Serial number 902 - currently in the USA (collection: Mark Vaquer)

Output transformer replaced. Woden choke code either "EW" or "FW" = May or June 1965. Single speaker output socket.

Serial number 917 - currently in the USA?

Sold on ebay in 2008. Chassis number 1497. An amp in good general condition with brimistor still in place. The power transformer has the part number "66775", but there are no markings on the output. A bias (?) transformer has been added on the upper chassis. On the back panel: a single speaker output and a white warning plaque, top left.

Serial number 936 - currently in Holland

Currently in Holland - a fine bass rig.

Serial number 954 - currently in the USA

Produced for export to the States - note the grey Radiospares capacitor beside the mains switch. A few changes here and there but otherwise in good original order. A thermistor now stands in place of the brimistor to limit inrush current. Thanks to Michael for the pictures.

Serial number 966? - currently in the USA

Despite the good original pictures, it's hard to make out what the serial number is. 966 seems likely both from the inverted image, and from the presence of a mains switch with two "flanges" top and bottom. A switch of this kind appears on an amp with a number probably in the 1100s (below), but not on earlier examples. Two Amphenol sockets on the back panel.

Serial number 987 - currently in the USA (collection: Gary Hahlbeck)

Reproduced by kind permission of Gary Hahlbeck

Part of the extensive collection owned by North Coast Music. The mains input socket is a later Switchcraft (note the flat profile). The twin speaker output sockets are Amphenols.

Serial number 994 - currently in Germany

Serial number 900-1000s? - currently in the USA

Sold on ebay in 2008 - good pictures. The amp has no serial plate, and the chassis number is tantalisingly difficult to make out - 14xx? Various modifications have been made to the amp: most obviously, new grille cloth, and on the underside a small transformer, network and pots for generating a variable bias. The original Hunts/TCC capacitors remain in the preamp. The Woden choke has the code "HW" = August 1965.

Serial number in the 1000s - currently in the USA (collection: Marc Speed)

Chassis number 1705. No serial number plate. Renewed grille cloth.

Serial number 1064 - currently in Australia

Chassis number 1772. Pictured with a Supreme cabinet with Goodmans Power Range speakers - an impressive sight. Double speaker output XLRs, with original Amphenols still in place, as serial no. 987 above. Note the blue numbered sticker, as no. 1090 below. Thanks to Warren for the pictures.

Serial number 1067 - currently in the Netherlands?

In good cosmetic condition. Note the addition of a "BASS" flag from a 2x15" cabinet. What looks like a standby switch has also been added.

Serial number 1071 - currently in the USA

Made by Triumph Electronics under contract for Vox, so no chassis number. Considerably later than the other amps on this page, and simply here for reference. Triumph brought together chassis, boxes and serial number plates in an entirely random way. For further images, see this page.

Serial number 1072 - currently in the Netherlands

A fine AC100 with its original 2 x 15" cabinet. A few small changes here and there - the most notable of which is a preamp line out - but nothing major. Original Amphenol speaker output socket and red warning plaque on the back panel. Thanks to Tom for the pictures.

Serial number 1079 - currently in the Netherlands

With its original 2x15" bass cab (as no. 1072 above). Thanks to Mees for the pictures.

Serial number 1090 - currently in Australia

Chassis number 1769. Pictured with a Vox 2x15" cab bearing a "Jennings Electronic Industries" sticker (model B2). The blue numbered stickers (as 1064 above) on amp and cab bring Germany in view - the legend on the cab reads "2x15 Goodmanns [sic] a. 8ohm in Reihe". Original XLR speaker and mains connectors. Thanks to Warren for the pictures.

From around this point, zener diodes manufactured by Emihus

Values are the same as those of the gold-coloured "top hat" zeners bought in from International Rectifier: 20v and 15v, Emihus part numbers HS2220 and HS2150.

Serial number 1099 - currently in the UK

Chassis number 01762. Stored in a dusty understairs cupboard for twenty years. Converted early on into a two channel amp, possibly for some special purpose, as the gain had been drastically curtailed. The valve complement was peculiar too - two GEC KT77s and two Mullard EL34s. The box, however, had been nicely fitted out with spangly cloth. It now works well. Capacitors have codes for December 1964, April 1965 ("WD") and May 1965 ("WE"). The Woden choke has the code "HW" = August 1965. The blue Daly 8uf capacitor in the bias string has "WK" = October 1965.

Below, a set of new pictures:

Rubber stoppers provided to fill the holes that had been made. Erie resistors added to the input jacks; and the replacement white preamp sockets replaced by MacMurdos. The original Zener diodes - 20v and 15v - have been set aside in favour of two diodes totalling 39v (21v and 18v).

