Editing Vox (company) (section)

=== 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''London Design Centre'' to create a unique new electric guitar, and in 1962 Vox introduced the pentagonal ''Phantom'', originally made in England but soon after made by [[Eko guitars|EKO]] of Italy.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
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| image1 = VOX Wah-Wah front.jpg
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| caption1 = VOX [[wah-wah pedal]]
| image2 = Vox Tone Bender.jpg
| width2 = 135
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = VOX [[Tone Bender]]
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}}

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>