Bands with large box AC50s

The Roy Orbison band with early large box Vox AC50 amplifiers, November 1964

Roy Orbison with "The Candymen" on stage at the high school gym in Eau Claire, Wisconsin: November 11, 1964. Note the large box AC50 and Foundation Bass cab at right.

For the moment, a selection of unusual pictures of bands with large box AC50s. There are a few also at the foot of the

The images below will be added to in due course. Some constraits will have to be observed though. A huge number of bands used the new AC50s. It will not be possible to represent them all.

Note that in Stockholm, late July 1964, John and George of The Beatles were given a new set of cabinets by JMI to accompany their AC80/100 amplifiers (also new). Externally the cabs look like large box AC50s. But in actual fact, they contained two 15" Celestion T900 speakers (wired in series for a total impedance of 8 ohms), much as an AC30 Expanded Frequency cabinet but without the amplifier section. Pictures .

These 2x15" cabinets, as issued to John and George, were experimental - exchanged soon after for the now familiar "Super de Luxe" units (4x12" and two Midax horns). But the format of John and George's cabs, along with the style of trolley, was soon taken up for the AC50 mark 2 Super Twin - a Midax horn and two 12" drivers instead of the Celestion T900s.

The Searchers, August 1964 (?)

A great shot of the Searchers at Långshyttan, Sweden, from this page , 1964, said to be late summer of that year, . Another photo from the same concert shows Frank Allen on bass - so the event took place in or after August 1964. An early large-box AC50 with two Foundation Bass cabs at right. It is possible that the band was issued with a pre-production amp to test.

Ready Steady Win, before 17th September 1964

Early large box AC50 Super Twins, before 17th September, 1964

Wembley, Rediffusion Studios - Vox equipment on show as prizes in the "Ready Steady Win" competition. The final took place on 17th September. Note the large box AC50s on early trolleys - identical to the trolleys used by John and George in Stockholm - a single bar springing from the handwheel.

Gene Vincent and the Londoners, 20th November 1964

Gene Vincent and the Londoners 17th October 1964 with an early large box AC50

A second style of trolley - double bars springing from the handwheel. As in the first type of trolley, the amp still sits in a "basket" though.

The Barron Knights

The Barron Knights with four large box Vox AC50s

A detail from a newsprint picture of The Barron Knights' Christmas Show at Olympia (late December 1964 / early January 1965) published in mid January 1965. On stage, four large box AC50 amplifier sections in a row driving two AC50 Super Twin cabinets, and two Foundation Bass cabinets. The Super Twin trolleys are of the type used by The Londoners (above).

Gerry and the Pacemakers, 1964/1965

Gerry and the Pacemakers with two early large box AC50s

A well-known Vox promotional picture.

Bill Hailey, Paris, Alhambra, 1966

  • Bill Haley at the Alhambra, Paris, 1966
  • Bill Haley at the Alhambra, Paris, 1966
  • Bill Haley at the Alhambra, Paris, 1966
  • Bill Haley at the Alhambra, Paris, 1966

Brian Poole and the Tremelos, also on the bill, normally used Marshall or Fender. Thanks to Phil for the info.

Herman's Hermits, 1966

Herman's Hermits, AC50s with AC100 speaker cabinets

Their AC50s atop AC100 trolleys.

The Pussycats, 1966

A combination of AC50s and MAX cabs. Note that the AC50s are probably early, valve rectified: white warning plaques; rectangular Cannon XLRs, apparently on a black plate; hard wired mains cable. .