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The Best AC30 Nobody Wants
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- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2024
- The AC30 amplifier is the iconic guitar amp; used by The Beatles, Tom Petty, Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, etc.. but sadly outside of a buying vintage Vox AC30, it's hard to find the AC30 in its original form today. The amp Dick Denney and Tom Jennings brought to market in the mid-60's is NOT the same amp you get when you buy a modern production AC30. Since the 60's more than six companies have owned the Vox name and built AC30s completely different internally from the original 60's Vox AC30. In the early 2000's, a vintage guitar dealer in the UK sought to correct this. Against surprising odds, they resurrected the early 60's AC30 and AC15 circuits and it was a huge success; UNTIL scandal brought the company to an unexpected end. This is the wild story behind the Music Ground iteration of JMI (1997-2014) and the origin of the best AC30 amp nobody wants: the JMI30/6 TB.
Gear & Settings
Guitars:
• ’17 Mario Martin Tele (Don Mare Hayride pickups),
• ’19 Fender ’62 Reissue Strat (Custom Shop Fat 50’s pickups w/ Ilitich SSCS),
• '60 Gibson ES-345 (Ron Ellis Signature Humbuckers)
Pedals:
• Paul C Audio Timmy V2 (only during 2:25 - 2:47)
• Strymon Timeline (only during 2:25 - 2:47)
• Strymon Deco (only during 15:20 - 16:17)
Amp:
• '08 JMI30/6 TB
Microphones:
• Beyerdynamic M160 ribbon mic (guitar left)
• Neumann U87ai (guitar right)
• Earthworks SR-25 (voice)
• Universal Audio OX Box (only during 15:20 - 16:17)
Audio interface:
• Universal Apollo x8p
Recording Software:
• Universal Audio Luna (audio)
• Ecamm Live (video)
Mic preamps:
• Capi FD312 WHR4 (left)
• Capi FD312 WHR4 (right)
Audio Plugins:
• Universal Audio LA-3A compresssor
• Oeksound Sooth 2
• FabFilter Pro Q eq
• Liquidsonics Seventh Heaven reverb
• iZotope RX 10 Standard (voice processing & single coil hum elimination)
Master bus
• Universal Audio Precision limiter
Video Gear:
• Sony A7 IV mirrorless digital camera with Tamron 28-75mm lens, f/2.8
• Aputure 120d for key lighting
• GVM-672S-B for backlight
• LIFX 80” LED strip + 40” LED strip for background lighting.
• Adobe Premiere
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Tele + Amp
1:15 - AC30 Story
2:25 - Strat + Pedals
2:47 - JMI Reborn
3:54 - Strat + Amp
4:28 - JMI30 Born
5:34 - ES345 + Amp
6:03 - JMI Success
7:17 - Tele Clean
7:45 - JMI's End
10:09 - JMI Today
10:58 - JMI30 VS
12:05 - AC30 Options
12:54 - JMI30 Cons
14:52 - Fane Speakers
15:20 - Fane VS Celestion
16:17 - Tonecast Approved
17:35 - Under the Radar
18:42 - Final Thoughts
Hi, I just watched your video "The Best AC30 Nobody Wants" very interesting video, well done. You asked for comments from those that have stories about Jennings and Vox so here goes. I was in a band in 1961 The Scorpions. We had two releases on Parlophone. With our first royalty check we went to Jennings shop in Charring Cross Road and bought two AC30. We only needed two as we were a trio. These amps made such a difference from the Watkins "Westminster" and Truvoice ? 12" amps. Laughingly My amp was which was for Bass was something like Model AC30B and the guitar one was AC30G. The only difference was just one capacitor value. Right from the start it was obvious that they were getting too hot, with those little slit vents, quite useless.
But they were robust amps and very heavy. We were once going to a gig, we had no van and were in a taxi. The two AC30s were in that odd section next to the driver that taxis of the day had. We were going round a large roundabout in London and both the amps fell off. The driver went round again stopped and we loaded the two amps back onto the taxi, and off we went. Both worked perfectly.
I was very interested in electronics and made separate cases for both amps and filled in the original cases to make two speaker cabs. This was a lot better. We used the amps like this for the rest of The Scorpions short career. I totally remodelled my amp and was able to get all the cct drawings (which I still have)from Jennings with no problem. I don't have what remained of my amp, and my brother just swapped his for something else. I stupidly sold the four blue speakers for about £60 not realising that they were much sort after. I have done the occasional repair to AC30s, including getting the output transformer rewound to effect a repair.
Cheers
John Barber
ruclips.net/video/bNtxIwsLYcw/видео.html&ab_channel=BlokeFromBattersea
Bt the way, the amps cost about £100 each
Wow! What a great story, John!! Thanks for chiming in and sharing your experience of buying your original AC30s from the Jennings shop in the early '60s with the money earned from your royalty check. I'm assuming your amp was the 6 input bass model without the top boost kit. Being interested in electronics, were you ever tempted to mod your AC30 bass to the guitar version or add the top boost kit? I'm also glad to hear you also share my criticism of amp's inadequate ventilation. I can't believe your amps fell off the taxi and still worked especially considering how the chassis is mounted in the old ones. That's wild!
That was an amazing story.
@@jfiery Right?!
The scorpions sound epically good. Brand new fan off of ‘Scorpio’ alone. Great story john.
I am so happy to be the proud owner of a genuine 1961 Vox AC30. This amp belonged to my music teacher and i played through it for the 1st time in 1963. In 1976 my old teacher retired and sold all his equipment and I was in the right place at the right time to buy it. Over the years I have collected quite a stock of NOS capacitors and resistors of the original brands Vox used just in case anything breaks. It still runs the original Celestion Blue speakers and they sound beautiful. It is a wonderful amp which I will pass down to my son when I go with strict instructions to keep it in the family. I have played through a JMI AC30 and they are good but to my ears are not quite the same as my amp. Maybe that is just age, either the amp or my ears. Great video well done!!!!
What a cool story about your '61 AC30. Do you have any clips of it here on RUclips? I'd love to hear it. I bet that amp sounds fantastic and maybe even a little sweeter given that it used belong to your music teacher. The JMI30 with the Fanes don't sound 100% like the early 60's AC30s but I'm sure a broken in pair of UK Celestion Alnico Blues would get most of us close enough. Thanks for watching and taking a moment to share your story. Crank up your '61 this week for me.
That's a lucky break!
This is the kind of love story I imagine myself having with an amp. Unfortunately I came too late to the dance.
May yours continue and one day far in the future, your son carry on this great story
😎👍
I had an original AC 30 1965 and the speakers were not blue Celestines but-branded JMI and all others of that age .Surely yours would not be blue Celestine that were inferior in my opinion.
@@grahamprice3230 Hi Graham - I also owned a 1965 AC30 for a few years and that had JMI branded speakers in the style of a Greenback chassis. I sold that amp as I didn't care for the sound as much as my 1961. My amp is what is often spoken of as 'Transitional' as it has 6 inputs and a 'copper' coloured control panel. The speakers are the originals and are most definitely 15 watt Blue Celestions, and sound much better than the others ever did.
Great story, I was with Music Ground at the NAMM show in LA when it was launched, I then took the amp home as I did a deal with Richard Harrison before the show, I was involved in the marketing of the amp. I also was involved in the “controversy “, it’s a matter of record .. nice article, I can fact check and confirm all you are saying
Thank you for the fact check verification. I did my best to report as accurately as possible. Very cool to hear from someone who was there and tangentially involved! What year NAMM show did you help with? Any notable players helping demo at the JMI booth? Which amp did you get to take home as compensation and do you still have it?
Why haven't some other company picked the ball up on this? they would sell like hotcakes
@@normanwaller2924 Great question, which raises another, is there currently a period correct early '60s AC30 being produced these days?
@norman waller There isn't another company that I know of. JMJ was offering good replicas for a little while but they stopped taking order. Northcoast Music used to sell a lot of parts, but they dialed back a lot. The Korg/Vox 2017 limited run was the last, accurate, modern production available but they only made 150 of the AC30 and 150 of the AC15.
Most amp makers say it's not a great business to make money. Slim profit margins and it's getting harder than every to get consistently good, high quality parts. A lot of this stuff used to be military spec, but that's not the case these days.
Thank you for this video. I bought my AC30 for 25 quid in 1969 (I was still at school, in a ‘group’ and it took me about 10 weeks to pay off). I think it was about 1966 model. It was roughed up, heavily gigged, but sounded better than I deserved for my playing skill. Then it received further abuse, and several accidents including beer spilt through the vents, cracking the tubes, etc.etc. Anyway, I played it occasionally up to a few years ago, and it’s gathering dust now. I got the speakers re-coned and circuit components replaced in 2007. This vid will maybe help to renew the relationship.
Oh wow! That’s so cool that you still have it. Most players who bought theirs in the 60s have long since sold their amp. I’m glad you were able to keep it running in spite of some honest abuse. Plug it up and play it this week for me! Thanks for watching.
