Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Is this fair dinkum?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1967-VOX-TEARDOP-MARK-VI-ELECTRIC-ACOUSTIC-NR_W0QQitemZ7397161999QQcategoryZ2384QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

yup

Thanks, Gerry.

Howard: If you like that guitar, I've got one for you. It's a near mint '68 Vox Starstream. It's hollowbody burgundy finsh teardrop six-string with checkerboard binding and fancy factory inlay on the fingerboard and headstock. It includes a vibrato, palm-operated wahwah, treble booster, bass booster, and E-tuner tone. Original case. I'm the second owner. I bought it around 1991. It's a neat guitar, but I never play it. I just ordered a black Phantom Teardrop nine-string with vibrato today. I already have a red twelve-string and a sunburst six-string. Gotta love those teardrops!

Any pics, Randy?

Howard: I'll snap a few and try to post when I get home tonight. It's an odd guitar, but that's what they were rolling off a production line in Italy at the time...

Grazi!

Some of those Vox guitars were made from some old hardware parts found in the Italian factory in the early '80's IKO?

There were quite a few knocking about in London then, that one looks too young to be '60's IMO.

Will Sargent of Echo & the Bunnymen posed with one on TOTP around the time of the Ocean Rain album although he recorded with a Rick 12 string then!

BTW a friend had one of these for a few years not a patch on a Rick 12!

not a patch on a Rick 12!

Of course not, John - birds of a different feather entirely.

Howard: No pictures yet. Having technical problems with my camera batteries.

John: I believe Italian-built Vox guitars came from the same factory as Eko guitars. They share many construction details and hardware. The '67 in the ad looks original to me. I have owned a '66 Tornado, a '66 Lynx, a '68 Phantom Bass, a '68 Phantom XII, a '68 Violin Bass, and a '68 Starstream. You're right, a Vox 12-string isn't a patch on a Rick.

As far as Will Sargent, he currently plays Phantom Guitar Works copies of old Vox guitars. Phantom has bought the rights to use the old Vox designs. This company is owned and operated by the old guitarist for Quarterflash, Jack Charles. I just ordered a Teardrop 9-string from him yesterday. He says that Will is trying out a piezo pick-up that he calls a 'Phantone' on one of his guitars. He offered to build this new feature into my guitar, if I was interested. If you're interested, check out their website at www.phantomguitars.com

Here's a photo of a 9-string from their website:

No problems, Randy... if and when you get the opportunity I'd appreciate it.

I know something of the history of Vox guitars but I think that would very little in the scheme of things. Do you know of a web site where I can learn more? Is there a documented history in the form of a book?

Howard: There is a Vox history book published by Bold Strummer (1993) called 'The Vox Story'. It covers all of their products (i.e. amps, guitars, organs). It's pretty good. There is also a website called 'The Vox Showroom'. As soon as my batteries decide to charge up, I'll post pictures...

Still having battery problems, but I managed to snap a few pictures of my '68/69 Vox Starstream guitar. Note the triangular palm-operated wah-wah just behind the bridge. It swings around when you want to use it. This guitar has a built-in fuzztone, e-tuner, repeater, treble/bass booster in addition to the wah-wah and vibrato. Here are the pictures:

And another:

Note the fancy binding and neck inlays: