AMP WARS EP 2 VOX AC30 VS MORGAN AC20 

Wow, an amp demo/comparison where someone actually plays chords and not just noodle about. Way more useful than just about any other demo/comparison out there.

They both sound sweet but that AC30 just seems so balanced.. gotta love it!

I agree with the consensus that the AC-30 sounds much better, but after listening to this video a few times I went straight to Reverb and bought a used Morgan AC20 Deluxe. Why did I buy the Morgan? Practicality. 1) Usable volume levels: Listen again at 13:46 of this video - the AC30 sounds best at paint-peeling volumes that "sound great in the studio but if you are playing that loud in a live situation you are killing people - you're getting kicked off-stage". 2) Flexibility: the Morgan with its two front switches, switchable preamp tubes and power-level knob (an amazing feature) makes it much more flexible and usable than the VOX. 3) Price and Weight: Vintage AC30's on Reverb in good condition list for $3000-5000+, and weigh 71lbs - the same impractical weight as a Fender Twin Reverb. I paid $1200 for my Morgan (head), $1329 including taxes and shipping. It weighs only 21.5lbs. Also the comparison in this video is not really fair because the amps use different speakers and are recorded at dramatically different volume levels - both of which I suspect favor the Vox. It would be nice if they had tested the Morgan using the Vox's speakers - and shown what both amps are capable of at the same decibel levels. My Morgan just arrived and my initial thoughts are 1) it is not as loud as either my 20w Tone King Imperial or my 15w '59 Fender Tweed Deluxe amps, but probably loud enough to play out with, 2) when using the EF86 preamp tube it is impossible to get a clean tone without at least a little bit of "hair" on it (not necessarily bad because the crunchy sound is what this amp is all about). Using the 12AX7 preamp tube makes the amp both louder and cleaner sounding. 3) it is a fantastic amp for bedroom practice and recording, but lacks the headroom to be a good pedal platform. Best used for getting a crunchy, natural sounding OD tones without pedals at medium to low volumes. Note: the Morgan AC20 Deluxe model has been discontinued. The current AC20 model does not have switchable preamp tubes - it only uses only the cleaner (un-Vox-like) sounding 12AX7 preamp tubes. I hope this helps.

AC30 all the way. It's alive and soulful. Almost like it's breathing out the sound

Wow that AC30 has a lovely sound, both clean and dirty. The Morgan didn't seem to clean up as well. It took the pedals much better as well. No contest.

It is just me or did the VOX wipe the floor with the Morgan? I am not even a VOX fanboy and was never on my radar. With that being said (Just my opinion ) The VOX sounded much better..

Both are awesome in different ways. The AC30 would be my desert Island amp.

I like how at 7:50 Rick starts shaking his head at the tones coming from the neck P90. Thats when a sound hits you in the feels.

At some point I want someone to demonstrate about five or six amps that don't "take pedals well."

It's amazing to think that all the various sounds that are used today were available before many of us were born. The more things change, the more they stay the same!

great demo. I own both amps and gig with the Morgan. Power scaling is a wonderful thing. And more versatile and better built too. Morgan amps are amazing.

Thank you Rick! A valuable contribution to RU-vid! I have a '64 AC30TB, a '91 AC30TBR, and a 2012 AC30C2. Though it's in tip-top working order, my '64 is my LEAST favorite. Your Marshall-made UK-era Korg (1994ish-2004ish) sounds fantastic! Morgans sound great in person, but here the AC30 is the clear winner.

Well Rick, this is the video that did it for me. You are thorough as hell and the guitar/music community is amazingly fortunate to have you. Thank you(and guests) for all your insight!

That AC30 sounds incredible, that is the sound i have been looking for!

I've been circling back to Vox since I got my first one. I love the touch responsiveness and how even when pushed into their high gain sound, you can still hear every note of a chord.

The Morgan was ok, sounded like it wanted to crap out a little at some settings but maybe just kind of guitar specific. That Vox is the sound. No doubt a good cranked loud amp sits at the top of tone mountain. A sound you feel like you can lean into. Great video guys

The sound of that Strat in the AC30 is from another dimension, pure ecstasy :) Both sweet amps though! Great video guys, love it! :)

I just got a used AC30 for $680 !! First tube amp I'm in love 😍

Wow, have never considered myself an EL84 kinda guy, but your demo really gives me pause to reconsider. I may have to shop for a Vox/Vox-style amp. But that Memory Man, though. And the EP Booster! Super wow! A new series for vintage effects, perhaps those found on classic recordings, or vintage vs. contemporary clones. And you can start with Echoplexes, since the EP Booster has already made its quite amazing channel debut. Another great video, thanks guys!

