Vox Sidewinder Bass

soma89 · #1 07-21-2007, 02:58 PM

anybody know anything about them?
(Other than the fact that John Entwistle uses one in that "My Generation" performance on some 60's talk show)

Thornton Davis · #2 07-21-2007, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soma89

anybody know anything about them?
(Other than the fact that John Entwistle uses one in that "My Generation" performance on some 60's talk show)

That performance was pre-recorded. Only the vocals were live.

What do you wanna know about the Sidewinder or any other Vox model?

Other players who used a Sidewinder were; Larry Graham of Sly and The Family Stone along with the bassplayer in James Brown band. Also the bassplayer in Tommy James and The Shondells also played a Sidewinder IV.

TD

soma89 · #3 07-21-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thornton Davis

That performance was pre-recorded. Only the vocals were live.

What do you wanna know about the Sidewinder or any other Vox model?

Other players who used a Sidewinder were; Larry Graham of Sly and The Family Stone along with the bassplayer in James Brown band.

TD

cool, thanks
I'm looking for a bass with a tone something like a Hofner and i'm wondering if this bass could provide it.

Also, i know this bass has a built-in distortion effect and i wanna know if its like a light distortion (like a RAT) or soemthing intense like a Big Muff

Thornton Davis · #4 07-21-2007, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soma89

cool, thanks
I'm looking for a bass with a tone something like a Hofner and i'm wondering if this bass could provide it.

Also, i know this bass has a built-in distortion effect and i wanna know if its like a light distortion (like a RAT) or soemthing intense like a Big Muff

The Sidewinder IV has three effects built-in onboard. They are 1/ Distortion, 2/ G tuner, 3/ Treble/Bass booster. You can control the amount of distortion by dialing in the amount you want. You can have a light or heavy distortion and everything in between. Like wise with the Treble/Bass boost, but with this feature you can only use one at at time as the same knob controls them. For this, you turn the knob clockwise for the bass boost or counter clockwise for the treble boost. 5 on the dial is neutral and you can switch the effect off without effecting the bass or tone.

The tuner is either on or off, and again it's a G, not A or E.

This is my Vox Delta IV. It's similar to the Sidewinder IV in that it uses the same electronics and neck/headstock as the Sidewinder, but the body is that of a Phantom IV. This is the coolist bass that Vox made and also very rare. My bass just had its 40th birthday.

TD

1966bassist · #5 03-14-2013, 06:44 AM

I own a 1968 Vox Sidewinder IV V272 Bass. I bought it on 02/29/1972 along with a new Fender Bassman Ten amplifier. I just took them both in for minor repairs. The active electronics stopped working and The Sound Doctor in Knoxville, TN repaired the electronics for me. I just picked it up yesterday. He's working on the amp now.

I was a founding member of The Mods from Toledo, Ohio who recorded on Peck Records. Here's a link to a website I put up for the band.
http://www.themods.us/index.html

I never posted a photo here but I'll try. Here is a link to a photo from Facebook where I took the bass and amp in for minor repairs.
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...81605478_n.jpg

johnp352 · #6 03-14-2013, 09:19 AM

TD- are the effects the same as the little silver things Vox made that had a 1/4" plug that went into the input jack of an amplifier? I 'd buy one of these basses just to get those things..ok, not really but close.

I was looking at a Vox Apollo the other day, same italian eko brand, but a single "Florentine" cutaway..the idea of this howling with feedback when facing the wrong way was actually a pleasant thought.

johnp352 · #7 03-14-2013, 09:34 AM

answered my own question..sorta. anyway, here's a cheery bit of news from North Coast..Apollo had the same onboard stuff as sidewinder, sidebender, moon rocket etcetc..

"The circuitry for all the onboard effects in the Apollo was designed into a single module. Often this module was sealed and encapsulated, making it not repairable or replaceable. Additionally, the Vox wiring diagram for this guitar includes no repair information for these modules. If you find that changing the 9 volt battery that powers the internal effects does not correct a malfunctioning effects circuit, you should consider the onboard features permanently inoperative. Replacement modules have not been available for over twenty years."

20 years? probably closer to 40 years. So this is all "encapsulated" to make reverse engineering not likely? I would love to drop that mess into my tele bass.

KramerBassFan · #8 03-14-2013, 04:27 PM

If you look you should be able to find all the schematics for the little effects, I believe I found them all a few years back and they were all fairly simple - i.e. something you could relatively easily fit into a guitar/bass.

johnp352 · #9 03-14-2013, 04:31 PM

right..but then i'd have to make the damn things..it's really odd that when I see one of these vox basses with the efx, there's usually a disclaimer about them working..something like "the distortion switch goes back and forth, but doesn't work, unless there's a full moon.."

Lowbrow · #10 03-14-2013, 04:39 PM

Not for nothing, I think these look cool, too but suggest of you want something that works better you go for an Epi Allen Woody or some other modern instrument. Retro is nice for sure but usability has come a long way.

troy mcclure · #11 03-14-2013, 04:43 PM

cool bass but the head stock was huge. My older brother had one of their hollowbody guitars that had a built in wah wah and it had a snap on belt protector.

KramerBassFan · #12 03-14-2013, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnp352

right..but then i'd have to make the damn things..it's really odd that when I see one of these vox basses with the efx, there's usually a disclaimer about them working..something like "the distortion switch goes back and forth, but doesn't work, unless there's a full moon.."

The circuits really aren't that hard from what I remember. I want to say they were more or less beginner level 9v effects and could probably be easily reproduced.

M.R. Ogle · #13 03-14-2013, 05:22 PM

I had a Delta IV, played it for several years in the 1970's.

Had the tuner, the fuzz, and as I recall a bass boost? circuit. White with a beautiful deep red/brown pickguard, not exactly tort, not exactly pearl, but very nice. Snaps for a pad on the back, which I never had. And that ultra-skinny neck! I think I might have a pic somewhere.