Older updates and info

Recent updates are on this page

2016

12th November

Super Foundation Bass serial no. 2307 posted here. The amp is so far the latest SFB with a VSEL plate.


Above, Super Foundation Bass serial no. 2631, late Vox Sound Ltd, with its 2 x 18" cab. Three more pics of the amp and cab here.


Pictures of Foundation Bass serial no. 1328 registered on this page.

1st October

A Super Twin Foundation Bass cab - VSEL era - added on this page.

Two Virtuosos added, one early, and one later.

30th September

A mid JMI period Conqueror (serial number in the low 1300s?) added here.

29th September

Super Foundation Bass no. 2596 with a JMI Supreme preamp added here, and SFB no. 2281 registered here.

A VSEL Foundation Bass amp with a late VSL cab added here.

A mid JMI period Supreme registered here. A slightly later Supreme, still JMI, again no number, posted here.

28th September (3)

  • vox conqueror 2181
  • vox conqueror 2181
  • vox conqueror 2181

Above, VSEL Conqueror serial number 2181, also on this page. Two things of note are revealed by the pictures. First, the serial number plate is still hand stamped. Second, the Celestion date codes - 12th and 13th May 1969 - provide a terminus post quem for the fitting out of the cab. The amp may have been produced at some point beforehand.

28th September (2)

A nice late Conqueror set - late Vox Sound Ltd - added at the foot of this page.

A mid period JMI Conqueror - serial number 1238 - now pictured here.

A nice early-ish Conqueror on YouTube.

An early Conqueror with black control panel

28th September

Super Foundation Bass no. 2231 added here. Foundation Bass no. 2725 now here. Defiant no. 1484 registered here.

Two pics of (most probably) an early Conqueror added here.


Further updates to follow in the coming days.

27th September

After a brief break, a small batch of Conquerors (six) first:

vox conqueror 1581

Above, a pic of one of the latest JMI Conquerors - serial number 1581 - also on this page.

An early-ish JMI Conqueror with its cab registered on this page.

A late-ish JMI Conqueror with "Solid State" in its logo.

A late VSEL Conqueror (latest recorded so far) - serial number 2376 - added here, and another late VSEL amp without a serial number plate immediately below it.

Video of Conqueror serial number 1439.

12th July

Travellers no. 1141 and 1222 added on this page

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A JMI Defiant and cab (serial number in the 1400s?) registered here.

11th July - part 1

Pics of Super Foundation Bass no. 2009 added on this page

Quick snaps of a loose Gyrotone Mk 1 cover on the gyrotone page.


The V100 page updated.


11 July - part 2

A short note on Vox Sound Equipment Ltd serial number plates.


The earliest plates, with numbers in the low 2000s, were generally hand-stamped - as below, the scuffed plate from Defiant no. 2032 and the rather better one from Supreme no. 2027:


At some point after the new-style VSEL plate had been introduced, certain models destined for Denmark were designated simply with a letter and number:


"C1" = Conqueror. One can see "Conqueror" faintly underneath and the wattage rating "60" instead of "96". The amp is currently in Copenhagen.


"C2" = Dynamic Bass. Amp sold recently on dba.dk.


Although it's hard to read, it looks as though the plate of a Defiant, also in Copenhagen, was adjusted to read "B1":


Original markings erased. Stamped "B1" just visible. The plate is VSEL version 1.


If there was indeed a logic to this system, then:


A1 = Supreme

A2 = Super Foundation Bass

B1 = Defiant

B2 = Foundation Bass

C1 = Conqueror

C2 = Dynamic Bass

10th July

Further pics of Defiant no. 1031 added on this page, along with Defiant no. 1311.


Pics of Defiants 2278, 2566 and 2695 added here.


Further pics of Dynamic Bass no. 1063 posted here.


Pics of Dynamic Bass no. 2221 added here.


23rd May

A new VSEL Foundation Bass registered on this page. Thanks to Chris for the pictures.


22nd May

A page on news of the solid state line published in Beat Instrumental magazine 1966/1967 now added.


21st May

Beat Instrumental, August 1966

News snippet from Beat Instrumental magazine, August 1966. The new solid state line signalled: "brand new range of amps which improves on the 700 series".


10th April


Pictures of a second pre-production Dynamic Bass that came to light in France earlier this year added on this page.


A late Dynamic Bass, possibly serial number 2223 added on this page.



30th March


A new page added on a late Vox Sound Equipment Ltd Supreme cab


Pics of a late VSEL Supreme with its original tilt-back trolley added here, and one with cab and footswitch next to it, here.



