SONICTONE AMPLIFICATION Classic Royal Crown 30 User manual

Classic Series
30-Watt Cathode-Biased
Tube Amplifier
Head or 2x12 Combo
Owner’s Manual
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA

2
Table of Contents
Introduction
Safety Instructions
Features
Front Panel
Rear Panel
Warranty
Specifications
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SonicTone Amplification, LLC
P.O. Box 24456
New Orleans, LA 70184
[e-mail]
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA

3
Introduction
I’d like to personally thank you for purchasing the SonicTone Royal Crown 30 (RC30) tube
amplifier. I know how important every player’s tone is to them and that consideration goes into
every amp. Carefully designed and hand-built here in the U.S., the RC30 is an influential circuit
that has been used to power classic rock for decades. From a chimey clean channel to a tight
harmonic overdrive, this amp will deliver some fantastic tones for you to use when playing live
or in the studio. Good luck and enjoy the amp!
Sincerely,
Nick Sagona
Always use the correct types of tubes for this amplifier.
Always match the impedance to correct value of the speaker load.
Do not attempt to bypass the fuses or use different fuse values.
Please only use the provided SonicTone footswitch, which is compatible with this amplifier.
Please only use an active 5-pin DIN cable to connect the footswitch to the amplifier.
Please operate the amplifier in dry and safe conditions.
Please store the amplifier in a reasonable, climate-controlled environment.
If you are experiencing issues with the amplifier, please have it worked on by a qualified
service technician only. Do not attempt to open the amp and work on it yourself.
WARNING!
Dangerous and potentially lethal voltages may be present in the amplifier even after it has
been turned off and unplugged. Do not open the amp yourself or touch the inside of it.
Only have a qualified service technician open up and work on the amplifier.
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Safety Instructions

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Features
The Royal Crown 30 (RC30) is a 30-watt, cathode-biased tube amplifier that uses four (4) 12AX7 preamp tubes,
four (4) EL84 power tubes and one (1) GZ34 rectifier tube. Its features include:
Tube/Solid-State Rectifier Switch:
The tube/solid-state rectifier switch is another interesting feature that can give you a subtle tonal option. When set
to the tube rectifier, the amp will produce a slightly more vintage sound, where there is a little more compression
and sag with the sound. Some players prefer this, saying that it gives the amp a more vocal and spongy sound and
that the notes have a nice “touch” or “bloom” to them. However, if that’s not your preference, switching to the solid-
state rectifier will give the amp a slightly more aggressive sound with a more firm and immediate response.
Footswitch Operation:
The footswitch requires the active 5-pin DIN cable to be inserted into the footswitch jack on the rear panel as well
as the jack on the footswitch. In order for the footswitch to operate correctly, the corresponding switches on the
amp must be set to the OFF position. The left button (orange LED) engages channel 2. The right button (green LED)
engages the FX loop.
2 independent channels with separate EQs
Bright switch on channel 1
Hot/cool control on channel 2
Tone cut control
No negative feedback
Master volume
Tube-driven buffered FX loop, bypassable and footswitchable
FX loop series/parallel switch with send and return controls
Tube/solid-state rectifier switch
Half-power switch
3-way output impedance switch (16, 8 or 4 ohm)
Two (2) 12” Celestion 25-watt 8 ohm Greenback speakers,
wired for 16 ohm (stock combo only)
Birch plywood cabinet with finger-jointed construction
2-button footswitch

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Front Panel
Pilot Light – illuminates when the amp is
turned on.
Power Switch – turns the amp on.
Standby Switch – allows the amp to be
played. When the standby is off, the tubes
are kept warm, but the amp will not make
any sound.
Master Volume – adjust the overall master volume of the amp.
Tone Cut – a tonal control to adjust the overall brightness of the amp. Increasing this control darkens the tone.
FX Loop LED – illuminates when the FX loop is engaged.
Hot/Cool Switch – switch to engage more gain and a more aggressive tone for channel 2. When set to “hot”,
the channel 2 EQ has a reduced and different effect on the tone.
Volume – adjust the overall volume of channel 2.
Bass and Treble – passive equalization controls to adjust the tone of channel 2. They have the widest
effect and operate normally when on the “cool” setting of the “hot/cool” switch (7).
Gain – adjust the overall gain of channel 2.
CH 1 / CH 2 Switch & LED – switch to change between channels 1 and 2 when not using the footswitch.
The LED illuminates when channel 2 is engaged.
Tone – adjust the tone of channel 1.
Gain – adjust the overall gain of channel 1.
Bright Switch – switch to engage a brighter tone for channel 1.
Input Jack – mono input jack to plug your guitar into.
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1 2 3 6 7
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912
4 5 8
10 13

