AC-15 HAND-WIRED GUITAR AMPLIFIER
Timeless Tone for Today
Few amplifiers have shaped music history like the VOX AC15. With the AC15 Hand-Wired, that legacy lives on – reborn with painstaking attention to vintage accuracy and updated with modern refinements that make it stage- and studio-ready.
This is more than a reissue. It’s a complete reconstruction of a vintage legend – hand-wired and fine-tuned to bring the ’60s sound back to life. Featuring hand-wired circuitry, custom transformers, and vintage-accurate cabinet construction, this amplifier aligns classic British tone with modern necessities including bypass-able master volume, a transparent effects loop, and custom-voiced spring reverb.
Now, the unmistakable sound of a vintage VOX is finally within reach. Built for vintage enthusiasts, aficionados, and modern players alike. The AC15 Hand-Wired delivers the unmistakable voice of VOX!
Vintage Tone, Meticulously Recreated
At the core of the AC15’s unique voice lies in its EL84 power section, but the magic doesn’t stop there. In classic VOX amps, when pushed hard, the phase inverter stage itself begins to distort – a subtle but crucial source of the complex harmonics that define the true AC tone. This distortion is different from preamp overdrive, imparting a texture and openness that simply can’t be replicated with pedals alone. The AC15 Hand-Wired goes beyond schematic replication to recreate essential details like this, ensuring the amp responds with the same musicality and depth as its ’60s predecessors.
This recreation started with sourcing and analyzing an original 1963 “copper panel” AC15, measuring its precise electrical behavior, and mapping out the subtleties in its performance. As a result, the AC15 Hand-Wired features a newly-designed power circuit that recreates the classic voltage “sag”. This subtle drop under heavy playing can change the overall feel of the amp in the player’s fingertips, creating natural compression and sustain. But while vintage amps are prone to ghost notes and noise, the AC15 Hand-Wired delivers the right feel while remaining quiet and reliable.
A critical piece of the vintage puzzle is the output transformer. The AC15 Hand-Wired uses a custom-wound transformer developed through rigorous prototyping, capturing the bell-like highs and complex harmonic layering that makes every note bloom. The subtle winding variations affect the midrange character and saturation behavior, so no effort was spared to match the magic of the 1963 original.
Vintage Cabinet Resonance
Looks can be deceiving. While many assume vintage AC15s were built with heavy wood panels, our research revealed otherwise. The AC15 Hand-Wired features a 12mm birch ply cabinet to match the specs of 1963 models, enhancing resonance and creating an open, three-dimensional feel.
Paired with a single 12″ Celestion Alnico Blue speaker, the cabinet sings with the warmth and sparkle that defined countless rock recordings.
Two Channels, Iconic VOX Voice
The AC15 Hand-Wired offers the two channels that have shaped the sound of VOX over the decades.
- Normal Channel: Midrange warmth with a Bright switch for added top-end clarity, ideal for shaping your sound with single-coils or humbuckers
- Top Boost Channel: The iconic VOX chime and drive, with separate Treble, Bass, and Volume controls for precise tonal shaping. Pushed hard, it sings with the legendary British crunch that defined rock’s golden age.
A unique hallmark of the AC15 is the BOOST switch, found only on this model in the new AC Hand-Wired series. Engaging it increases gain and adds a rich, midrange overdrive reminiscent of the ’60s AC15’s characteristic roar. True to its heritage, this amp remains touch-sensitive, expressive, and harmonically complex, whether you’re clean or cranked.
Plug in, turn up and experience the legendary tone of VOX.
