Vox AC30 CC the real story....
- From: "duskb" <duskb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 30 Dec 2005 16:55:26 -0800
Preface:
Generally I am not the type to get caught up in reviewing a
manufacturers product but after my experience with the new Vox/Korg
AC30 CC's I felt my findings were important enough to justify a post on
the net. If you are thinking about spending your hard earned money on
one of these amps try this first....
Chapter 1:
In early Dec '05 a Guitar Center circular showed the new Vox AC30's CC
priced for less than $1000.00. Hard to pass up if the thing was even
remotely similar to the original, IMHO. I figured since I was in the
market for a new amp anyways I'd check it out.
Just to see what current owners were saying I went to Harmony Central
(www.harmony-central.com). Overall most owners were happy but a few
spoke of horrible problems within minutes. I wasn't really surprised to
hear that. Generally on Chineese imports like that you need to test 1
in 10 to get one that actually works right.
One of my first stops was at the Guitar Center store in Sherman Oaks to
speak of my concerns with a few sales folk there. After warming up the
amp I ran my typical chromatic scale exercises...whole notes starting
at the mid neck. Within SECONDS I noticed a strange oscillation
underneath my notes....as if the guitar was being piped through a
Eventide H3000 with the preset at -5 semitones. It wasn't loud, per se,
but loud enough for me to hear it. Thinking the amp was a bad model I
tested the next one. Same thing. I brought in the rep and showed him
the issue. To which he responded, "Hmmm...you're right it DOESN'T sound
right...it must be broken. Well...sorry that's all the stock we got..."
Chapter 2
The next day I went to Guitar Center in Lawndale Ca. Same thing... This
time I hunted down the kid that attacked me when I first walked in the
door and said, "Get your manager, you need to see this." At once they
arrive and I plug in to show my test. At first, because the ambient
noise level in the store was so stinking loud they missed it. "Get
close," I said, "and this time LISTEN!"
SILENCE....
"Wow," says the manager, "you know what you need?"
"No...what," I asked.
"You need to check out this original Vox over here...it doesn't make
that sound."
(Incidentally it also doesnt cost 1 grand either).
"NO," I said, "I came here for this model and I want one that works.
Either get me one that works or pull this defective stuff off your
floor so someone else doesn't get tripped up on it."
"Well, maybe something is broken...let me call the rep on Monday and
see what they say. I'll have little Joe here take care of ya."
I left them my info and said, "Make sure you follow up with me." And we
left it at that.
Chapter 3:
Since I was mildly entertained by the whole quandry I was bold enough
to try a fourth store. This time West LA Music would be my target.
After a quick walk into the amp room, (subsequently chasing out two
street kids making horrible noise), I was greeted by a sales guy to
whom I stated, "I'd like to show you something. Please come with
me...."
We promptly plugged into the AC30 1x12 (the 2x12 was not available).
"Does this sound right to you?", I asked as I tried my revealing tones.
The sales guy was stunned, as if he had just been hit upside the head
by the amp itself. "I have never heard an amp do that in all my life,"
he said, "something's not right."
"Well," I interjected, "if you can find me one that doesn't do that
I'll buy it." After respectfully taking down my info he said he would
contact the rep on Monday and get back to me.
Later that night I wrote an email to KORG indicting their product
deficiency to which I got no reply, short of a auto vacation notice.
Chapter 4:
Two days later both stores called me back and gave me Korg's direct
number. They both said it was out of their hands at this point. I
called the Korg rep they referred me to who, not surprisingly, had no
idea what I was talking about. I even had to start explaining why I was
qualified to comment on the issue. "Listen," I said, "Please just go
try my test and let me know what you find. I guarantee you will be
calling me back saying you can hear it. I am that confident of what I
am hearing." He agreed he would run the test and call me back.
About 30 minutes later I got a call from the Korg rep, "Dusk, we tried
it and you're right. We aren't sure what's causing that noise but we
think it goes deeper than just swapping out the tubes.... This could be
a more serious issue, possibly down to the PCB.... Anyways I asked
around here and Korg's position on this "sound" is that this is a
"characteristic" of the amp and we have no plans to modify the sound
out of it. Essentially, it's the nature of the beast..."
Funny, the last time I heard that moniker used was in analog tape
recording in reference to overbiasing, wow and flutter, and dropouts. I
never thought that a built in Harmonizer effect in a tube amp would
pass as a "nature" issue.
"You have got to be kidding," I stated, "selling this product knowing
what you now know borders on corporate negligence, and at the very
least there are ethical implications for walking away from a problem
like this. At one point you are going to have to deal with it. What
about product liability and legal stuff like that? What if all 3000+
amp owners out there file a class action suit? That's a big deal, isn't
it?"
"Sorry, have you tried looking at the older models from the 90's?" was
his response.
"Yes," I replied, "but there aren't any left."
"Well there is nothing more I can do for you, Dusk, try writing a
complaint or something." We hung up and left it at that.
Three days later I took his advice and wrote a letter to Korg demanding
that in the future they disclose this issue in writing to potential
buyers everywhere. I still have not heard back from them as of this
writing.
Since then two other stores were made aware of the issue and one claims
they will be doing something about it. We shall see...
Epilogue:
As one would expect, in my line of work we require intense attention to
detail. Especially a guitar that will be compressed at every stage of
recording. Eventually all sonic nuances reveal themselves, including
"unintended parallel 5th harmonies". As unfortunate as it is,
regardless of how many redeeming qualities there are in the new Vox
AC30CC, the product will not pass muster for my session work so I go
without. Equally unfortunate is the fact that several stores were made
aware of the problem but not one has actually pulled the product, or
even demanded an explanation for that matter, even though they all
admitted the problem sounded "bad". How is that for corporate
integrity?
Finally, it is my desire that current Custom Classic owners demand in
one voice that Vox develop a workaround for this issue. I believe Vox
has a responsibilty to solve the issue rather than ignore it. Corporate
responsibilty has become the platform for many political battles in
this day and age. IMHO this battle needs to be fought to prevent the
whoring out of flawed gear under the names of their classic originals.
Clearly, if previous revisions do not exhibit this problem then it is
not out of the question to modify the problem out of the new line. All
it takes is enough care to demand the level of workmanship expressed on
the models these manufacturers are attempting to recreate.
Regards,
----
Dusk Bennett
Producer/Engineer
Stigmata Recorders
Los Angeles, CA
www.myspace.com/duskbennett
"Award Winning Work...Everytime"
.
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