The earliest versions of the Vox Stroller were actually copies of an early Japanese electricguitar, the Guyatone (also sold under the brand Antoria) LG50. These Strollers, although short-lived did undergo a few changes before taking on the more familiar Strat influenced style of many mid-sixties UK-built Vox guitars. The biggest difference between early and late LG50-style Strollers (and the two pickup version, the Shadow) was the larger pickup, a shade longer, but noticeably wider used in the very first Vox guitars. Compare this early Vox to a 1963 Stroller with the later V1 pickup. For more information about Vox guitar pickups in general, see the Vox guitar pickups page.

1963 Vox Stroller

The Vox Stroller was the least expensive guitar produced by Vox in the early 1960s. It is a very lightweight guitar with very simple construction and controls; clearly aimed at the student players of the day. Like it's two-pickup sibling, the Vox Shadow, it was initially designed as a copy of the Guyatone / Antoria LG-50 played by Vox endorsee Hank Marvin of the Shadows, before he moved over to the Fender Stratocaster in the late 1950s.

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Vox Cheetah V267
hollow bodied electric guitar with built-in effects

Pete Townsend on the Smothers Brothers show 1967

Pete Townsend of The Who on the Smothers Brothers show 1967, with his Vox Cheetah

The Vox Cheetah, or V267, was one of Vox's late sixties semi-acoustic models sporting built in effects. Unfortunately the most famous piece of work involving this instrument is its destruction at the hands of Pete Townsend on the American Smothers Brothers TV show. This footage is available on the Who DVD The Kids Are Alright.

The built in effects are rather interesting, and consist of an E-tuner (plays a quiet E note), treble/bass boost, distortion (mild overdrive to full blown 60s fuzz) and repeat percussion. These are the same effects as on other vox guitars and basses of the period, though some also had a built in palm-operated wah wah pedal too. An identical model to the Cheetah, with added wah-wah was the V268 Vox Ultrasonic.

The original Vox literature describes the ultrasonic like this:

An exquisite double cutaway electric acoustic guitar. Has built-in E tuner, distortion booster, treble and bass booster, repeat percussion. All new easy-to-fret fast neck with Vox double T-bar and adjustable steel rod. Two exclusive Vox Ferro-sonic pickups. Fully adjustable bridge. One volume, two tone controls, 3-position pickup selector.

The controls are as follows:

Pickup selector switch; neck pickup only, bridge pickup only or both pickups
Master volume
Neck pickup tone control
Bridge pickup tone control
Treble/ bass boost control and on/off switch
Distortion level control and on/off switch (mild overdrive to extreme fuzz)
Repeat percussion speed control and on/off switch

Vox cheetah in action 2.3 MB. I recorded this clip purely to demonstrate the different tones available from the Vox Cheetah - the biting treble from the treble boost, the smooth jazz tones of the bass boost, and the effects; repeater, blistering 60s fuzz, and even the E tuner! Incidently the bass in this clip is a Gibson RD artist bass