need some advice restoring a vox ac15

[declan]

Guys,

building a wreck gets you into all sorts of trouble.

A friend of mine has just given me an old ac15 which (for want of a better term) has been raped, I have no idea how to get it working again and to be honest it has really just been saved from the dump. someone has obviously modified it at some time in the past

I told him if i can find layout diagrams i would have a go at restoring it.

any advice guys, plenty of schematics on the net but no layout diagrams. or should i just salvage the transformers etc and build something else out of the remains.

i will try to take some digital shots later so you can see what I mean

[Firestorm]

I would absolutely try to get it sorted out rather than converting it to something else. These things are absolutely classic. There's not much to the "layout" -- just a couple of tag boards. There are some gut shots of old AC15s and newer clones on the web that might help, but basically you've got to take the schematic and wire the tag boards in a nice logical sequence. It's a pain, but do-able for sure.

[declan]

had a chat with its owner tonight, from what he knows it was bastardised by its previous owner, so it has already been modified.

he reckons it is a 60's model so i dont think it wants to be anything else other than a vox, so you are probably right firestorm, worth restoring properly.


I found this on the net and for the price it sounds a pretty comprehensive document

http://www.thevoxac30guide.com/Contents.htm

any other diagrams I have found are for more recent incarnations, anyone know if the circuit has changed much over the years??

i will get those shots taken in the next day or two

[paulster]

Try dropping Mr. dB a pm. He's built an amazing AC15 replica from scratch so should have lots of advice to offer.

[Phil_S]

I have some schematics. Not so easy to read, but may be helpful.
You might try at Trinity Amps, where I think there is a layout and schematic available:
http://www.trinityamps.com/Product_turret15_Price.htm

[rfgordon]

Here are some more schemos. There's a website somewhere with tons of gut shots, but I couldn't find it. Vox guts are rather random, so good luck. But, if you can fix a Vox, you the man!

[Tubetwang]

Tino Zottola's excellent "building Vacuum Tube Guitar & Bass Amplifiers (Volume 3) will walk you through a poifect AC 15 rebuilt...

Major Twang

[declan]

thanks for all the tips and diagrams folks

time for another bite of more than i can chew,

whats the worst thing that could happen, its already fried so things can only get better

[Luthierwnc]

The worst that can happen is frying yourself.

Me, I'd always go for trying to fix up a classic -- but pay special attention to safety too. Proper cord and death cap mods, bringing it up on a variac, all that kind of stuff.

What kind of shape is the speaker in? That might be the real value of the project.

Skip

[Dai H.]

you might check out the Vox section at Plexi Palace also. Looks like a number of guys have built clones, done restorations, etc. etc.

http://www.vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewforum.php?f=2