Vox Mark VI Acoustic Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966)
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Item # 8177
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Vox Mark VI Acoustic Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Italy, sunburst polyester finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with ebony fingerboard, period hard shell case.
One of the all-time great "posing" guitars, the Vox Mark VI is an instantly recognizable 1960s classic. Like most Vox guitars sold in the US, this hollow body teardrop was built at the Eko factory in Recanti, Italy. By 1965 Vox brand owner 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 somewhat 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 solid body "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 originally developed for the teardrop shape "Wyman Bass." This Mark VI's bright red-black-yellow sunburst is one of two standard finishes offered for the "Acoustic" models. 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. Although the switch is officially 3-way, it sticks easily in the in-between positions and this instrument offers some cool out-of-phase tones unusual on a hollowbody guitar. The vibrato is derived from JMI's "Hank B' Marvin" unit and is basically a copy of the solid body Bigsby. This brilliant sunburst hollow-body Mark VI is a '60s icon and is also quite playable...as well as eminently posable and collectable!
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.).
This guitar is overall very clean and all original, with just some typical Vox finish checking and a few dings and dents here and there. It is complete including the trem arm and even the almost-always missing bridge cover. One of the nicer Italian Vox guitars we have had recently. Excellent + Condition.
One of the all-time great "posing" guitars, the Vox Mark VI is an instantly recognizable 1960s classic. Like most Vox guitars sold in the US, this hollow body teardrop was built at the Eko factory in Recanti, Italy. By 1965 Vox brand owner 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 somewhat 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 solid body "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 originally developed for the teardrop shape "Wyman Bass." This Mark VI's bright red-black-yellow sunburst is one of two standard finishes offered for the "Acoustic" models. 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. Although the switch is officially 3-way, it sticks easily in the in-between positions and this instrument offers some cool out-of-phase tones unusual on a hollowbody guitar. The vibrato is derived from JMI's "Hank B' Marvin" unit and is basically a copy of the solid body Bigsby. This brilliant sunburst hollow-body Mark VI is a '60s icon and is also quite playable...as well as eminently posable and collectable!
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.).
This guitar is overall very clean and all original, with just some typical Vox finish checking and a few dings and dents here and there. It is complete including the trem arm and even the almost-always missing bridge cover. One of the nicer Italian Vox guitars we have had recently. Excellent + Condition.