Vox Mark VI Acoustic Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967)

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Item # 7436
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Vox Mark VI Acoustic Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1967), made in Italy, serial # 287338, cherry polyester finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with ebony fingerboard, original grey hard shell case.

One of the all-time great "posing" guitars, the Vox Mark VI Acoustic is an instantly recognizable 1960's classic. Like most Vox guitars sold in the US, this one was built at the Eko factory in Recanti, Italy. Vox brand owners JMI in Dartford, Kent was already overtaxed by 1964 supplying Vox amplifiers to the UK and world markets. Instead of expanding their guitar-making facilities to meet the world-wide demand JMI outsourced the bulk of production to the Italian firm. These Eko-made Vox guitars are more consistent, both in style and quality, than their English-made cousins- in some ways better made. 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 teardrop-shaped Mark series was 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 solidbody "Mark" series quickly expanded to include 6, 12 and 9 string guitars as well as a bass, all offered in several different finishes.

The Mark series hollow-bodied "Acoustic" line followed in 1966, using the body developed for the teardrop shape "Wyman Bass". The similar UK-made version (never sold stateside) was called the "Spitfire"-in the US Thomas called then the more prosaic "Mark Acoustic" series. This Mark VI's bright red cherry hue is one of two standard finish options offered for the "Acoustic" models, the other being a Fender like sunburst. The guitar features three single-coil original style Vox pickups with a wiring rig derived from the Stratocaster, i.e. master volume, two tone controls and a three-way switch. The vibrato is similar to JMI's "Hank B' Marvin' unit and is basically a copy of the solidbody Bigsby. This brilliant red hollow-body MarkVI is a '60's icon and is also quite playable…as well as eminently poseable and collectible!
 
Overall length is 40 3/8 in. (102.6 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) width, and 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.). A superb example, appears hardly used with less of the typical finish checking to the body than most of these Italian guitars. Complete and ALL original, including oft-missing parts like the vibrato arm, switch tip and the impossible-to-find bridge cover. Shows almost no play wear, hardly any dings or scratches to the finish; just some very light scuffing to the still-bright and shiny plated areas. As nice a 1960's Eko-made vox as we have ever had, and a very good player to boot. Includes the original oblong case and an unmailed warranty card. Excellent + Condition.