Documents 1965
1965
Continued from the previous pages: documents 1963, and documents 1964. Items are arranged on the page as far as possible in chronological order.
Naturally there are fewer JMI adverts - the AC50 and AC100 had arrived. But music shops were generally not wanting for stock. "Pan Music", above the Flamingo Club on Wardour Street, had twelve for sale in early June 1965. The big production drive in 1964 evidently gave Jennings breathing space to concentrate on other lines.
The small ads are principally from "Melody Maker" magazine, chosen to give a snapshot - no more than that as there are AC30s for sale every week - of the prices and types of AC30s sold by shops.
The average price for a second-hand AC30 in 1965 was £75. Some, however, could be had for a good deal less (£50 seems to be the lowest, below, June 1965) - presumably earlier ones that had seen a good deal of use. Discounted new AC30s seem to have been readily available at £75 too.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 3rd January, 1965.
"Beat Instrumental" magazine, January, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 16th January, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 30th January, 1965.
The Thomas Organ "Million Dollar Sound" catalogue, late 1964 / early 1965. A copy of the catalogue can be seen in a photograph published in April 1965. The AC30 is still the AC30.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 20th March, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 3rd April, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 10th April, 1965.
"The Daily Independent Journal" (San Rafael, California), 3rd May, 1965. Sherman Clay Music. The "Vox Amplifier, Twin Speakers 12", 60 watts" is the AC30 - US power rating.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 6th May, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 5th June, 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 26th June, 1965. Twenty AC30s in stock.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 10th July, 1965. Note the fawn Super Twin at £80, and the fawn standard Twin at £45. Oh for those days.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 21st August, 1965 (and repeated in a couple of issues later in the year). A list of the principal artists and groups using Vox - note the disclaimer at the foot of the detail above.
"Courier-Journal", Louisville, Kentucky, 29th August, 1965.
The Thomas Organ "King of the Beat" catalogue, autumn 1965. The AC30 is now the "Viscount".
"Beat Instrumental" magazine, September 1965.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 2nd October, 1965. An Expanded Frequency AC30, £45.
Below, details from the JMI pricelist of November 1965. Nine formats of AC30 are available, along with three types of stand, and the Top Boost add on unit. One could also buy Super Twin amplifier and cabinet sections separately - four types of Super Twin amplifier.
In the USA it was only possible to buy Super Twins as a set - amp and cab were not offered separately.
The Thomas Organ pocket reference guide of late 1965 / early 1966. This was in some respects the precursor of the service manual sheets issued for individual amps in mid 1966. Specimen pages below. The booklet as a whole is available here.
Spare parts - transformers and so on - will have been shipped by JMI to the main Thomas Organ complex in Sepulveda.
"Miami Herald", 12th December, 1965. The Royal Guardsman is the AC50, but the set-up represented is highly anachronistic.