I'm glad you covered the unfortunate reality of Music Ground, and why JMI amps went out of business. They were highly accurate Vox copies....because the team at Music Ground were highly skilled forgers and knew what to look for on even the smallest details. Justin Harrison is still in business, operating "Denmark St. Guitars" in London (along with London Vintage and Hank's). Caveat Emptor.
There was no way I could talk about this iteration of JMI and omit Music Ground's part in resurrecting the brand. Music Ground was the first place these amps were available. The two stories are so intertwined.
To say that Music Ground had a team of "highly skilled forgers" may be a bit of an apocryphal characterization, but I get your point. The counterfeit gear purchased from Music Ground, would be easy to spot for most seasoned vintage dealers, but not to an unsuspecting customer new to the vintage market. I suspect the sale of counterfeit and frankenstein vintage gear had been going on for some time before the internet connected everyone. Once the connectivity of the internet brought more and more musicians together, the community quickly put two and two together. I wish MG had chosen the route of integrity, but alas here we are. Thanks for watching and taking a moment to comment.
@@tonecast1 Certainly, and thanks for posting this. Music Ground had a workshop in Doncaster that was infamous for doing "lash-ups" of vintage Marshall and Vox amps (primarily Marshall though, as less is documented about the changes) but even more so they were doing-up guitars that were made of half-original parts and half new stuff. I have a rare vintage '64 Rickenbacker that I understand MG robbed parts from in the early 00s, to build fake Beatle-spec 325 models. It's a huge process un-doing the messes they created back in the day. All that said -- JMI amps involved people outside of MG too, and they are legitimately great amps that filled a much-needed gap in the market at that time (post-Korg AC-30 but before other reissues), very high quality build.
I heard that JMI had 'problems'
This is the same scoundrel that runs the “British Pedal Company”?
@@collinwhitley3543interesting… The current iteration of Hi-Watt are Doncaster based.
I worked at Northern Guitars the shop across the road from Music Ground Leeds in the early 00's, I used to also pick up some of the extra amplifier builds that JMI or Hiwatt required, I would travel down to Carcroft and pickup some kits (Mainly AC4 and Range Masters), take them home, build and test them and then drop them off at the factory.
I could tell some tales about the Music Ground scandal for sure, it was crazy to watch it go down in flames from across the street.
I knew both Rick and Justin quite well, Rick having passed away recently.
Once the fiasco of the international guitar scandal started, I decided to distance myself from the company and went to work for Weinbrock Amplifiers, another company which ended in controversy and deportation of it's owner back to the USA.
Then starting my own company, Healey Amplification which still has some RUclips videos lurking around, one of Rabea Massad very early on in his RUclips career demoing the amps.
Before moved across to the HiFi world joining Audio Note (a very high end boutique Valve HiFi company) until very recently where I've finally moved into another field of engineering.
The British valve amplifier industry is an incredibly small world and I've met or know most of the people in the industry including a lot of the guys at Black Star, MatAmp, Cornford and Marshall.
Oh very cool that you were literally across the street from the Leeds location. The UK guitar community seems to relatively a small community. Do you have any insights on the operation of JMI in particular? How many employees did they have working on the amps in addition to Steve Giles, the cabinet maker (name?), Ben, and Oli? Do you know who was wiring up any of the other amp models? Steve mentioned that he only worked on the JMI30 models and that the other models were done by other employees or contract labor. Thanks for watching and commenting with your unique perspective.
Kee Payne formerly of One Minute Silence and a guy named George used to wire most of the amps at Hiwatt and I believe most of the JMI amps, the factories were a few miles apart from each other . The JMI factory was a tiny unit with maybe three or four people there whereas Hiwatt was much bigger and perhaps 20 employees? There were two test engineers whose name escapes me, it's been a long time 😂
My amps used a lot of the same suppliers of Hiwatt/JMI including the panel makers if you look at the Healey Sapphire the panels are the same construction as Hiwatt.
I'm happy to discuss more if you want to know just let me know how to get in touch.
Thanks. 👍
That's super helpful. Thanks for sharing what you can remember!
One of my regular guitar shops, I bought a ton of gear in the 90s from Music Ground. Their shop in Doncaster was something, wall to wall of vintage gear. Almost cluttered. Not a plush modern looking place at all, was more like walking through an old attic with creaky floor boards. Was gutted when it shut, but the Leeds store remained open for a number of years after, although much smaller. I live near Sheffield, about 20 miles away. Bought an early 70s ac30 from them, had nothing but problems with it. They definitely had the Del Boy(Google it) air about them. So wasn’t surprised when the news hit the papers. Brilliant 😂
Finally! I've been waiting for someone who shopped at the Doncaster Music Ground shop to chime in. That shop seemed to come and go right as the internet was really taking off so there's not much info to find about it via the web other than the same handful of pictures. Apparently some big names stopped into the Doncaster store back then to check out what they had. I've seen the photos of Noel Gallagher, Bryan Adams, etc... Did they have a few staff or was it mainly the owners running the shop? Was there ever an air of suspicion about the authenticity of the guitars and amps back in the late 90s? I suspect that the selling of counterfeit gear may had been happening for some time. I found chatter dating back to the mid 2000's suggesting to steer clear of their shop. It finally caught up to them a few years later with advent of the internet and people finally connecting the dots. And yes I had to wikipedia "Del Boy" to get the gist of your comment. Thanks for sharing your experience.
@@tonecast1 Definitely had quite a few celebs visit the place, they had framed photos on the wall, it was pretty much the first thing you spotted when you walk in. They had a reputation as the place for vintage gear. I still remember the first time I visited, my eyes almost popped out. They had ALOT of stuff, although knowing what we know, it does make you wonder. It was like a rabbit warren. Imagine a large bedroom house, with multiple small rooms and creaky staircase, quite fun. Although fairly run down. Around the mid 90s I had an anchoring for a 73 Strat as it was my birth year, tried a few on Denmark St, but ultimately bought one at MG (Donny). Which was actually a good guitar (but at Denmark st prices). Yes they had other staff, I remember a younger guy in his 20s who was always there, the owners weren’t always around. I wouldn’t say there were particular rumours at the time, just that the characters had a dodgy vibe and a certain arrogance. You wouldn’t get a good deal there. Their association with famous artists earned them a real chip. The Leeds shop was much smaller, I remember feeling underwhelmed compared to Donny. The last time I visited was around 2007. Electro Music (also in Donny) was also well renowned and known with the celebs, both shops were pretty amazing. Sadly both are gone.
@@rodd1000 That's so cool. Thanks for sharing your memories of MG. I actually found articles about Electro Music during my research. It sounded like a local stalwart for musicians. Do you still have the '73 strat?
Have you checked the Way Back Machine for the old Music Ground site. Quite an interesting read.
@@rodd1000 I actually used it a lot in my research for the video. I looked at ever iteration of the old site on there. You even see some screenshots from the WBM in the video. 😁
was at the Shadows reunion tour in Durban, 7 rows from the front. The guitarists (Hank Marvin lead, and Bruce Welch -rhythm) each had a pair of JMI amps, I don't know if they were linked or one was spare. They sounded fantastic, having the advantage of modern technology and a top-notch soundman. Like so many Commonwealth guitarists Hank was the reason I played guitar, and my number one is still a Strat. Oddly, as a Shadows fan, I never got on with Vox amps I prefer Fender. Oh, and Cliff sang all his songs in the original keys. It was a brilliant show.
Hank was using a JMI30 for the 2009 reunion tour. There's also footage of him on Later with Jools Holland using a JMI15. It seems like the the Shadows were the proto Beatles with Marvin being the first guitar hero of a lot of players at that time. Very cool stuff. Thanks for commenting!
Jim! Love this video man. You're killing it. Can't wait to see what you put out next.
Thanks, Cam! I appreciate you taking the time to check it out. I’ll try not to suck it up in the next one.
Fun fact! Justin is still building these amps in extremely limited quantity. The owner of Matamp has all the cabs and guts at his house and is assembling them there. I purchased a 2022 model direct from Justin (prior to knowing the history and junk that went down) and it was honestly the best AC30 I’ve played. Recently sold it but very interesting history there.
Oh Really? That's very interesting. Thanks for sharing. I wouldn't recommend anyone buy anything from him directly. Did the amp you purchased have all the JMI branding on it as well? It appeared to me that JMI is under new ownership given the new website, but maybe you can confirm or deny that for me.
Yeah it was a legit JMI. I just recently sold it on Reverb, so if you look under the sold listings, it should pop up from fairly recent. Looks exactly like yours with the JMI badge.
@@Wired912Thanks for sharing this info. All of it is super helpful.
I sat in with a band in the 1990s. The guitar player let me use his guitar and his pair of AC30s. I don't know which iteration of the Vox amps these were, but they were memorable and to this day some of the best amps I remember playing through. Ever since I've wanted a Vox amp, but there are so many variations that I don't want to get something that's less than the original. I might have to look into these JMI amps.
