Editing Vox (company) (section)

==History==

=== Beginnings ===
The Jennings Organ Company was founded by [[Thomas Walter Jennings]] in [[Dartford]] [[Kent]], England after [[World War II]]. Jennings's first successful product was the Univox, an early self-powered electronic keyboard similar to the [[Clavioline]].

In 1956, Jennings was shown a prototype guitar amplifier made by Dick Denney, a big band guitarist and workmate from [[World War II]]. The company was renamed Jennings Musical Industries, or JMI. In 1958 the 15-watt Vox AC15 amplifier was launched; "vox" simply being the [[Latin]] word for "voice". It was popularised by [[The Shadows]] and other British rock 'n' roll musicians and became a commercial success.

Vox released the 12-watt AC10 in late 1959 as a student model, originally as a 1x10-inch combo and later as a 2x10-inch combo. Features simplified from the AC15 included a tremolo effect (mislabeled as "vibrato"), a single, shared Tone control, and smaller output transformer. The AC10 was discontinued in 1965.<ref>{{cite book
 |last=Hunter
 |first=Dave
 |date=2012
 |title=Amped - The Illustrated History of the World's Greatest Amplifiers
 |publisher=Voyageur Press
 |page= 106
 |isbn=9780760339725
}}</ref>

=== The AC30 ===
{{Main|Vox AC30}}
[[Image:VOX AC30 Twin.jpg|thumb|left|237x237px|The Vox AC30 amplifier]]
In 1959, with sales under pressure from the more powerful [[Fender Twin]], by request from [[The Shadows]], who requested amplifiers with more power, Vox produced what was essentially a double-powered AC15 and named it the AC30. The AC30, fitted with [[alnico]] magnet-equipped [[Celestion]] "blue" loudspeakers and later Vox's special "Top Boost" circuitry, and like the AC15 using valves (known in the US as vacuum tubes), helped to produce the sound of the [[British Invasion]], being used by [[The Beatles]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[The Kinks]] and the [[Yardbirds]], among others. AC30s were later used by [[Brian May]] of [[Queen (band)|Queen]] (who is known for having a wall of AC30s on stage), [[Paul Weller (singer)|Paul Weller]] of [[The Jam]] (who also assembled a wall of AC30s), [[Rory Gallagher]], [[The Edge]] of [[U2]] and [[Radiohead]] guitarists [[Thom Yorke]], [[Jonny Greenwood]] and [[Ed O'Brien]]. The Vox AC30 has been used by many other artists including [[Mark Knopfler]], [[Hank Marvin]] who was instrumental in getting the AC30 made, [[Ritchie Blackmore]], [[John Scofield]], [[Snowy White]], [[Will Sergeant]], [[Tom Petty]], [[The Echoes (English group)|The Echoes]], [[Mike Campbell (musician)|Mike Campbell]], [[Peter Buck]], [[Justin Hayward]], [[Tom DeLonge]], [[Mike Nesmith]], [[Peter Tork]], [[Noel Gallagher]], [[Matthew Bellamy]], [[Omar Rodriguez-Lopez]], [[Dustin Kensrue]], [[Tame Impala]], [[Jimmy Page]], [[Tony Iommi]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Owens |first=Bruce |date=2024-03-25 |title=Guitar Gear Review: The ToneSpeak Birmingham 1275 Took My VOX AC30 from Good to Great {{!}} TMR Zoo |url=http://www.tmrzoo.com/2024/76794/guitar-gear-review-the-tonespeak-birmingham-1275-took-my-vox-ac30-from-good-to-great |access-date=2024-03-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> and many others.{{clear}}

===Other amplifiers===
[[Image:VOX AC30 Top Boost (Born to Rock) clipped.jpg|thumb|180px|AC30 Top Boost <!-- (Rolly Gallagher's) -->]]
Once [[The Beatles]] became tied to Vox amplifiers (a deal was struck early in their recording career whereby they would be provided Vox equipment for exclusive stage use), the quest for more power began. [[John Lennon]]'s first Vox was a fawn-coloured twin-speaker AC15, while [[George Harrison]]'s was a fawn AC30 with a top boost unit installed in the rear panel. They were later provided with twin black-covered AC30s with the rear panel top boost units. [[Paul McCartney]] was provided with one of the first transistorised amplifiers, the infamous T60, which featured an unusual separate cabinet outfitted with a 12" and a 15" speaker. The T60 head had a tendency to overheat, and McCartney's was no exception, so he was then provided with an AC30 head which powered the T60's separate speaker cabinet.

