Vox AC-30
Dick Denney's and Tom Jennings Vox AC30 made at the Jennings Musical
Industries factory in Dartford.
Electronic genius and guitarist Dick Denney met accordianist Tom
Jennings while working at the Vickers munitions factory in Crayford
during WW2.
When the war ended Tom Jennings opened a musical instrument store in
Hythe Street selling accordians, organs, keyboard instruments and
sheet music .
He started Jennings Musical Organs Ltd primarily to manufacture
electric church, theatre and home organs during the 1950s .
One of the first portable products they made was the Univox music
amplifier followed by a small keyboard instrument with the same name .
A range of amplifiers designed by Dick Denney was introduced for
electric guitars from 1957 when the company name was changed to
Jennings Musical Industries Ltd. Other portable organ models were
developed including the Vox Continental designed by Derek Underdown
and Les Hills. The huge guitar range included the Phantom and Teardrop
guitars by the early sixties.
The AC30 gave the distinctive twangy sound to a million guitars in
the sixties and was one of many successful amplifier products made by
the JMI company, The earlier AC10-15 range had been developed with
improvements suggested by The Shadows . The picture shows a model
produced around 1962. Still highly regarded and used by top musicians
around the world for its clarity ( Edge U2 , Brian May etc ) .
The Beatles used Vox after George Martin bought an AC30 for them to
record their first album.
The early models valve amplifier circuitry was hand wired and soldered
, mounting the components on tag strip to make them less prone to
mechanical vibration with easier servicing .
The use of twin Celestion G12s then the famous Vox blue speakers
with expensive Alnico magnets was adopted after the initial
production run along with the distinctive cab design . These early
models are now collectors items.
Vox JMI was a victim of its own success in the sixties and problems arose when production of its many products and manufacturing arrangements in America failed to satisfy demand , both Denney Jennings and other key personal left after Royston Holdings bought it and a period of financial instability followed . It passed into many different hands over the years and the Vox name is now owned by Korg .
The original valve wired AC30 Denney design was relaunched complete with Alnico speakers which Celestion have re- released to their original specification .
I found out recently from research on the net that their Dartford road factory had a shed full of older valve amplifiers they collected over the years that ended up as hardcore filling for a concrete base constructed for a new petrol filling station .
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUhpkxkYZHg&feature=fvwrel
The above link sounds best through a good pair of headphones direct
from your computer soundcard.
Comments and faves
MB! (26 months ago | reply)
Can I buy a high res copy of this somewhere? Best AC30 shot on flickr. Would make an incredible wallpaper.
MB! added this photo to his favorites. (26 months ago)
fpo22p (26 months ago | reply)
Thanks for your comment, I don't know if a high res shot is available but you are welcome to use this picture.