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Hi Guys,

I remember several years ago that someone posted on the site the way the tone controls interacted on the Vox AC30 - I find them very confusing when occasionally playing on a friends old '60's Vox AC30 and would find the explanation very helpful if it is still available. I'm sure any new members to the site would also find this of interest

Thanks in advance
Lance

siesta beach wrote:I remember several years ago that someone posted on the site the way the tone controls interacted on the Vox AC30 - I find them very confusing when occasionally playing on a friends old '60's Vox AC30 and would find the explanation very helpful if it is still available. I'm sure any new members to the site would also find this of interest
Lance

Hello, Lance.

If you are talking of tone controls in the plural, you must be thinking of a Top Boost model (with three tone pots). Other models (the Normal, Treble and Bass models) only have one tone control). The Top Boost is something with which I am familiar, having owned several over the last 43 years (and I still have my late sixties model, bought new Old Stock in 1974).

The control marked Cut is the only one which works on the Normal and Vib/Trem channels (as well as on the Brilliant channel). It is in effect the same control as the one marked "Tone" on a single tone pot model and as I said, it works on all channels. The other two (Bass and Treble) work only on the Brilliant channel. They are the controls provided by the Top-Boost unit (which on earlier models was an add-on accessory mounted on the back panel). In fact, when the TB unit was on the back panel, it was more intuitive that they only worked on one channel. I've often thought that the fascia panel could have been laid out to better indicate that the Cut control (on the one hand) and the Treble and Bass pots (on the other) were operated and applied differently.

Hope this helps,

JN

The top boost Treble and Bass are the very interactive ones...

Both boost the total sound output of the amp as you advance them, and the Bass control actually cuts middle in the last few degrees of its travel - max it out to get the old Burns sound, then check out the Treble as it adds razor sharp top end... If you play a continuous note then rotate each you will find that the changes sound like a moderate wah pedal...