Wow! The AC 30 sounds SO good. No wonder this amp is so famous.

The UK manufactured AC30/6TBX is a great amp. In mine I run a Greenback and a Celestion Blue. Very interesting combination of sounds. Even though the Blue is audibly louder than the Greenback the two speaker types complement each other nicely.

Excellent video guys!! Absolutely love this new series!! In this time of digital saturation, it's like a breath of fresh air to hear the sounds from those 2 amps

Love the sound of the Morgan on the EF86, and of course the Vox sounds like a Vox! I’d gig with the Morgan through a 2x12 Alnico Blue cab, but the Vox would have to be a combo Vox-Ox-Box thing... no way could I get by with that volume on the stages I play. Both amps sound great, and had me saying “oh, that sounds nice” several times. Then again, I was born not long after “Rumble” came out. That sound is in my DNA somewhere. EDIT: Bought an early 90s AC30TB... damn you Rick Beato!

It never fails to amaze me that Fender nailed small combo amp design so perfectly in the '50s (and to be fair, Gibson, Ampeg, Supro, and others had their own takes on it as well), but in the late '60s, the decision was handed down from on high that the entire world would go solid state, and guitarists have been scrambling to recover ever since. I'll readily cede the point that there have been some pertinent technological advances since (i.e., surge protection, etc.), but that little has actually transpired that could make these small combos sound better than they originally did. My hat is off to any 'boutique' amp manufacturer who grasps what lies in the details, and can deliver on said promise, but you just have to take your hat off to the original designers...they basically sussed it out from the git go...

LOVE my AC30, only amp I'll ever need, every other amp I've had I've gotten tired of or disliked the sound and sold/traded after a year or so until I got my AC30 in 2012, I'll never get rid of it.

My favourite amps of all time are the Vox AC series and the Marshall JCMs & Plexi sounding amps (such as the VM). These amps cover all of the bases for me.

Rhett and Rick know what they are talking about! Really in depth comparison as always! Although I don't own either, I would definitely go with a Morgan!

The VOX won big time. The Morgan is more practical for agiging musician.

I’ve got both Celestion Gold and Blue. I think fair amount of difference heard here is in the speakers. Would be interested in hearing the Morgan through the Gold Vs Blue and same thing with the Vox.

The Morgan does have a few interesting alternatives with the tube configuration,being a big plus! However Nothing else sounds or responds to the touch in the way AC 30s do! The clarity,and pristine gliss of the Vox is like no other..period! And when you go into Top boost territory..cranking the volume brings you into a compressed sonic,overdriven richness,yet you willl still b able to distinguish individual notes when hitting those big chords. The Morgan seems to me to mudd out in the mix. I could be wrong its hard to really tell! I own an ac30,and had a ac15. They both take pedals very well.not to mention ACs never need any tube biasing,Does the Morgan ? This is without any doubt one of if not the best representation,and demonstration,of two of the best sounding amps ...and you two each shown what the amps are capable of delivering ...Kudos gentlemen!

Memoryman and the AC30 is pure ear candy

"It cleans up nice like the Morgan" Um dude, the Morgan isn't even in the same galaxy as that vintage AC30. Not even close.

I gotta go with the AC-30. I love mine so much

You know what really sounds like a Vox? A Vox. And the new ones lose the brittleness in the top end as the speaker breaks in.

It makes me so happy whenever Rhett plays Rumble.

My vote for the AC30. Great Job Thanks.

No comparison, AC30 I have one from China and love it

Its the Vox for me, that chime does it every time, and maybe the fact I've been brought up on ac30s since 1961, I still have my brothers old one 1963 Vox with back boost, which is better sounding than a top boost which came out the following year, and I'm selling it.

