Vox amps and a Matchless and it really nails the sound at a fraction of the price.
Mine came with the Greenback, it is a really good speaker, obviously not the same as the late 60s Pulsonic Greenbacks, but still sounds good (anyways, I replaced it with an Alnico Blue).
It all depends on what sound you are searching for.
If you want classic 60s chimey Vox, then try the Alnico Blue. If you want more a Marshall heavy on mids sound, then stay with the Greenback.
It is a good idea to put the Alnico Blue in the amp cab and have the option of the Greenback in an external speaker cab.
The Dr. Z vox inspired amps (Stang ray, prescription, even maz) are all killer alternatives too. I have a Maz 8 with an alnico blue and Prescription rx, killer tones
Vox wins yep
It makes me so happy whenever Rhett plays Rumble.
Excellent demo and comparison, love having two different players! Been eyeing a used Morgan Dual, but that Vox! Great tones on both, great demo
Great Video! These Vox AC 30s Blues from the 90s Are one of the best amps ever made! Can’t beat them!
Its the Vox for me, that chime does it every time, and maybe the fact I've been brought up on ac30s since 1961, I still have my brothers old one 1963 Vox with back boost, which is better sounding than a top boost which came out the following year, and I'm selling it.
Rick, how about a video on how certain gear inspires creativity/playing? Going in I thought I'd pick the Morgan, but the Vox just has something. I think the Vox made you guys play better.
I have two modern AC30 heads. They are not excessively bright at all. They may not have the "magic" sound of the vintage ones, but they sound fantastic in their own right. As others have mentioned, a lot of the character of the amp comes after the speakers break in, which can take a long time for AlNiCo Blues.
The Vox sounds way better but the Morgan is probably a lot more practical for gigs and what not. Or just get a Fractal or Kemper :).
Great seeing Rick and Rhett join forces on this series. Adding the Morgan AC20 to the GAS list immediately!
45 seconds in and there goes Rhetts Vox Endorsement offer … it’s nice to hear someone speak honestly about gear they like, dislike or are middle of the road about.
Those Korg era voxs sounds so good, still have yet to find one close to me.
Really hard call. I think the AC-30 would win for me but it costs about twice as much to get the nice vintage one on reverb right now.
Buy a new one, as a former owner of two of them, when the music plays you won't hear the difference as much as that price difference suggests. You can get another new/used in a heartbeat too, thats pretty useful, if you actually want to play music.
This show is phenomenal! Keep making this "Amp Wars" episodes.
Damir
As a massive U2 fan, I loved this video
I love my AC 30 TB w Alnico Blues!
Love AC30s. Rick's sounds awesome. I would love to own one someday when I don't live in an apartment.
I picked up a Laney "VC 30" about 15 year ago. Call it a "poor man's AC 30". With a Strat in particular, the "chimey" sound is intoxicating. It works well for a variety of genres I'd say but, without a pedal, the distortion is not quite "dirty" enough for a lot of classic rock. And, with a Tele, trying to play country, it falls short as well. For a clean, classic Strat sound or a slightly dirty 'blues" sound it gets it done.
Rhetts wearing a Normans Rare Guitar shirt, I love it!!! You guys kick ass!
Another great video. I've watched a lot of this type of video (amp comparisons), but these have a different flavor and they are really enjoyable. Keep it going.
have to agree with Rhett regarding AC30 for rhythm/funk.....also Memory Man Pedal is Killer!!
Not ignoring Awesome Guitar Playing....Thanks gents.....damn Now What do i do!!....lol
Really appreciate this comparison. I was all set with getting the Morgan until I heard the AC30. Its like Rhett brought a knife to a gun fight. The clarity and headroom on the AC30 is amazing. I do worry about buying a new AC30 and where it is made vs the British made version.
Great video...confirms my recent purchase of an AC15....love it!!
Bugger it.... I want both. I also luuuurve that lowrider-looking Novo with the P90's.
Great demo'ing, Gentlemen!
Both amps sound amazing...
Rhett's guitar has a Daffy Duck bill for a headstock! 😆
They both sound awesome. I have an AC15 and I absolutely love it.
id love to see the old vs new AC30 that would be very interesting
Awesome tones. Love ‘em both, though I love my old Marshall’s, too, when they’re set right. I think the AC-30 sounds a little more versatile.
I’m glad I found this video I have the AC30hw and have played it against my friends dual 20 and we both agreed the VOX tone was superior
I've been looking for an amp. The VOX ac30 S1 is what I'm going to get.
I used to have a 1963 Vox AC30. Sweetest sound ever. I played my Gibson 1967 ES-345 (Cherry Red) through it.
a Fine comparison of both Guitars and Amps-I love the Isolation Room as well ! Nice work Men !
