I Bought My Holy Grail Guitar Amp | 1964 Vox AC30
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ธ.ค. 2020
- This week I bought one of my dream guitar amps, an original 1964 Vox AC30. This amp had a massive impact on pop and rock music of the day, being played by many acts, including The Beatles. This is a legendary guitar amp, who's sound has helped influence millions of players over the last 60 years.
------------
MY VIDEO COURSES:
The Complete Nashville Number System video course
rhettshullguitarcourses.com/p...
Check Out My Guitar Tone Course Here!
rhettshullguitarcourses.com/p...
------------
MY PRESETS & PROFILES:
Line 6 HX Stomp Presets
www.rhettshull.com/helix/hx-s...
Line 6 Helix & Helix LT Presets
www.rhettshull.com/helix
Kemper Profiles
www.rhettshull.com/kemperprof...
Impulse Responses (Helix, Kemper, Iridium & AxeFx)
www.rhettshull.com/helix/rhet...
------------
MY SECOND CHANNEL:
Rhett Shull Studio
/ @rhettshulltwo
MY DISCORD SERVER:
/ discord
DEACON KNIGHT (my band):
/ @deaconknight1939
------------
THE BACKSTAGE JOURNAL PODCAST:
(apple) podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
(spotify) open.spotify.com/show/1q8Rrv4...
------------
SHIPPING ADDRESS:
5805 State Bridge Road
Suite G90
Johns Creek Ga
30097
------------
My Video Rig (affiliate links)
CAMERA:
-Sony A7III (affiliate link)
amzn.to/2NDqJW2
LENSES:
-Sony 24-105mm f4 (affiliate link)
amzn.to/3svZuLZ
-Sigma 35mm f1.4 (affiliate link)
amzn.to/37M01S6
-Sigma 50mm f1.4 (affiliate link)
amzn.to/3dM4FDm
LIGHTS:
-Neewer LED Panel Bi Color (affiliate link)
amzn.to/3kzkb73
SOUND:
-Sennheiser MKH 416 Shotgun Mic (affiliate link)
imp.i114863.net/c/2330848/937...
-Universal Audio Apollo X4 (affiliate link)
imp.i114863.net/c/2330848/937...
-Zoom H6 Handy Recorder (affiliate link)
imp.i114863.net/c/2330848/937... - เพลง
Check out my NEW video course, The Complete Nashville Number System here!
flatfiv.co/collections/rhett-shull/products/the-complete-nashville-number-system
Sounds great through these headphones Rhett
congrats on your amp! Great tones!
404 error on the link in the description.
Rhett . . . do you have Elyea's book? You need to have it now that you have a '64.
Do you have a video about the guitar you are playing with the slide at the beginning? I have never seen that funky bridge and would love to know more about it
I need to not watch your videos. They make me feel spendy
Likewise
yup.
Just bought a motherfucking 63 head. Gas was fed by him AND the fact that I already own an ac30, the chinese cc2, which is OK tbh, but... This is THE SHIT.
That's the idea.
@@Calagamberr0 I probably ought to get one, always thought that I should get the 4 hole without Top Boost, idk. I have a Conqueror, Defiant, Foundation Bass and and some V1141 Beatles but only a couple V125 Leads, I think that I prefer the sounds that were coming from the proto-solid state ersatz days. Best to get a good speaker or driver, then work back to the pickups, suiting each bit to it's own best tone. Take the resulting tone and adjust that with E.Q. to suit your music, better yet, if you're loud enough the equipment starts writing it's own music. Don't swim upstream.
Holy Grail indeed! As a 70 year old who experienced the British Invasion first hand from the vantage point of a small midwestern farming community I can't tell you how it does my heart good to see a young man like you caring so deeply about the amp that made so much of that music possible. I would never have dreamed that the music and the gear of my youth (and even before my time) would resonate with musicians for so many years. It's astonishing. Hats off to you, Rhett, for keeping the thread intact while also making it your own. You'll do great things with that amp I have no doubt. 👏
One of the best amps ever!!!
One of the LOUDEST too.
@@alchemistsanonymous6558 My AC30BM is insanely loud. I can't turn it up past 0.75 without shaking the walls.
