Though no one maker was truly able to topple Vox’s reign in regards to guitar amplifiers in the UK in the early 60’s, that doesn’t mean there weren’t worthy challengers. London based Selmer, an historic brand in its own right (now known for building brass and woodwind instruments), was more than willing to give Vox a run for their money. The Zodiac Twin Thirty represented their take on a cathode based power section amplifier, utilizing two EL34’s instead of the quartet of EL84’s found in the AC30. Once more, the control layout of the ‘Truvoice’ EQ is one of the most unique in the history of guitar amplifiers and features a variety of pre-sets and tonal variation. The ‘magic eye’ atop the grill cloth that illuminated the pulse of the tremolo circuit was also a distinctive innovation for this rare piece. Icing on the cake is the ‘croc skin’ tolex that set this amplifier apart from any other at the time. More importantly, the Twin Thirty sounded fantastic and had all the mojo of the early 60’s british sound.

This 1963 Zodiac Twin Thirty is in very good condition and is fully functional. Cosmetically the tolex has wear typical of an amplifier of its age (please contact us if you would like additional photographs). The original Selmer logo is fully intact and the grill cloth is void of any major rips or tears. All the handles are functional and controls work as they should.  The castors are functional but may need to be replaced in the future.

Recent service to the amplifier included new electrolytic filter capacitors and some cathode capacitors, in addition to new power tubes and a fresh EF86 in the preamp. In addition, the option to use an external speaker cabinet has been added (the amp functions as normal when nothing is pulled in). No modifications have been made to the circuit. Also included is a step-up transformer so the original power transformer can be utilized. The amp is loaded with the sought after Celestion G12’s which are original to the amplifier.

These amps are a rare sight in the United States and scream that British Invasion sound. If you have questions about this piece of early amplifier history, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Serial No. 12553
30 Watts
EL34 Power Section
2 Channels
‘Truvoice’ EQ
4 Inputs, High & Low Sensitivity On Each Channel
Tube Driven Tremolo
(2) Celestion G12 Speakers