Vintage Vox Ac 30's 1964 &1974 and Guitar Compressors

[roadrocket1098]

Hi Guys,

I have a 1964 Vox AC30 and a 1974 Vox AC30 Top Boost, and a friend wishes to play a Fender Stratocaster with 2018 Guitar Compressor through them

Could the compressor damage the amps as they are 40 & 50 years old, and the compressor technology was not around then

I would truly appreciate some advice on this issue.

Kindest Regards

[pdf64]

Push things hard and they have a higher tendency to fail, especially vintage things.
Your amps may have various parts that are very tired, just about hanging on, but could go anytime. If you restrict the amp usage to low volume, lower power output, quiet SPL, then it could be a long time before it fails; a compressor set up to reduce the magnitude of the initial signal attack might help with that.

Whereas if the amp is cranked up and the compressor set up to produce a significant gain boost, then kicking it in 'mid kerrang' may push those tired parts that are just about 'hanging on by their fingernails' over the edge. But they may have gone anyway mid kerrang, compressor or not.

Compressors predate the AC30, but as studio gear rather than foot pedals. But they've always been used with various pedals that can boost, eg Rangemaster, Copicat, and even a regular humbucker guitar eg LP puts out way more signal than a regular Strat. But AC30 have never had a good rep for reliability.
In some ways, an AC30 may be seen as a 25 watt compressor, as that's the effect pushing them into (mild) overdrive can produce.

[J M Fahey]

Agree.
AC30 (and all other Guitar amps) have been driven balls to the wall forever.
A pedal, any kind, will not make a Guitar player more dangerous than he already is.

If anything, a Distortion pedal (or a Fuzz) is more "dangerous" than a Compressor.

[olddawg]

I would be more concerned about the speakers if they are vintage. A compressor can really fatten up a a guitar output squashing all frequencies to a similar level. As said before, with the gain turned up and the amp cranked it’s going to be pushing those old speakers damn hard. They sound the best just before they fail . I’ve used a compressor with a Strat through AC 30 clones.... with modern speakers. I’ve seized some vintage ones. I would be especially careful with the 64. A lot depends on how he’s using it. If everything is on 11 and he wants to sound like Queen... get a major deposit first, lol!