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IMPEDANCE
SPEAKERS
FOOTSWITCH
4 8 16
OUTPUT
WARNING!
30-watt cathode-biased amplifier
4 x 12AX7; 4 x EL84; 1 x GZ34
FX RETURN
SERIES/
PARALLEL FX SEND
SENDOFFRETURN
2 8
0 10
4 6
2 8
0 10
4 6
Made in the USA
POWER
FULL
POWER
HALF
POWER
SS
RECT
TUBE
RECT
Dangerous and potentially lethal voltages may be present in the amplifier
even after it has been turned off and unplugged. Only have a qualified
service technician open up and work on the amplifier.
S/N: CS050000000000
GZ34
MAINS
(2A SB)
B+
(0.5A SB)
120VAC
Rear Panel
1 2 4 53 6 7
Footswitch Jack – 5-pin DIN jack to plug the provided footswitch cable into.
FX Series/Parallel Switch – switch to operate the FX loop in either series or parallel mode. In parallel
mode, the original signal is allowed to pass through unaffected and the send control acts as a “wet/dry
blend” to mix the level of affected signal into the mix with the unaffected signal. In parallel, depending
on the amount of “wet” signal set by the send control, the overall signal may be louder due to the dry
and wet signals being mixed together. In this scenario, it is recommended to use the return control to
balance out the overall volume.
FX Loop Return Jack – mono input jack for the FX loop return signal.
FX Loop Bypass Switch – switch to fully bypass the FX loop circuit.
FX Loop Send Jack – mono input jack for the FX loop send signal.
FX Loop Return Level – control to adjust the level of the return signal to the amp.
FX Loop Send Level – control to adjust the level of the send signal to the outboard FX chain.
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A note about the FX Loop – When the FX loop is off (bypassed), the entire signal will bypass the FX loop circuit
altogether. However, the send and return jacks are switched jacks that are connected together when nothing is
plugged into them. Therefore, when the circuit is on, signal will be allowed to pass through the FX loop if nothing is
plugged into it. Once a cable is inserted into either one of the jacks, that connection is broken and will the signal will
go out through the send jack and have to be returned through the return jack. If the FX loop is not being used, the
return control can be used as an additional volume control to reduce the volume when the FX loop is on, and then
boost the volume when the FX loop is switched off. This will effectively provide a volume “boost” option.

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IMPEDANCE
SPEAKERS
FOOTSWITCH
4 8 16
OUTPUT
WARNING!
30-watt cathode-biased amplifier
4 x 12AX7; 4 x EL84; 1 x GZ34
FX RETURN
SERIES/
PARALLEL FX SEND
SENDOFFRETURN
2 8
0 10
4 6
2 8
0 10
4 6
Made in the USA
POWER
FULL
POWER
HALF
POWER
SS
RECT
TUBE
RECT
Dangerous and potentially lethal voltages may be present in the amplifier
even after it has been turned off and unplugged. Only have a qualified
service technician open up and work on the amplifier.
S/N: CS050000000000
GZ34
MAINS
(2A SB)
B+
(0.5A SB)
120VAC
Parallel Speaker Jacks – mono input jacks to plug the speaker(s) into. PLEASE NOTE: The jacks are in
parallel, so if you plug two equal impedance speaker loads into them, you must set the impedance switch to
half their impedance. For example, with two 16 ohm speaker loads plugged in, the impedance switch should
be set to 8 ohms.
Impedance Selector Switch – switch to select the correct impedance of the speaker load hooked up to the
amp.
Full/Half Power Switch – switch to change the power setting between half and full power. This feature
removes 2 of the power tubes from the circuit. The amount of power reduction in wattage is approximate.*
Solid State/Tube Rectifier Switch – switch to change between using the tube rectifier or the solid state
rectifier.
Fuse Holders – receptacles for the amp’s fuses.
AC Jack – jack to plug the provided AC cord into.
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Please note, the power reduction in wattage does not equate to a 50% reduction in overall loudness (dB.)
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Rear Panel (continued)
2-Year Limited Warranty
This amplifier is protected with a limited, 2-year warranty for any and all defective issues with the build
workmanship and parts, excluding tubes, transformers and speakers. The warranty does not cover general wear
and tear, neglect, misuse or abuse, damage from liquids (water, alcohol, etc.), disasters, acts of God or unauthorized
modifications. Any modifications made to the amp by the owner or a technician will void the warranty. The owner
is responsible for all warranty shipping costs. Once the warranty work is completed, the customer will be notified
and sent a final shipping invoice. The owner then is required to pay the shipping invoice to have the repaired amp
shipped back to them. Returned warranty shipping will be insured and will require a signature.
*

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Specifications
Product Series:
Product Model:
AC Input & Fuses:
Tubes:
Dimensions:
Footswitch:
Power Output:
Classic Series
Royal Crown 30 (RC30) Head or 2x12 Combo
U.S. Standard IEC jack rated for 120V @ 60Hz
2A slo-blo mains fuse
0.5A slo-blo high voltage (B+) fuse
Four (4) 12AX7 preamp tubes
Four (4) EL84 power tubes
One (1) GZ34 rectifier tube
2-button SonicTone footswitch
5-pin active DIN cable required for proper operation
30W @ 16, 8 or 4 ohms
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA
Speakers:
Two (2) 12-inch 25W 8 ohm Celestion Greenbacks, wired for 16 ohm (Stock Combo Only)
2x12 Combo Head
Width: 30 in
Height: 20.75 in
Depth: 10 in
Weight: 55.0 lbs
Width: 30 in
Height: 10.75 in
Depth: 9 in
Weight: 32.0 lbs