Why Doesn't Vox Make Bass Amps?

[Acepiloto]

Awe man! The bassist portraying Paul is using a Hofner Copy?
Perhaps he prefers that. They look like they are a high caliber act, playing the morning show and all, I wonder why he chooses not to use a Hofner?

Just like there's a Rush tribute band around here that doesn't use a Geddy sig, hell he doesn't even use a Jazz or a Ric... Drives me nuts.

However the Beatles tribute act here uses a Hofner Copy and a real Ric. He uses the Hofner copy because the real ones are very very expensive.

 

[Bassman62]

The Westminster I saw in 1967 was at their Thomas Organ (the distributors) facility in the L.A. Valley area. I found some information and pictures of this amp at www.voxshowroom.com
On a side note I believe the lead Vox technician at the time at Thomas Organ was a man named Jose Arredondo who had worked on some of the amps that the beatles used on their first American tour.George

There are two glaring omissions, these being no mention of the Bass guitar versions of the AC30 and AC30 Super Twin (piggy back version of AC30 Twin) the only indication being a small plastic plate on the bottom corner of the grille panel which just said Bass.
Interesting about the 'Westminster'. They obviously wouldn't have been able to market it in the UK without an ensuing lawsuit.
Korg have been pressuring Celestion to stop supplying the Blue Vox speakers to the JMI AC30 manufacturers because they are losing sales due to people like Mark Knopfler using JMI instead of Vox, we were over at this factory a few months ago for some business discussions they also produce the Valve /Tube Hi-watt amps as well.

 

[Jim Carr]

I remember playing bass thru a Vox Super Beatle and a couple smaller Vox bass amps they just didn't sound that good. The Super Beatle was loud for its day, but thin sound. Liked my Standel amps better like the one Duck Dunn has in old pictures of Booker T. and the MG's.

+1 Nice amps those Standels were, too. Lovin' Spoonful used 'em live in large venues.

Still, I'd love to see Vox make an uber-Beatle (or something). 4x12s? Why not! 1x15 + 1x12 + a horn? Tube Pre? Yes, please!

 

[bbe]

the guitarist in my band sometimes plays his crappy squire bass through his 100 watt 2x12 Vox guitar amp. he can get a pretty decent tone out of it, even though he is playing a really old and bad squire.

 

[Joe Nerve]

There's an old combo that's not on that list. Forgot the name, but I played through one in a club a few years back and was searching for one for a while. It was 50 watts I think, but kicked major butt. Like they weren't american watts. It was a tiny, REALLY LOUD, and punchy amp. Can't do a 3 letter word search so finding the thread where I was askin about it would probably be next to impossible.

 

[zazz]

just as a matter of interest...

ok i did a bit of research and found my first amp and this is it.

apparently macca used this model in 1963 b4 he gave up on it ...and it was pretty bad ....im sure i still have the head somewhere.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Thakid2u]

There is alot of stuff that I could add to this......We have to talked to Mitch Colby many times about getting some new Bass gear from Vox...At this time the market isnt there for it. We collect and restore Vox gear. The main thing you have to remember Vox was ahead of the times back in the 60's. There is a big difference between JMI and Thomas. If you look around at Voxshowroom you can learn tons. If you goto (Not trying to push another board) Voxtalks.com, you will find ALOT of knowledge there. Oh, yea and the fact that Mitch Colby and John Hall are there alot, is great. If you dont know those names, look them up.

There is alot to learn about Vox gear. If you want to. It's a bit confusing, because names would change so much and they would use heads from one cabinet and put a different bottom under it and "PRESTO" we have a new amp. Nice marketing. Example, The Foundation was a 50watt 1x18, but then when they made them over here in the US it became the Westminster. Turned to SS and 60 watts. Then went to 120 watts and the 60 watt version became the Sovereign. Which was a Westminster 60watt head with 4x12s. Well you can learn more about that if you want. lol

We have a couple of the Essexs sitting around here. There ok, but nothing high end.

Akami I think your talking about a Kensington. We have 2 of those here and once again. Good, but not great.

Unbass...that looks like a Dynamic Bass rig, or a S.S. Foundation.

Epi..well to say that they werent real vox amps is not true at all. True they didnt have the exact tone, (due to being SS) but they were mostly more reliable.

Walwarrior...It could be many things. The backline didnt have a real Hofner around, or would you like to fly around with an expensive/fragile bass. I know they have cases and such for that, but some people are anal. I would use the real thing, but...

Bassman62...good pt. We made a couple of the super twin heads. Just put Trace Elliot heads in there.

Zazz, that could be an AC100 rig, Ac100 head with T-100 (2x15s), or a T-60 rig, T-60 head with a T-60 bottom (12 and a 15) or a Ac100 head and T-60 bottom. But since you found it under the T-60 heading (I just noticed that), nevermind. If you still have that head, let me know if your interested in selling it. I know some people that migh want it.


ALL IN ALL....Most have seen these, but some havent. If you like the look of something and dont like the sound, well make your own. JUST GET PERMISSION FIRST.

We like the sound of 8x10s and wanted the cabinet to match everything else we had. SOOOOO...Look around...There is a couple of amps here.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[vindy500]

There's an old combo that's not on that list. Forgot the name, but I played through one in a club a few years back and was searching for one for a while. It was 50 watts I think, but kicked major butt. Like they weren't american watts. It was a tiny, REALLY LOUD, and punchy amp. Can't do a 3 letter word search so finding the thread where I was askin about it would probably be next to impossible.

vox t-60?