You're right. The list of AC30s amps that have been made through the years is pretty confusing to navigate. The Vox Showroom website does a good job breaking down the differences, but there is a lot of reading involved to make sense of things. Again the Five Watt World short history of the AC30 is also another great resource to help make sense of all the various iterations. These JMIs have fallen under the radar in recent years and I think are solid option. Nothing quite sounds like an old AC30 if you're looking for THAT sound. To get that old AC30 tone, you need: one of the 61-66 top boost circuit designs, a pair of alnico blues or silvers, and you need them all housed in a 60s style Vox cabinet design. All of that adds up to the sound. Bonus point if you cant source some NOS tubes. Thanks for watching and commenting!
One thing that few mention in relation to the original AC30s is the valves or tubes as they say in the U.S. Both input and output valves were Mullards. Mullard (of Blackburn U.K) valves were the unsurpassed gold standard at that time and I have one original EF 86 in my current AC30 -which is a Marshall built Korg version, but it's in the AC15 add-on I have attached to the back. What a difference it makes from the JJs I had before. Vox switched from EF86 input valves to ECC 83s and they were the worse for it. They did it because the EF86s were prone to failure. In fact after the switch, lots of Shadows fans complained about the inferior tone compared to the AC30/4 which had the EF86s. Hank Marvin never did manage to reproduce the tone he had with the AC15s and then the AC30/4s.
I think utilizing tubes that the circuit was designed for probably offers the optimum tonal experience. So an old AC30 probably does sound a little sweeter with old Mullards. That said old Mullards are hard to come by these days. The JMI amp I was using was designed in 2007 to sound good with modern production tubes. Mullards might not sound as sweet in it.
I’ve owned 3 modern production amps that use a EF86 preamp tube: a Matchless HC30, a Korg built Vox 50th Anniversary AC30, and a Magic Amplication Brit MkII (AC15 replica). The EF86 has its place. I think the sound of an EF86 pairs best with a single coil bridge pickup. The EF86 doesn’t pair as nicely with humbuckers or a neck position pickup; it’s got too much gain and midrange for those pairings IMO. So it’s all about context and what you’re pairing a sound with. Tubes matter but it’s helpful to remember they’re part of a larger of the equation. Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts.
I just remembered that I bought an old stock Mullard EF86 and tried it with the Matchless HC30. The amp sounded better with the modern production EF86 tube it shipped with. Interesting results right?
@@tonecast1 Thanks for the replies. I haven't tried EF86s in anything but Vox AC15s . It might sound good in my AC15 15 add- on simply because my Korg british built Vox is supposed to be the nearest match to the original AC30/6 top boost. It sounds pretty good but not as good as rich in tone as the original. Might be the circuitry as you say. Apart from my blues playing, the only other thing I do is to try to emulate the early tone and sound of Hank Marvin. Many hundreds of people across the globe have been trying to do this for years nearly all without success, But with the EF86 in my AC15 pre amp attachment, I have managed to get closer than anyone I have heard playing these tunes live. Maybe the Steve Giles JMI might be a good half way house between the original AC30 TB and the Marshall built amps with of course tubes to suit that amp. I can hear very clearly though a much cleaner bell like tone on the treble strings from the EF86 than with other valves but perhaps with slightly less richness of tone. One thing I am thinking of is to put EF86s in to replace the preamp tubes on my AC30 out of interest. I have a spare old stock one but do you know who makes the new stock EF86s now. Thanks a lot and a fascinating story.
I’m no expert on EF86 tubes but I do know that it’s a notoriously fragile tube design. I believe the Matchless C-30 I had an Electro Harmonix EF86 if I recall correctly. That tube sounded better in that amp than the NOS Mullard EF86 but I suspect that was bc the amp was designed for that specific make of tube.
I build amps at home and I can tell you that hand wiring six ac30’s every two weeks is a LOT of work. Especially if you’re going to be building them at a quality level that justifies charging enough to make a decent profit. Those amps aren’t simple builds. They’ll make you appreciate Leo Fender’s genius REALLY quick. I do love them tho. Gimme a Vox HW and I’ll make it an actual HW for ya! :) Great playing too!
Right?! When Steve told me he wired up six amps by himself every two weeks, I was like no wonder you got out after a few years. That's hard work! If you can turn a VOX HW in an actual HW you probably watching Psionic Audio's channel too. Love his videos on AC30s. Super informative stuff. Thanks for watching.
Great video. I have another “AC30 that no-one wants”- built in 1987, PCB, G12-75s. On paper, a hateful piece of kit😁 I bought it new-out-of-the-box in 1991, and it has done literally 1000s of gigs and only “failed to proceed” twice. It sounds like an AC30 and a JTM had a secret tryst😹 I love it and it will need to be pried from my cold, dead hands.
But the sounds you pulled on this video are top-notch.
Liked and subscribed; hope to see more top quality content soon👍
Very nice! There are so many AC30 variants one could easily make a video like this per variant if they had access to each amp. Thanks for watching and subscribing. Cheers.
VoxAC30c2 owner here. I agree that it isn’t the same as vintage by any stretch. I can get similar enough tones if I want, which I don’t. :). But it does sound fantastic and tonally rich and the master volume allows me to get a great tone in the bedroom and please sound guys at gigs while not sounding thin and flubby. I’m super glad I got one.
The AC30c2 sounds like a good fit for you. Glad you're enjoying it. That's all that matters right? Thanks for sharing!
Excellent presentation. I never knew about this amp! What a crazy story. I’d like to learn more about them and their availability.
Thanks Andrew. During my research when buying the amp, I discovered there wasn't a good resource on RUclips about this era of JMI, so I thought it would beneficial to make what I wished I could've watched on RUclips before encountering mine. Steve told me he made about 350 of these amps and it seemed JMI made some after he left the company. I'm not sure how many they made after Steve left. As of lately, you'll see a listing show up on Reverb and eBay every couple of months. There's one on Reverb right now. The seller is asking $3k with local pickup which seems a little steep to me. Thanks for commenting and watching.
A very close copy is a bedrock amp.I paid $560 for mine & compared it side by side with a 1994 British made ac30 & they sounded IDENTICAL!!!
Also,someone told me not to buy from that company because they said the owner is a real jerk. Not sure?
Another fantastic video, Jim! I didn't know any of the backstory behind the JMI stuff. Great presentation, production, content, and playing as always!!!
Thanks, Matt. Vox amps are a rabbit hole. Don't go down it unless you're prepared to be confused. Thanks for commenting too.
Man what a killer video! Fantastic story telling, B roll footage, sound clips, factoids…
Also I’ve been in the room with this amp, the Chinese AC30HHW, and a pair of Matchlesses all at once. This JMI has the GOODS.
Way to go, Tonecast.
Now to scour the internet to find another one for sale…
This is true, Internet. Sam has been my comrade in arms on many a Tonequest. He has personally beheld the tonal glory that is this particular JMI30 and been in awe of its unbridled power and chime.
Thanks man. I appreciate the kinds words and the fact that you notice the work I put into the vid. May the FM-3 treat you well.
Played a barn find beatup 64 Vox AC-30-GLORIOUS!! Sold before I could grab it. Checked Reverb and a 90’s UK era barely used sitting in a studio was up for sale for half of what other amp was going for. It was used 3 times in almost 30 hrs in studio! Weird period. 93 UK made AC-30. Marshall/ Korg era builds start in 94. Think they were builds still using Rose Morris parts left in factory at Marshall plant but officially start in 94! Cool amp! Great video!
Yeah those early 90s Marshall built AC30s are legit. Their design differs from the 60s Jennings era in some ways (some for the better). Great amps not to be overlooked. Thanks for watching.
Everything about vox ac30 s are confusing
They are pretty hard to dial in mate!
I play a mates & lm after chime + a bit of breakup...end up sounding like Brian May...but nowhere near as good!!
Dude you're not kidding. Its history is a jumbled mess. The reverse function of the cut, treble, and bass controls on the old AC30s and JMI30s will throw you for a loop if you've never encountered one before. BUT man there is some magic happening in this classic design when represented accurately.
The only AC30 that actually interests me is the 2003 AC30HW, the first limited edition handwired reissue. I played through one of those when they hit the market 20 years ago, and it's still one of the best amps I've ever played in my life. Glad to see it gets a mention, here, but yes, it is not an early 60's AC30, and I'm fine with that.
There are definitely some good options to consider depending on what's important to you. I'd love to try out every Korg built Vox I mentioned, but I've only spent time with the 2007 50th Anniversary. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Excellent video! I was aware of JMI back in the 2000s - I graduated highschool in 2007 and being the gear-freak that I was, I discovered them through Googling the crap out of AC30s. Funny timing, I just thought about JMI a few weeks ago and looked them up - wasn't impressed by the offerings now and figured their period-correct amps must be coveted collector pieces now. I had NO idea about the whole Music Ground fiasco. Like everyone else who watched this, I might have to watch out for any that go on sale now 😆
That's rad that you remember these amps when they were originally still a thing in '07. I'm glad the vid could help you understand the backstory behind the brand. I had a feeling most people didn't know the whole story behind these amps, even if they had heard of them already. Thanks for taking the time to watch.
your stuff just keeps getting better and better man! great job researching this story. would love to hear more stories like it! really enjoyed the format. and of course, great tones and playing as always. 1k subs incoming!