This made me cry. Literally, not kidding! See, I've had an old vintage AC30 that I bought when I was 16 years old and that thing was the best sounding amp I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot!). I swear, I couldn't even get a bad sound out of it. It had the original Silver Bell speakers in it. I never understood why people said the AC30 sounds too bright or even harsh. My old Vox sounded clear, but there was always a warmth in it that I never found in any other amp. Yes, there are lots of darker sounding amps, but that's more like an eq thing (sorry, I'm Dutch, I'm not sure if this makes any sense), the warmth of my old Vox was unique. The thing that pisses me off a bit is that people hear a new Chinese AC30 and they think they know what a Vox AC30 sounds like. Hell no!!! Vox captured that Vox tone to some degree, but you really can not compare the two at all. And I had both of them, the old beaten up Vox (which btw still had the original output tubes!!! Not lying, just didn't need the change, they were still sounding great!) and I had a new AC30. Not only the sound was very different, but the amount of volume coming out of those Silver Bell Speakers..., just UNBELIEVABLE!!! You could crank up the new AC30 and sure, it was loud, but again, not comparable with the old one. So what made me cry? I've had the old Vox for 30 years. And I've had other amps, just to enlargen my options, but I was completely happy with what I had. On stage I used my two Voxes, a Marshall JCM2000 on a Marshall 1960A cabinet, an all tube Koch Pedaltone preamp and some great stompboxes. Tele, Strat, ES-347 and a Les Paul DC. And for atleast 15 years long, I couldn't care less for new gear. That meant that I found the perfect sound for me. Now, how many guitarists can say that?!?! That old Vox was the beating heart of my sound. I knew that amp so well. I knew exactly how it would behave on any pedal in any circumstances. That amp was my life! Four and a half years ago I had to amputate my right leg after a five year period of bad luck and pain, in which I lost my father, my job, then my sister (and best friend) committed suicide, I had to leave my wife, I struggled with a drug addiction, I lost my money, I had a stroke, I lost my memory, I lost my ability to play the guitar because of that (and I succesfully graduated at the conservatory of music, doing jazz - it was all gone!), I lost my band, my passion, my main reason to live..., and then there was so much more. So when I was lying in that hospital I just lost my mind basically. I got psychoses, I hallucinated and while I was fighting for my last chance to save my leg from being amputated, THAT's when my (by then) ex wife decided to sell all my amps and flightcases, without me knowing it off course. She probably sold it for a couple of grams of cocaine. Fortunately she never found my guitars. I swear I still get tears in my eyes everytime I see an old Vox AC30. I lost my right leg, but believe me, losing that old Vox felt like I lost my left leg as well. It hurts so badly. You know, the newer AC30, the Marshall, even my early silver face Fender Twin Reverb..., it's all gone and it's sad, but ok. But I don't think I will ever get over the loss of my Silver Bell AC30. I'm so sorry for the long story. I guess I just needed to get it out somewhere. Rick, I wanna thank you for your hard work and your magnificent video's! I eat them. I can't thank you enough. Love ya, man!!!

Early 90's is vintage - that makes me ancient Gotta give the "edge" to the AC30 - close though Always mean to ask - Is that Strat a '62 RI?

Great Video! These Vox AC 30s Blues from the 90s Are one of the best amps ever made! Can’t beat them!

Another great video. I've watched a lot of this type of video (amp comparisons), but these have a different flavor and they are really enjoyable. Keep it going.

Great seeing Rick and Rhett join forces on this series. Adding the Morgan AC20 to the GAS list immediately!

I have two modern AC30 heads. They are not excessively bright at all. They may not have the "magic" sound of the vintage ones, but they sound fantastic in their own right. As others have mentioned, a lot of the character of the amp comes after the speakers break in, which can take a long time for AlNiCo Blues.

This show is phenomenal! Keep making this "Amp Wars" episodes. Damir

The Dr. Z vox inspired amps (Stang ray, prescription, even maz) are all killer alternatives too. I have a Maz 8 with an alnico blue and Prescription rx, killer tones

Rhett's guitar has a Daffy Duck bill for a headstock! 😆

@5:23 "The EF86 has a lot less headroom. It breaks up a lot sooner than the 12AX7." -So it might SEEM, but that description as stated is simply not true. In reality the EF86 has a lot MORE headroom than the 12AX7, and it is actually quite difficult to saturate the EF86. As such the EF86 is a dandy tube to find in an amp's initial "V1" position at the end of an effect pedal chain. What actually happens when you flip the switch to EF86 on that Morgan is a boost in the output FROM V1 which saturates the amp's components DOWN THE LINE.