 

[zazz]

.

Zazz, that could be an AC100 rig, Ac100 head with T-100 (2x15s), or a T-60 rig, T-60 head with a T-60 bottom (12 and a 15) or a Ac100 head and T-60 bottom. But since you found it under the T-60 heading (I just noticed that), nevermind. If you still have that head, let me know if your interested in selling it.
Invalid Link Removed

yup thats the one.....half the box is acctually space for the wire to be coiled up in....and if you pull off the front its a 1x10 and a 1x18 ..i think....but i am afraid to see what condition it might be in now.....it was ancient when i picked it up for 20 quid in 1978 and the material was dodgy then!!! god only know what it might be worth now....and its probably totally shagged.

i will seek it out when i am home for xmas!!

 

[zazz]

vox t-60?

vox are using the same model number twice.....god knows why.

 

[Thakid2u]

Yea, that's Korg for ya....lol

We actually took the chassis out of the one we had and put it in an AC100 head to put on a T100 cabinet. We plugged it in and it actually didnt sound that bad. Those are a 1x12 60watt combo and we plugged it into 2 Carvin 600watt 15's. Would I gig with with it...if the pa was good enough, if no pa...heck no. The tone wasnt awful though.

 

[Bassflute]

I was watching the Paulie Mac dvd at Red Square and digging his back line with all that groovy Vox speaker cloth. Man that is nice looking!

So why doesn't Vox make a nice 300-500 watt bass amp with a couple of tubes in the pre? Maybe a 2-12 bin? Go for that great vintage tone with some modern clean added. Like a Trace Elliot V600H (for example).

They seem to be selling a boatload of guitar amps. Plus they're made in China so it's not actually costing them anything! I'm smelling a perfect opportunity!

I'd buy it. I love that Vox look. Oh well. One could always buy some speaker cloth and fake it -- but . . .

from the last time they made bass amps.

Still shellshocked.

They have made some pretty embarrasing and simply awful bass stuff over the years. The worst Trace was light-years ahead of the best Vox I ever tried.



IMHO,
C.

 

[Thornton Davis]

Wow! Can you tell us about that amp? Maybe the 1x18 Foundation I used was an earlier or later version, or maybe just broken? It was for only one gig in a very large ballroom. Shared the bill with Linda Ronstadt!

BTW, when I saw the beatles in St. Louis in 1965, they each used 2 "super beatles (4x12)," I believe, unless the super foundation is a 4x12 cab of the approx same size as the "super" guitar amp.....

This is a JMI Vox Super Foundation. It was a solid state head usually used with a Vox 2x18" cabinet. The output power rating on the head was 100 watts.

Invalid Link Removed

This is a Thomas Organ VOX Westminster. It too was solid state and rated at 120 watts. The cabinet contained a single 18" Vox Bulldog Speaker. In its day, this was a pretty good bass amp setup. But by todays standards, it can't keep up.

Invalid Link Removed

TD

 

[nibblegribitz]

moderator edit:

you are not allowed to post "what's it worth threads, as a non-supporting member.

thanks

 

[nemo]

Vox 100W all tube rig reissue!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Nice!

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Vox 100W all tube rig reissue!

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Nice!

Keep in mind that that amp is a Vox chassis that is modified by NorthCoast Music in Wisconsin, USA (just south of Milwaukee). They also build the 2x15 cabinet, etc. The rig shown is not produced by Vox in the UK.

 

[johnk_10]

i always liked the vox look so i built my own 160 watt 100% tube Super Beatle chassis from scratch and used Northcoast cabinets (a 2-15 and head cab box). some of you may have seen these pics of it on talkbass before. the cab has 2-15" JBL K140's in it:

and for smaller gigs i built this one out of a new GK RB1001 mkII head and a genuine 2-12 vox cab (made a new baffle and sealed back for it and put some bass speakers in it):

while not actually made by Vox, both of them sound great.

2 cents.....

 

[mavbass]

I have a little Vox t-25 and it's a little ripper!

 

[BassmanPaul]

As far as the idea that somehow a new Vox amp has to reflect back upon its heritage is bunk. Let's face it, the old Vox heritage is pretty much about cheap, unreliable manufacturing layered upon some really good engineering ideas and (imo) some of the very best industrial design (with a LOT of romantic notions thrown in for good measure).

What I'm trying to say is that if Vox could make a reliable bass amp with their already fab look, they would be more than half-way home. Voice the preamp with some character, and voila!

Or something like that.

Obviously this post is by someone who only had exposure to US made Vox amps. When I was a young un, we lived with Vox amps much like the NA guys did with Fender and Ampeg. Very seldom did we have any trouble with Vox. They fell off stages, out of lorries (trucks) and vans. Just about anything you can imagine happened to a Vox amp and they just kept on working! Saying Vox made unreliable amps is complete bullcrap.

I agree that their bass amps weren't too grest but in that day and age whose were? I started building my own amps because there was nothing affordable that was any good. Marshall did exactly the same for the same reasons.

Paul

 

[b_carville]

I have a part time job at a small music/vinyl/Cd shop.

When I first started working there a guy came in with a 1960's Vox AC30 that had two fifteen inch speakers in it.

He said his Dad got in in 1962 when he was in the service & stationed in Germany. He said his Dad bought it for electric bass use(he used it for guitar).

Never heard or saw another. Did Vox really build that for bass? It was a standard AC30 just bigger with 2 fifteens.