Thanks for the feedback, Dylan. This whole time I've been thinking shorter is better for RUclips, that's not necessarily the case. I think BETTER is better. AKA have a compelling story/angle, some knowledge to impart, & some visual variety to keep it more dynamic, etc... If you provide all those things the viewer will give you some leeway on the runtime and be more likely to respond.
It was a cool story that hasn't really been told here on RUclips. I had been researching this one and off for a long time. Glad folks seems to have enjoyed it. Thanks for your encouragement all along. Let's get together and play soon!
@@tonecast1 we gotta make that happen! and yes--BETTER is better. love that.
I was all over the JMI website back in 2003/2004 and seriously regret not buying a few amps.
The JMI30 is great AC30 circuit build. I can’t speak for the other models, but I’d love to try their AC10 twin.
That was an excellent detailed historical background on the AC30; I had zero knowledge of any of it. I have not come across the JMI ever. Love the recommendations you provided with an explanation on why, great job!
As always E W, I appreciate you watching and commenting. I had not encounter a JMI before owning this one, but I had heard bits and pieces of the crazy story about Music Ground. The Music Ground iteration of JMI definitely is a wild story. I hadn't seen anyone piece it together in one place like this so I thought others would enjoy hearing it concisely explained in a single video.
@@tonecast1 I'm glad you're the one who went down that rabbit hole to uncover and share that history! Thanks much for the work you put into this video. 👍
I have the AC15 version of this amp. These two amps might be the only products Music Ground ever commissioned that were truly great. They commissioned the two best Vox repairmen in the UK to build the chassis for them. Those builders really knew what they were doing. The cabinets were commissioned from a top quality cabinet shop and the amps were assembled by, or for, Music Ground. The result was a brand-new Jennings-era AC30 and AC15. They knew to (or were forced to) change the grill cloth pattern to avoid infringing the Vox trademark cloth, and they badged them with "JMI" rather than "VOX".
The men behind Music Ground have their issues and they may have quite the rap sheet, but these two amps are great despite the source.
I agree that the builders behind these amps did a fine job and ultimately that should be what we takeaway. In 50 years, the quality of their work will be what remains when the backstory has been forgotten. If you wouldn’t mind, please email me (about tab of the channel) if you can share any of the names of any of the builders involved. I don’t want to dox folks here in the comment section who were involved in the making of these amps that may want to remain in anonymity. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Glad to hear you love you JMI15.
Some great commentary here. I had an early sixties Vox AC30 which I traded for a Session 15-30 (you'll need to Google- only about 400 made of those) at a long forgotten music shop in Camden, North London. When I originally bought it, it had an unpatterned pale loudspeaker cloth, only one handle, no gold trim stripe and no logo. I bought all the spares from ABC Music in Addlestone, Surrey and fettled it into the shape we all know and love. I put the Vox cloth over the top of the existing cloth, and I also fitted castors using M6 screws, internal aluminium bearer plates and butterfly nuts. If you're reading this and it all rings a bell, then you likely have my old amp. I changed the lethal mains lead on it too- it had been powered down some six hours and was disconnected from grid power, but I must have brushed against something and unwittingly used myself to crowbar a capacitor and the shock threw me straight across the room. A great amp but as you said in the video- painfully loud for a bedroom warrior like me. I do so wish I'd never flipped it though.
Man that’s a wild story! You’re lucky to be alive! Glad you survived the shock. This is why I’m very careful any time an amp gets opened up. As you well know capacitors in amps store lethal amounts voltage. Your story serves as a cautionary tale for those who might not know. Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
I owned one of the "slope-sided" AC-30's during the 60's. I used it extensively with my band while in HS. I recall that it was heavy AF, and got very hot during use. So hot that the grill cloth covering the head deteriorated and got very unsightly. I replaced the cloth with some blue Fender-ish stuff, and used a hole saw to make vents in the front panel. This worked out well, reducing the internal temperature significantly. The speaker cabinet was a sealed back unit, with Alnico speakers. It was a repo that I picked up for a great price. It came without the chrome trolley. Sadly, it was stolen while I was living in Toronto, along with my 1963 Gibson Firebird III. I never saw either of them again.
I believe you when you say your old AC30 head got so hot that the covering on the head started to show heat damage. The trapezoid head shape probably trapped more heat in the top of the cab because there was smaller volume of space for the heat to occupy. My amp gets extremely hot so I run it sparingly. It sounds like a common issue with several of the older Vox amp designs. Sorry to hear it and the Firebird were both stolen. Thanks for sharing your experience. And thanks for watching.
Great episode...the best part are the iconic songs played, well executed .
I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching.
Wow, great job on so many levels.
1) excellent information
2) excellent presentation
3) excellent editing
4) excellent playing and tone
5) excellent selection of riffs (you had me immediately with Petty… and then you doubled down with Helter Skelter)
… I could keep going but you get it. Excellent all around!
Y’all better like and subscribe! Support this channel!
"Thanks, Tyler", he said while discretely sliding money across the table.
@@tonecast1 😂
I tried one out in a music store two days ago! I just left it with dials at 12 O’clock, plugged in a Tele, and bam! great tone. It looked like an AC30 and I realized that JMI had something to do with the original Vox but nothing else. Thanks for filling in all the details.
Very cool! Of the three amps I currently own, I think my tele sounds best through the JMI30. They make for a good pairing. Thanks for watching!
You filled in some blanks for me. Got my first VOX in 1969 San Francisco, along with a 1965 (NOS) red Gibson ES335. Then I got the JMI AC30 and AC15.
Well, Music Ground is actually now London Vintage and Hanks, as well as BPC. Justin is an incredibly resilient person when it comes to rebranding and marketing.
With all of that in mind, I went into Hanks back in November whole visiting London, and the few guys operating the store that day were a solid bunch. Really nice and knowledgeable, fair with pricing when I noticed discrepancies from Justin doing eBay/online/elsewhere listings and the current in-store prices, and overall just gear crazy peeps I would have no problem hanging out with at the pub.
Some crazy gear came out of this whole whirlwind, some I wouldn't take for free and others I'd happily pay a fair price. I try to remind myself that in this modern age, everything is a recreation of something old and if you do your research and know 100% what you're getting, then you didn't do anything wrong. It's that grey area where you need to separate the artists from the art.
A lot of great people worked on these things and they sound great, and that should be good enough. If you hate that, well, buy used so it doesn't profit the company because these amps and some BPC stuff is great.
Thanks sharing your thoughts. There was a lot I didn't go into in the video: Hiwatt, Hks, BPC, LV, Yungblud, Steve Giles' Vintage Pedal Workshop, etc... I barely had the time to provide the backstory of the amp and showcase it in 20 minutes. I also didn't think it fair to name names and put anyone on blast for their current work. I don't doubt the resilience displayed. A certain level of business acumen and tenacity is required to execute the level of success that both JMI and Music Ground achieved. Questions remain for me regarding integrity and if any lesson was learned. I know people are capable of reform. I hope for the best, expect the worst in that situation, as far as my trust goes. I couldn't in good faith recommend doing business with any of the owner's current businesses over the internet, and I'd be damn sure I knew my stuff before purchasing from them in person. That said, thanks for sharing your in-store experience. I'm glad to hear you felt good about it. Thanks for watching!
You should look into Psionic Audio. He does a custom JMI era vox amp. He also has a great channel and goes through the process of the engineering and building on it. I watched it come to life and it was pretty fun. Lyle is also very knowlegeable with other amps and is tech. I havent bought one yet, but when I get the extra cash, I plan on it.
Yeah Lyle's channel is a great resource. I've watched a lot of his videos. I think he's inundated with tech work requests and opts not to respond to folks simply bc he's got his hands full as is. That said, if you're in Memphis you can probably get him to work on an amp via the shop he does contract tech work for.
Great content. Given the interesting story, I would be inclined to keep the JMI logo on the amp. But I can also see wanting to put a VOX one on it.☺☺☺
Thanks for the kind words. The JMI logo bugged me bc was it cheap and kind of green looking in person. The color of the plating on the logo was off. If they had put a better quality logo in there I would’ve left it.
I'm only now returning to the music scene, after a loooong hiatus! (Even though I didn't play, and wasn't part of the 'scene,' I never stopped listening!)
So, it's no surprise to me that I knew nothing about this story, lol. But, it just goes to show that people will do some strange things. And there's always going to be someone who will try to rip people in any group for profit.
All in all, a great story, great sound, and pretty good playing. Thank you for the reminiscing of some great sound, made by some of the greatest players ever.
And, well researched & well presented! I had NO trouble listening to the end!
Welcome back to the world music. I'm glad you found the video engaging enough to watch until the end. That sort of feedback is helpful for making a video like this. You're right, there's always certain types who will do whatever it takes to make their money, integrity be damned. It's sad bc the history suggests that Music Ground came along at a good time and that the business could've positioned itself to be very profitable business for decades to come had there had been more integrity at the core of the operation. Hopefully their story will serve as a cautionary tale for other who would consider conducting their business in a similar fashion. Good character and integrity have value that always pays off in the long run. Thanks for watching.
