Ruby '63 Top Boost Amplifier

I own the corresponding originals for both the Dream and the Ruby, but of different years: a Fender Deluxe Reverb from 1979 and a Vox AC-30 from the 90s.

So far I have not found a better simulation of these amps either in pedal form or as a plugin. T

The playing feel is authentic and the sound in the mix is ​​indistinguishable from the original. On one of the last productions I didn't mike the amps and just used the pedals. The result has a lot of character and punch an is easy to mix.

Live at smaller locations I use the pedals and otherwise the amps with the pedals as a backup. Great.

My first amp when I started to play electric guitar in 1975 was a 1964 Vox AC30 top boost. I’ve had two more since and I have two AC15 HW now. And I use treble boosters, Rangemaster and Hornby-Skewes.

The Ruby sounds ridiculously good; when I play in the control room it sounds - and feels - like those amps I am used to. All the classic great sounds are there; The Beatles’, Rory Gallagher’s, Status Quo’s, Ritchie Blackmore’s, Brian May’s and even the great Brad Paisley’s AC30 sound. To name a few. And the treble booster adds good heft!

And so easy to dial them in and go along in the studio; I just connect both outputs to my Apollo’s line in on the back and use an appropriate Unison preamp, e.g. a Helios 69.

I hard pan the channels and use the Ruby’s Room control and the sound is glorious!

Ni hassle!

I’ve always loved the vibrato channel on my AC30s but the speed settings where quite rudimental, on the Ruby I can dial in any speed and intensity. Great UA, thank you!

Despite being a UA customer for over 15 years - I was very skeptical this would actually sound like a real amp. I've owned and played Vox amps live and in studios over the years and in particular - own a boutique amp from British company Audio Kitchen called the Big Trees (which is based on Vox sounds) that my main clean sound comes from. I play it with my Fender Telecaster through custom Celestion green speaker and the combination is truly beautiful.

I only started looking at this pedal as I'm finding myself in situations now where I'm being asked to play at venues that require very quick, minimalist setups - and setting up and micing my amp combo is considered too time-consuming, complex (sigh).

I watched the Ruby '63 videos hoping to get some idea of how good the clean sound was... but most of them just showcase the classic Brian May overdriven sounds Vox is known for.

So I popped down to my local guitar pedal store and asked to try it out... After some tweaking - suddenly there is was.... MY CLEAN SOUND - BIG TREES COMBINED WITH GREEN SPEAKER!!! It even responds like the amp when you hit the strings a bit harder - producing some beautiful break-up.

I'm blown-away... I honestly didn't think it would be THIS GOOD. It won't be replacing my Big Trees / Vox amp for things like studio recordings but for the unique live setup situations (or needing to play through headphones late at night) it's perfect and will be used for many years to come.

I'm giving it 5 of 5 - the…