It's not one of the best, it's THE best amp ever.
Truiy is and i bet that amp was not cheap to get either. Now he has reached the starting point amp wise. Great video thanks.
@@VIDS2013 Anyone use a volume attenuator with this amp? I use one for my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and it works really well so I don’t get kicked out of my apartment but not sure how it works with an AC30.
I’ll tell my kids to find someone who feels about them, the way Rhett feels about that amp
Congrats man, sounds legendary👍🏻✌🏻
Thanks man!
I think you need to get one too. Channel the Rory vibe. ✌️
@@RhettShull Shit! I would've bought the other 1 with the head & cab configuration. The super reverb? If you can find 1?
It is legendary
@@bobbystereo936 I've got a 63 head and cab,its called a supertwin
Hi
I am now 76 and still playing. I had an AC 30 in the late 70’s on the back was scratched “N. Reading “ Hendrix’s bass player. Prior to joining the “experience “ he was a lead guitarist in a local band. I think. The only ones.
Just a bit oh history (I think). Really like your playing. Can’t believe all you young guys how f###### good you get.
Keep rocking
Do you still have the amp ?
@@Pauld62 " I had an AC 30"
Unfortunately not. Can’t even remember how much I sold it for probably a couple of hundred pounds. Have to make do with a Princeton, a Les Paul, and a slide. Have a good weekend.
@@peterslade1146 did people in the 70s casually have tube amps in their house and no one cared?? My neibours HATE my ac 10
Of course.
To this day I still remember sitting on the floor in front of our tiny black and white tv with a very rounded 'screen'/tube and watching The Beatles come to America and play on Ed Sullivan. I was hooked for life... It's one of the few TV memories that I'll never forget.
I'd love to hear you playing a Rickenbacker through that amp.
I was thinking the same thing
that would be Beatles as hell
@@jaschul
Or Tom Petty/Mike Campbell or my personal favorite R.E.M.
A great Rickenbacker,for rock, I would recommend 620, neck thru body construction, I have Les Paul, strat, couple of hollow bodies, 620 isn’t the typical Ric, can hold its own with all my other guitars! Try one and you would be pleasantly surprised how good they sound! Plus one of the coolest looking guitars , out there!
...and record it at Muscle Shoals.
Much congrats man. Always such a timeless feeling to get the gear you want! Have fun with it!
I really loved the storytelling in this video. well done Rhett, so stoked on this acquisition for you!
I didn’t know you played guitar. As an MTG player and guitarist, this is the crossover I never saw happening.
The AC-30/15 pairs amazingly well with filtertron pickups. It makes my Gretsch sound so insanely good. Absolutely love it.
This a genuinely beautiful episode. I’ve been wanting a Vox for a while and it’s such a touching sound. Great work Rhett.
Man you are killing it with these last 2 videos. I mean your stuff is always good but with this and the fuzz one I can tell how much you love these sounds and want to share them.
Great Job. I want to wish you and yours a Happy & Safe Holidays.
I own a 64 AC 30 and it is amazing!! I’m very happy to hear and see that you’ve acquired one . Great playing as usual and great video 👍
Congratulations! Looking forward to hearing what you do with it!
I managed to score one of these today, a 1962 model judging by the date code on one of the tubes! A woman I know who works in a recycling yard sent me a WhatsApp message to say they had just found a really scruffy amplifier in a dumpster load that had came in over the weekend and asked it if was too scruffy to be worth anything. It took a few moments to realise I was looking at an early 1960s version in the beige/fawn color (not black).
After finishing off a couple of chores, I was straight into the car and picked it up. After managing to get the back off (quite tricky as I suspect it hadn’t been off since 1962 and was wedged in and the rexine had stuck together), I found it was totally original inside with no parts changed and no obviously blown capacitors/resistors. It had even managed to evade the rain we had this morning because it had been covered by half a ton of wood. And how the hell it survived being transferred between dumpster and truck is beyond me.
The only blown component was the original Mullard rectifier tube which was probably why somebody stopped using it some 30-40 years ago - I expect it went out with a bang and frightened the owner who just stopped using it because they figured it would be too expensive to repair (I had a spare GZ34 rectifier tube in a drawer, so not a problem).
