webpage

Vox AC30 website updates

November 2025

30th November

The page on earlier AC30 Super Reverb Twins has now been updated. SRTs with serial numbers in the 5000s, 6000s, or 9000s, have yet to come to light.

29th November

Currently in Sydney, what may be another early AC30 Super Reverb Twin - serial number 8855N, apparently dated too early by the shop/seller. As there are no pictures of the electronics, one needs to be a bit cautious though.

The JMI reverb tray, said now to contain a Hammond spring unit, and the back panel controls look to be original fittings, i.e. not repros. It seems a little unlikely that they were removed from some other amp and fitted to this one.

Early Super Reverb Twins were simply designated "N" for "Normal" voicing initially - "ST/R" and "SR" were were only stamped after the serial number plates with longer panels had been introduced, as mentioned below (entry for 7th November).

28th November

Thanks to Jamie, pictures of AC30 Twin serial number 18819TB, likely to have been ready for sale at some point in early 1965, have been added here.

AC30 Twin serial number 18819TB.

27th November

A shot of the "The Planets" on stage, Kingussie (Inverness-shire), c. 1962, a first generation Vox AC4 with sideways grille cloth in view.

Picture from The Strathspey Herald.

26th November

A pair of "diving boots" - early metal-bodied Vox volume pedals, five serial numbers apart, the one in silver hammerite fitted with a purple cable and rubber treads with transverse ribs, the one in dark grey hammerite with a green cable and treads with longitudinal ribs.

The distinction in appearance somehow to reflect a distinction in envisaged use? There is no difference in operation however.

The main bodies of the pedals are 13 1/2" long and 4 3/4" wide at their widest point.

Base to top of pedal at front is 5".

24th November

Some shots of a Westrex-made AC30 Super Twin chassis, serial number originally in the 5300s, the latest component date code currently known being "DJ" (on the tone pot) = April 1962 for its manufacture.

At some point in the 1970s operation was changed to fixed bias, easy enough to reverse though.

Blue Hunts caps in the fixed bias network with "YYI" = 3rd week of 1970.

Eight of the original black WIMA Tropydur capacitors remain.

23rd November

For those interested in the construction of transformers, an illustrated series of entries on the breaking down of a failed AC50 output transformer (mid 1965, from a Burndept-made Mark 3 chassis) can be found on the updates page of the AC50 website. Further entries to come on its primary, the secondary having been completely unwound now. The identity of the manufacturer is unknown at present. Some caution is required. Stabs in the dark relating to possible suppliers tend to abound. All that is known for certain at present is that Burndept used Woden for Mark 2s, then moved on to someone else for the Mark 3s.

The pics will be given a page of their own in due course, everything in "forward" order. At the mo. the entries necessarily record things in reverse.

21st November

Thanks to Duncan, pictures of Italian-made AC30 serial number 30386 have been added here. The amp was purchased from Alan Pyne (at 119 Dartford Road) in the 1990s. How Pyne came by it is not known. Most of the Italian-made AC30s are in continental Europe (which was the plan from the outset). A small number are currently at large however in the UK.

15th November

Thanks to Dave, pictures of AC30 Twin serial number 7468N, mid 1963, have been added here.

AC30 serial number 7468.

10th November

A page has been started on early Burndept-made chassis (later 1962) sold over the past few years as "strays" - i.e. no cabinet or speakers. Larger pictures to come.

Just to record also that young General Assistants at JMI were sometimes sent over to help out at Burndept at particularly busy times. Thanks to Geoff Dingwall, who was sent over himself, for the info.

9th November

Entries for four more early AC4s have been added to this page - serial numbers 2485, 2615, 2699, and 2969. Select pictures to follow. One of the hallmarks of these amps as they come to light over 60 years now after manufacture is their superb condition.

8th November

Thanks to Colin, pictures of AC15 serial number 4641B have been added on this page.

7th November

Thanks to Magne, a page has been added on AC30 Super Reverb Twin serial number 8067N, third quarter of 1963, exported to Norway early on.

The designation "SRT" was not stamped on early serial number plates primarily, one suspects, because the shorter info panels simply had no room for it. Only when plates with wider panels came in was "SRT" included.