Serial number 1111 - currently in the UK

Chassis number 01721. Replacement output transformer and choke, and sympathetically restored power board. Good working order.

Serial number in the high 1000s / low 1100s - currently in the UK

One of the two 100uf/500v Daly filter caps, date code "WK" = October 1965.

Thanks to Steve, pictures of an AC100 mark 2 from the last third of 1965, chassis number 1685, a serial number probably in the high 1000s. Very few renewed components. The latest visible elements are the new-style "can" rectifier diodes. Up to this point Mullard top-hat rectifiers had been the norm. Also on the bias board, the 8uf capacitor is a blue Daly. In terms of date codes, the Welwyn 470R cement resistor at the speaker terminal has "WB" = February 1965; the TCC filter capacitors in the preamp have "VL" (one) "WE" (the other two) = November 1964 and May '65 and the 10uf/500v Daly filter caps "WK" = October 1965. The Mullard XF2s date from 1962 and 1963.

Updated, May 2024

Serial number 1115 - currently in the UK

Sold on ebay UK, July 2015. Chassis number 01409. Two line plate; brimistor; a pair of Amphenol speaker XLRs. Note that the leads from the output transformer curl round the chassis rather than pass through the hole provided directly behind it. The Woden choke has the date code "EW" = May 1965. In the preamp, the 470R Welwyn cement resistor at the speaker terminal block has "WD" = April 1965, so too the gold-coloured TCC 25uf cathode bypass. One of the main preamp filter caps (green TCC) has "WE" = May 1965.

Fire at the Vox Works

At around this point - early December 1965 - there was a significant fire at the Vox Works at Erith. Reg Clark reported that a number of "Beatles type amplifiers", i.e. AC100s, may have been affected.

From a report of the fire in the local Dartford press, December 1965.

At present, there is a considerable gap in the sequence - no AC100 currently known between serial numbers 1115 and 1153.

Serial number 1153 - currently in Italy

Nicely restored. Original transformers, choke and hardware. Date code of the choke is "HW" = August 1965.

Serial number in the 1100s? - box with serial plate 1884 - currently in the UK

Box with serial number plate 1884. But the amp is much earlier. Chassis no. 1764; grid resistors on flying leads in the preamp; and Wima signal capacitors. A small transformer has been added to produce the bias voltage for the EL34s. The amp was originally used by the girl group "The Chantelles" two LS40 speakers for their PA. Thanks to Lawrence for the pictures.

Serial number in the high 1100s (?) - currently in Spain

Chassis number 1777. No guard around the EL34s. The underside of the output transformer has solder lugs. Owned by Carlos Zubiaga of the Mocedades. Thanks to Juan for the pictures.

Serial number in the 1100s? - currently in the UK

Green TCC 8uf bias capacitor with date code "WF" = June 1965

An interesting specimen. Chassis no. 1786. The amp arrived in a large AC50 box with Sound City cloth. At some point in its history, extra capacitance was added along the lines of the final AC100s - the AC100/4 - paired 200uf capacitors in series; and the choke was presumably at that time also replaced (perhaps deliberately rather than out of necessity). The TCC capacitors in the preamp date to April and May 1965 ("WD", "WE"), the bias capacitor in the power section to June 1965 ("WF").

Early 1966 - a metal guard plate introduced around the EL34s

Also, for a short time, mains transformers are produced with 6.3v taps (to the EL34s) sleeved in green rather than the more usual dark maroon.

NEW

Serial number 1156 - currently in the Netherlands

Assembled under contract for JMI by Triumph Electronics. Chassis signed off by Graham. The main page on Triumph-made AC100s can be found here. In the preamp, the Mullard mustard capacitors have date codes: "B4N" and "B5N" = second quarters of 1964 and 1965 for their manufacture. The latest visible component date code is on the gold-coloured Dubilier 32uf capacitor: "WK" = October 1965. Thanks to Paul for the pictures.

Serial number 1168 - currently in the USA

To date, the earliest occurence of the metal guard around the power valves. Note the presence, still, of the two-line serial number plate. A nice tidy amp (after having been put back to spec.). The Woden choke has the code "MW" = December 1965. One of the blue Hunts capacitors in the preamp has "TIT" = 43rd week of 1964 for its manufacture.

The presence of the grey Radiospares by the mains switch indicates that the amp was made for export to the USA.

Serial number 1177 - currently in the USA

Chassis number 01918. Complete with its original cab and trolley, the former now with a closed back, and the latter with non-original ball casters. The (original) 470R Welwyn cement resistor at the speaker terminal block in the preamp has the date code "WB" = February 1965.

Below, some more recent shots of the cabinet and its speakers, one of which has been reconed.