The back pages of "Melody Maker", a long-running British music magazine covering almost everything but classical, contain a positive trove of info. on what was going on week by week - notices about tours, festivals, individual performance; and groupings of small ads for musicians - band members wanted or available, and ads placed by shops and private sellers offering second hand instruments.

Below, a selection of ads for Vox solid state amps. a parallel page for the AC100 is in progress on the AC100 website, and one also on the AC50 website.

A couple of notes: (1) Given simply the name, it is impossible to tell whether a "Vox Foundation Bass" is an AC50 or a new solid state set. (2) Sellers sometimes give the power consumption (noted on the serial number plate) rather than musical power - so the Supreme, a 100watt amp, is regularly described as 200W.

Melody Maker magazine, 6th January 1968. A Supreme (amplifier only) for £75. Also a Conqueror, presumably second-hand, for 95 guineas = £99 and 15 shillings. Note that the advert mis-states the amp's power output - 70 watts instead of 30 watts. The power *consumption* of the Conqueror, as noted on the serial number plate, is 75 watts - which is perhaps where the advert's mistake arose.

Just to add, the Conqueror can only have been 8 months old at most when put up for sale in January '68. Later in 1968, the retail price of a Supreme amplifier alone was £136. So the one in the ad above will probably have been second-hand too.

A new Supreme in "Modern Sound" on Charing Cross Rd, advertised in Melody Maker magazine, 13th January 1968.

128 Charing Cross Road (green overdoor) is a couple of doors north of the turn into Denmark Street. Photo from Google Street.

Melody Maker magazine, 3rd Feburary 1968. Probably a solid state Foundation Bass amp, assuming the dealer read the "100W" off the serial number plate.

Melody Maker magazine, 17th Feburary 1968. A substantial discount on Supreme cabinets with Goodmans drivers, down from £140 to 80 guineas (£84). 100 Charing Cross, owned by Macari's from early 1967, was the original Jennings shop.

Melody Maker magazine, 2nd March 1968. The "Vox Beatle cabs" were new Supreme cabs with Celestion ceramic drivers - 95 guineas = £99 15 shillings. It's likely that at this point, with financial troubles overhanging, JMI was off-loading stock at discount prices.

Melody Maker magazine, 30th March 1968. A Super Foundation Bass set, second-hand and no more than 11 months old, for £160.

33-37 Wardour Street in 1964, before Pan Music took the premises over from Regent Shoes. The famous Flamingo Club is to its right.

11th May, 1968

11th May, 1968. £135 for a Supreme is approximately half its retail price new.

29th June, 1968. Also a second-hand Conqueror "complete as new", £145.

Melody Maker magazine, 1st June 1968. Andertons in Guildford with the Vox solid state range.

NEW

Melody Maker magazine, 3rd August 1968. "Modern Sound" on Charing Cross Road (see also further up this page): a Vox Super Foundation Bass cabinet and Foundation Bass amp (?) reduced from £175 to £150 - hire-purchase terms given.