Old gear head here and bought a JMI 6 TB brand new back when they first hit the US market. Amp was sooooo good I broke a cardinal rule of mine re buying new and taking the risk given poor resale price in the used gear market. I sold mine before the debacle of Music Ground. And the only reason I sold mine was that it was just too loud for my playing situation and still would be. So I sold it and bought a new (yes new again) JMI 15 and still have it. Personally I think it’s a better option for most players to get that crazy good Vox sound at a much more useable volume. Those Fane blues in the 30 were a big part of the magic and I have a pair of those in a JTM 45 style amp and think they’re one of the best high powered alnico speaker ever made. Great info you provide in this vid and completely share your sentiments pro and con of this great amp. My JMI 15 is going no where…for that sound there is none better.
Nice! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Where did you buy your JMI30 from? LA Vintage? I've owned Magic Amps Brit MKII (a solid AC15 replica) and while it was a more manageable volume, I didn't really like the sound of the smaller cab and EF86 as much. The JMI30 definitely has a bigger sound due to the cabinet design and beefier transformers. That said, I've never had the fortune of trying any of the other JMI models. I'd love to try the JMI30/4 and the JMI10 to see how they compare to the JMI30/6. Thanks for chiming in with your experience with JMI amps. I appreciate the kind words regarding the video. And thanks for watching!
Ahhhh good catch, I edited that part out and may have confused him with some one else or could have been a rumor years back. If you happen to talk to him again you might ask if there was a rumor going around about him passing. And great to know he is still alive as I have great respect for his work and as you said in your vid admiration for the purity of the JMI 30 TB to the original.
I bought mine from a guy who was representing them here in the US and he had a booth at a Dallas guitar show. A buddy and I each bought one right off the floor the last day of the show. I believe he was based out of New Jersey but don’t recall his name. Also could add that at one time I had the 30/6, Jamison era DC30 and a /13 RSA 31. The 30/6 was hands down the best sounding to my ear.
I can confirm I bought my JMI 15 in Jan 2014 from Action Music in Falls Church, VA. I still have the receipt.
@@randallhoward2162 No worries. Thanks for making the amendment. That's cool you bought yours at the Dallas Guitar Show. I also owned a Matchless C30 that I sold after I acquired the JMI30. Both amps sound great and have their place, but if you want the classic Vox sound, the JMI30 is the better amp for that, IMO. I can't vouch for the other JMI models as I've not seen them in person, but this particular JMI30/6 is an outstanding amp. I'm glad to hear you're still enjoying your JMI15. Thanks for sharing.
I have an old 70's Jen Doublesound Fuzz/Wah, made in Italy. Unique sound with the fuzz and wah in parallel, max fuzz you get a subtle, but useful adjustment in character with the wah sweep, aggressive with toe down, sweet and smooth with heel down, back off on the guitar volume and you get the more traditional wah wah.
Nice. Thanks for watching!
I remember these amps. They were quite hard to get in the US. I also remember some kind of controversy about Music Ground offering them, although I don't recall the details. I always wondered what happened to them.
Same here. I never saw any new JMI amps here in the US, but I remembered reading about them. As for Music Ground, I read more than I cared about their shenanigans. Thanks for watching.
How do you identify a Giles-era JMI 30? If you came upon it in a pawn shop, how would you know confirm its the proper build?
If you take the back panel off and you’ll see Steve’s initials (SG) on the chassis soak test tag. The tag is on the left side if you’re looking at the back of the amp.
@@tonecast1 awsome thank you!!
You bet!
I recently bought an AC30c2 and whilst is was a great amp it didn't sound like my old AC30's (I have owned 3 early 60's Ac30's over my career) so I took it to my local amp guy here in Dallas TX (Slemmons Music who does all the repair and mod work on all my gear and is one of the best in my opinion) and I had him Mod it to 1964 specs. He cut out the reverb circuit as well as the FX loop changed a bunch of components including the power and output transformers and added a choke (which the modern ones don't have but make a difference to the sound and feel of the amp) and changed the Celestion greenbacks for a pair of the ALNICO Blues.... WOW.... it took me right back to my old 64 AC30.... It sounds and feels just like my vintage amps did.... Now I essentially have a 1964 AC30 for less than half the price of an actual 64 and it is likely more reliable than a vintage one..... back in the day my Early 60's amps used to spend quite a bit of time in the shop for repair LOL
Yeah the AC30c2 is really more like. Fender in stock form and like you said not necessarily bad but it definitely doesn’t sound like an old Vox. That’s awesome your tech was able to mod it to vintage spec and get it some Alnico blues in it. Crank it up this week for me. Thanks for sharing and watching.
@@tonecast1 I run a recording studio and it gets used there by my clients….. they seem to like it too LOL
great stuff here! and what tasty sounds you get from that amp!
My eyes were really opened to Vox amps when I worked with Bob Ezrin and Trey Anastasio as a tech during some Phish sessions (Big Boat) in Nashville. Bob insisted on using early 60’s Vox amps for some of the (loud) guitar work. Trey hasn’t used Vox amps much but he does seem to gravitate to EL84 tubed amps..Boogie, Komet/Trainwreck
Thanks for sharing, D. I remember you telling me about your experience with Bob & Trey, but I don’t think you mentioned anything about old Voxes during those sessions. That’s cool that they used some vintage Voxes for those Phish Big Boat sessions where they borrowed some of your guitars.
I have a vox ac30 c2x that I bought in early 2014. It sounds great, but I remember opening for a band where the guitar player was using a 90s ac30 6tbx and it sounded sooo good! The guitar player was a really nice guy and amazing player so we got to talking about gear after the show.
There's a funny story about that show. I had put together a small pedalboard for it as I was playing guitar for someone I knew who didn't have a band then. I learned the songs from his EP in a few days and assembled the board to use for them specifically. The 4 or 5 pedals were Daisy chained for power and while setting up in the dark on stage, an 18v power supply got plugged into the beginning of the chain instead of a 9v. The whole board wasn't working and we had to start the show, so I plugged direct into my vibrolux amp and had to improv some new parts with only the amps spring reverb and tremolo. I was using a friend's guitar, the gretsch super axe, so I also had a phaser effect from that. It's built in compressor was broken.
After the show I found that only the first pedal in the chain was fried from power and it was a cheap drive/boost pedal, which was a relief because I was doing the show as a favor and not being paid. The other pedals were fine. I could have just removed the first one from the power and signal chain, but when you're on a time crunch and the shows gotta start, you do what you have to do.
Edit: I'm very interested in trying the jmi 30
If you ever come across the JMI in person, try it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. You'll likely find its does some things different from your Vox AC30 C2x. Thanks for commenting and watching!
Some of the best tone Ive heard on RUclips! New sub here!
Wow. Thanks man. My latest few videos have been more short histories but after I drop the talking video I’m editing right now, I’m getting back to some playing. Thanks for the sub!
@@tonecast1 When I heard that 345 through that amp just a bit ago it blew me away! I am an avid and regular guitar RUclips viewer and this is praise I don’t levee lightly. Excellent. The recording execution as well as the playing. I look forward to seeing more! Thanks for the reply!
Well thank you for the kind words. The first video on my channel was a comparison of this JMI30 and a Matchless HC-30. I dialed in the recording signal chain for the Matchless and used the same signal chain to track the JMI to have a control variable for that comparison. I think doing this had a negative impact on how the sound of the JMI was portrayed in that video. It wasn’t an accurate portrayal of the JMI so I vowed to make another video to right that wrong. This video actually does the amp justice. That 345 is just a magical guitar. It rips, sounds brighter and more open than any other 335 I’ve owned. I went through a lot of ES style guitars before I stumbled into this one. I’m extremely happy with it.
@@tonecast1 I can see why it’s the one!
The Alnico 'Blues' are legendary speakers - I bought a Vox 2 x 12" cab equipped with a pair of these beauties from Sound Pad in Leicester circa. '73 for £30 - it was pretty beat up and guessing from early/mid 60's. It was simply an AC30 closed-back cab without the amp chassis as they produced a separate AC30 head version of the actual amp (for organ or bass?).
I swapped the back for two panels for a more 'open' sound and succcesfully used this cab with a variety of amps over the next 20-years, but finally sold it for £500 to trade up to a Fender DRRI which I immediately loaded with an Alnico Gold speaker.
Just completed a Princeton upgrade with larger Power & Output transformers + 6L6 tubes for a 24 watt output with new baffle and 12" speaker and yes, it had to be an Alnico Blue! (15 watts I know, but they are hardy beasts).
I would like to get hold of an AC15, but space is always a premium, but never say never!
Great informative video - now subscribed to your channel.
I once had a Princeton clone with a 12” speaker and baffle. I loved that amp very much. Very interesting you installed a beefed up power and output transformer. I’m sure that gives the attack of the note a little more authority. Thanks for the sub and thanks for watching!
Great content; very interesting topic and solid storytelling.
Thanks for the post.
Glad you found it interesting. Thanks for watching!
