Vox Mark VI Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965-6)

Vox  Mark VI Solid Body Electric Guitar  (1965-6)
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Item # 4034
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Vox Mark VI Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965-6), made in Italy, sunburst finish, maple neck with ebony fingerboard, original grey hard shell case.

One of the all-time great "posing" guitars, the Vox Mark VI is a true 1960's classic. Like most production Vox guitars sold in the US, this one was built at the Eko factory in Recanti, Italy. Vox parent company JMI in Dartford, Kent, was already overstretched by 1964, supplying Vox amplifiers to the UK and world markets. Instead of greatly expanding their guitar-making facilities, they outsourced the bulk of instrument production to the Italian firm.

These Eko-made Vox guitars are more consistent than their English-made cousins, and in some ways better made, particularly in regard to necks and fretwork. By the time Thomas Organ in California had taken over US distribution of JMI's products, nearly all the Vox guitars they handled would be of Italian parentage.

The unmistakable teardrop-shaped Mark series guitars were originally a stylistic outgrowth of the trapezoidal-bodied Phantom line; indeed, the earliest model was called the Phantom Mk.III. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones got one of the first hand-built prototypes, and the exposure the model received in his hands in 1964-5 was quite enough to quickly make it the most sought after Vox guitar.

The "Mark" series quickly expanded to include 6, 12, and 9-string guitars as well as a bass, all offered in several different colored finishes; this guitar's sunburst is the most commonly seen. The guitars feature three standard Vox pickups with a wiring rig derived from the Stratocaster, i.e. master volume, two tone controls, and a three-way switch. This fairly early example features a single piece maple neck (later ones are laminated) with a bound ebony fretboard. The vibrato is derived from JMI's "Hank B Marvin" unit and is basically copied from the solid body Bigsby. This Mark VI is beautifully preserved, a true 60's time capsule, and is quite playable, as well as eminently poseable and collectible!
 
Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 12 1/16 in. (30.6 cm.) width, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).

Completely original, down to the last screw. All the oft-missing hardware is in place, including original string mute with the pad intact (if a bit sticky), bridge cover, back pad, plastic-tipped whammy bar, and even the original flatwound strings! Some very small dings and some of the typical Vox/Eko finish checking are all that keep this from being graded a near-mint guitar. Complete with a very fine original case and paperwork...absolutely one of the most original Mark VI models we have ever seen. Excellent + Condition.