Vox wins yep

The Vox sounds way better but the Morgan is probably a lot more practical for gigs and what not. Or just get a Fractal or Kemper :).

Owned an AC30 for many years now, I don't think I'll ever want to buy another amp!

You guys are killing me! I love both of those amps so much. ❤😍

I picked up a Laney "VC 30" about 15 year ago. Call it a "poor man's AC 30". With a Strat in particular, the "chimey" sound is intoxicating. It works well for a variety of genres I'd say but, without a pedal, the distortion is not quite "dirty" enough for a lot of classic rock. And, with a Tele, trying to play country, it falls short as well. For a clean, classic Strat sound or a slightly dirty 'blues" sound it gets it done.

Rhetts wearing a Normans Rare Guitar shirt, I love it!!! You guys kick ass!

As a massive U2 fan, I loved this video

As Rick knows I'm a AC 15 guy. It's all you need and a few pedals for the bits of extra. Must say thought the little Morgan has cajonas. I once used the H & H stage thingy 100 watt amp waaaay too powerful for the gig; I was dialling it back for ages. The 15 was perfect - try it up against a JCM900 I think we were level to about 6-7, it was mad!! You DO NOT need a 100 watt stack for the average pub/bar gig. 30 watts more than enough for most places. ( with small pedals you can fit in a shoe box) take less, turn down more - practice and be better and the crowd love it as does the venue. Music - even rock is NOT all about ear splitting amp volume, it's about good times, good musicianship where you showboat in the last chorus of the last song and get out with a good vibe.

YAY !!! it's amp wars !!!! Thanks for putting in the work ~ great channel.

have to agree with Rhett regarding AC30 for rhythm/funk.....also Memory Man Pedal is Killer!! Not ignoring Awesome Guitar Playing....Thanks gents.....damn Now What do i do!!....lol

Bugger it.... I want both. I also luuuurve that lowrider-looking Novo with the P90's. Great demo'ing, Gentlemen!

I love my AC 30 TB w Alnico Blues!

Something tells me they were gunning for the Morgan, but the VOX AC30 beat it hands down. Hey Rhett, get that Morgan out of your arsenal, and get with the program! Rock stars weren't wrong!

AC30s are magical, no doubt about it.

Rick, how about a video on how certain gear inspires creativity/playing? Going in I thought I'd pick the Morgan, but the Vox just has something. I think the Vox made you guys play better.

45 seconds in and there goes Rhetts Vox Endorsement offer … it’s nice to hear someone speak honestly about gear they like, dislike or are middle of the road about.

I’d love to hear you compare a Matchless DC-30 to these two!

Great video...confirms my recent purchase of an AC15....love it!!

I used to have a 1963 Vox AC30. Sweetest sound ever. I played my Gibson 1967 ES-345 (Cherry Red) through it.

Love AC30s. Rick's sounds awesome. I would love to own one someday when I don't live in an apartment.

Really hard call. I think the AC-30 would win for me but it costs about twice as much to get the nice vintage one on reverb right now.

Pain in the ass to cart around…and loud but oh so beautiful. AC30 is just glorious !!!

The 1990s Vox AC30s are very good amps in my experience. You gotta crank ‘em to get “that” sound, though. The Morgan is more versatile and sounds better at reasonable levels, plus there’s the power scaling feature for a quiet but not stiff sound. The Morgan’s EF86 option is great too…it has more gain, and at the same gain level puts out more bass than a 12AX7.

I know what you’re saying about new AC30s being so bright if only they made some sort of knob with which someone could increase the bass frequencies. Or if not that, maybe one that can reduce the treble? Alas

I’m glad I found this video I have the AC30hw and have played it against my friends dual 20 and we both agreed the VOX tone was superior

a Fine comparison of both Guitars and Amps-I love the Isolation Room as well ! Nice work Men !

Rhett, I agree with you on the Chinese AC30 being brighter than the vintage Vox's. Nice Playing Rick. I heard Rush on the Cars when you first started playing. Nice series!!

Maybe a Morgan 30/800 on the "30" side would've been a more fair comparison?... I still think sell them all and get a couple of /13 amps, they'll be all you'll ever need and twice as good as vintage anything. 👍 Fred's amps are killer!

12:49 comes alive! AC30’s.... so freakin’ loud. 15:58...a fine line between amazing and a bit too compressed (listening on an iPhone....must consider that) After that...Rick is so right on.... such a consistent (and great) sound.

