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 GEARED takes a look at VOX AMPLIFIERS’ slight diversion from speakers into the world of electric guitars.
Vox Amplifiers have a fairly chequered past. Established by Thomas Walter Jennings in Dartford Kent, England, after World War II, the company was originally known as The Jennings Organ Company. He created the UniVox, a self-powered electronic organ, before working on guitar amplifiers with an old war colleague, Dick Denney. The company was renamed Jennings Musical Instruments, and released the 15-watt Vox AC15 in 1958. Then, in 1959 – under pressure from Fender Twin, and the requests for more power from the AC15s main champions, The Shadows – JMI released the AC30, which was essentially two AC15s in the same cabinet. Special Top Boost Circuitry was later added to the AC30 to give it the now famous British Invasion sound. The amplifier has since been popularised by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Yardbirds, The Monkees (lol), Brian May of Queen, Paul Weller of The Jam, Rory Gallagher, The Edge of U2, Picture Atlantic, and Radiohead guitarists Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Ed O’Brien.
After a spate of woeful business decisions starting in the ‘60s, the Vox brand changed hands a number of times up until 1990, when it was bought by Korg. Of the many different AC30 rehashes that the brand has suffered, the latest Korg offering is considered to be one of the truest to the original. That said, I still think it sounds horrible, but many of my favourite guitarists swear by them so, you know, each to their own.
I think it’s important to note in this age of vintage and boutique instruments that Vox Amplifiers have been assembled in China since 2003. Anyway, let’s take a look at Vox’s new guitars, shall we?
 VOX VIRAGE SERIES
Electric Guitars
VOX, a company ordinarily known for its iconic amplifiers, has released two new semi-hollow body guitars: the Virage DC double cutaway and the Virage SC single cutaway. They combine the expertise of a hand-selected, global group of designers, luthiers, craftsmen and players, and were conceived from the ground up to further the potential of semi-hollow body guitar design.
Early in the development process, the team decided rather than simply modifying an existing hollow body design. Their goal was to conceive and create well-balanced, ergonomically rich instruments infused with tonal versatility previously unavailable in an off-the-shelf guitar. The resulting new guitars were designed for players looking to move beyond the performance of traditional electric guitars in the areas of comfort, playability and sonic flexibility.
The Virage DC and Virage SC are solid wood guitars with a number of innovative features including ergonomically curved bodies, contoured both along their length and across their width. This unique curvature hugs close to the player, and, when combined with the guitars’ slightly smaller than typical body size and their arched-top profile, affords a comfortable right arm playing position unlike previous semi-hollow offerings, as well as overall unprecedented playing comfort. The result is a guitar that fits perfectly whether the guitarist is sitting or standing.
Both instruments employ the VOX Three-90 Pickup System, which relies on two triple-coil pickups to deliver clean, crunch and lead tones, similar to having single coil, P90 and humbucking-style versatility all in one instrument. Its analogue circuitry requires no batteries or active electronics, and provides hum free operation regardless of the tone selected. This pickup system was designed and built in the USA exclusively for VOX by DiMarzio. A three-way toggle makes selecting pickups quick and easy. Users can jump between clean, crunch and lead modes independently for each pickup with a quick flick of each pickup’s 3-way mode switch.
The guitars feature Integral Tonebar construction that keeps feedback at bay and yields the warm, singing resonance of a semi-hollow instrument with the focused attack of a solidbody. A custom, hand-carved neck joint with an inverse heel offers greatly enhanced upper fret access and comfort in the highest registers.
The specially designed VOX Full Contact aluminium bridge provides thick, rich tone with clear harmonics. Extended saddle travel ensures perfect intonation for any gauge string. String loading from the back edge of the bridge enables quick and effortless string changes.
Price TBA. For more information, visit their website at www.voxamps.co.uk
 VOX AMPLUG
Headphone Guitar Amplifier
The amPlug is really, really cool. It’s a palm-sized, battery powered headphone guitar amplifier. Users can plug it directly into their guitar (via its built-in ¼” plug), and enjoy professional-quality guitar sounds anywhere, anytime. Additionally, an AUX input jack allows the user to jam along with an iPod or MP3 player.
The amPlug is available in three different sound styles: AC30, for signature VOX AC30 top boost tone; Classic Rock, which delivers the sound of a “classic” British 100-Watt head (a Marshall I dare say); and amPlug Metal, which is based on a U.S. made high-gain amplifier head (I’m guessing a Mesa Boogie) that delivers metal high-gain tone. Visually, the amPlug looks like a miniature VOX amplifier, complete with a simulation of the classic VOX black vinyl covering and the famous VOX diamond grill cloth.
Using proprietary analogue modelling technology, the amPlug accurately reproduces the complex and warm distortion that is distinctive of a vacuum tube, as well as the powerful high gain produced by a large amp stack, despite its ultra-compact dimensions (3.39” x 3.15” x 1.22”) and weight (1.41oz, not including batteries). It offers up to twenty hours of battery life from 2 AAA batteries.
RRP $65. For more information, visit their website at www.voxamps.co.uk
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