As the crowds at Beatles shows got louder, they needed louder amps. Jennings provided Lennon and Harrison with the first AC50 piggyback units, and McCartney's AC30/T60 rig was replaced with an AC100 head and an AC100 2×15" cabinet. Lennon and Harrison eventually got their own AC100 rigs, with 4×12"/2-horn configurations. In 1966 and 1967, The Beatles had several prototype or specially-built Vox amplifiers, including hybrid tube/solid-state units from the short-lived 4- and 7-series. Harrison in particular became fond of the 730 amp and 2×12 cabinet, using them to create many of the guitar sounds found on ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' and ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''. Lennon favoured the larger 7120 amplifier, while Harrison preferred the 730 and McCartney had its sister 430 bass amplifier.

[[Image:Vox Super Beatle amplifier, Beatles Ludwig drumset, Museum of Making Music (edit1).jpg|thumb|180px|Vox Super Beatle (exhibited at [[Museum of Making Music]])]]
In the early 1960s, the Brothers Grim became the first American group to use Vox Amplifiers. Joe Benaron, CEO of [[Warwick Electronics]] Inc. / [[Thomas Organ Company]], the United States distributor of Vox, along with Bernard Stockly (London), importer of Challenge pianos to the United States, arranged for the boys to have full use of the tall Super AC 100 Vox amps (4×12" speakers). The solid-state version of this amp (known in the US as the "Super Beatle") was produced to cash in on the Beatles-Vox affiliation, but was not nearly as successful as the valve AC30 and AC15 models.

A modern popular rock artist known for use of the Super Beatle is [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]], although in the April 2008 issue of Premier Guitar, lead guitarist [[Mike Campbell (musician)|Mike Campbell]] revealed that the Super Beatle backline was, on their thirtieth anniversary tour at least, primarily used only as a stage prop, though Petty used his "on a couple of songs." In the group's early days, the Vox equipment was chosen because it was relatively inexpensive in 1976, yet had a handsome appearance. A photograph included in the article showed Campbell's guitar sound was coming from other amplifiers hidden behind the large Super Beatles, which Campbell stated were "a tweed [[Fender Deluxe]] and a blackface [[Fender Princeton]] together behind the Super Beatle, and an isolated Vox AC30 that I have backstage in a box."

The [[Monkees]] concealed themselves in large empty Vox cabinet and emerged from them as a grand entrance to the opening of the shows on the 1967 tour and they used real Vox amps for the performances.

=== Instruments ===

==== Guitars ====
{|class="wikitable" style="float:left;padding:0;margin:0 1em 0 0;"
|- style="" align="center" 
|style="border:0;padding:3px 12px 3px 11px;" |[[File:1966 Vox Phantom VI.jpg|50px]]
|style="border:0;padding:3px;"     |[[File:Brian Jones guitar, HRC Sacramento.jpg|180px]]
|- style="font-size:90%;text-align:center;"
|style="border:0;padding-left:3px;"|Vox Phantom VI<!-- (1966) -->
|style="border:0;padding-left:3px;"|Vox Mark VI
|}
Vox's first electric guitars, the ''Apache'', ''Stroller'' and ''Clubman'' were modeled after solid-body, bolt-neck [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]]s, which at the time were not available in the UK. A four-string ''Clubman Bass'' followed shortly after. These first guitars were low-priced, had unusual [[TV connector]] output jacks and were produced by a [[cabinet maker]] in [[Shoeburyness]], Essex. Vox president Tom Jennings commissioned ''London Design Centre'' to create a unique new electric guitar, and in 1962 Vox introduced the pentagonal ''Phantom'', originally made in England but soon after made by [[Eko guitars|EKO]] of Italy. The first Phantom guitars were given to [[The Echoes (English group)|The Echoes]] to trial in 1962 and were used by them until 1970. They can be heard on many of their recordings and records they did with other artists such as [[Dusty Springfield]]. Aside from the unusual body and [[headstock]] shapes, Phantoms featured copies of the [[Fender Stratocaster]] [[Neck (music)#Guitar|neck]] and its attachment, the ''Strat'''s three [[single coil|single-coil pick-up]]s and standard [[Bridge (instrument)#Vibrato bridges|vibrato bridge]] that in this case copied a [[Bigsby vibrato tailpiece|Bigsby]] unit. Aside from being a bit awkward to hold for seated playing, the Phantom guitars now approached professional quality, performance and price. [[Phil "Fang" Volk]] of ''[[Paul Revere & the Raiders]]'' played a ''[[Phantom IV]]'' bass (which was eventually retrofitted with a Fender neck). It was followed a year later by the teardrop-shaped ''[[Vox Mark III|Mark VI]]'', the prototype of which had only two pick-ups (rather than three) and was made specifically for [[Brian Jones]] of ''[[The Rolling Stones]]'', again using a Bigsby-like "[[Hank Marvin]]" bridge. By the end of the decade, Stones bassist [[Bill Wyman]] was shown in Vox advertisements playing a teardrop hollow-bodied bass made for him by the company, subsequently marketed as the ''[[Wyman Bass]]''. Many guitar gear authorities dispute that he ever actually used the instrument for recording or live performance. (See also [[Vox Bass Guitar]].)

