Best Vox AC30 Model

What do you guys think is the best model AC30 out there and why? I'm curious to hear your opinions.

I'm looking at you jimmarchi1 ;)

see my original review:

http://equipboard.com/items/vox-ac30-guitar-combo-

the early, rear top boost AC30/6 copper panel is my favorite top boost.... it has a hot and juicy sound even when clean due to the way the cathode bias is set although its also very nice aprts throughout in those too.... I have a B (bass model) and like it a lot, but tis ahrd to say i have a preference. The N and T versions sound good in their own way too. When the top boost moved to the cotnrol plate they changed the circuit to normal for all top boost models (the non-top boost persisted for a while) and on both top boosted and non-top boosted models they cooled the bias off to extend tube life and give a more open and fendery power amp response. That's a good sound too and the one you will probably identify with, bt I like the oldest ones that get so hot you cna fry an egg on them and sound like they're running that hot. Yes, they sometiems catch fire. Have a spare.

I also like the original ac10 and ac15 a lot, back when they ran hot and had EF86 pentodes. In almost-voxes I lvoe the matchless C30 series and many of its immitators.

you don't see the recent JMI branded AC30s anywhere I've lived but they are supposedly faithful reproductions of a handful of the best regarded circuit revisions... they are quite expensive. In cintage ac30s the best deals out there are the Arbiter and Rose Morris models from the 70s and 80s. The arbiter is pretty much a late JMI spec without a tube rectifier sporting 25 watt M magnet 'greenbacks' with blue vox baxks instead. I have one. Its punchy and marshally compared to earlier examples. The real classic 70s queen sound from the alte 70s into the 80s tends to be Arbtiers fitted with Blue Alnicos. The Rose Morris is just a PCB version of this circuit revision. They sound quite good though there's defintiely varying component quality year to year and PCBs in an amp that gets as hot as an AC30 makes me nervous the traces will burn up with prolonged use. I've also heard horror stories about theRose Morris ones failing. The 90s Korg Reissue made by Marshall is also an excellent version. PCB again, but this version is toured extensively by ltos of artists so clearly the traces are thick enough to withstand the heat. The current handwied reissue is excellent if you don't need the vib/trem channel. I play that ore than my 90s one and 2 vintage examples, although some of that is just ebcause if it has a meltdown I can afford to replace it.

How much can you spend? That's the big question. In really good versions the pricing starts around 1200 USD used and goes through the roof for the most collectible versions.These are some of the msot coveted british amps up there with Marshall plexis with old ones getting as thin on the ground as JTM45s. You honestly see more superleads for sale. The sound is fairly similar on all of them but there's a different 'feel' to different versions and the original JMIs have this cloud of magic pixie dust around the notes that's hard to put into words. With that comes a real 'looseness' to the sound that isn't to everyone's taste. Its hard to describe in words. On the whole its ahrd to find a bad sounding ac30, even the customs and custom classics aren't terrible.