I expect I can get it running within a day or two as I now have it sitting an a current limiting Variac to see if I can chemically reform the capacitors. Ironically I have little-to-no interest in music, but the technology fascinates me. The mechanic in me just wants to get it going again and save it for another generation.
Brian May lead tone❤️🙏
Love the way Rhett plays, moody, atmospheric comes to mind, good tone sense 👍🏼
I really appreciate your videos. They're educational. The gear recording is world-class. You're creating a wonderful reference of iconic tones. This video helped me nail the Vox sound. Thank you.
I'm glad you got one of these, Rhett! Your videos are great, thank you for doing what you do.
Nice video, as always. I love my AC15 with the Blue Alnico speaker (and your Helix presets get 99% of the way there, so thanks for them too!).
Congratulations!!! Great video of an awesome amp! Thanks for sharing, your excitement is inspiring!
Rhett I’ve started to really enjoy and look forward to your videos. Way to evolve
There is an AC30 in our rehearsal space. The other guitarist and I race from the car park to use it. They’re sublime amps.
They are VERY special. I have one that was used on a famous album. Josh would like it... he has the poster. The artist tried to buy it off my band mate but he wouldn’t sell it. Eventually I managed to get it. It’s one of the best amps out there.
Can you say who’s?
What’s The Story Morning Glory. I also have an Orange hired for the session and for Big Log.
@@jonathanduffett8374 I love Orange amps!
Congrats Mr. Shull! It's always great day when someone get a piece of their "dream" gear. Cherish it and put some great tones out there!
Congratulations, Rhett! The AC30 sounds killer. I am just in awe of that sound. What a lovely video too!
Congrats Rhett, what a part of history you now have. The Beatles certainly started the whole movement of music we know and love today.
Hmm...I can't agree that Dylan going electric and The Beatles blowing up was the death of folk music in the 60s...folk remained a massive influence all through that period...The Byrds, The Beatles, Zeppelin (just to name a few) all used explicitly folk influences and elements in their music and by the early 70s folk artists like James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and CSN(Y) were the biggest selling acts around
I agree that Dylan and the Beatles weren't the death of folk music, but they put a serious dent in the kind of "purist" acoustic folk music like Pete Seeger preferred. The Byrds, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and CSN(Y) all incorporated electric instruments and a much broader range of stylistic and harmonic approaches (I mean, Joni Mitchel! Sheesh!).
Agreed yellow truck. That’s why the pure folkies were so upset. Pete Seeger wanted to unplug Dylan so bad.
WRONG
Actually Pedro Pete Seeger said he wanted to cut the electric cable powering Dylan’s amp...
@@martinrhodes1619 well, you make a fine argument.I concede.
Great addition to your amp collection Rhett. You make that AC30 sound fantastic.
Really well done video, Rhett! Told a good story and educated a bunch of us. Thanks.
When I was a touring musician many moons ago supporting a country act, we played a series of shows with a fella who was using two original 64' VOX AC30's. They were sublime to hear live. There is nothing that can accurately convey the sheer magnificence of the sound of those amps. There are few amps that I've heard that can compare to an original AC30. Great video! Brought back some good memories.
I’m a huge fan of classic-90’s country. Who did you tour with, if you don’t mind?
@@dr.lyleevans6915 Please forgive me if I don't publish his name. Players in this industry cherish their privacy for a variety of reasons. I trust you understand. :-)
I will tell you that the player I'm talking about played in Neal McCoy's backing band. I met him for the first time at a small arena in Watertown, New York in the Summer of 2000. Our paths would cross once or twice more over the next few years. If I'm not mistaken, after finishing Neal McCoy's tour in 2000, he joined Toby Keith's band, but don't hold me to that. I stopped working as a backing musician around that time and focused on session work and teaching.
Rhett - for a beautiful clean sound with a Strat, try the normal (not top boost) channel with bass and treble all the way down
Love that amp and I am thrilled that you are able to have it . Hopefully we will get to hear a lot from it.
Been waiting for this video. Excellent tones
Bold prediction: Rhett will never buy a house.
