Vox Mark VI Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965)
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Item # 6118
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Vox Mark VI Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Recanti, Italy, white polyester finish, hardwood body, 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 1960s classic -- in design and visual impact, at least. Like most production Vox guitars sold in the US, this one was built at the Eko factory in Recanati, Italy. Vox parent company JMI in Dartford, Kent was already overstretched by 1964, supplying Vox amplifiers to the UK and world markets. Instead of expanding their guitar-making facilities, they outsourced the bulk of instrument production to this Italian firm.
These Eko-made Vox guitars are much more consistent than their English-made cousins, and in some ways better-made, particularly in regard to necks and fretwork. Thomas Organ in California handled US distribution of JMI's products, and after early 1965 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 of all Vox guitars.
This particular Mark VI dates to 1965 and is finished in white, like Jones' personal instrument. While the connection is obvious, this is for some reason very rare, as the great majority of the Italian-made examples carried a rather dark 3-tone sunburst, which reduces the visual impact considerably. Due to the Rolling Stones' connection, original white examples are the most sought after of all Mark VIs, and this is a very fine example!
The "Mark" series expanded by mid-1965 to include 6, 12, and 9-string guitars as well as a bass. All were technically offered in several different colored finishes, but sunburst is by far 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 selector 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. It is a true '60s time capsule, and is quite playable…as well as eminently posable and collectible!
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 12 1/16 in. (30.6 cm.) wide, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
Very nice original condition; well-preserved and complete, except missing the stamped metal bridge cover and mute assembly. An excellent slim neck with very clean frets make this an exceptionally good-playing example. Some typical finish checking and one small area of finish flake beside the neck pocket, some very small dings and chips but overall very clean with little wear. With a very light body this is simply the best handling and playing Mark VI we have had, in the most desired finish to boot! Includes the original Vox oblong grey tolex case, with the fragile plastic handle still intact. Excellent - Condition.
One of the all-time great "posing" guitars, the Vox Mark VI is a true 1960s classic -- in design and visual impact, at least. Like most production Vox guitars sold in the US, this one was built at the Eko factory in Recanati, Italy. Vox parent company JMI in Dartford, Kent was already overstretched by 1964, supplying Vox amplifiers to the UK and world markets. Instead of expanding their guitar-making facilities, they outsourced the bulk of instrument production to this Italian firm.
These Eko-made Vox guitars are much more consistent than their English-made cousins, and in some ways better-made, particularly in regard to necks and fretwork. Thomas Organ in California handled US distribution of JMI's products, and after early 1965 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 of all Vox guitars.
This particular Mark VI dates to 1965 and is finished in white, like Jones' personal instrument. While the connection is obvious, this is for some reason very rare, as the great majority of the Italian-made examples carried a rather dark 3-tone sunburst, which reduces the visual impact considerably. Due to the Rolling Stones' connection, original white examples are the most sought after of all Mark VIs, and this is a very fine example!
The "Mark" series expanded by mid-1965 to include 6, 12, and 9-string guitars as well as a bass. All were technically offered in several different colored finishes, but sunburst is by far 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 selector 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. It is a true '60s time capsule, and is quite playable…as well as eminently posable and collectible!
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 12 1/16 in. (30.6 cm.) wide, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
Very nice original condition; well-preserved and complete, except missing the stamped metal bridge cover and mute assembly. An excellent slim neck with very clean frets make this an exceptionally good-playing example. Some typical finish checking and one small area of finish flake beside the neck pocket, some very small dings and chips but overall very clean with little wear. With a very light body this is simply the best handling and playing Mark VI we have had, in the most desired finish to boot! Includes the original Vox oblong grey tolex case, with the fragile plastic handle still intact. Excellent - Condition.