29th March


A bevy of Foundation Basses: no. 1141 pictured here; no. 2006 pictured here; no. 2196 pictured here; no. 2432 pictured here; and no. 2756 pictured here.


The transition from Vox Sound Equipment Ltd to Vox Sound Ltd took place between Foundation Bass serial numbers 2420 and 2432.


Super Foundation Bass no. 2448 registered here.


New pics of Super Foundation Bass no. 2370 added.


Supreme no. 1261 added here.


A Jennings Gyrotone (with replacement Vox cloth) added here.


Dynamic Bass no. 2816 registered here.



6th February


Defiant no. 1440 now pictured here.


Further images of Foundation Bass no. 2240 added here.


Pics Foundation Bass no. 2682 registered here.


Dynamic Bass no. 2183 (VSEL) added on this page.


A late JMI Dynamic Bass added here.


A late VSL Supreme - no. 2578 added on this page.


An early large Multi-Link cab (VSEL) added on this page.



3rd February


Defiant no. 1535 added here. Thanks to Daniel.



23rd January


A late JMI Dynamic Bass rig added here.


Conqueror no. 1171 and its cab registered here.


A late VSEL Defiant registered here.


Pics of Traveller no. 1077 added here. Thanks to Phil.


2015


20th December


Foundation Bass no. 2185 added here and no. 2656 here .


A mid period JMI Super Foundation Bass registered here.



18th December


Pics of Defiant no. 2207 - Vox Sound Equipment Ltd - added here. Thanks to Mike.



12th December


Pics of Conqueror no. 2263 - Vox Sound Equipment Ltd - added here. Thanks to Oliver.



21st November


Further pics of Conqueror no. 1439 added here. The preamp has an interesting hang-tag dated 8th July 1967. But the serial number noted on it does not match any on the amp.


Conqueror no. 1479 registered here.


A new JMI Super Foundation Bass added here.



12th November


Further pics of Super Foundation Bass no. 2642 added here.



11th November


Pics of Supreme no. 1239 added here, and Conqueror no. 1562 here.


Conqueror no. 1113 with a great UL760 cab now registered here.



2nd November


Video of Blossom Toes with a couple of Supremes now on the bands page.



1st November


Super Foundation Bass serial no. 2378 (Vox Sound Ltd) registered here.


Foundation Bass serial no. 2379 (VSEL) registered here.


A VSEL Foundation Bass serial no. unknown added here.



26th October


Further pics of SFB serial no. 1046 added here. Thanks to Adam.


12th October

Some details relating to Vox Sound Equipment Ltd (mid 1968 - late 1969) and Vox Sound Ltd (late 1969 - c. 1972) expanded on these pages: VSEL Supremes, VSL Supremes, late Defiants, late Foundation Basses, and late SFBs. Please forgive the repetitions.


The earliest runs of VSL amps were made at Erith - the "West Street" works. Among these were the last Conquerors. Production of the Conqueror ceased at the end of 1970.


1971: the move to the Birch-Stolec factory. It is sometimes said that this was at Hastings. In actual fact it was at St Leonard's-on-Sea nearby - on the Ponswood Industrial Estate - where a number of important companies were also based, Phillips being one. Twickenham Transformers, which had premises a stone's throw away, was contracted to make units for the newly relocated Vox works. The contract with Lemark ceased.



Below, pictures of the factory from the 1971 Vox catalogue.



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12th October


Serial no. plate of Defiant no. 1456 added on this page.


A late JMI Foundation Bass - "Amplifier" in the serial number plate added here.



11th October


Pictures of Eric Snowball with a Vox Virtuoso added on the Virtuoso page.


Pics of Conqueror no. 2170 registered here.


New page on schematics begun.



11th October


What was the "prototypes" page has become the pre-production page. It became clear that most of the amps illustrated were not prototypes at all - ie. not scrappy work-in-progress experiments - but finished factory-made items, sent out to shops as demonstration or promotional amps. This is why they appear in the adverts. The intention was to market them more or less as they were. But as a result of feedback and/or further consideration Vox/Burndept obviously felt moved to change the design when the time came to put the range into full production.


It has become clear too that the whole process was not invented on the spot - it simply followed the general pattern adopted by Triumph Electronics for the Vox 7-series amps that had been issued a year earlier (1966) - prototyping and testing behind closed doors, then a small production run - amps sent round the country for promotion and demonstration in May/June 1966 - then a little bit of tweaking before full production. Further details will be given on the 7-series site.



10th October


The page on Foundation Bass amps and sets divided into two JMI-made units on this page and Vox Sound Equipment Ltd and Vox Sound Ltd units on this.


Foundation Bass no. 2774 with its cab added here. The cab has "wells" for the feet of the amp to sit in.