Or possibly become a single man?
@@the-creech4790 both...
Naw, Tilly totally gets "it"! Rhett is safe!
Plus he gets to say "hey, its for work" and actually mean it. Haha.
@@seattlesauce It might be be a sweet tax write off...
that intro is one of the best captures of an AC30 i've heard. so many people run them too clean or to distorted, with bad settings and bad microphone capture. it sounds perfect, accurate; it sounds as quintessential "guitar" as possible.
Awesome video and thank you all the other great videos Rhett.The AC 30 is nothing short of awesome also!
Congratulations man on getting your dream gear. Hard work ALWAYS pays off in the end, sometimes it just takes a bit of grinding. Always pumped when I get to see people get their dream gear.
Super sick amp! sure didn't take long to get this amp, and get it on video! wasn't it just Monday you were asking Dan's advice on TPS VCQ live?
The amp sounds great but the guitar player definitely deserves some respect . Great video!
Congrats man! Such a legendary and amazing amp!
Congrats, Rhett!! You deserve it! Must be an absolute thrill to have that gear. Freakin' AMAZING! Good on ya, bro!
And the Stand? I mean AND THE STAND. WWWOOOOWWW
Note: I watched the 64 Ed Sullivan show, but it was not for the Beatles. Our family ALWAYS watched Ed Sullivan. We 3 kids had no control over what was watched.
I was 5 years old and still remember all of us kids gathering at a neighbors house to watch The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. The adults were excited. All of us kids really had no idea who the Beatles were and why there was so much commotion about them. It was pretty impressive.
My favorite memory was how many boys were in trouble at school the next day for long hair.
That's so awesome Rhett!!! I'm really very happy for you. You're a great player:. Cheers!!
Congrats Rhett !!! Good luck with it !!!
Sounds like literal magic. But now you need a Rickenbacker, Rhett!
The Beatles also used Selmer Amps; which also sound magical!
I suspect the Beatles sounded magical with ANY amp.
It's true, and if you look around, there are some gems among very old guitar amps to be discovered.
@@christianlacheze3323 I think the beatles were great because of their chemistry and they played off each other. But their songs too have a certain sound created by amps.
@@christianlacheze3323 Agreed they also used Fender Amps like the Fender Twin Reverb and the Fender Bassman.
Also they use selmer amps but i don't know when they use it, they are famous for using Vox Amplifiers.
Great video!!! Thank you for all your effort!
Great video, I never knew the details on this amp, I just know that it's talked about a lot, and also known for a sound/tone that is sought after by a lot of guitarists. Love your videos and love your channel brotha. Also, I love seeing all of my favorite TH-camrs collaborating on and participating in each other's videos rather than competing with one another. It honestly makes for higher quality content for us viewers and fans.
Have a great holiday and thank you for doing these videos!
I own a jmi amp and it was hand wired and soldered by Tom Jennings it's a 4 watt head and so beautiful.
Congrats, Rhett. Now you can start saving for the holy grail 335!
Always love your tone videos, Rhett! I got my hands on a hand built modded AC30 last year and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. Zero desire to buy any other amp because it gives me the perfect tones I picture in my head that go with my rig.
Congratz, Rhett!! Beautiful sounding amp!
Congrats on getting that amp Rhett, it couldn't have wound up in more appreciative and musically deserving hands...
I really appreciate how you always remain a fan of the music, who made it, how it was made etc and never allow yourself to get jaded...I'll never play like you can, never be a professional musician like you are, but when it comes to being a fan, well then you always make it feel like we're in lock step all the way!!!....
Congrats again!!!
I'm totally jealous. That's my dream amp too!
Glad you were able to obtain it!!! Super happy for ya man!
HUGE improvement in your tone! Sounds incredible man. Great video and grats on the sick amp!
2021 Resolution: Buy the rest of my gear list before Rhett drives the prices up even further.
I owned exactly this Amp ...and (damn) I sold it in 1984. Nobody wanted the Vox Sound in the early eighties
It was a different era of music in the 80s. People were into metal and hard core distortion.
By that time Metal and underground Hardcore Punk had came around already, it was all Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Randall, and Orange.
