Vox-like builds

Thiago.zanato · Post by **Thiago.zanato** » Mon May 21, 2007 7:28 am

Have any of you guys tried building a vox based amp? Is there a forum like this one but for vox builders? I haven;t found anything even close to it. I'm planning on building a Hoffman type of vox ( no tremolo) and I was looking for some support

thanks guys

daz · Post by **daz** » Mon May 21, 2007 10:04 am

try www.trinityamps.com , the forum talks alot of matchless stuff there which are variations of vox. some vox stuff too.

Zippy · Post by **Zippy** » Mon May 21, 2007 5:36 pm

The Trainwreck Rocket is Vox-based. Does that count?

Thiago.zanato · Post by **Thiago.zanato** » Mon May 21, 2007 7:22 pm

I think I was looking for something that's almost like a vox clone, as opposed to based.

dartanion · Post by **dartanion** » Mon May 21, 2007 8:05 pm

Mr. DB has been building a pretty accurate AC15 clone that looks really good. You may PM him for info.

Mr. dB · Post by **Mr. dB** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:09 pm

Yeah, I've been SLOWLY piecing together an AC15 project. But it's got the Vib/Trem channel, and I'm building it on an L-shaped 2-piece chassis with Radiospares tagboards, a la the originals. I didn't pipe up because my project is somewhat different from what you requested.

Info on the Vox amplifiers is hard to come by. It's not strictly an amp builders' board, but what little Vox tech talk there is out there seems to occur at Plexi Palace. http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/index ... b0466d70a3

The AC15 and AC30/4 layouts that I have were given to me as "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY", which I hate, 'cause I think that stuff should be out there the way the documentation for the Marshall 18 has been done. Instead, the guys who have been doing Vox builds seem to play their cards close to their chest and keep what they've found as proprietary information. So I'm unable to share much about the Vox layouts, apart from what you can see in photos (which I have plenty to share...). I'd love to see an online community get together and dissect the Vox line of amps the way the 18-watt community did, and document it.

If you're doing an amp without the Vib/Trem channel, which takes up about 2/3rds of the real estate in an AC15 or AC30, then what's left is a rather simple build I would think, and would fit in a standard Marshall 18-watt or "36-Watt" chassis. Or you could start with the Matchless DC30 layout at www.ceriatone.com and change some component values to make it the same as a Vox circuit.

m.alexander · Post by **m.alexander** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:40 pm

http://home.wanadoo.nl/jheijer/AC15.htm

daz · Post by **daz** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:10 am

awesome link!

Thiago.zanato · Post by **Thiago.zanato** » Tue May 22, 2007 1:43 am

this link is awesome. What there's no one documenting the process of building a vox amp? Legal issues? I'm thinking about doing that my self. What do you guys think?

Mr. dB · Post by **Mr. dB** » Tue May 22, 2007 2:11 am

The Dutch guy's site is interesting, that was the first thing to convince me that an AC15 clone was do-able. His board layout and chassis dimensions are not accurate. Looks like he used an AC30 layout, and he must have guessed at the chassis dimensions by eyeballing photographs, he's off by over an inch in some dimensions. I wouldn't use that site for anything other than rough ideas.

m.alexander · Post by **m.alexander** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:55 am

http://home.earthlink.net/~jeirvine/AC15.html

Mr. dB · Post by **Mr. dB** » Tue May 22, 2007 5:32 pm

m.alexander wrote:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jeirvine/AC15.html

Nice pictures of a hack job, someone should be taken out and shot for modifying that amp.

jelle · Post by **jelle** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:45 pm

Hi folks,

I have brought life back into a customers Blonde AC30 head that he got from evilbay. These amps are a ratnest!

But the amp sounded real good when finished. Like REAL GOOD.

Not anything like the reissues.
I had to replace a lot of resistors cos they were way off or burned, aside from the usual ecaps.

These vox amps are worth building from scratch! You won't regret it!

I have some pics. If interested let me know.

Jelle

Mr. dB · Post by **Mr. dB** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:26 pm

jelle wrote:Hi folks,

I have brought life back into a customers Blonde AC30 head that he got from evilbay. These amps are a ratnest! But the amp sounded real good when finished. Like REAL GOOD. Not anything like the reissues.
I had to replace a lot of resistors cos they were way off or burned, aside from the usual ecaps.

These vox amps are worth building from scratch! You won't regret it!

I have some pics. If interested let me know.

Jelle

Pics are always fun. Post away!

Mr. dB · Post by **Mr. dB** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:38 pm

I'll post the batch of pics I did of my AC15 project. Problem is, I took these pics in late fall or early winter, and nothing has changed since then. Stupid lack of motivation...

The bare chassis, manufactured by Blind Lemon Chitlin:

[img:800:531]http://i13.tinypic.com/307rg3t.jpg[/img]

[img:800:531]http://i13.tinypic.com/2hz39ea.jpg[/img]

Chassis plus a few parts:

[img:800:531]http://i9.tinypic.com/2vl8sqf.jpg[/img]

Underside of the mostly-completed power amp chassis:

[img:800:531]http://i16.tinypic.com/401fu5c.jpg[/img]

Top side view of same:

[img:800:531]http://i19.tinypic.com/47b0o61.jpg[/img]

When it's all done, it'll go in this box:

[img:800:681]http://i12.tinypic.com/48btix3.jpg[/img]

What I don't have photographs of are the partially-completed preamp chassis. I have the control panel and tube sockets in and wired, I just have to complete the tagboards and install them, then I can marry the two chassis and wire up the power and output connections between the two.

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