Vox experimented with several built-in effects and electronics on guitars such as the ''Cheetah'', ''[[Vox Ultrasonic|Ultrasonic]]'', and ''Invader''. Ian Curtis of ''[[Joy Division]]'' is known to have owned two white Vox ''Phantom VI Special'' effects guitars which had push button switches on the [[scratch plate]] to activate the effects circuits.
Another innovation was the [[#Guitar Organ|Guitar Organ]], which featured miniaturised VOX [[electric organ|organ]] circuitry activated by the contact of the [[String instrument|string]]s on the [[fret]]s, producing organ tones in key<ref name=Petersen>{{cite book |last1=Petersen |first1=David |last2=Denney |first2=Dick |title=The Vox Story |date=1993 |publisher=The Bold Strummer LTD. |location=Westport, CT |isbn=0-933224-70-2 |pages=31–34 |edition=First}}</ref> with guitar notes in one of three ways. A switch on the instrument allow choosing between guitar only, organ only (holding down strings produced an organ tone without the string needing to be played in a traditional sense as mentioned) and a combination of both. This instrument was heavy and cumbersome with a steel [[Neck (music)|neck]] and external circuit boxes. The initial production run proved unreliable due to the fact that JMI production engineers, eager to put the instrument into production, had used Denney's prototype as a template for wiring the instrument in Denney's absence. As a consequence, the instrument gained a negative reputation, but was a hallmark of the ingenuity of the company.<ref name=Petersen/>

[[File:VOX guitars.jpg|thumb|180px|Vox guitars <br/><span style="white-space:wrap;font-size:90%;">(Phantom XII is right white one)</span>]]

In the mid-1960s, as the sound of electric [[12-string guitar]]s became popular, Vox introduced the ''Phantom XII'', which was subsequently used by [[Tony Hicks]] of [[The Hollies]], [[Captain Sensible]] of early English [[Punk rock|punk]] band [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]] and [[Greg Kihn]]; the ''Mark XII'' electric 12-string guitar and 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, which made them, along with [[Semie Moseley]]'s "Ventures" model 12-string [[Mosrite]], the only 12-string electric guitars to feature such a vibrato. The ''Stereo Phantom XII'' had split pick-ups resembling the Fender ''[[Fender Precision|Precision]]'' bass, each half of which could be sent to a separate amplifier using an onboard mix control.
Vox produced a number of other models of 6 and 12 string electric guitars in both England and Italy.

{{multiple image
| align = left
| image1 = VOX Wah-Wah front.jpg
| width1 = 120
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = VOX [[wah-wah pedal]]
| image2 = Vox Tone Bender.jpg
| width2 = 135
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = VOX [[Tone Bender]]
| footer = 
}}

Guitar pedals and other effects, including an early version of the [[wah-wah pedal]] used by [[Jimi Hendrix]] and the ''Tone Bender'' [[Distortion (music)|fuzzbox]] pedal, a Vox variation on the famous original Gary Hurst [[Tone Bender]] (used by [[Jimmy Page]] of [[Led Zeppelin]] and [[Jeff Beck]] of the [[Yardbirds]] as well as [[The Beatles]], [[Spencer Davis]] and others), were also marketed by Vox and later on manufactured in Italy.