Foundation Bass no. 2240 with its cab registered here.


Pics of Conqueror no. 1439 now here.



6th October


A Dynamic Bass cab added on this page.



5th October


A late Foundation Bass (no. 2796) in superb condition added on this page, and an immaculate late Defiant - latest so far (no. 2832) - added here.



26th September


A late JMI Super Foundation Bass added on this page.



26th September


Page on early Super Foundation Basses updated, and further pics of serial no. 1046 (not 1045) added.


Foundation Bass serial no. 1444 registered here.


Supreme no. 2497 added on this page.


V100 number 9 added here.


A page on effects (MRB, distortion, reverb, ToneX) set in motion.



31st August


The pages on bass amps tidied up, and two new Foundation Basses added here.


The page on Dynamic Basses extensively updated.



30th August


Two Dynamic Basses added here.


Six Super Foundation Basses added two on this page, and four on this.


A new page on Conqueror cabs begun.


Further pics of Supreme no. 1065 here.


Supreme no. 2253 on this page, and no. 2376 with tilt-back stand added here.


Serial no. 2355 is now the earliest Vox Sound Ltd Super Foundation Bass registered so far.



29th August


A new page on Goodmans speakers begun.



27th August


Some more JMI Supreme cabs added on this page .



24th August


A further early Supreme added currently in California (no serial no.).



23rd August


A couple of placeholder pics of Supreme no. 1065 . Further images to follow.


A series of updates will be made next weekend.



9th August


Pics of Conqueror no. 2203 added on this page. Note the designation of the amp as "C1" as in another example in Denmark. Thanks to Erik for the pictures.


Pics of the latest Foundation Bass to date - serial number no. 2827 - added on this page.



24th July


New pics of Supreme no. 1110 added on this page.


12th July


Page devoted to an early Foundation Bass added.


20th June


Page devoted to Supreme serial number 1121 added.


7th June


Super Foundation Bass serial no. 2144 added here.


6th June


Supreme nos 2356 and 2329 now on this page. 1967 Solid State brochure (following the Queen's Award for Industry) added here.


6th June


Supreme no. 1121 now posted here. Fabulous condition. Thanks to Stephen for the pictures.


30th May


Conqueror no. 1112 registered here. Supreme no. 2055 pictured here.


23rd May


Super Foundation Bass amp no. 2304 registered here.


19th May


Two Super Foundation Bass rigs, one JMI and one Vox Sound Ltd, illustrated on this page and on this. The serial nos of the amps are 1229 and 2535.


Defiant no. 2720 with an early JMI cab added on this page.



18th May


Three more Travellers, serial numbers unknown, added on the Travellers page.



17th May


Traveller numbers 1260 and 2001 registered here.


A late Supreme cab (4 x 12", no horns) and a "new style" tilt-back trolley added on this page.



16th May


Supreme no. 1094 with a JMI speaker cab designed for a tilt-back trolley now on this page.



9th May


A little while since the last set of updates. A number now to follow.


A wonderful thing - Supreme number 2231, complete with its trolley, cab, and original documentation now on this page. Thanks to Paul for the pics.


Foundation Bass numbers 1339, 1442 and 2164 on this page.


A Foundation Bass speaker cab with a non-standard logo added on this page. Thanks to Paul for the pics.


Supreme nos 2135 (VSEL) and 2464 (VSL) added on this page and on this page.



23rd March


Dynamic Bass no. 1121 now on this page.



8th March


Foundation Bass no. 2316 now on this page.



7th March


Foundation Bass no. 1213 now on this page.


Images of an impedance matching transformer and early Multi-Link cabinet (4x12") added on the multi-link cabinet page.


VSEL Supremes 2027, 2252 and 2369 (a very late VSEL amp in an old-style box) registered here.


VSL Supremes 2630 and 2640 (probably one of the last made in Hastings) added here.


Super Foundation Bass numbers 2500 and 2642 on this page.


Pictures of the Jennings version of the Gyrotone II added on this page.


A further VSEL Foundation Bass cab registered here.


Page on solid state PA amps updated.



23rd February


Conqueror no. 1074 now on this page, and no. 1451, the earliest so far to have "VOX Solid State" in its logo, rather than "VOX" alone added on this.



22nd February


Defiant nos 2432 and 2532 added on this page. Thanks to Esa for pictures of the latter.


Dynamic Bass nos 2102 and 2199 added on this page.


Super Foundation Bass no. 2219 added here.


Foundation Bass no. 2413 added here.


Further updates to follow .


2014


23rd November


Defiant no. 1055 added on this page.


Conqueror no. 1097 added on the later Conquerors page.


