Vox AC30 website updates
September 2021
30th September
Some pics of AC30TB serial number 22789 with its documentation; inspection tag dated 8th December, 1967; and sales slip (June 1968). The "Operation and Maintenance" booklet is from a slightly later period. Chassis number 14889. Thanks to Tom for kind permission to post the pics here.
23rd September
Thanks to Mitja, some great pictures of AC30R serial number 30675, made in Italy, ready for sale in mid 1972 - the circuit board is stamped "3 72". The reverb circuit has been removed. These could be troublesome. The amp is good and striking in its new vinyl and grille cloth.
23rd September
The page on Allan Billington (first manager of the Jennings shop) has been updated and corrected. He set up shop first for himself in Bexleyheath - 30 Broadway. Welling came a little later.
As a side note, JMI had its "Studio" a little way along Broadway at number 88. In mid 1960, the "Studio" became "Musicland", managed by Tom's son Paul, who took the business name "Paul Raymond".
"Kentish Times", 9th October, 1959. Billington at 30 Broadway, Bexleyheath.
"Kentish Times", April, 1959. JMI at 88 Broadway.
21st September
A great shot of the rear of the control plate of a Super Reverb Twin - trapezoidal box - from 1965. Thanks to Tim for the picture.
This version of the reverb circuit required two additional valves, mounted on the C-shaped bracket behind the add-on control panel.
19th September
Just to note that the page on Vox volume pedals has now been set in motion here. There will be additions and updates as ever.
18th September
A page coming soon on the various types of volume pedals supplied with Jennings / Vox organs. As a preliminary, a first generation Vox Continental pedal - actually a Fender pedal with the logo replaced and a resistor added to alter the taper of the pot. These changes were made at Dartford Road. This piece of JMI naughtiness was first noted by Ron Lebar on his Alpha Entek site.
The pedal came with a Continental from mid 1963 - latest date stamp on the tone generator modules, 8th May.
Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five, Tottenham Royal, late January 1964 - still from un-broadcast Pathe newsreel footage of the show.
17th September
One of a huge series of adverts placed by Burndept in local Dartford newspapers in the 1960s, this from June 1961.
The jobs were based in the West Street Works in Erith, which JMI later took over (in late 1964). Whether the rates were the same in the late autumn of 1962 when Burndept began producing AC30 chassis for JMI is hard to say for certain - but they were presumably not too far off.
The basic conditions were 42 hours per week (which held true also for 1962); £7 8s 2d per week, which equates to around 3s 6d (3/6) per hour.
Quite how many hours it took to wire up an AC30 chassis is a question. The cost of resistors, capacitors, wire, and smaller items of hardware (fuse holder, mains switch, etc.) would be relatively easy to work out, but unfortunately not that of the metalwork or the Woden transformers.
16th September (2)
The page on early material relating to the Vox Continental organ, 1962-1964, has been updated recently. More to come.
16th September
Recently on ebay, AC30 Super Twin serial number 5648N, Top Boost on the back panel, beige vinyl painted black at some point. Chassis assembled by Burndept. Woden transformers with date code "HT" = August 1962, one of the pots "GJ" = July '62. Ready for sale in late 1962. Speakers - one reconed in this instance - generally have later date codes than components in the chassis. Bought new in 1963.
15th September
Some details of Super Twin serial number 3021, thanks to Brian. The cathode bypass cap has the date code "UM" = December 1963; the cement 50ohm cathode resistor "VA" = January 1964, which is the latest observable date in the chassis, a Treble model produced by Westrex.
Whether the chassis came from the factory in its current box is hard to say. The serial number plate presents 3021 as a "Normal" model. But this may simply have been an error. Further pics can be found here.
14th September
The Hijacks (from Swanley, Kent) pictured in 1963 with a TV Front AC30. The other amps on stage are Selmers.
Printed in a local Dartford newspaper, 18th October, 1963.
13th September
Two early adverts for the Continental in the popular music press - "Melody Maker" magazine, 8th and 22nd December, 1962. On the 8th, the blurb states that Jennings supplies organs to various bands - The Tornados, Eric Delaney, Sounds Incorporated, John Barry - though it does not explicity say that the Continental itself has been supplied. The price quoted is 225 guineas. This increased to 250 guineas in 1963.
On the 22nd, however, it is noted that the organ appears in a film - "Just For Fun", starring Helen Shapiro and the Three Monarchs, and so on. But again, there is no explicit mention yet that the Continental has been issued individually to the groups named.
The film was released in 1963 - below, a trailer. The Continental can be seen in the clip of The Tornados at around 1 minute 10 secs. If a better version can be found, it will be incorporated on the page on the Continental.
Trailer for "Just for Fun", scenes filmed in late 1962, released in 1963.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 8th December, 1962.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 22nd December, 1962.
"Melody Maker" magazine, 22nd December, 1962.
12th September
A small rough-print picture (trade press, July 1964) of a consignment of Thomas organs being loaded for transport to Jennings in the UK. The text accompanying the pic is:
"Jennings Musical Industries Ltd report a daily increasing demand for the exciting and versatile THOMAS transistor organ."
"To cope extra efficiently with this rush of trade, J.M.I. (who are British Distributors for this American-made Organ) are setting up a special THOMAS division with headquarters at Dartford."
"Consignments of THOMAS Organs are now being sent direct from California to ensure speedy delivery to dealers in Britain and our picture shows: Roy Winger - Thomas Organ Co's Export Manager, Jerry Grindinger - Advertisement Manager, and Mark Jeffries of Trans-Air System, giving a V.I.P. send-off to another valuable consignment."
10th September
The page on the AC30 Treble circuit has now been tidied up, and thanks to Brian a section introduced on the 330k resistors and 220pf capacitors at the volume controls.
5th September
A short note and picture in the music trade press, April 1965, relating to Allan Billington, who managed the Jennings shop on Charing Cross Road from 1950-1956, leaving to set up in business for himself in Welling (Kent). Allan maintained his shop there through to the 1980s. See this page. To give some context, the Vox Guitar-Organ, in all its complexity, sold for around £200 at the time.
Updates for October and November 2020.