The Vox Continental - changes introduced during production

Late 1962 to early 1964

Detail from the JMI fold-out brochure of 1964.

This page is really a sort of follow-up to the general overview of the Vox Continental organ, late 1962-1965, . Its main purpose: to illustrate and indicate the features introduced during the course of production, late 1962 to early 1964. The story will be taken further in due course.

In the lists below, changes are indicated in colour. In order to keep things aligned, it has been necessary to indicate the *absence* of certain elements in the earliest organs - elements that became standard later on. The groupings/sections should not be regarded as hard and fast "types". Transitions in some instances may have been gradual.

Keyboard assemblies - with wooden keys - were made for JMI by Herrburger Brooks in Long Eaton. It is not known who made the early wooden cases. Heathpoint Timber and Heslop & Co. did not come along until later. Heslop began work for JMI in late 1964, Heathpoint in 1965. Notes on JMI's cabinet makers .

More will be said in due course about serial numbers, plates, and the numbers stamped on the first two wooden keys by Herrburger. Simply to indicate for the moment that JMI's numerical sequence began at TC 1000 - "TC" = "Transistor Continental".

In terms of changes to the electronics, the power supply circuit is perhaps of the greatest interest - three tweaks made in the first half of 1963. A surviving organ from mid 1963 (its power supply stamped with the date 8th May 1963) has changes (1) and (2) but not (3).

Detail of OS/028, the JMI circuit diagram for the Continental's power section.

Perhaps the chief thing to say in overview is that Continentals will have taken weeks to assemble. They were hugely complex. Not only that - they were expensive too. Point of sale/dispatch might therefore be some time after final assembly. Naturally as production proceded JMI gained a sense of how large batches should be. No point in making up 30 in one go if only one per fortnight sold.

1. Earliest (from late 1962 into early 1963)

The features listed below are for the most part cosmetic. Although nothing is known definitively at present of the electronics of the earliest Continentals, it is reasonable to assume that they were not too different from those organs produced in Spring 1963. Only a handful of minor adjustments (the earliest of February 1963) are noted on the circuit diagrams (schematics).

(1) a tall inner lid covered in orange vinyl - sometimes described as being "square top" - with music stand (or at least music stand fixings):

(2) latches on the front edge of the organ (later moved to the sides);

(3) a plain vinyl-covered case, no silver "string" around it;

(4) leather carrying handle (identical to the centre handle on early AC30s) with single point fixings;

(5) no metal domical feet on the back of the lid or the lower case;

(6) the absence of any "Vox Continental" plaque;

(7) the absence of white piping on the front lip of the inner orange lid;

(8) a "diving boot" volume pedal ();

(9) two jack sockets on the underside of the organ - one a pass-through for the pedal.

(10) all sockets mounted directly on the organ case;

(11) Morganite roller switches for ON/OFF and TREMOLO, Radiospares indicator lamp;

(12) legends for the switches on two separate lengths of trafolyte;

(13) generator boards presumably mounted on metal assemblies (the assemblies painted with grey hammerite) - for pictures of the arrangement in an organ from mid 1963.

Later in production the lid catches on the front edge were moved to the sides, necessitating the manufacture of stands with shorter horizontal bars. Most of the adverts through to 1964 show the early arrangement (re-using early drawings and photographs).

The Tornados - a screengrab from a the film "Just for Fun", filmed in late 1962.

A view showing the back panel. No domical feet or logo - only the socket for the Bulgin power connector.

2. Spring and Summer 1963

Again, the features mentioned below are for the most part cosmetic. To give some sense of continuity, elements shared with the earliest organs have been repeated. New elements are indicated in colour. Numbers (13) and (14) are key electronic elements, observed in surviving organs, that will become significant later.

(1) still the tall inner lid covered in orange vinyl, with music stand. The lid is fixed with two screws per side;

(2) no silver piping ("string") around the outer case;

(3) outer lid latches now on the sides of the organ body;

(4) leather carrying handle;

(5) metal domical feet on the rear of the case. Jennings had used these on the Univox from 1953;

(6) no "Vox Continental" plaque;

(7) no white piping on the front lip of the inner orange lid;

(8) foot-pedal now a reworked chrome Fender pedal - ;

(10) sockets still mounted on the organ case;

(11) Morganite roller switches for ON/OFF and TREMOLO, Radiospares indicator lamp;

(12) legends for the switches on two separate lengths of trafolyte;

(13) generator boards mounted on metal assemblies (the assemblies painted with grey hammerite) - these are the so-called "milk-float generators".

(14) mains transformer with a simple toggle switch to select 115/230v;

(15) small-value capacitors, black moldseal made by Hunts;

For the layout and details of the electronics, see the page on a .

Vox Continental, mid 1963, general view

Continental, summer 1963.

Below, a detail from a shot of Emile Ford and The Checkmates on stage in Ireland, 1963. In March JMI listed Ford and the band as one of a select group of users of Continentals:

The organ is typical for early 1963 - tall inner lid, catches for the outer lid on the front rather than the sides; speaker and mains sockets mounted directly on the back panel. There are however domical metal feet on the organ's back panel.