@@6ixstringsonfire12 Well, in Germany we had this terrible "Neue Deutsche Welle" music
I saw this around Liverpool in the early 80's, it wasn't the sound as most of the local bands were still knocking out 60's songs. Young musicians thought of them as obsolete, in fact valve amps in general. "Modern" transistor amps were lighter, more reliable, and sounded better especially with pedals. Needless to say that was complete bollocks but it's a mistake every young generation makes, then they grow up and buy their first valve amp. 😀
Im sure Bryan Mays team wouldve bought it haha, apparently they used to buy up all the AC30s they could there hands on!
Awesome! We are happy for you that you were able to acquire a dream piece for your rig.
Very cool indeed! Congrats and thanks for the video, was interesting!
After watching your Morgan fail to deliver against the real goods, I am glad that you got one of these, Rhett! Great decision. :)
Watching this while my 2018 AC15C1 stares at me from the corner of the room
Congrats Rhett !!! it sounds insanely good
Love the Vox sound. Great video, Rhett
As a bass player I like the ACs due to their focus on the mids. That leaves the lows for me 😁
Exactly! This comment nails it... leave room down there for the bass player to really wear the trousers ;) Great bands like RHCP or No Doubt sound so great mainly because they leave space for the bass to take the lead
And which amps do you hate for the same reason of getting into your territory???
The quintessential rock/pop amplifier. It has such a gorgeous midrange response. And of course the chime. But you really have to give credit to the Celestion alnico blue speaker for the crisp chime. All you need to do is plug into an AC30 with Greenbacks and then play the same amp with the alnico speakers. The alnico blue speaker makes a BIG difference and it completes the package. I wish I still had my 1968 Vox AC30.
Very true. I built an AC15 amp and there is no way of getting around the Celestion alnico blue. It doesn't matter how much $$ you are willing to spend as your ONLY choice will be the Celestion.
@@fullclipaudio what are your thoughts on the Chinese built AC's ?
@@vincentl.9469 That is tough to answer because even if you built an AC30 in England, you would find that most of its components would come from China.
In that scenario, you sacrifice build quality for sound. Modern amps sound great and have lots of features but probably wont function 60 years from now like a hand wired AC30.
@@fullclipaudio Yes the new ones are PCB and what people tell me is the boards are not always robust..but I think it depends on usage too. The one thing Ac30's were known for is running very hot..poor ventilation in the cab..
Congrats man! Sounds great.
Congrats on the find. Sounds great. Something about those 60s amps just sounds so perfect.
Me staring at my ac15- *I love you, beautiful*
Pace yourself Rhett. Every month you have a life long dream come true with respect to gear. Save some dreams for dream time fella.
It's possible he never really bought it.
TH-camrs gotta TH-cam.
...next stop...a Dumble...followed by a divorce
Awesome amp Rhett. Love the channel man. Keep on keepin on😎👍🏻🇺🇸
Congrats, Rhett---the amp sounds completely amazing!
I think you should do a Kemper Profile of this amp and then give us an honest review on how good of a job you think the Kemper does capturing the sound. I would trust your opinion on this. I'm interested because I could never get an amp like this, but would be glad to know that maybe I could get reasonably close with a well done profile.
You were so close to addressing the fact that Brian May got his tone from Rory Gallagher. He was playing gigs when Brian May was developing his tone! Also the Edge was a big fan of this amp. Crazy that the influence of it can still be heard on modern music outside of your wheelhouse.
Peter Buck of REM too.
Edge uses this amp almost exclusively, little more than a fan lol
@@hosoiarchives4858 Oh of course! The list of like, famous players who love this amp is as long as a blue whale! 😅😂
Apparently Rory Gallagher explained how he got his tone to Brian May. "All you need is a Fender Stratocaster, Dallas Rangemaster and a VOX AC30". Have a Listen to the 1973 album Tattoo and you'll be blown away at all the different sounds.
Edges 68-70 amp has been retired for 7 years now. He uses the handwired for tour and records
This is an amazing piece of content Rhett! felt like a mini documentary on the history of this amp and it was amazing, actual gave me chills listening to josh get hyped on the 60s
Congrats man. That amp is a great score and a holy grail to add to the collection
Not gonna lie, I was never really into VOX sound. But this is legendary.