If the JMI AC30 is the best AC30 that nobody wants, then the Matchless DC30 is the best AC30 that VOX is never going to build.
The very video I first made on the channel was comparing the Matchless HC30 to this JMI. You may enjoy that.
ruclips.net/video/54NbNmx0TRY/видео.html
I love the Matchless C30. Its a great amp, and while the AC30 was definitely the starting point for it, it ended up turning out to be something unique. Its Vox inspired, but it doesn't quite sound like an old AC30 to my ear. Thanks chiming in.
Soild production quality overall. Leaves the viewer clear about what they need and want to know.
Thanks for the kind words.
I much preferred the sound of the Celestions. It's unfortunate that the brand name sufferred so badly. Many manufacturers have gone through dark days regarding QC and quality but have still managed to come through and thrive.
The Celestion Alnico Blues are a classic pairing with this amp circuit for good reason. It’s one thing for a company to experience QC issues. It’s an entirely different thing to serve jail time for dealing in stolen goods. It’s probably wise not to conflate the two. Either way the Music Ground/JMI of the 2000s tale is definitely an intriguing story. Thanks for watching.
I am well familiar with the JMI brand amp. They are excellent. I owned an original AC-30 treble model {like what Brian May plays} and it was awesome. It had a factory made TB added to it's circuit at sometime in it's past. However, I sold it because I had the chance to buy a 2014 Vox handwired model that to my ears sounded pretty damn good. It has Greenbacks, which I feel are more versatile than the one trick pony alnico Celestions {mine were silver and not blue btw}. The 1965 I had did the British Invasion bands better than any other amp I have ever played, but I wanted something that sounded close to that, but could cover a little more ground when asked too. The JMIs are great though, and for the money, they are a good buy when compared to an original. I bought mine back in 1983 when nobody wanted them for $600. When I sold it I added another zero to the asking price. I took a little less. I miss the bragging rights, but am very happy with my handwired AC-30.
What a great tone report from someone who has owned an original ‘63 Vox, a JMI30, and more recently Korg made AC30 handwired. Thanks for taking the time to share your findings and thanks for watching!
Awesome sounds out of that amp!! Never really followed the JMI story, but this was very interesting and helpful. Thanks for sharing👍👊
Glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully my Edge impersonation wasn’t too offensive. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@tonecast1 it wasn't 👍 if your delay mix was a bit higher with a bit more mod you nailed it perfectly! 😉👌
Would buy such an amp immediately, but they are hard to find.
That was a great video! Well researched and informative, and it’s a product I wasn’t even aware of. Fantastic job. You earned my subscription.
Thanks for the kind words. Yeah I don’t think a lot of people know this story that’s why I made the video. I appreciate the sub. I’ll do my best to live up to it. I don’t post super often but I try to post quality when I do. Thanks for watching.
@@tonecast1 thanks for the content! Perfect for a Sunday morning noodling and strumming around on my acoustic drinking coffee. I know it’s not a competition, but like your voice and presentation better than Keiths from the 5 watt. I lost my southern accent I had from growing up in the south, I moved north when I was 16 and in the subsequent decades lost it.
@@smelltheglove2038 You're welcome. I love Keith's videos. He can't help his voice, neither can I. My accent isn't as strong as it was when I was younger. I moved around some during my earlier days as adult, but I'm back in the South now. I can't escape it regardless of how much I've tried. 😂
@@tonecast1 just to be clear, it wasn’t a jab at Keith, as I like his videos as well and he does a fine job. Some folks like the voice of a Vox, some like the voice of a Fender, neither are wrong. Anyway, good luck on the RUclips. I’m sure you’ll gain a following with content like this. I’ll be doing the algorithm tickling. Cheers
@@smelltheglove2038 thanks man! I appreciate the support.
I owned one with cover that was purchased by my guitar player in 1969 He got it at the BX on Base in England along with SG Special You got it at a 30% off retail and no tax at the BX or Commissary. I was a brat to. I always loved the sound of these before everybody wanted the new big loud solid state amps. By the way I have a history with a lot of these brands.
I think I've had 5 different AC30's and a Matchless since the early 90's. I got tired of chasing the original's tone and just bought a '64 TB a few years ago. Cost me a bundle and it requires some tubes or a tech visit every so often, but it stopped my search for that tone.
Your comment really resonates with me. I've wasted a lot of time and money trying to find certain sounds in my life when I wish I would've taken this approach from the start. Sometimes you have to wait and work hard before you can do this. It takes some people time to learn this lesson and some never do learn it. Crank up the '64 TB this week for me!
That nobody wants ! but you say he only made 350 of them..that’s nothin. I heard about these amps and wanted one, but new were with individual import too expensive and none to actually try in person (USA)..then..they disappeared and under the same name some low quality cost stuff appeared under that name. Anyway I got the Vox AC30BM new and later had it tuned up and a year and a half ago got a Vox AC30HW60 from original owner for a little under what he paid. Very nice guy I appreciate him a lot for it. And that’s a good accurate one.
Players stopped wanting these amps bc of the Music Ground controversy. I just wanted to share the story bc it hadn’t been clearly documented on the internet. Also I want to film and record a proper demo of the amp bc it’s also hard to find a great demo of these on RUclips. Technically there are more than 350 JMI30s but only 350 were built by Steve Giles before he parted ways with Music Ground. You’re right that that these amps were pricey for non UK buyer when they first came out - I remember this being the case. They’re only kind an under the radar deal if you happen to run across one used. Thanks for watching!
Great story! Yes, made it to the end and subbed. 👏🏻
Thanks for subbing up. Yeah, I thought it was wild story after I was able to piece it all together. I thought others would appreciate learning about it too. Thanks for chiming in.
Something to consider when running these amps in the US, you should probably use a variac to step down the voltage. It is JUST like a 60s AC30, where it is 115v. Most wall voltage is 125 in the US.
I’ve had this thought as well. I play this amp pretty sparingly without one. I’m curious if the US versions were built to 115 or 120v specs given they were made in the mid-aughts. Thanks for the chiming in and watching.
Amazing tones and great playing samples man!
Thanks man. I appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching.
I once went to music ground Doncaster in the mid 90s and was about to part with £500 for a guild acoustic in red wine when I give it a proper going over - the crack in the neck was so wide I could get several bank note through it! I left it alone
Yikes!!!
@@tonecast1 apparently they would fill shipping containers from guitars from the states and then flog them on. UK has always been more expensive then the states for US made stuff so they made a quick buck
I have a 64 ish copper panel AC30 which I am currently rennovating. Found it on a car boot sale a few years ago.
Sounds like a killer score! You’d never come across a copper panel like that here in the States. Thanks for taking a moment to comment and share.
I bought a custom built JMI AC30/6 with external TB…in a very cool blue color…the amp sounds great but my experience wasn’t without some issues…Firstly I waited an extremely long time for it to arrive…and to be built…not before they went me a photo of one in the wrong color..thank god I didn’t receive that one…for my troubles I was promised a Tone Bender pedal…never sent…But the amp did arrive in a flight case and was packed very well…but right out of the gate the vibrato channel had some horrible noise coming from it..which later turned out to be a missing solder(quality control?) needless to say they went out of business very soon after my purchase..but this being said I do love it and it’s AC30 number one in my collection and it gets used frequently for gigs
Thanks for sharing your experience with the amp and Music Ground. From what Steve Giles told me, they continued to build these amps after he parted ways with the company. He didnt specify who was wiring up the 30/6 circuits after he left but it sounds like you weren’t the only one to have this experience from what I read in my research. Did the amp ship to the US from the UK?
@@tonecast1Yes sir,
It shipped to the US…I just went over all of the correspondences I had with them…it’s actually pretty comical. And I agree…it’s the best AC30! Thanks
Wow what a crazy history!! Great video. Looking forward to more.
Last year I bought a vox handwired ac15 and I love it.
Thanks for watching! I''ve already started thinking about the next video. If all goes well most folks who liked this video, should like it too. Enjoy the AC15HW, decent amps capable of accurate vintage Vox tones.
Interstate Love Song. Nice. I play that song all the time to test my settings. It just nails most of what I do - except for long solos, which aren't my forte LOL
Lovely amp, equally good video. You're obviously a man of good taste.
In regards to ILS, were you playing the chords correctly? I didn’t have the third chord of the verse correct until I saw Rick Beato’s interview with Robert DeLeo. Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching!
These take boosts so well. Ty for posting.
Thanks for watching!
