18th February

"Music Week" - not "Music Weekly" as originally stated - 17th June, 1972: a note of the British companies attending the NAMM show, "Vox Sound" present. The show took place in Chicago, 17th-20th June.

"Music Week", 17th June, 1972.

17th February (2)

"Music Week", 4th March, 1972 - a paragraph on Vox in the pages on the Frankfurt Music Fair of March '72. John Wyatt features in the entry for 9th Feb., below. Rick Huxley used to be bassist for the Dave Clark Five.

"Music Week", 4th March, 1972.

17th February

A short note in "Music Week" (a publication unrelated to "Music Business Weekly") - a theft at the VSL showroom in Gees Court.

"Music Week", 19th February, 1972.

9th February

A further piece in the "Vox Sound Limited" story - the moving of production from the factory at Erith to the new Birch-Stolec premises in Hastings, and the opening of showroom and offices in the West End of London (Gees Court), all to be complete by the 1st of April, 1971.

George Stow is named as managing director (he remained so until VSL folded in late 1972 / early 1973); and John Wyatt is confirmed as head of the Field Sales team, though his new position had already been publicised in August 1970. Wyatt secured some fairly substantial foreign orders in late 1971 and early 1972.

For more on "Vox Sound Limited" and Birch-Stolec, see this page.

"Music Business Weekly", 13th February, 1971.

9th February

"Music Business Weekly" magazine, 18th October, 1969. A picture of "Music and Entertainment Limited" in West Croydon. From left to right in the main window: a Supreme on top of two Multi-link II cabinets; a pair of Line Source speaker columns; a Super Foundation Bass; a Foundation Bass (?) with an AC30 in front; various Marshall things.

8th February

Some pieces on the "Vox Sound Limited" display at the "Associated Musical Instrument Industries" (AMII) Trade Fair, Russell Hotel, 16th-20th August, 1970. A number of photos also survive - to be posted soon.

A sketch layout of the first floor displays at the "Associated Musical Instrument Industries" (AMII) Trade Fair, Russell Hotel, 16th-20th August, 1970, published in "Music Business Weekly" magazine, 15th August, 1970.

Review, also from "Music Business Weekly" magazine, 15th August, 1970.

5th February

Some new material from "Music Business Weekly" magazine on the transition of "Vox Sound Equipment Limited" to "Vox Sound Limited" in early 1970. The page on Vox Sound Limited, which contains further material, has been updated.

The chronology in 1970 is:

7th January: VSEL placed in receivership.

Second half of Jan.: Negotiations to save the business (and speculation).

Early Feb.: The business is saved, the deal led by Michael Birch of the Birch Group (Birch Electronics). VSEL becomes VSL .

March to June: VSL concentrates on honouring orders placed with VSEL and drumming up new business. Although it does not take a stand at the Frankfurt Fair in March, three members of the company attend. Other Fairs are not attended, however.

Early summer: George Stow, who had a controlling interest in two companies that supplied VSEL (and which continued to supply VSL), winds up three businesses that formed part of his Stolec Group in order to merge with Birch - the Birch-Stolec Group is brought into being by August 1970 at the latest.

"Music Business Weekly", 17th January, 1970, front page.

"Music Business Weekly", 24th January, 1970, front page.

"Music Business Weekly", 14th February, 1970, front page.

2nd February

The page on the change from "Vox Sound Equipment Limited" to "Vox Sound Limited" in the first half of 1970 has now been updated. Further documentary material will be added soon.

1st February

A note in "Cash Box" magazine, 31st January, 1970 - the troubles of "Vox Sound Equipment Limited". While in hands of the receiver, the company continued trading, much as Jennings Musical Industries had done in the initial months of its receivership.

"Cash Box" magazine, 31st January, 1970. "Cash Box", published in America, reported regularly on English matters.

28th January (3)

An early-ish JMI Foundation Bass, serial number at present unknown. "VOX" in plain silver on the front. The runner may have been moved to the left. In common with numbers of other amps, the control panel has become brown.

Note - this is actually serial number 1213.

28th January (2)

Vox Super Foundation Bass serial number 2189, "Vox Sound Equipment Limited", 1969. The speaker cabinet is a 2x18" (normal for this point in production). VSEL SFBs are on this page.

28th January

Vox Foundation Bass serial number 1252, Jennings Musical Industries, late 1967. Thanks to David for the pictures.

19th January (2)

The page on the transition from "Jennings Musical Industries" to "Vox Sound Equipment Limited" in 1968 - available here - has been updated. As noted below (entry for 26th Decemeber), VSEL evidently bought from JMI not only the furniture in the West Street Works, but amplifiers and so on, complete and incomplete.

Numbers of amps with JMI control panels and serial number plates show signs of having been finished off (made ready for sale) in the late 1968. Below the RCA transistors in a JMI Supreme, back panel and serial number plate lacking though:

Date code "8E" = May 1968.

Date code "8J" ? = September 1968.