I never owned a VOX but I do have a beautiful Matchless DC30 which I know is based on a AC30. I’ll never part with it.
@Bruce Dickinson from my cold, dead hands buddy. Lol
Congrats Rhett!
Man, that tone was bonkers! Such an amazing sounding amp. What a great find!!
I guess everybody builds their worldview on a mythic homeland that must, by necessity, be something other than their everyday. Something distant in time or space that gives meaning and provenance to what they value. For Americans it seems to be the British music scene of the sixties; to the Brits it was the RnB and Blues music of the States prior to the sixties. Both are selective and even distortions that are far removed from those actual places. But myth is far more powerful than realities. Just like the sound of an AC30 in a basement club with no PA in 1965 didn’t sound like an AC30 played with loads of post-amp delay and effects closer to The Edge than Brian Jones. NIce video all the same, and as someone born in 1962 and growing up on the legacy I hope it introduces others to the possibilities explored with this amp in 1965, 1971, 1980 and 1987 (guess the users from those years!).
How’s it smell? I still remember the smell of amps, guitar cases and stuff from when I played in the 60’s. My high school band used Silvertone, Fenders, Gretschs, Vox (unfortunately the solid state version) Ampeg and Farfisa. We weren’t great but we had a great time.
And some great equipment !
Was the farfisa tube?
@@abubakr6939 I don’t think it was, but the B3 was. I can’t believe we carted all that stuff around. The joys of being a teen.
Fantastic video thanks rhett
Fantastic to-die-for tone, my friend. Enjoy!
Could you do a video on the hipshot you have on that tele please?. I've been contemplating getting one for my tele so i can do the B/G bender stuff.
@Hugh G. Rection Hipshot isn't a major involved mod that requires a router.
Now you gotta do a what is the Rickenbacker Sound.
Great video amazing amp!!! always love your editing
Congratulations Rhett!!!
I flew AC-30s back in Nam
Cricket cricket... Tough crowd
Warthog ??
@@grooviefan funny you say that, my first base in the USAF was at RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge. There were 80 or so A-10s there.
Thank you for your service Ken. 🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@grooviefan Yeppers. the office I worked in was right by the taxi way. Those engines make the loudest whine.
Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the Vox sound. Too bright, too brittle (IMHO). However, can't deny the impact Vox amps have had on music. Arguably, they are one of the top amplifier companies in the world (along with Fender and Marshall). I acquired a Peavey Classic Head a number of years ago and finally got around to getting it up and running. I've paired it with an open back 2x12 cabinet loaded with British-made Celestion Vintage 30s and it sounds pretty good. Didn't think I'd ever like an EL-84 based amp but this combination sounds good (at least to me). I have a G&L tribute ASAT (i.e. Telecaster) type guitar that sounds pretty good with this amp and speaker combination. So I guess it isn't just the EL-84s that make or break the tone of an amp but other factors (tone stack, speakers, guitar, etc) all combine to make a sound. Just my thoughts.....
Too bright?? Have you tried a vintage one? Normal channel is super dark. Also with some nos EL’s it’s very warm and dark. Maybe some of the new models..
@@millmoormichael6630 Hey there! Thanks for the reply. No, I have not had a chance to try a vintage one. Perhaps I'll try and hunt up one (at a guitar show or something) to try. Don't have the funds to afford one but it would be fun to try one out. I'm the same way with speakers. I'd heard great things about Celestion "greenbacks" and had a pair of them from the late 60's for a while. Didn't like them.... same reason.... too bright. The Vintage 30s however sound great to my ears.
Congratulations Rhett😊
Congrats Rhett👍🏾
Leave your story inside it as a diary of where it was bought and places you take it etc etc...for the next person who gets it. I live in northeast UK and I'm jealous. Enjoy
The AC 30 came about because of Hank Marvin , probably the most influential amp in popular music.
America thinks the beatles made it themselves..ffs
Love the Vox, glad you do too man. Killer sound!!!
Iconic sound. You’re right, Rhett. Sends chills. But so damn big and heavy!!