@@tonecast1 💪🏽
Great video! Nice to see a video by someone who actually knows what they are talking about an disseminates correct information! I am something of a Vox collector and have several vintage AC30s, and have a Steve Giles JMI 30/4 in a rare TV front cabinet, and an JMI-15 in a fawn trapezoid head/cabinet/trolley setup ...which is cool but not something Vox ever did back in the day. Have you ever heard a good EF86 Vox amp (AC30/4)...wow just killer ...who needs Top Boost! Also not sure quite why its such a magical match, but if you like overdriven tones (as I do) if you ever get a chance try a Crowther Hotcake pedal with a Tele and a AC30 ..just a match made in heaven! Anyway, yes the Giles era JMI stuff is great and can hang with my vintage Vox amps. There is ONE modern amp that tops it, but they are very hard to find and the company is now defunct .. a JMJ-30 which has a Top Boost; Normal, and EF86 in same chassis, and very effective power scaling ...same build design/chassis as originals. Like the JMI, they were hand-built by one guy in his shop, In fact they were only sold as chassis, and I ended up putting mine in an empty Giles Era cabinet I found. On that point I disagree with you ...the Giles Era JMI cabinets are killer...they NAILED the fawn rexine, the real leather handles are great quality and accurate, and the cabs are finger jointed like good old early JMI ones ...not butt-joint construction like the later 60s vox cabs. They do get hot but hell my vintage ones are 60years old and still working (of course I'm not gigging them every night though) One thing on the JMI that is not true to the original is the voltage is printed on the selector not the faceplate ...probably because they didn't want to have to re-create long defunct voltage selector, so just went with a modern one ...but it does make it very easy to tell a JMI apart from a vintage JMI in 1/2 a second. I heard in the same era Music Ground also made Hiwatts that were similarly very good and very well made ....never owned one of those though so its hearsay. Lastly if you ever get a chance to check out a vintage AC10SRT buy it! Just a killer amp...I like it MUCH better than the normal vintage AC10 combo I had and sold after getting the AC10SRT. I think there are some guys with clips here kinda made the amp famous ...and probably more expensive ...I got one a long time ago ...just GREAT amp and you dont need to lose your hearing!!
Thanks for the kinds words. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I have heard of the fabled JMJ-30 but I have never had the fortune of encountering one. Power scaling would be a feature I'd gladly welcome to my JMI-30, but to also have the Top Boost, Normal and EF86 channels in a single well built amp would make for the ultimate Vox style amp. I think the JMI cabs are well built and accurate to the early-mid 60s Vox designs. My gripe regarding the cabinets is more aimed at the original design design than what JMI of the 2000's built. The woodwork is top notch on mine and the tolex does look nice. I suspect that the fawn rexine on mine appears a little more brown than perhaps it should be, but without seeing a legit early 60s Vox JMI AC30, I have no way to be certain. The AC10SRT has been made famous by Doug and Pat here on RUclips. They're super rare amps, but I agree that theirs sounds fantastic. Thanks for watching!
My pleasure. A cool sleeper amp to look out for that is fairly similar to a JMJ-30 is a Pinnacle Twin 30 ...not as true to vintage JMI ...but all handwired and also has a EF86/TB channel with a master vol ...they were made for Hank Marvin as I understand but an easily corrected design flaw resulted in them blowing up when Hank used them on tour...although they were corrected the damage was done and Hank moved on from them ...anyway they can be had pretty cheap IF you can find one and are really nice amps ..BUT need a step-up transformer as were made for UK use. Another uber-rare but obscure enough that IF they show up dont go for a fortune is a JEI AC40 ...after Tom Jennings left Vox/JMI ..he started JEI and in some collaboration with Triumph Electric company (who reportedly made the AC100, and 7-series Beatles amplifiers, and the Vampower TRex amps) came out with an AC40 ...which is basically a vintage AC30TB but with a SS rectifier. I have one and its a killer amp. I had the guy who made JMJ30 add an EF86 channel to my AC40 and power scaling to mine ...maybe not greatest idea in retrospect from a "collectible" stand point ...but I don't care I'll take that amp to my grave anyway! lol ...anyway those are a couple great but obscure amps to keep an eye out for that can be had at reasonable prices.
Sounds like you have good tastes in gear! Thanks for the tip on the Pinnacle Twin. I'll look those up.
Excellent Video, I am in the process of building a clone myself.Looking forward to the result.
Best of luck with your build. Thanks for watching.
GREAT Video! Very informative. Had ho idea about the Music Ground stuff nor the resurrection of the "real" ACs by JMI.
Thanks, WWCL. Yeah, it's a wild story that I had a feeling a lot of people still don't know. Only amp nerds with too much time on their hands wade in the waters of this sort of minutiae. Glad the video could help you learn something new. Thanks for watching!
Wow...sounds fantastic. I don't see too many around for sale though.....
If you’re seriously on the hunt - they show up every now and then; just be patient. Thanks for commenting and watching.
A friend of mine,has a JMI AC 30 with the The Shadows badge ,down in the right down corner of the speakerfront and a Shadows badge on the back of the cabinet.Here normally,the serialnumber (# of 10) is announced, but his example is unmarked.
Sort of like this one?
www.flickr.com/photos/49994685@N08/4623778543/
@@tonecast1 it's different on my friends amp:on his amp,this is a badge with the 4/5 members of the band,as a sillouet.
I spoke to him this morning and he told me,that there're 2 versions,one with the Shadow badge(early version) and one with the sillouet(later version).
I almost bought one before I bought your Matchless C30 👍🏼
Ha! I wonder if this is that same amp you almost bought. That C30 recorded so dang good I almost kept it. I’m glad you’re enjoying the Matchless.
@@tonecast1 Negative! It was on Reverb after you made the comparison video I initially watched.
@@mkii1964 I see a few pop from time to time. There's an a AC15 made for Billy Gibbons and a JMI30 in Black Tolex with non-factory speakers on Reverb at the moment. I think the seller is asking $3k for local pickup. Which is more than I paid for mine shipped last year. Which seems usual per Reverb these days.
@@tonecast1 Reverb Prices = 🤡
@@mkii1964 agreed!
What do you think of the HW series they released in 2011(?) Like the AC30HW2X
I think it's a mediocre amp that's presented as a "great" amp by Korg. While it may look like a nice "hand-wired" amp, they cut corners on the quality of the transformers, caps, and pots. If you want to learn more check out Psionic Audio's assessment of the AC30HW2 (same amp as the AC30HW2X minus the Chinese made Alnico Blues).
ruclips.net/video/fXT9wjcOh6I/видео.html
Got a '63 Vox AC 30... amp for life. ❤
Great video. I learned a lot. If this video gets enough views, you may have done a "JHS" to the JMI30 - it might just start going up in price as a result of your commentary.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I hope this doesn't contribute to a price spike on the JMI30. I just wanted to share the story of a cool amp that I thought other players might like; especially if can't justify the coin for a vintage AC30. Thanks for watching.
My AC30 story. Best friend has a studio and I see his AC30 in the corner. I didn’t like the DI sound or the sound of my normal bass amp. I plugged in to this amp and voila. The AC30 is also a great bass amp.
Vox made a bass version of the AC30 that was intended to be used by bassist but a lot of guitarists took to it and started using them. Your experience doesn't surprised me at all. Thanks for sharing.
I used to have a JMI4, a Craigslist find, couple sound demos on my yt channel. I miss that amp! It was very good quality.
Oh I bet it was great! I’d love to find a JMI10 Twin like that.
Hi, thanks for making that video, really interesting. I bought one JMI AC30/6 TB Fawn from music ground in 2007, a great amp, always use it if I’m on a big enough stage. I don’t think I’ll ever sell it. I have got trouble with the tremolo channel, it plays ok, but is a bit scratchy and the wobble doesn’t work. The other two channels sound great, it could be a change of an the 12ax7 but I’m not sure. Thanks again for giving me the whole history of my amp. Tim
Good to hear from a fellow owner, Tim. I'm no amp tech but from what I've read the tremolo/vibrato circuit on these amps is pretty complicated. I think that's why the Korg reissues sidesteps including the exact same circuit. It would probably be wise to find a local tech to get it working properly. Thanks for taking a moment to comment!
I’ve got a JMI AC-15, plus a second empty cab+speakers. The guy I got them from bought it initially in the darker Vox color scheme but then decided he wanted the lighter scheme for on stage. I’m going to attempt to fit a cut-down AC-30 single channel build, without vibrato, into the extra cabinet. Absolutely great sounding amp. I’ve had newer Vox HW models and they aren’t well made and have reliability issues. Only thing I’d consider as an upgrade would be an original vintage one, but then… much reliability to consider. I personally prefer an AC15, but I also prefer a Bandmaster over a Twin reverb.
Very nice. If you have any clips of the JMI15, please feel free to share them here. Thanks for commenting.
Looks like no 2x12s on their site and eminence speakers on the current ones. Many sold out. Wonder if they're not building any longer?
If you watch the whole video, you'll get an explanation as to why the current website doesn't show these...🙃
@@tonecast1 I was too excited about the amps to wait until the end
@@sunnibird ha! I get it. I’ve done the same thing myself watching gear vids. Thanks for watching!
Awesome story/history. Got my subscription, looking forward to your posts...have a great day man...peace.
Thanks for kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I appreciate the sub. I try to post every couple of weeks something that has some quality. Cheers.
I know a little about Vox history and have been considering a current production Vox AC-15HW, but in this video without any kind of graphical timeline aids my head was spinning on what & when was good and bad. I guess i have some homework to do.
Best of luck on your tonequest. Vox might have the most confusing company and product line history in all of guitardom. The Vox Showroom website is a great resource for getting your bearings. Best of luck. Thanks watching and commenting!