Melody Maker magazine, 16th March, 1963. The Vox Continental, users and price

Detail from an advert placed by JMI in the music press,March 1963.

Below, some details of the organ issued to Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five in late 1963 / early January 1964:

Tottenham Royal. Detail of a photo taken in late January 1964. The VOX logos were airbrushed on to the photo

Tottenham Royal, performance filmed by Pathe. VOX logos later applied to the organ side and back.

Detail of a shot backstage, early 1964, venue unknown. Note the music stand support and the sockets mounted directly onto the case.

Still from a film of "Sally and The Alleycats" miming to their new single, shot in September 1964. A nice square top Continental with music stand, probably acquired in 1963 - no logo on the back panel; sockets mounted directly to the case; metal stud feet on the organ's back.

3. Late 1963

Below, features generally prevalent in organs from around serial number TC 1076 to TC 1100. As can be seen, the latter part of 1963 saw a good number of changes. Clearly there must have been a short transition from old to new in the manufacture of the cases - see (2) and (10) - not only in the workshops of the contractor that made them, but in their selection for final assembly at Dartford Road.

(1) still the tall inner lid covered in orange vinyl, with music stand;

(2) lines of silver piping ("string") around the case at left and right set in grooves 1/8" deep and wide;

(3) outer lid latches on the sides of the organ body;

(4) new-style plastic handle;

(5) metal domical feet on the rear of the case;

(6) a "Vox Continental" plaque;

(7) white piping on the front lip of the inner orange lid;

(8) foot-pedal still a reworked chrome Fender pedal;

(10) an opening let into the rear of the case, and the sockets mounted to an aluminium panel behind it;

(11) Morganite roller switches for ON/OFF and TREMOLO, Radiospares indicator lamp;

(12) legends for the switches on two separate lengths of trafolyte;

(13) generator boards mounted on metal assemblies (the assemblies painted with grey hammerite);

(14) mains transformer with a red voltage selector plug (as on certain Vox AC4 amplifiers);

(15) small-value red capacitors - resin-dipped, made by Hunts - begin to be seen on the generator boards;

Below, a picture of serial number TC 1094, sold in Italy some years ago (with no accompanying story), and again more recently at Bonhams, where it was asserted that the organ had belonged to the Dave Clark Five. If so, it was not a Continental that Mike Smith used on stage.

Gil Lucas of The Migil Five with a late "square lid" Continental - roller switches on the front apron, grey vinyl, silver string inset in the cabinet at front, white piping on the lid, no provision for a music stand. Still from "Swinging UK", filmed in mid 1964.

Gil Lucas of The Migil Five, photographed mid 1964. Pic. from Getty Images.

4. Early 1964

The principal change that comes in is the new low-profile draw-bar assembly and lid. Ron Lebar notes that the arrangement had been tried earlier in production but quickly abandoned due to the complexities involved in manufacture and assembly - see his brief report .

Accompanying this new (and successful) attempt at bringing low-profile elements into production came the adoption of a single-piece trafolyte panel for the switch legends.

(1) a new low profile inner lid (covered in orange vinyl), no music stand. The lid now has two screw fixings on the back panel, one on each of the sides;

(2) lines of silver piping ("string") around the case at left and right;

(3) outer lid latches on the sides of the organ body;

(4) plastic handle;

(5) metal domical feet on the rear of the case;

(6) a "Vox Continental" plaque;

(7) white piping on the front lip of the inner orange lid;

(8) foot-pedal probably still a reworked chrome Fender pedal;

(10) an opening cut in the back of the case, and the sockets mounted to an aluminium panel;

(11) Morganite roller switches for ON/OFF and TREMOLO, Radiospares indicator lamp;

(12) legends for the switches on a single length of trafolyte;

(13) generator boards mounted on metal assemblies (the assemblies painted with grey hammerite);

(14) a new low-profile draw-bar assembly;

(15) small-value red Hunts capacitors on the generator boards;

Below, a couple of details from a picture of a new Continental issued to Mike Smith in early 1964 - late February possibly, but perhaps a little later.

Mike Smith in the studio, said to be February '64. The Continental has a new-style lid (low, sloping, no mounts for a music stand), but keyboard assembly is of the old type - Radiospares indicator lamp, Morganite roller switches, trafolyte panels with legends for the switches. Detail of a pic from Getty Images

Detail showing the presence of the later type of trafolyte panel - a single length.

A surviving Continental (serial number TC 1207) with the same type of panel as above. The organ has new-style low sloping lid, also as above.

Ancillary dated photos

Fibreboard case for the legs.

Vox Continental serial number TC1549, made at the Dartford Road works a few months before production was moved to Erith.

Below, the earliest dated instance (at present) of the new volume pedal, cast for Vox by Schaller. Schaller produced pedals for others too (Dynacord being one). At least three castings were produced for Vox. Early to late - (1) cursive logo with a loop on the "X"; (2) plain cursive logo; and (3) block letter logo.

"Melody Maker" magazine, 1st August, 1964.

A detail showing the Schaller-made pedal.

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