Detail from the "Dallas Musical Limited" catalogue of 1974.

By early 1973, the original incarnation of "Vox Sound Limited" was finished and during the course of the year the business was wound down by George Stow, the managing director. Some of the stock that remained unsold was bought in by Stow for his new venture "Roxburgh Sound"; batches of components and unfinished items went to other former members of staff, who assembled them for sale - occasionally with mighty peculiar results.

For the first seven months of 1973 nothing of any note was said of Vox in the music trade or popular music press. The regular monthly pricelists published in "Beat Instrumental" simply indicated that the "Vox line was being rearranged, prices to be announced" - presumably to the puzzlement of readers.

Then in August 1973, the music trade press carried the report below. Dallas had come to the rescue:

August 1973

Judging by the tone of the piece, Vox was still alive at the time, but only just. Bankruptcy at any rate had not been declared. Quite how long the negotiations took is not known at present.

Dallas's acquisition was in some senses well timed as certain items of Vox equipment could be shown at the Russell Hotel Trade Fair (late August '73). "Vox Sound Limited" had been in too poor a condition to go to the Frankfurt Fair in February.

Russell Hotel Trade Fair, late August 1973. A rough shot showing Vox in a sort of mix and match section of the Dallas display. One can make out a perspex AC30 in the foreground, and production amps further back, along with some pedals.

Behind the scenes, Reg Clark, former General Sales Manager of JMI, now the General Sales Manager of Dallas, had worked his magic. "Beat Instrumental" magazine published the news in October. This was the second time that Reg had saved Vox, the first being in 1968, following the collapse of JMI. 1973 might have been a third had Reg been successful in steering Dallas to take up the reins of "Vox Sound Equipment Limited", which had also gone to the wall, in early January 1970.

"Beat Instrumental" magazine, October 1973.

In late 1973, the company was still "Dallas Arbiter" - or just about. The comings and goings of CBS, Dallas, and Ivor Arbiter were incredibly complex in the first half of the 1970s. In January 1974 however, the business became (for a time at least) "Dallas Musical Limited" (John E. Dallas), sometimes known as "Dallas Musical Industries".

The company's main drive was to move production of all its lines to its factory at Shoeburyness in Essex. This was a new build, begun in April 1973 and complete by April 1974. Dallas began moving in in May 1974. Under the building's extensive roof "Sound City" and "Vox Sound Limited" amplifiers, "Hayman guitars", and numerous other brands were manufactured.

Assembly of new Vox AC30s and AC50s was evidently put in motion in the summer of '74 - in good time for the BMII Trade Fair in July 1974.

Dallas Musical Industries, Shoeburyness factory, Essex.

It is interesting to find that Tom Jennings, who had become dissatisfied with "Jennings Electronic Industries", the company he had created following his dismissal from JMI in 1967, joined Reg Clark at the new "Vox Sound Limited" as Managing Director in July 1974 - presumably at Reg's request.

July 1974. Note the last sentence.

November 1974. Advert placed by Reg.

As far as "Beat Instrumental" is concerned, the first one hears of a Dallas-made amp is in May 1974 - the AC30. The AC50 was evidently "in progress" - and still in progress in December '74, as its price then is also "TBA" = "To Be Announced".

"Beat Instrumental" magazine, May 1974. The entry is the same in the December 1974 issue.

Unfortunately Dallas collapsed in early 1975, having overspent on its new manufacturing facility at Shoeburyness. CBS Arbiter stepped in to save the company but Tom was out. He retired thereafter from the music business for good.

Above, a snippet from The "Daily Express", 1st February, 1975, signalling the end of Dallas Musical Ltd, which had taken on the production of a small selection of Vox items.

Some later snippets - Vox saved by Dallas/CBS Arbiter

Note that Reg Clarke was the former Sales Manager of "Jennings Musical Industries" and "Vox Sound Equipment Limited". During the collapse of VSEL in early 1970 he joined Dallas.

"British Musical Instrument Industries" Fair, Metropole Hotel, Brighton, July 1974 - no shot of the stand itself, simply the name - VOX - over the entrance. In 1975 the BMII Fair returned to the Russell Hotel in London, its traditional venue.

Above, the well-known advert issued by CBS/Arbiter in 1976 for the AC50 in its two forms: bass and guitar.

Below, some snippets from "International Musician and Recording World" - the AC50 at the Frankfurt Fairs of 1977 and 1978, still under the auspices of Dallas.

"International Musician, February 1977.

"International Musician, April 1978. AC50 and Foundation Bass cab to the right of picture.

A growing register of amps

DALLAS AC50s - 1975

The serial numbers of the earliest amps took the form: YEAR / MONTH / D for Dallas / number of the amp beginning at 5000. So "7503D5110" is March 1975, 111th amp made ready for sale.

Build quality is excellent. One way to tell an early Dallas AC50 from a later one is by the presence or not of a voltage selector. Later amps did away with them.

For the warranty literature normally supplied, see this page.

So far (November 2025) no Dallas-made AC50 has come to light with a 1974 serial number plate. For AC30s from '74, see this page on the Vox AC30 website.

NEW

Serial number 7503D5090

March 1975, 91st amp - external pics only.