You guys are killing me! I love both of those amps so much. ❤😍
Both amps sound great. It just comes down to preference in what you want.
Well, I believe you just showed people why the Stratocaster is still somehow underrated.
Rhett, you played Tie Your Mother Down bro, you rock. I’m a Vox man myself, i own 3 models- Vox ad120, a Vox ac30 Brian May amp & a regular Vox ac30 cc2. They say Marshall is the sound of Rock, i say Vox is the sound of legends.
The Morgan is great, I like the darker sound. However, something about that AC30 still makes me prefer it.
The Vox sounded incredible, the Morgan was a beaut also. If I was recording that AC 30 would be my go-to.
This video just reminded me that I miss my AC30 so badly. I just sold it last week for a Mini Rec! I’m feeling so torn 😭
John Trupiano that’s a bad trade man🙉
John Trupiano buy another ac30 and keep booth💪🏻
I felt lucky just to hear these tones, they are so, so sweet.
12:49 comes alive!
AC30’s.... so freakin’ loud.
15:58...a fine line between amazing and a bit too compressed (listening on an iPhone....must consider that)
After that...Rick is so right on.... such a consistent (and great) sound.
This was cool, but I'd be interested to see what the AC30 would sound like through the speakers of the AC20 and vice versa.
Yes!! Loved your choice of riffs ( queen, u2 and aerosmith) and love the ef 86 valves (especially on dan stienhardt's ac30). Rhett's shirt is also pretty cool
As Rick knows I'm a AC 15 guy. It's all you need and a few pedals for the bits of extra. Must say thought the little Morgan has cajonas. I once used the H & H stage thingy 100 watt amp waaaay too powerful for the gig; I was dialling it back for ages. The 15 was perfect - try it up against a JCM900 I think we were level to about 6-7, it was mad!! You DO NOT need a 100 watt stack for the average pub/bar gig. 30 watts more than enough for most places. ( with small pedals you can fit in a shoe box) take less, turn down more - practice and be better and the crowd love it as does the venue. Music - even rock is NOT all about ear splitting amp volume, it's about good times, good musicianship where you showboat in the last chorus of the last song and get out with a good vibe.
Rhett, I agree with you on the Chinese AC30 being brighter than the vintage Vox's. Nice Playing Rick. I heard Rush on the Cars when you first started playing. Nice series!!
Just saw the part where you were talking about how painfully loud the Vox is for live performance. I would like to point out that the vibrato channel of the AC30 works really well for lower volume scenarios. That channel has a ton less volume, and is actually a tighter bass/brighter trebble tone. It's not the exact same tone, but it is nice in its own way.
Zachary Drummond is my favourite channel. The normal channel is noisy and warm (I also love it) and top boost is too much piercing for some situations (sometimes it sounds amazing too). But man, the vib trem channel is pure joy to play and accepts pedals perfectly
Oh emm gee, the stuff Rhett plays from 16:57 onwards sounds truly divine! 😍👍
I have both amps and actually perfected the vox I ended up buying a Morgan with out ever playing it just because everyone said how it was like a old hand wired ac30 but I found the Morgan dull and not musical it was still a good amp but not a ac30 I remember my dotted 8th delays on the Morgan just didn’t have the clarity like the vox so I ended up selling my Morgan because I just thought the vox ac30 was so much better. So now I play vox ac30 and a fender tweed amp and couldn’t be happier
YAY !!! it's amp wars !!!! Thanks for putting in the work ~ great channel.
@5:23 "The EF86 has a lot less headroom. It breaks up a lot sooner than the 12AX7." -So it might SEEM, but that description as stated is simply not true. In reality the EF86 has a lot MORE headroom than the 12AX7, and it is actually quite difficult to saturate the EF86. As such the EF86 is a dandy tube to find in an amp's initial "V1" position at the end of an effect pedal chain. What actually happens when you flip the switch to EF86 on that Morgan is a boost in the output FROM V1 which saturates the amp's components DOWN THE LINE.
This made me cry. Literally, not kidding! See, I've had an old vintage AC30 that I bought when I was 16 years old and that thing was the best sounding amp I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot!). I swear, I couldn't even get a bad sound out of it. It had the original Silver Bell speakers in it. I never understood why people said the AC30 sounds too bright or even harsh. My old Vox sounded clear, but there was always a warmth in it that I never found in any other amp. Yes, there are lots of darker sounding amps, but that's more like an eq thing (sorry, I'm Dutch, I'm not sure if this makes any sense), the warmth of my old Vox was unique.
