The British are coming (Vox Amps)

[guitartango]

Iain Lee recounts how a small company in Dartford manufacturing Vox amplifiers came to define the sound of the 60s. Featuring contributions from Brian May and Bruce Welch.

BBC IPLAYER

For those who cannot view the BBC I can also offer a download.

:rockya

 

[markb]

I saw that the other night. Quite a fun documentary apart from implying that Dick Denny invented the fuzz box in 1965 and that the Vox Tone Bender was what Keef used on Satisfaction :thwap
It also glossed over the fact that the Thomas Organs deal in the USA effectively stole the brand name to label a series of US built solid state amps.

The Vox AC30 is still a thing of wonder though.

 

[guitartango]

Hi Mark

"The Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone sold out quickly. Soon there was other boxes like the Fuzz Face and Tone Blender hit the market. Fuzz was quickly adopted by classic rock guitar hero's like Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Beck, Townsend and Davies. Artists pushed pass the Satisfaction sound to find more heavy fuzz sounds. This culminated in the The Kinks' #1 hit All Day and All of the Night "

I always thought the sound from the Kinks record came from Davies JNR kicking in the amp. Maybe Vox gave Brian Jone's the pedal but it was never used on the actual recording?

 

[markb]

I always thought All Day... was just a Vox amp driven to crazy extremes (for the 60s). Fuzz was a huge thing with many notable boxes made both in Britain and the US. The Japanese had some of the wackiest though. Vox (Dick Denny) did invent the Tone Bender circuit but I'd mainly associate it with Sola/Colour Sound, co-incidentally (not!) founded by the Macari brothers who managed (and later ran as their own concern) Tom Jennings' shop in the Charing Cross Road.

Generally, I think the history of rock 'n' roll is often a tricky subject due to its largely anecdotal nature. Add to that the chemically enhanced memories of many participants and it's anyone's guess who really did what, let alone when and where Loads of fun though :AOK