Well, I believe you just showed people why the Stratocaster is still somehow underrated.

The Morgan is great, I like the darker sound. However, something about that AC30 still makes me prefer it.

Oh emm gee, the stuff Rhett plays from 16:57 onwards sounds truly divine! 😍👍

I had a Vox AC30 for years when I was gigging once or twice a week and lived on a second floor apartment. I still have back trouble. Finally traded for an AC15 which I should have done years before. All the volume I needed. I prefer it to the AC 20 here. The best boutique amp I’ve played was a Victoria which sounded the way older Fender amps sound. Unlike Fender, Vox’s modern amps still sound great and I don’t really see the need for boutiques. Can’t afford them anyways. One nice amp and one nice electric guitar and acoustic is all I’ve ever been able to afford anyway. it’s kinda hard to fathom how many non-famous musicians on RU-vid can afford six amps or more.

They both sound awesome. I have an AC15 and I absolutely love it.

Really appreciate this comparison. I was all set with getting the Morgan until I heard the AC30. Its like Rhett brought a knife to a gun fight. The clarity and headroom on the AC30 is amazing. I do worry about buying a new AC30 and where it is made vs the British made version.

Awesome video. Cant wait for more episodes. Keep them coming!

The Morgan is pretty cool. I've even been contemplating buying one mostly because of the power scaling but maybe a Boss TAE would be better for me. My 6 British-built AC30 Top Boost amps will have to be pried from my cold, dead hands before I'd give them up! Two 1965s, two 1998s and two 2001s! I started playing one in 1965 and I've been using them as my primary amps most of my life. Every other make and model of tube amp has come and gone but my VOX amps are forever! If you don't think they kick 'A' enough as they are, plug one into a 4x12 cab with Greenbacks, dime it and watch the walls come down!

That AC30 killed it. There's nothing like those twin Celestions pumped up. Those P90 sounded best on both amps.

Rhett, you played Tie Your Mother Down bro, you rock. I’m a Vox man myself, i own 3 models- Vox ad120, a Vox ac30 Brian May amp & a regular Vox ac30 cc2. They say Marshall is the sound of Rock, i say Vox is the sound of legends.

Both amps sound amazing...

I have both amps and actually perfected the vox I ended up buying a Morgan with out ever playing it just because everyone said how it was like a old hand wired ac30 but I found the Morgan dull and not musical it was still a good amp but not a ac30 I remember my dotted 8th delays on the Morgan just didn’t have the clarity like the vox so I ended up selling my Morgan because I just thought the vox ac30 was so much better. So now I play vox ac30 and a fender tweed amp and couldn’t be happier

Yes!! Loved your choice of riffs ( queen, u2 and aerosmith) and love the ef 86 valves (especially on dan stienhardt's ac30). Rhett's shirt is also pretty cool

great demo! which channel of the vox are you using? Normal or Brilliant? thanks!

"VOX & P90" is so lovely!

It may interest some to know that James Williamson's rig for The Stooges Raw Power sessions in London was a Les Paul straight into an AC-30 ... THAT is the Guitar sound of Raw Power. I had a Chinese Vox AC30 212 and I sold it ... just didn't sound like a Vox AC30 to me. You want a Vox ... buy the Brit originals.

I felt lucky just to hear these tones, they are so, so sweet.

The Vox sounded incredible, the Morgan was a beaut also. If I was recording that AC 30 would be my go-to.

Very good demo and comparison. For me the Vox sounds much better for my taste. Personally, I love the new AC30s with Greenbacks with single coils and the channels jumped.

No contest...AC30 hands down!

AC30 just kills it man, it's so much more defined. Tighter and brighter too.

Just saw the part where you were talking about how painfully loud the Vox is for live performance. I would like to point out that the vibrato channel of the AC30 works really well for lower volume scenarios. That channel has a ton less volume, and is actually a tighter bass/brighter trebble tone. It's not the exact same tone, but it is nice in its own way.

Way late to this party, but I’m trying to always learn and this is an awesome video. I don’t understand “the sound of vox is an ef86”… weren’t they just used briefly? If memory serves Beatles Justin Hayward Brian may edge, etc did not use ef86es. I’m wishing I had more info on why Rick would say that as I would like to purchase a vox type amp before too long…