Info on Vox branded Guyatone

[geoff1711]

Hi Jim

thanks, I've just looked out the CD and see that it's actually 3 guitars 2 Vox 1 Fender, although the Vox guitars seem more Strat like, and if you have the album, you'll see the one to the left has a trem cover on the back, the catalogue pictures look more like a top loaded trem, somewhere between a Jazz / Jag and a Nu Sonic.

cheers

Geoff

[JimN]

if you have the album, you'll see the one to the left has a trem cover on the back, the catalogue pictures look more like a top loaded trem, somewhere between a Jazz / Jag and a Nu Sonic.

Hi, Geoff,

I have the album. I think the one on the left is a Consort (based more on the Jazzmaster).

JN

[dusty fretz]

The Eagles had their gear pinched in October 1962, just prior to the photo session for that album, so Jennings loaned them the necessary gear for posing purposes and the LP cover accordingly offers interesting guitar spotting!

The white Vox toted by the rhythm player does indeed look to be an original Consort, complete with its distinctive row of four control knobs, but this model usually came in red or sunburst, so it could be some sort of custom example, especially in view of the seemingly redundant spring cavity cover on the back. The other Vox, being played with a thumbpick, is an even more unusual choice, as this is a Cougar six-string bass, which is an extremely rare Vox beast!

[geoff1711]

It's amazing the information you can pick up on this site.

From my teenage memories of these, they looked the business, it's a pity they were never revived instead of the White (or was it Black) Shadow they launched in the 80's.

And the Teardrops and Phantoms have become fairly iconic over the years.

Geoff

[JimN]

...The other Vox, being played with a thumbpick, is an even more unusual choice, as this is a Cougar six-string bass, which is an extremely rare Vox beast!

I have an idea that this was the model used by Jet Harris around the time of his early 1964 comeback with Big Bad Bass. Jet promoted the disc with a single TV appearance and I saw the clip on Granada's north of England local news magazine "Scene At 6:30". He was seen sitting in a chair miming to the record, sporting a sunburst instrument with the Vox logo shown on the scratchplate. I would expect that the actual promo was made by Rediffusion (the London ITV station) and syndicated out to network partners.

The 1965 JMI price list details a set of strings for the original UK-built solid (Fender-styled) Cougar six string bass, but there was no such instrument in the accompanying newspaper-style catalogue of the day. Later, the name was given to a 4-string bass model in Vox's Italy-built semi-acoustic range (along with the similarly-derived Lynx, Wildcat and Bobcat).

By the way, a new book on Vox guitars (analogous to Jim Elyea's Vox amps book) is on its way. Here's a taster pic featuring an impressive selection of Vox guitars from all the original JMI / VSL periods: http://www.voxguitar.net/images/wolfgang.jpg

JN

[dusty fretz]

To my knowledge,the Cougar six-string bass never appeared in any actual Vox catalogue, but made a fleeting appearance on the company's price lists, retailing for a hefty £131, which made it this maker's most expensive instrument at the time. Obviously only a handful (or less) were made, but no doubt it'll be well covered in the forthcoming book on Vox guitars that Jim mentions.

I've seen some of the stuff that's going in this work and it's pretty breathtaking to say the least. The author's leaving no stone unturned and he's unearthed stacks of rare and hitherto unseen material. It promises to be the definitive book on the stringed instrument side of this famous British brand.

[Moley]

Hi Scott i was wondering if you were any closer to identifying your friends guitar?
I have one thats almost identical to his and was trying to find out if it is a vox sb2?
From the pictures you posted they are the only two ive ever seen with a mother of pearl scratchplate, heres some pics of mine
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10821904@N ... 4454704783
Thanks for your help

Mat