Guitar Gear Forum

This thing got here half an hour ago. I barely got to play it but I did play it. Some quick highlights. Channel 1 is a Top Boost channel. It’s a more refined Vox AC30 Top Boost Channel. Low volume is clean and jangly. Mid volume starts getting compression and grit and hits that edge of breakup sound that these amps, the DC30 and the best AC30s are known for. High volume gets thicker but never super distorted. It’s a great rock tone but a little smoother and more refined than an AC30. Not much though. With a Tele and the volume up high it’s straight up Mike Campbell sounds. This is not a bad thing. It sounds great with the PPIMV engaged (more on those in a moment).

Channel 2 is based on the late 50s AC15s with an EF86 based channel. It has two EQ options: option one is using the 5 way tone switch as kind of a preset tone setup. The only negative to this is on this version of the BC30 it bypasses the master volume. So if you’re not prepared for that it will get heinously loud. If you flip the selector to the bass and treble control it gets an adjustable bass and treble and is able to use the PPIMV. There may be a way to mod this thing to get it so the 5 way tone switch works with the PPIMV circuit but I’m not hugely worried about it. I’ll see how it plays with pedals and if what I have works or doesn’t.

Other features: two switchable PPIMVs which are very usable despite hearing that the newer K-Masters were supposedly much better. They’re either in circuit or removed completely. This model was ordered without reverb. On the whole I’m not worried about it. I have pedals for that. No loop either. Again not worried. It does have a half power mode which is nice. Haven’t used it yet. It’s overbuilt better than any Vox I’ve seen. Seriously the build quality is excellent. And being that it has the same power section as an AC30 it can be monstrously loud. I remember my old AC30H2 was unusable at home until I got a Dr Z Brakelite. The masters are a boon here. And the circuit is well done that I don’t feel I need an attenuator.

Overall at first play I’m happy with it. It’s an excellent amp with my Greenback cab and I can’t wait to try it with my Metro 2x12 cab with Creambacks (that’s at the practice spot). I could have gone with a Hot Cat but I felt that kinda too close to stuff I already had (Metro, Orange). And while I have an American clean machine and pedal platform, I didn’t have a British clean and midgain machine. So I’m very happy to have this niche filled in my collection again.

That's awesome, enjoy it. Bad Cat stuff always seemed super cool. I've been loving the more Vox-y thing myself recently.

Hell yeah, Bad Cats fucking rule. Congrats!

Killer. Refined AC30 seems on paper to be a very, very good thing. Congrats, man.

It’s fucking great. I did some playing and minor tube rolling over the weekend. I pulled the JJ pres on channel one and loaded some Mullard CV4004 RIs. These are the same pre amp tubes in my Metroplex. That channel cleaned up a hair gain wise, but also warmed up a little. It’s still articulate but less peaky than it was with JJs. EF86 Is a EHX. It sounds good and not microphonic so I’m not fucking with it. I’m enjoying both channels. A lot of tonal options here. The masters work well. I think I prefer the EF86 with a bass and treble control vs the 5 way tone selector. I love the clean to mean with just my guitar volume here on both channels. Both channels seem to get on better with overdrives than my old AC30 did. It’s an EL84 amp and has that Vox kinda DNA (being a Sampson design it should, right) but it’s more robust. And a little hotter. I think the power tubes and rectifier are original so it may be time for a retube. Ruby branded JJs and I’ll stick with JJs for now in the power section. Amp fucking kicks like a mule through my 1960. Seems to do well with most pickups too. Love it with p90s and lowrler output HBs.

Congrats man. These amps are great indeed. I wouldn't bother retubing it unless you're actually having issues b with these tubes. If they're sounding good just keep them there.

Yeah to be honest, minus the minor preamp swap I did, the power section is fine. The amp is pretty damn quiet from a noise perspective. And that’s with leaving it on and in standby overnight last night.

I spent a lot of time with it the last few days and I’m finding all kinds of great sounds in it. And I love how it responds to different pickups and guitars. Low to medium pickups are the best here. Did I mention it loves P90s? Because it does.

Let's get some clips, mang!

Vladimir Putin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 1:43 am Let's get some clips, mang!

4 minutes of strumming, chords, arpeggios and trying to sound like a 90s pop rock band. Telecaster, Super Phat Mod at some points and even a little Mooer E Lady. Captor into Scarlett. IRs were York Audio MTCH H30 with 421 and MTCH Greenback with 57. Channel volume at 3:00, master at 12:00 (I like my power amp a little cleaner than wide open. Love that I can do this). Bass low. Like 8:30? Treble at 2:30 and Cut at 2:30.

chimey. that chorusy part sounds great