Vox Gyrovox - 1966-1967

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The Gyrotone was Vox's answer to the Leslie rotating speaker, which had become popular with organists and certain guitarists during the course of the sixties. A number of surviving units are .

As the adverts below show, the Gyrotone, developed and promoted in parallel with the solid state amps, was initially called the "Gyrovox".

"Beat Instrumental" magazine, issue 43, November 1966. The first advert for the Gyrotone with its pre-production name "Gyrovox".

In 1966 the plan was evidently to produce two models. By mid 1967, that plan had changed. Four Gyrotones were presented in the pricelist issued in April:

Above, the Vox pricelist of April 1967. The £157 10 shillings for the Gyrotone II is equivalent to the 150gns in the advert from Nov. '66.

A Gyrotone IV can be seen in the picture at the . The model was discontinued in late 1967 or early 1968, however, doubtless being too time-consuming and costly to produce and sell - £225 was a sizeable amount.

But the name "Gyrovox" does crop up again. Below, an advert for three units placed by Macaris in "Beat Instrumental", May 1968:

"Beat Instrumental" magazine, May 1968.

Presumably these were old units that Macaris was clearing out - perhaps with "Gyrovox" logos - how otherwise would the name be known in 1968? The shop was certainly clearing out old AC100 cabs at this time.

Above, a picture taken at the head office of Royston Industries, the company that had a controlling interest in Vox. The shot was reproduced in "Beat Instrumental" magazine, January 1969 - its article on organs.

Note that the two Gyrotones (perhaps "Gyrovoxes") on view have early split fronts, and sloping or at least swivelling lower speaker sections. They were probably Gyrotone IIIs. A surviving example (extremely scarce these days) below:

Above, a split-front Gyrotone III (from c. 1968) that came up for sale in 2017. The design was later simplified - see the foot .