New page on Vox Gyrotone rotary speaker cabs begun.



22nd November


Pictures of Conqueror no. 1035 added on this page, along with three more recent ones of no. 1065.


Conqueror no. 2111 (Vox Sound Equipment Ltd) on this page.


Defiant nos 2343 and 2423 added on this page.


Dynamic Bass no. 2218 (Vox Sound Ltd) added here.


Two Super Foundation Bass amps (no serial numbers), one early and one late JMI added here.



29th September


Further pictures of the parts of serial no. 2032 on the later Defiants page.


Vox Sound Equipment Ltd. (VSEL) sourced its transformers from "Twickenham Transformers", based in St Leonards on Sea in Sussex.



28th September


Provisional picture page for the prototype Defiant.



22nd September


The page on later Vox Defiants updated - seven new amps.


A new page on the sound of Vox Defiants begun.


Clip of Los Brincos with a Super Foundation Bass, and a Supreme and AC100 on 7120 cabs added on the bands page.



21st September


Pictures of the preamp of Defiant no. 2032 added.


20th September


Pictures of Defiant no. 1180 added.


19th September



Page on Prototypes updated - pictures of new prototype Defiant posted.


Pictures of Defiant no. 1318 registered.


28th August



Pages from "Beacon", The Journal of the Royston Group, July 1967 now posted here.



8th August



New page begun on the Vox Sound Ltd V100 valve amp. Pictures of surviving amps to follow.


Images from the Vox advert page in Melody Maker, 10th April 1971, added here.



3rd August



Pictures of a Multi-link II cab (2x15" + 2x12") added on this page.


Super Foundation Bass no. 1034 registered here. Thanks to Ivan for the pictures.



13th July



A "Super Twin Foundation Bass" cab added added on this page. Thanks to Cedric for the images.


New page on Multi-Link Cabinets begun.



2nd July



Page on Solid State Public Address equipment now begun.



1st July



Ten late Supremes (VSL) added on this page.


Six late JMI Supremes added here.


New page on Super Foundation bass cabs begun.



29th June



New image of the Vox Factory added here.



28th June



Five more Foundation Bass amps added here.


Components page updated.



14th June



Page on Virtuosos updated. Pictures of serial nos 1029, 1144 and 1181 added, thanks to Paul Johnson. The amp formerly registered as no. 1327 is actually 1027.


Entry for Traveller no. 1108 updated - again thanks to Paul.


Pictures of Defiant no. 1012 added here, thanks to Steve.


Traveller no. 1231 added here.


Foundation Basses nos 1277, 1536, 2420 and 2393 (VSEL) added here.. Note that Super Foundation Bass no. 2393 is on this page.


Supreme no. 2046 posted here.


An early VSL Defiant with an earlier cab and trolley registered here.


A very early Supreme cab (poss. serial no. 9) posted here.


Conqueror with brown control panel on the first JMI Conqu. page. Also update to Conqu. no. 1189.



4th May



Pics of an early Conqueror with the mis-printed Top Boost legend added here. Thanks to Tim.



27th April



New page on Vox Dynamic Bass begun, and a page on some of the stranger creations of Vox Sound Ltd.



26th April



New page on Vox Travellers now online here, and a page on Virtuosos here.. A page on bands with Supremes begun.




13th April



An early Foundation Bass amp added along with placeholder pics of FB serial no. 2813, probably one of the last to be made.




12th April



Images of Conquerors nos 1199, 1547 and 1556 added on the first two Conqueror pages. Thanks to Mark..


Two Defiants, no. 1518 wonderfully pristine, added here.. Again thanks to Mark.


New pages on the Foundation Bass and Foundation Bass cabs begun.




6th April



Pages on components etc. begun.




31st March



Pics of Defiant nos 1184 and 1584 added.


New page on the price of Defiants, 1967- 1972..


Conqueror no. 2483 registered here.


Pics of Defiant no. 1584 here and Defiant no. 2583 here. Thanks to Steve for the images.




30th March



Conqueror no. 1189 added. Thanks to Eduardo for the pictures.


Updates to Conqueror no. 1019 added. Thanks to Steve.


Pics of Conqueror numbers 2046, 2082 and 2425 here. Thanks to Steve.




24th March



Four more Conquerors added (JMI and VSEL).




23rd March



Pics of five late JMI / early VSEL Conquerors added on this page.


Two VSL Conquerors added here.


A page on the Vox Works at Erith begun here.


Pics of nine JMI Defiants added.




22nd March



Images of a prototype Foundation Bass amp added here. Also added, sets of comparative images.


A series of updates to follow soon.


A new page begun on later Super Foundation Basses.



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