[[File:Vox V 809 Repeat Percussion guitar effect.jpg|thumb|180px|<br/>Vox V 809 Repeat Percussion effect operated by PP3 [[Nine-volt battery|9 volt]] battery, direct plug-in or by in-line cable]]

In 1967, Vox introduced a series of guitars which featured built in effects such as [[Distortion]] (fuzz tone), Repeat Percussion (percussive tremolo), Treble/Bass Booster 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 also pioneered the first radio microphone system, which freed singers from having their microphone connected to their amplifier or PA by a cable.

{|class="wikitable" style="clear:right;float:right;padding:0;margin:-2ex 0 1ex 1em;"
|- style="" align="center" 
|style="border:0;padding:3px;"     |[[File:VOX Standard 24 closeup.jpg|62px]]
|style="border:0;padding:3px;"     |[[File:Vox Virage DC (small).jpg|62px]]
|- style="font-size:90%;text-align:center;"
|style="border:0;padding-left:3px;"|Vox Standard 24
|style="border:0;padding-left:3px;"|Vox Virage DC
|}

Vox had experimented with Japanese manufacturers at the end of the sixties with the [[Gibson Les Paul|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 (guitar company)|Aria guitars]]. These were generally regarded as the best quality guitars ever built under the Vox name. They were discontinued in 1985 when production was moved to Korea and they were replaced by the ''White Shadow'' models. A number of ''White Shadow'' "M"-series guitars and basses are clearly marked as "made in Japan", suggesting a phased production hand-over.

In 1998, Vox Amplification Ltd [[Korg]] reissued many of their classic Phantom and Teardrop guitars.

In March 2008, Vox unveiled the semi-hollow ''Virage DC'' (double cutaway) and ''SC'' (single cutaway) at the [[NAMM Show]]. Notable characteristics include a 3D contoured ergonomic design which not only had an arch top, but also bent back from the neck toward the base of the guitar hugging the player's body. The guitar body was milled from a single block of wood and had a fitted face in combinations of [[mahogany]] and [[ash (tree)|ash]]. A new triple coil pick-up system designed by [[DiMarzio]], called the ''Three-90'', emulates a [[humbucker]], [[P-90]], or single-coil tone.

In 2009, Vox refined the Virage design with the ''Virage II'' series of guitars. This series repeated the double and single cutaway bodies of the earlier Virage series, but also included the ''Series 77'' (with double horns emulating the [[Gibson SG]] series), the ''Series 55'' (with resemblance to the Gibson Les Paul single cutaway), and the ''Series 33'' (with lower cost fabrication than the 77 and 55 series). The Virage II series featured ''CoAxe'' pick-ups which resembled the earlier ''Three-90'' in functionality, but were claimed to be less noisy. The one-piece cast ''MaxConnect'' bridge of this series is aluminium and provides both a saddle and anchor for the strings.

For 2012, the VOX Phantom and Teardrop guitars appeared again as the APACHE Series travel guitars with a host of built in features including a 2-channel guitar amplifier, speakers, dozens of rhythm patterns, even a convenient E-String tuner.

In May 2013, a Vox guitar used by [[George Harrison]] and [[John Lennon]] on the ''[[Magical Mystery Tour]]'' album sold at a New York auction for 408,000 [[United States dollar|USD]].<ref>
{{cite news
 | title= Beatles guitar smashes auction estimates
 | work= 3 News NZ
 | date= 20 May 2013
 | url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Beatles-guitar-smashes-auction-estimates/tabid/418/articleID/298424/Default.aspx
}}
</ref>

In the later years of [[Prince (musician)|Prince]]'s life, he primarily utilized several versions of the Vox HDC-77 guitar, after being introduced to it by [[3rdeyegirl]] member [[Ida Kristine Nielsen]] in the year of 2012. Some of the guitars the artist used included a Blackburst version, a White Ivory version, and a multicolored version.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://madcatsandclouds.com/2019/04/08/vox-hdc-77/ | title=Vox HDC-77 Blackburst | date=8 April 2019 }}</ref>