Hi and Thanks for shining a light on these amazing amps. I have a Giles era AC15 head, that I love dearly. Sad they were tarnished by the criminality of the company owners, and I agree that the craftsmanship and sound of these are superb. Mines a keeper, (bought from Chandler Guitars in Kew, London in 2011). Good luck finding one!
Thanks for watching. I've never played the JMI15 model, but I'd like to hear one in person. I'm glad to hear you're still happy with yours. Giles did inform me that he only wired up the JMI30 models during his tenure with JMI (2005-2010). He didn't build any of the other JMI models. Giles also stated he didn't wire up the rear mounted top boost kit on the JMI30s. JMI had another employee doing that. Giles stated his favorite iteration of the AC30 was the original AC30/6 without the kit so that what he preferred to build. Thanks for watching and sharing.
Holy crap that amp sounds amazing!! 😮
That was pretty much my reaction when I first plugged it in. Apparently a proper early 60s AC30 circuit should not be overlooked, bc they sound great. Glad the video could help hip you to that. Thanks for watching!
This was a fantastic and very well-researched video. Keep up the good work
Thank you, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I got lucky and found a AC15hw about a year ago. By far my most favorite amp! Very versatile! It also has the fender cleans that I like with a little sustain
Very nice. Glad you’re enjoying the amp. Thanks for sharing.
Love the Vox sound, the overdrive is beautiful and clear.
Agreed. Nothing else sounds quite like it. Thanks for watching!
It's also got a price thats way overboard. Too Expensive for what you get.
If you're resourceful you can find these for much cheaper than Reverb prices. I don't feel I overpaid for this amp when i bought it in 2022. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Stuff like this usually sells out unless it’s Marshall or normal custom shop hand wired fender stuff. But they’ve been around for a while now. Although the stock is considerably lower than it was a couple years ago. Not to mention for a hand wired boutique style amp it’s actually under priced. This thing is basically the same kind of thing that sells on reverb for 5-10k from small boutique builders.
Your assessment is spot on. At the present moment (June 2023) these are selling for around $2,500 USD due to the MG controversy and relative obscurity of the 2000s iteration of JMI. That aside, most seasoned guitarist will recognize the fact that the quality of this amp easily warrants that price used. It's a great way to get pretty close to accurate vintage AC30 tone, for half of the price of a vintage AC30 whose components have probably all drifted out of spec from being run ragged. Thanks for sharing an intelligent comment.
Thanks for sharing ! I got a jmi 30/6 top boost bought brand new here in france back in the days :)
You can make a super cool mod, sold a wire on the cut pots to another thing i don’t remember, than your cut running like a master volume and the volume of Channels the amount of preamp gain !
Cost a little wire and make me super happy to play it saturated at home ! You lose the cut control but the basse treble in the back make the sound cool as you want !
Very nice. Always great to hear from another JMI30/6 owner. I’m a bit of a traditionalist so I don’t think I’d mod mine but I totally can see why you did. You know how loud these amps are.
Great video, I had one just like yours ( maybe it is mine?) back in the 2000's, sounded great, sold it on an impulse. I have had several original 60's VOX AC30's, they old sound a little different , component drift etc. I kept the best two sounding versions so I know the tone very well.
Back in the mid 80's I had a Jennings J40 which was a later Transistor iteration of the VOX AC30 after the original JMI company was sold ( google it). I didn't know what its significance was back in the 80's, It was just an inexpensive amp a neighborhood friend sold me. To me it resembled a poor mans AC30. It could handle a bass and guitar at the same time! not great on the speakers I imagine but we didn't care.... I literally gave it to a friend when I moved away. Wish I still had it, its an interesting piece of post JMI history from its original creator.
Anyways the JMI's are great amps and probably the closest thing in tone to an actual original, IMO. Better than any of the VOX reissues, not that they are bad, just different (I have had them all) They also got the fawn tolex aesthetic perfect unlike the recent "VOX" reissues which is not the right fawn tolex at all. I have one of their Rangemaster clones still. looks perfect sounds great.
Thanks for the kind words regarding the video. I bought this JMI30 from a player in Texas. I'm not sure who owned it before him. Maybe it was you. I agree with you about vintage AC30s likely sounding different these days due to component drift, speaker break-in (or deterioration), and general mileage. That's what appealed to me about these mid 2000's JMI30s. They seemed pretty close in ethos to the original JMI that birthed the AC30 top boost in the late 60s; much more so than the recent Vox reissues. I'm glad to hear another player who's played a lot of Vox amps also agree with my assessment of the JMI30.
No idea about JMI. Grew up playing VOX amps all owned by my pals. I preferred Orange. In 2007 I bought an AD-30VTXL. Used it on a lot of gigs. I bought 2 more as backups. In 2018 I got a VMB-1. That VBM-1 sounds so amazing, especially with a BM guitar driving it. I would love to find a JMI but there probably aren't any in Taiwan.
Glad the video helped you learn more about JMI. Thanks for watching!
Music Ground also did Hiwatt amps for a while. The vox cc2 tube rectifier is very good amp with blue celestions
Yes, the owners behind Music Ground also owned the UK rights to Hiwatt during the early 2000s. Those seem to be a little less common than the JMI amps from what I can tell. I never heard a Vox CC series that I loved but I haven’t heard every version either. Thanks for chiming in to share your thoughts.
I have the separate head and cabinet version of the hand wired AC30 and it sounds incredible
Nice! Ive not seen any other JMIs in person but I’ve seen video footage of the head and cab version. I’m glad to hear you’re also pleased with the tone you’re getting out of yours. Fanes, Greenbacks, or Taydens speakers?
I worked at music bank london for 15 years and we had shed loads of ac30s but we had 1 jmi and when bands up in the studios or renting got hold of it, they always commented how it was the best sounding. I used to hide it at festival season so it wouldn't go out as to protect it. The other amp used to protect was a fender Silver face 1x12
Interesting story. I suspect that the JMI30 may have been preferred bc of its age Being newer, its parts were likely operating closer to actual spec tolerances compared to vintage AC30s that had been run ragged. That’s my theory anyway. Great story! Thanks for sharing.
@@tonecast1 it had a warmer tone, broke up just right
About 25 years ago my dad gave me this old amp. I tried it for 5 minutes, didn't like it. Forgot about it, then recently dug it out. It's an original 1963 jmi. It even had original mullard tubes in. I've owned almost every Marshall and fender, nothing touches my ac30
That's hilarious and awesome! Funny how we all wise up with age. Crank up your '63 this week for me. Thanks for watching and sharing.
i had a JMI AC10 and of all the amps that passed through my hands, it's one i wish i'd kept...really nice amp...
Im envious. The AC10 is on my hit list. How did it sound compared to the JMI 30 tones in this video?
@@tonecast1 -youtube audio simply cant be any point of reference for sound to my mind, only a vague idea. the AC10 had the celestion ceramic 10"s (the ones jim campilongo favors) that make it differ for sure. but the tight grain of the EL84s and that gainy preamp tube EF86 made for some nice tube tone cleans and break up...
That's actually a helpful description. I didn't know they used ceramic speakers. I would've guessed Alnico speakers given the orignals used a pair of 10" Alnico Elacs. Steve Giles, formerly of JMI, did tell me that other parties involved with JMI at the time were responsible for the other amp models Music Ground offered. He only wired up the AC30 Top Boost chassis so the fact that the JMI10 used a different kind of speaker from the original isn't surprising considering that. Thanks for taking a second to share.
I never heard the story of JMI, that said your amp sounds perfect I would love to hear a 2 X 12 AC15 amp made by them. Who ever has one of those amps is very lucky.
Glad you were able to learn the backstory about JMI via the video. I'm not sure if they made an AC15 twin model (2x12 cab) or not. Thanks for watching!
Great sound!
Thanks!
Awesome background info and presentation. I was wondering if you have any info about the larger AC 100 Vox amps that The Beatles played during their Shea Stadium Concerts. I've seen photos and the film footage where I do not see any microphones in front of their amps; so how did the sound engineer's send their guitar sound to the house P.A.? Was there some type of "line out" that was sent to the P.A. mixer board or ? Thanks, Peace, Sal 💪🏻🎸
Thanks for the kind words. I'm no expert on the Beatles gear so maybe someone else can chime in who knows. My guess regarding the Shea Stadium concert is that the amps weren't miked or ran to the PA. The PA only provided sound reinforcement for the vocals. The amps were the only source of sound for the guitars and bass.
Great demos! Really helpful video.
Thanks, I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Music Ground was my go to retailer in Doncaster Sth Yorkshire England until they went bust, great shop!
I lived in Carcroft but never knew they were building JMI amps there!
Your recollection of the Music Ground shop in Doncaster is echoed by several others here in the comments who've also said it was an impressive shop. I wish I could've seen it. In the recent Gibson TV episode on their RUclips channel, Noel Gallagher mentions the shop about halfway into the interview with a similar fondness. Thanks for taking a moment to comment and share your firsthand experience.