Vox AC30C2X vs AC30HW?

  • Thread starter Thread starter MrWrenchey
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MrWrenchey

MrWrenchey

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I've been looking at purchasing this amp (the Blue speakers, not greenbacks), and I can't for the life of me find why there's about a $700 price difference between the normal one as opposed to the hand-wired one.

Kinda the same deal with when I was looking at the TS808 vs the TS808HW. The HW is almost twice the price!

Anyone care to explain to me the reason for the cost difference between normal and HW units?
 
Hand wiring: wiring done by hand, done by the hands of a person, wiring done by the hands of a person done relatively slowly. Labour costs being the MAJOR component in the retail price.
 
It's a sales gimmick used to get you to pay more for the same thing. Like "hand-wired" speaker cabs. Really? There's what, 4 wires in a cab? That's a big selling point? I'd actually prefer a robot and computer doing the wiring/soldering over some kid with a few missing fingers in an asian sweatshop. :D
 
Greg_L said:
It's a sales gimmick used to get you to pay more for the same thing. Like "hand-wired" speaker cabs. Really? There's what, 4 wires in a cab? That's a big selling point? I'd actually prefer a robot and computer doing the wiring/soldering over some kid with a few missing fingers in an asian sweatshop. :D
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That's kinda what I figured. It made no sense to me why something being wired by hand, and that's IT, would be reason to pay hundreds of extra bucks for it. Ridiculous. xD
 
Armistice said:
Articles by Randall Smith - Point to Point Wiring
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All this is not to say that there aren't great sounding point-to-point amplifiers-obviously there are. But having built lots of amplifiers both ways myself, the mere fact that an amplifier has been wired this way is, as far as I can see, a guarantee only that it will cost more. If there was an intrinsic sonic benefit to using point-to-point throughout, you can bet that we would do it!
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I'm always fighting with people who insist everything was made better in the old days, in a lot of cases they were made that way because it was the only way they knew how.
 
For a collector of Fender guitars, having a Custom Shop Strat with pickups hand wound by Abby Ybarra is owning a part of history:

The Queen of Tone.. (Abigail Ybarra) - YouTube

She retired last month after starting her employment at the Fender factory hand wiring in 1956.

Fender Custom Shop Celebrates Abigail Ybarra’s Retirement | Fender News & Tech Talk | Fender Guitar

In the description of the Custom Shop guitars including VOS, Closet Classic or Relic on the Stratocasters, it will sometimes say 'hand wound pickups by Abby'.
 
You would think that musicians of all people would have at least a little respect for craftsmanship and work done by hand.

I reckon not.
 
I don't get the whole handwired and vintage thing. i mean its great if its worth it to you to spend the money on it. And if someone took the time to hand make whatever, its probably worth the price if its their livelihood. But guys I know from back in "the day" have always mentioned not wanting something made on a monday or friday. An automated manufacturing process seems to me like it would be more consistent.
 
c7sus said:
You would think that musicians of all people would have at least a little respect for craftsmanship and work done by hand.

I reckon not.
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Maybe for some things, like guitar building. But not for amps or electronics. I'll respect the guy that uses his hands to program the computers and robots that make things flawlessly, consistently, and for less money.
 
welllll ....... if we assume that the handwiring is truly point to point then there is an advantage and that would be roadworthiness.
A lot of the modern machine built amps have chronic problems with the surface mount components (especially jacks and pots) fracturing their solder joints once they've vibrated long enough and have to be repaired.
Point to point wiring with chassis mounted pots and jacks and tube sockets is much more durable.

But if you're not gigging all the time and hauling it around it doesn't make a lot of difference.
 
Lt. Bob said:
welllll ....... if we assume that the handwiring is truly point to point then there is an advantage and that would be roadworthiness.
A lot of the modern machine built amps have chronic problems with the surface mount components (especially jacks and pots) fracturing their solder joints once they've vibrated long enough and have to be repaired.
Point to point wiring with chassis mounted pots and jacks and tube sockets is much more durable.

But if you're not gigging all the time and hauling it around it doesn't make a lot of difference.
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I never even remotely considered this angle. Stands 100% to reason. Good Job Bob. I learned something here today.
 
Atom Bomb said:
I never even remotely considered this angle. Stands 100% to reason. Good Job Bob. I learned something here today.
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I learned it the fun way ........ by having to repair my Hot Rod deVille every 7 or 8 months. Finally I just quit taking it out.
Great sounding amp but useless to me if it doesn't work every time I turn it on.

While fixing a fractured solder joint is easy ..... on the deVille the ribbon cables were particularly prone to it and it required dropping the preamp board out of the amp to get to the joints and it was a PIA.
I have an Ampeg Reverbrocket reissue that does the same thing.

One thing in an amp that I particularly hate is surface mount jacks. Because you constantly plug cables in and out of them and then have the weight of the cable hanging on them ...... they can be really problamatic about this.
It's pretty common to see someone with a deVille series amp having to hang his cord just right so it doesn't cut out.
Most of the time they assume it's a bad jack but usually it's just a bad connection because of the fractured solder joint.
 
it's one of the reasons i chose boogie over the others...

yes, it's pcb, but its BEEFY man, BEEFY, and road proven.

so, all things being equal, on this particular model of vox, you spring for the extra dough for HW IF you are a professional gigging musician...
and maybe not, if you are home recording or weekend warrior.
 
I think Mesas have, by far, the best build quality of mass produced amps.
 
I've got an AC15HW1X, it's a Cadillac, birch ply cab, built like a tank.
I figured that as far as value goes, it is 80% to a botique amp for about 2/3 the cost.
And it should also hold its resell value well.

8630663758_ba8e23dcd9_z.jpg


The wiring is done in Vietnam. and it is wired differently from a standard AC15.

Shots taken from the internets:

9011298382_6b5f302006_z.jpg


It can be switched to bybass the tone stack for the most part, and it can also be switched to bybass the MV altogether.
It really is an incredible sounding amp when pushed, only you can decide if it is worth the money.


9010138499_0a1dabbe7d_z.jpg
 
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