The thing that pisses me off a bit is that people hear a new Chinese AC30 and they think they know what a Vox AC30 sounds like. Hell no!!! Vox captured that Vox tone to some degree, but you really can not compare the two at all. And I had both of them, the old beaten up Vox (which btw still had the original output tubes!!! Not lying, just didn't need the change, they were still sounding great!) and I had a new AC30. Not only the sound was very different, but the amount of volume coming out of those Silver Bell Speakers..., just UNBELIEVABLE!!! You could crank up the new AC30 and sure, it was loud, but again, not comparable with the old one.
So what made me cry? I've had the old Vox for 30 years. And I've had other amps, just to enlargen my options, but I was completely happy with what I had. On stage I used my two Voxes, a Marshall JCM2000 on a Marshall 1960A cabinet, an all tube Koch Pedaltone preamp and some great stompboxes. Tele, Strat, ES-347 and a Les Paul DC. And for atleast 15 years long, I couldn't care less for new gear. That meant that I found the perfect sound for me. Now, how many guitarists can say that?!?!
That old Vox was the beating heart of my sound. I knew that amp so well. I knew exactly how it would behave on any pedal in any circumstances. That amp was my life!
Four and a half years ago I had to amputate my right leg after a five year period of bad luck and pain, in which I lost my father, my job, then my sister (and best friend) committed suicide, I had to leave my wife, I struggled with a drug addiction, I lost my money, I had a stroke, I lost my memory, I lost my ability to play the guitar because of that (and I succesfully graduated at the conservatory of music, doing jazz - it was all gone!), I lost my band, my passion, my main reason to live..., and then there was so much more.
So when I was lying in that hospital I just lost my mind basically. I got psychoses, I hallucinated and while I was fighting for my last chance to save my leg from being amputated, THAT's when my (by then) ex wife decided to sell all my amps and flightcases, without me knowing it off course. She probably sold it for a couple of grams of cocaine. Fortunately she never found my guitars.
I swear I still get tears in my eyes everytime I see an old Vox AC30. I lost my right leg, but believe me, losing that old Vox felt like I lost my left leg as well. It hurts so badly. You know, the newer AC30, the Marshall, even my early silver face Fender Twin Reverb..., it's all gone and it's sad, but ok. But I don't think I will ever get over the loss of my Silver Bell AC30.
I'm so sorry for the long story. I guess I just needed to get it out somewhere.
Rick, I wanna thank you for your hard work and your magnificent video's! I eat them. I can't thank you enough. Love ya, man!!!
Mario Driessen I big hug, I hope you someday will have a jmi ac30 again, soon, man.
Agus G.T. Thank you, man.... It's just.. that one was special. It really had its own sound. I'm not sure that I could ever find another AC30 with the same sound.
But, since I lost my leg, I'm not even sure if I can ever have an AC30 again, or any other heavy amp. I need other people to carry my amps. And unfortunately, I don't have roadies anymore. :-)
But thank you very much for your care. Means a lot to me. ❤️
Mario Driessen I know, they are too big and weight too much.
Love the Link Wray. I always head to a Vox amp when I go the guitar store. And I play Blues.
Very good demo and comparison. For me the Vox sounds much better for my taste. Personally, I love the new AC30s with Greenbacks with single coils and the channels jumped.
Pain in the ass to cart around…and loud but oh so beautiful. AC30 is just glorious !!!
Would've loved to see a Matchless thrown in there as well. Great comparison all around though. I think there is a case to be made that a well-made modern amp can go toe-to-toe with a vintage amp... and certainly save you a few bucks too!!!
Well I know which I like the best...I like the Memory Man the best....What an awesome pedal!
The Morgan is pretty cool. I've even been contemplating buying one mostly because of the power scaling but maybe a Boss TAE would be better for me. My 6 British-built AC30 Top Boost amps will have to be pried from my cold, dead hands before I'd give them up! Two 1965s, two 1998s and two 2001s!
I started playing one in 1965 and I've been using them as my primary amps most of my life. Every other make and model of tube amp has come and gone but my VOX amps are forever!
If you don't think they kick 'A' enough as they are, plug one into a 4x12 cab with Greenbacks, dime it and watch the walls come down!
Maybe a Morgan 30/800 on the "30" side would've been a more fair comparison?... I still think sell them all and get a couple of /13 amps, they'll be all you'll ever need and twice as good as vintage anything. 👍 Fred's amps are killer!
I know what you’re saying about new AC30s being so bright if only they made some sort of knob with which someone could increase the bass frequencies. Or if not that, maybe one that can reduce the treble? Alas
Rhett, your u jumped shop from /13 amps I guess it's good to have a diverse range of maps for our ever changing desire for different tones. The Morgan has a really great crunch tone, it's quite defined