Vox
Vox's first electric guitars, the Clubman and Stroller were modeled after the Fender Stratocaster, which at the time, was not
available in the U.K. These first guitars were low-price, low-quality models made by a cabinet maker in Shoeburyness, Essex.
In 1962 Vox introduced the pentagonal Vox Phantom guitar, originally made in England but soon after made by EKO of Italy.
Phil "Fang" Volk of Paul Revere & the Raiders played a Phantom IV bass (which for some reason was eventually retrofitted with a
Fender neck). It was followed a year later by the teardrop-shaped Mark VI, the prototype of which was made specifically for
Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, using a Fender Stratocaster bridge. By the end of the decade, Stones bassist Bill Wyman was
himself playing a teardrop-bodied bass, made for him by the company, and subsequently marketed as the Wyman Bass. Vox experimented
with built-in effects and electronics, with guitars such as the Cheetah and Ultrasonic offering numerous built-in effects.
Among many innovations were the Guitar Organ, which featured miniaturized VOX organ circuitry activated by the contact of strings
with fret contacts, producing organ tones in key with guitar chords. . This instrument was heavy and cumbersome with its steel
neck and external circuit boxes, and rarely worked correctly, but was a hallmark of the ingenuity of this company.
In the mid 1960's, as the sound of electric 12-string guitars became popular, Vox introduced the Phantom XII, which has been used by Tony Hicks of The Hollies, Captain Sensible of early English punk band The Damned and Hilton Valentine of The Animals; and Mark XII electric 12-string guitars as well as the Tempest XII, also made in Italy, which featured a more conventional body style. The Phantom XII and Mark XII both featured a unique Bigsby style 12-string vibrato tailpiece, the only 12 string electric guitar to feature such a vibrato. Vox produced a number of other models of 6 and 12 string electric guitars in both England and Italy. Guitar effects pedals, including an early version of the wah-wah pedal used by Jimi Hendrix and the Tone Bender fuzzbox pedal used by Jimmy Page of the Yardbirds were also manufactured. In 1967 Vox introduced a series of guitars which featured built in effects such as fuzz tone, repeater tremolo, and a wah-wah operated by the heel of the picking hand pushing on a spring loaded lever over the bridge. The Delta phantom style guitar and bass, the Starstream teardrop 6-string, and Constellation teardrop bass had such effects.
Vox had experimented with Japanese manufacturers at the end of the sixties with the Les Paul style VG2, and in 1982 all guitar production was moved to Japan, where the Standard & Custom 24 & 25 guitars and basses were built by Matsumoku, the makers of Aria guitars. These are generally regarded as the best quality guitars ever built under the Vox name. However, they were discontinued in 1985 when production was moved to Korea and they were replaced by the White Shadow models, although a number of White Shadow M Series guitars and basses are clearly marked as made in Japan, suggesting a phased production hand-over.