The AC15HW1 is almost great. The AC30HW2 is really great!!

I recently bought the AC15HW1, and while it sounded really amazing on its own, it didn't really work with my pedal setup, which requires quite a bit of dynamic range and clean headroom, especially when using fuzzes (it loved ODs and boosters though). The 15 would be perfect for someone who rides the volume knob, is happy with just an overdrive or two, or doesn't use too many fuzzes.... I definitely use too many!

So I sent it back for exchange, and got the AC30HW2 instead, and it sounds just as good as the AC15 on its own (no pedals), plus it's got the clean headroom to take fuzzes and the stacking of pedals.

The handwired aspect is appealing to me for the inevitable future maintenance and repair of the amp. I would like to be able to do these things myself at some point...

Flipping the Hot switch is like having a built in Treble Booster in the TB channel. Couple it with an actual treble booster into the amp = FIERCE lead tone.

The greenbacks sound great. I do want to switch them out for "Scumnico's" at some point at put the GBs in an ext cab, or mix the two so you get an X formation when the cab and amp are stacked.

I've used the older AC30CC2 quite a bit, and while that is a great amp in its own right, the HW2's tone has a sweetness and "vintage mojo" that the CC kind of emulates but doesn't quite achieve. That said, I would be happy with an CC (haven't tried the newer C2s though), I just have the fortunate luck to be able to get the HW....

No reverb or trem might make some people mad, but not me. Never used it on the CCs, prefer tremolo pedals and not a big fan of reverb. The fact that they left it out of the design probably accounts for it being a few pounds lighter than the CC, which is a plus for anyone over 25 with a back.