DEALER ADVERTS AND SMALL ADS

1965 - 1970

This page gathers together some of the dealer ads and small ads for AC50s published in British and American newspapers and magazines in the 1960s. The promotional material issued by Vox, 1963-1965, . 1965 - 1967 .

For some background to the exporting of AC50s and other Vox amps to the United States, on the Vox AC100 website. There is also now (27th May) a companion page on .

The collection below will naturally grow, so do come back from time to time. If you have any material that should be added, drop me a line.

To give some context to the prices cited in the ads, here is the relevant section of the Vox Retail Pricelist, November 1965:

Vox pricelist

1963 / 1964

Early 1964 - the appointment of Reg Clark to handle sales. "Crescendo" was a Jazz magazine. Presumably the advert was placed elsewhere too.

Advert placed by Jennings Musical Industries in "Crescendo" magazine, September 1963.

Notice in "Crescendo", January 1964. Reg Clark stayed on as Sales Manager into the "Vox Sound Equipment Limited" period (mid 1968-1970).

1965

Melody Maker magazine, 2nd January 1965

Melody Maker magazine, 2nd January 1965. Macari's Musical Exchange in Edgware (the first shop) had a new Super Twin to sell. £184 was the standard retail price at the time. The two-year Hire-Purchase terms are noted.

Melody Maker magazine, 30th January 1965

Melody Maker magazine, 30th January 1965: a Vox A.C.50 Super Twin and Stand" again for £184.

Melody Maker magazine, 13th February 1965

Melody Maker magazine, 13th February 1965. Macari's Musical Exchange with a Foundation Bass set.

Melody Maker magazine, 13th March 1965

From the small ads of Melody Maker magazine, 13th March 1965: "1964 (July) Vox AC 50 Amp. Bass Amplifier, £90". Given the date of purchase, evidently a small box AC50 Mark 1, either thin or thick edged.

Melody Maker magazine, 17th April 1965

Macari's Musical Exchange, 17th April 1965. 150 guineas was £157 10 shillings.

Melody Maker magazine, 22nd May 1965

Advert placed by Rudall, Carte and Co. in Melody Maker magazine, 22nd May 1965.

Advert placed by Rudall, Carte and Co. in Crescendo Jazz magazine, June 1965. An AC50 for guitar. Rudall also had a Vox 80/100, perhaps an early one, in May '65 - see this page.

Melody Maker magazine, 31st July 1965

Melody Maker magazine, 31st July 1965. PAN in Wardour Street (Soho) - a good price for a Foundation Bass.

Melody Maker magazine, 14th August 1965

Rudall, Carte and Co. still with an AC50 Super Twin along with a Foundation Bass (Bassman 18"). Melody Maker magazine, 14th August 1965.

Melody Maker magazine, 14th August 1965

Melody Maker magazine, 14th August 1965. Probably a small-box Mark 1 AC50. Large box AC50s are considerably wider than T60 speaker cabinets and were never formally issued with them in the 1960s.

Chicago Herald August 1965, advert for an AC50 / Royal Guardsman amplifier

An advert for the AC50 / Royal Guardsman in the Chicago Daily Herald, 26th August 1965 - reduced from $730.00 to $660.00. Vox dealers in the US were still selling (or rather selling off) English-made valve amps in late 1966.

Melody Maker magazine, 9th October 1965. Probably another Foundation Bass.

Advert placed by Rudall, Carte and Co. in Crescendo Jazz magazine, November 1965. The same amp as above. Stock not moving quite so quickly.

1966

Repeated from the AC100 website - The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 23rd August 1966 - Joseph Horne and Co. still offering English amps. The AC100 (Super Beatle) for $869.95 - note the mention of two inputs and "tone circuits for split effects" (not sure what that signifies). The AC50 (Royal Guardsman). AC50 Foundation Bass (Westminster). AC30 SRT (Buckingham Super reverb twin) - note the mention of three channels, six inputs, which might just as well indicate a solid state T. Organ amp, but more likely given the context, a slope sided AC30 SRT, its cab with a split front and closed back ("separate compression type speakers").

Early US brochures, flyers and adverts for Vox amps - including an early dealer pricelist and parts list - are being assembled on this page.

Melody Maker magazine, 20th August 1966

Melody Maker magazine (really a paper), 20th August 1966 - advert placed by Len Stiles - an AC50, probably secondhand, for £45.

Clarion Ledger, 25th March, 1966

The Clarion Ledger (USA), 25th March, 1966.

1967

Small box AC50 T60 bass set

Above, an advert for a T60 and AC50 from the "Coventry Evening Telegraph", 4th May 1967.

1968

Melody Maker magazine, 27th July 1968

"Melody Maker" magazine, 27th July 1968. Small ad advertising a Vox 50 watt PA new in boxes.

Melody Maker magazine, 14th September 1968

"Melody Maker" magazine, 14th September 1968. An AC50 PA (or perhaps a large box guitar amp) with Line Source columns.

Melody Maker magazine, 5th October 1968

"Melody Maker" magazine, 5th October 1968 - the new Orange shop on Old Compton Street. Part of the premises had formerly been owned by JMI. Two AC50s in stock. The Vox Essex bass amp must have been an import from the USA.

Melody Maker magazine, 5th October 1968

"Melody Maker" magazine, 5th October 1968. "Bargain Centre", Ealing - an "immaculate" AC50 amp section.

1970

Small box AC50 T60 bass set

Above, an advert from the "Aberdeen Evening Express", March 1970. An AC50 for £45 and a T60 bass speaker cabinet for £25. If the two had been purchased together, the AC50 is likely to have been small box. Large box AC50s were not good companions for the relatively narrow T60 cabinets.