Rose Morris Vox AC 30 "Vintage Top Boost"

[Lovguitar]

Hello -- I picked up a 92 or so Vox "Vintage" AC30 with Greenbacks. Sounds great compared to my Custom Classic (a lot more transparent sounding) and very similar to a friends 1969 AC30 with silver bell speakers. I have read that these Rose Morris amps have reliability issues because everything is on one circuit board and the tube sockets are soldered directly onto the circuit board rather than being mounted on a metal chassis and attached to the board with flying leads. I've redone the solder joints on the tube sockets (even though they looked OK). I've been pondering if I should install a fan into the amp and if I do, where I'd power it from. If I built a shroud of sheet metal or plastic of some kind I could direct air from the speaker area up into the circuit area and out through the top vents OR, in through the top vents and down into the speaker area.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!!

Paul

[RichL]

"Lovguitar" <lovg...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:7bf8ab95-dc32-4e0f...@googlegroups.com...

I've got that very same amp: '92 Top Boost "Vintage" model with Greenbacks.
I've had it for about 10 years now and no reliability issues whatsoever.
Caveat: I'm not gigging any more so it's not like I'm giving it a three-hour
workout every day. Also, I rarely run it at full power (when I do, I'm
using a Hot Plate attenuator, but the load on the tubes is the same with or
without it).

If it were me, I wouldn't mess with it unless you expect to be driving it a
lot harder/more frequently than I do.

It's definitely a great amp: my favorite of all (although my Marshall JCM
800 2204 runs a close second).

[JJTj]

>> Hello -- I picked up a 92 or so Vox "Vintage" AC30 with Greenbacks.
>> Sounds great compared to my Custom Classic (a lot more transparent
>> sounding) and very similar to a friends 1969 AC30 with silver bell
>> speakers. I have read that these Rose Morris amps have reliability issues
>> because everything is on one circuit board and the tube sockets are
>> soldered directly onto the circuit board rather than being mounted on a
>> metal chassis and attached to the board with flying leads. I've redone the
>> solder joints on the tube sockets (even though they looked OK). I've been
>> pondering if I should install a fan into the amp and if I do, where I'd
>> power it from. If I built a shroud of sheet metal or plastic of some kind
>> I could direct air from the speaker area up into the circuit area and out
>> through the top vents OR, in through the top vents and down into the
>> speaker area.

>> Any thoughts on this?

>> Thanks!!

...wow...

VOX was in a shit hole back then, dist out of Marlb, Ma. <Pr1mo>
which is how I got involved. A 15min drive. It was the 'Venue'
SS era of vox, most of it all made by Custom Sound (or owned
the name). At one moment in planet line up, that same M/Ma
barn dist Washburn, Track, Riverhead and more. Why U ask.

Because some po' sod paid x$ for the name. Trust me here,
at one moment, WEM, Sound City, Mellotron, every variation
of what was left in inventory of Burns, <get the drift> was sold
out of Medford Ma. <Pampalone (HI Vito) Music>. I was there,
it scared the sheit out of me. It lasted a very short time. Vito
<via this game> got me in touch with all the big markets, ONLY
because at *THAT TIME* the *ONLY* (on call) contact was...me.

U2 needs his paper clip amp fixed, Rose Morris calls Pr1mo, and I
go to NJ. Rutherford wants to rent a 12string Burns clone, I got paid
to go to the show. 3 Dog Night, Mott, ZAPPA. Sheit, I was forced
(paid) to be involved with all of them. Free gear too. So much I
have to pay to still store it. Yup.. editing the book.... :}

yet...it was a ball, you could not pay $$ in college loans 2day for
this history. At that time, if it was sold in the US, a RM Vox, the
chances were danger $ it went tru my hands, getting good tubes.

>If it were me, I wouldn't mess with it unless you expect to be driving it a
>lot harder/more frequently than I do.

GAWDESS, if you have not already, go thru s/joints. Custom Sound,
who built those items then, were *NOT* good in that area. Bad heat,
yet decent traces. Cheap board material. And if those wooden wedges
don't fit just right in the side(s), ya'll hum and buzz all nite long.
They made them 1st out of strong wood, to keep the chassis firm,
then $$$ (or lack of) turned to part/board. Some people use marble
STONE finely sanded to exactly fit that certain AC30 cab.

>It's definitely a great amp: my favorite of all (although my Marshall JCM
>800 2204 runs a close second).

Yup. Turn every amp knob tone 10, and pinky ya guitar. Verb 3. Good
tubes is a must. It's not really 'class-a' but the lack of NFB is
what makes it so much fun. So easy 2 tweek.

JJTj






*> SENT FROM CELL TABLET DOCK2# TT956T7Y87KFRTM <*
*> LT REPLY MODE GIGANEWS KLBFWDTMSJWS-ZZ22 <*

[Les Cargill]

They are *INFURIATING* amps. They never sound the same, day by day. You
have to be committed to that. Fender is much more reliable in that way.

> JJTj
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> *> SENT FROM CELL TABLET DOCK2# TT956T7Y87KFRTM <*
> *> LT REPLY MODE GIGANEWS KLBFWDTMSJWS-ZZ22 <*
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--
Les Cargill