==== Organs ====
[[Image:Voxcontinental.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Vox Continental]]]]
The Vox brand was also applied to Jennings' electronic organs, particularly the [[Vox Continental]] of 1962, which featured drawbars and used transistors to generate sound.{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=148,163}} [[John Lennon]] played one onstage with [[The Beatles]] during "[[I'm Down]]", including at their 1965 concert at [[Shea Stadium]], and the instrument was used by [[British Invasion]] musicians such as [[the Dave Clark Five]]'s [[Mike Smith (Dave Clark Five)|Mike Smith]] and [[the Animals]]' [[Alan Price]].{{sfn|Vail|Carson|2000|p=250}} American Vox players include [[Paul Revere Dick|Paul Revere]] with [[Paul Revere & the Raiders]]{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=167}} and [[The Doors]]' [[Ray Manzarek]], who used a Continental on the group's first two albums before switching to a [[Gibson G-101]].{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=175}} [[Doug Ingle]]'s [[Iron Butterfly]] used it on songs such as "[[In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/21/n-praise-of-the-vox-continental|title=In praise of … the Vox Continental|newspaper=The Guardian|date=21 May 2013|accessdate=10 February 2021}}</ref>  The Continental can also be heard on [[the Monkees]]' hit "[[I'm a Believer]]" and [[Van Morrison]]'s "[[Brown Eyed Girl]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://happymag.tv/how-the-vox-continental-shaped-the-sound-of-the-hippie-generation/|title=How the VOX Continental shaped the sound of a hippie generation|magazine=Happy Mag|date=11 December 2019|accessdate=9 February 2021}}</ref>

More recently, organist [[Rhys 'Spider' Webb|Spider Webb]] can be seen using a Vox Continental with the UK garage band [[The Horrors]].<ref name=mr>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/blast-from-the-past-vox-continental-625592|title=Blast from the past: Vox Continental|magazine=Music Radar|date=14 August 2015|accessdate=8 February 2021}}</ref> [[Benmont Tench]] of [[Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers]] has frequently used a Continental throughout his career.{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=148}}

{{multiple image |direction=horizontal|align=right
|image1=|width1=180|caption1= Vox Jaguar
|image2=VOX Super Continental.jpg|width2=180|caption2=Vox Super Continental
|image3=Blank.png|width3=0
}}
The Continental and other Vox organs such as the Jaguar, the Continental II, Super Continental, and the Continental 300 share characteristic visual features including orange and black vinyl coverings, stands made of chromed steel tubing, and reversed black and white keys.{{sfn|Vail|Carson|2000|p=252}}{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=158}} Jennings formed a deal with the [[Thomas Organ Company]] in 1966 to manufacture Continentals in the US, with production moving to Italy the following year.{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=156}} The Italian Vox Continentals featured plastic keys instead of the original wooden ones, which were less reliable and broke more easily.{{sfn|Vail|Carson|2000|p=251}}

==== GuitarOrgan ====
[[File:Vox V251 guitarOrgan-IMG 5539.jpg|thumb|upright|The Vox V251]]
[[Image:VOX V251GuitarOrgan (1).jpg|thumb|The Vox V251 GuitarOrgan]]
In 1966, Vox introduced the Guitar Organ, a Phantom VI guitar with internal organ electronics. [[John Lennon]] was given one in a bid to secure an endorsement, although he did not record with it.{{sfn|Lenhoff|Robertson|2019|p=170}}

The V251 connects to a mains power-supply unit via DIN plugs and a four-conductor cable (power, guitar output, organ output and common). The PSU in turn has individual amplifier outputs for guitar and organ.

Organ tones are sounded in one of three ways; in 'normal' mode, by pressing any string onto a fret; in 'percussion' mode, by fretting any string and touching the included brass plectrum (connected to a short wire plugged into a socket on the scratchplate) onto any metal part of the guitar; or by pressing one of the six 'open string' buttons. There is an option to silence the lowest two strings, and the organ section, as a whole, can also be switched off. There is a four-position octave selector, a six-position effect selector, a four-way selector for the percussion and a flute selector.

The guitar section is equipped with two Vox pick-ups, a three-way selector, and conventional volume and tone controls. In common with Phantom models, it has a Bigsby-style tremolo unit, a fixed-intonation bridge and individual Vox-branded tuners.

