Vox Continental logos
Below, an overview of the different types of logo adopted by JMI for the Vox Continental organ from late 1962 to early 1964. In many respects, the Continental was a sort of "work in progress" during this period. A summary of other changes can be found on this page.
It is important to note that the move from one type of logo to another did not happen overnight. It often took a small run of organs for a modification to work its way in.
1: late 1962 to autumn 1963
The earliest Vox Continental organs (the first sixty or so): a single logo - extremely handsome in form - etched into the perspex music stand, text facing the keyboardist and therefore back-to-front in relation to the audience. While "VOX" will probably have been clear enough from a distance in a theatre or club, only the organist and a television audience (if the camera-man had positioned himself adeptly) will have been able to make out "Continental". Not a huge drawback of course. Vox AC15s and AC30s were not emblazoned with model designation in any clearly visible way either.
The back panel of the early Continentals was plain. A page on the early music stands has been started here.
The Tornados on film, late 1962.
The Overlanders in the studio, 1963.
For important bookings undertaken by the Dave Clark Five, JMI fitted Mike Smith's first Continental out (an early one with music stand) with the familiar gold logos normally reserved for amplifiers and speaker cabinets, presumably stuck on with glue.
Mike Smith's Continental, late January 1964.
Whether in the late summer of 1963 any of the Continentals that were issued without a music stand also had no plaque / logo on the back panel - i.e. no visible sign of "VOX" at all - is not known at present. It does seem unlikely on the face of things though.
2: autumn 1963
Music stands only occasionally; the introduction of a plaque on the back panel: "VOX" alone. Below, a shot of Earl Preston behind a square-top Continental (made in later 1963) at the Cavern Club in November 1964. The "VOX" logo - a stencilled panel or Letraset (?) - is of the first type tried by JMI on the body of the organ.
The poster behind Preston advertises a forthcoming appearance by The Hollies on 24th November '64. Other pictures show that the lid of the organ was not drilled for a music stand.
Vox Continental serial number TC-1089, ready for sale a month or two after August 1963. Issued without a music stand.
Front of serial number TC-1089.
The status of the logo at front on TC-1089 is not certain. One occasionally finds the same type of panel on the back panels of Continentals from 1964.
3: late 1963 into 1965
By serial number TC-1094: a panel at rear with "VOX Continental" (all in cursive lettering). This became the standard form for 1964 and the first part of 1965.
Continental serial number TC-1094.
Above, the Continental issued to Sounds Incorporated by 8th November 1963 (not the band's first): a "Vox Continental" plaque and - just to ring the changes - a music stand.
4: Spring 1964
"VOX" in block capitals, "Continental" in cursive - as added later to the front of TC-1089 (above). A few instances early on in 1964. In mid 1965 this became the standard form.
Continental serial number TC-1313, second quarter of 1964.