VOX
AV30
By Matt Holliman
V
ox has made inexpensive, stylish
amps a cornerstone of its business since the ’60s, and the AV
series is the latest affordable set of combos
to wear the Vox logo. And though the
“analog modeling” description might
make some skeptical, there really are eight
separate, all-analog preamp circuits in the
AV30. In fact, the preamp and power amp
are all-analog—each one has its own dedicated 12AX7—and the only digital part of
the amp is the effects section.
What’s on the Plate
With 30 watts of power (the AV series
also includes 15- and 60-watt versions),
the AV30 has muscle enough for a
stage with a decent PA. The single
10" speaker is mounted off-center,
The AV30's eight
preamps span a huge
range of sounds ... from
roots to metal with the
twist of a dial.
and while the cabinet is a closed-back
design, there’s an additional hole cut in
the front baffle that Vox says improves
bass response. There is a single master
volume (power level), but each of the
two foot-switchable channels has its own
gain, 3-band EQ, and volume controls.
Each channel can access any of the
eight preamp circuits, which effectively
imitate some of the performance
characteristics of amps ranging from a
tweed Bassman to an AC15, a JCM800,
124 PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016
or an EVH 5150. The
effects knob increases
the intensity of the
digital chorus, delay,
and reverb, although
control of each effect is
limited. Four switches
in the "valve stage"
section of the control
panel activate a fat boost, a brightness
function, "bias" (modern versus
vintage), and Vox’s Reactor technology,
which adds either tightness or sag to the
amp's dynamic responsiveness.
Whole Lotta Tones
The AV30's eight preamps span a
huge range of sounds. Whether you're
practicing at home or gigging with
a covers band that blankets varied
territory, they let you go from roots to
metal with the twist of a dial. Clean
1 shows teeth with gain around noon.
And setting up both channels with this
circuit and shaping them individually
with the dedicated EQ, gain, mid, and
volume controls reveals how versatile
this amp can be—even within the
confines of a single preamp voicing.
You can also dial up wildly different
gain structures and switch from warm,
classic rock overdrive to searing, Van
Halen-esque lead tones with the
H.Gain2 setting.
Unfortunately, the effects are a little
difficult to employ in a live setting.
They stay on when you switch between
channels (which is fine, as long as the
effect level is low), and you have to hold
down the buttons to turn a given effect
on or off. The effects themselves are
pretty decent, although effect parameters
like chorus rate, reverb length, delay
time, and feedback are fixed.
The Verdict
The Vox AV30 is a lot of amp for $329.
And at that price the limitations of the
effects are really the only major drawback.
With a headphone out, aux input, effects
loop, and power to spare, it can move
easily from practice to performance—
delivering loads of sounds along the way.
Vox AV30
$329 street
voxa mps.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
PROS Channel-switching capabilities.
Huge range of voices for practice or
stage performance.
CONS Effects lack control and flexibility.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this amp.
premierguitar.com