The V251 is somewhat awkward to play as the neck is wider at the nut end than at the body, and a player's natural tendency to bend a string results in it slipping off the divided fret. Additionally it is very heavy, weighing, nearly 9&nbsp;lbs.

The instrument never became popular though it was a precursor to the modern guitar synthesizer. [[Ian Curtis]] of [[Joy Division]] is sometimes believed to have used a GuitarOrgan, but he actually owned two white Phantom VI special with onboard effects.<ref>Hempsall, Alan. [http://home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/jdvextro.html "A Day Out With Joy Division"], Extro, Vol.2/No.5 1980.</ref>

=== Expansion, transistors, and decline ===
The Vox brand grew quickly in the early 1960s, expanding along with its roster of endorsing musicians. As tube-based amps such as the AC100 were engineered with more power, they developed a reputation for overheating and malfunction. The onset of transistors pushed Vox and other manufacturers to develop [[Solid-state electronics|solid-state]] amplifiers as a solution.<ref name=Brosnac>
{{cite book
 |last= Brosnac
 |first= Donald
 |date= 1987
 |title= The Amp Book - A Guitarist's Introductory Guide To Tube Amplifiers
 |publisher= Bold Strummer Ltd
 |pages= 56–57
 |isbn=0-933224-05-2
}}</ref>

In 1964, Tom Jennings developed a relationship with Sepulveda, California-based [[Thomas Organ Company]], which began importing English Vox product lines to the United States. A shift in focus to transistors came with Jennings' decision to sell controlling interest in JMI to the Royston Group, a British holding company, and move some manufacturing to Erith, Kent. The Traveller, Virtuoso, Conqueror, Defiant, Supreme, Dynamic Bass, Foundation Bass and Super Foundation Bass lines were developed and introduced during this period. Jennings remained as chief executive officer until 1969.<ref>{{cite web
 |url= http://www.voxshowroom.com/equipment/
 |title= Vox Amplifiers
 |website= Vox Showroom
 |publisher= North Coast Music
 |access-date= July 27, 2020
}}</ref>

With assistance from Dick Denney, Thomas Organ began to produce a line of mostly solid-state amplifiers in the United States that carried the Vox brand and cosmetic stylings. First marketed in 1965, these amps effectively paralleled JMI's own transistor-based amplifiers, but differed from British and Italian made Vox in sound and reliability. To promote their line, Thomas Organ published a magazine called 'Vox Music Scene,' and built the [[Voxmobile]], a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] roadster dressed up to look like a Phantom guitar - complete with a Continental organ and several "Beatle" amplifiers. Despite the marketing effort, the Vox brand shed endorsees, and sales waned.

Tom Jennings set up a new company in his old Dartford location, joined later by Denney. [[Jennings Musical Instruments|Jennings Electronic Industries]] operated for several years, making an updated and rebadged version of the AC30 along with other amplifiers, as well as a new range of organs.<ref>{{cite web
 |url= http://www.voxshowroom.com/catalogs/scene1.html
 |title= "The Jennings Scene" Solid-State Amplifier Product Catalog - Cover 1968-1969
 |website= Vox Showroom
 |publisher= North Coast Music
 |access-date= July 27, 2020
}}</ref>

Royston, due to the loss of a lucrative government contract in one of its other companies, filed for bankruptcy in 1968. As a result, the Vox brand passed through a series of owners during the 1970s including a British bank and Dallas Arbiter. The AC30 continued to be built alongside newer solid-state amps, but with a series of cost-cutting measures such as loudspeakers with ceramic magnets, printed circuit boards, solid-state rectification, and particleboard cabinet construction. An all-solid-state version of the AC30 was also introduced alongside the classic, tube-powered model.

Rose Morris bought Vox in 1978 before its distribution deal with [[Marshall Amplification|Marshall]] ended. The company attempted to reinvigorate the Vox brand, continuing to build the AC30 along with several new and modern amplifiers.<ref name=Brosnac/>

[[Korg]] acquired a majority stake in Rose Morris in 1992, including the Vox product lines. Korg dissolved much of the prior business before renewing the Vox brand based on its traditional strengths.<ref>{{cite web
 |url= https://www.soundonsound.com/music-business/history-korg-part-2
 |title= The History Of Korg: Part 2
 |website= Sound On Sound
 |publisher= SOS Publications Group
 |access-date= July 27, 2020
}}</ref>