Created through meticulous examination of the celebrated Copper-Panel '60s-era VOX AC30 amps, the AC10 Hand-Wired is a 10W tube combo amp with two 12AX7 preamp tubes, two EL84 power tubes, and one 12" Celestion G12M Greenback speaker. With the iconic Top Boost circuit onboard with dedicated High and Low inputs, this compact amp offers classic vintage tones.
Tone-shaping controls on the AC10 Hand-Wired include 2-band EQ control (Bass and Treble), a reverb control knob for the integrated spring reverb tank, and separate preamp volume and master volume controls. The output transformer and power supply have been redesigned for vintage-correct compression and sag. The cabinet features a thinner material to match the expansive midrange of the inspiration. Extra connections include a footswitch input, an external speaker output, and a series FX loop. The AC10 Hand-Wired includes a VFS1 footswitch and a power cable.
However, merely mimicking the vintage characteristics can lead to the generation of undesirable tones, particularly ghost notes—extraneous pitches unrelated to the actual played notes, especially at high volumes. Faced with the dilemma of prioritizing sound quality or addressing ghost notes, the previous AC30CC2 model incorporated a switch to toggle the power supply’s smoothing circuit. With the newly designed power supply circuit, the new VOX Hand-Wired series amplifiers address ghost notes without compromising sound quality and responsiveness, navigating the delicate balance between the two considerations in a truly musical way.