Vox Stroller main page | 1961 Vox Stroller | 1963 Vox Stroller | 1967 Vox Stroller
The Vox Stroller was produced from around 1961 until the mid-1960s, at least 1966. The example shown here is one of the very earliest Strollers produced. It was available in red or white nitrocellulose finish. Dating is very difficult as there are no datable markings, however physical features suggest this to be very early, probably 1961 or 1962, and certainly no later than very early 1963.
Vintage Japanese guitars are well known for being copies of guitars produced in the rest of the world, however the earliest versions of the Vox Stroller were actually copies of Japanese guitars. The Guyatone LG-50 (also produced under the Antoria brand), was well known in the UK in the late 1950s, being used by the likes of Hank Marvin of the Shadows and Rory Storm.
So what features suggest this guitar to be older than the very similar 1963 Vox Stroller also shown on this site? Firstly, and most obviously there is no serial number. These are usually stamped on the reverse of the guitar headstock, near the tuning keys. It seems that the very earliest Vox guitars may have had no serial numbers. On the other hand, Vox produced a self-assembled version of the Stroller at this time, called the Pacific kit. It may be that Pacific Stroller had no serial numbers, and this is one of those. Secondly, and probably more importantly, is the pickup. Although it looks the same as the Vox V1 pickup, and is functionally much the same, it is made to different dimensions, being wider and ever so slightly longer. What's more, these pickups are made to imperial rather than metric dimensions, and never feature a Vox logo on the pickup cover. Lastly, the screws throughout this guitar are all slot head design; pickguard, pickups, tuning keys; there are no exceptions. The 1963 Vox Stroller uses cross-head screws throughout, again without exception.
This example has no headstock decal, which presumably has been lost over the last half century, although may never have been present - another feature of the Pacific?
This incarnation of the Vox Stroller was only produced for a short time, with the only catalogue appearance being the 1962 Vox catalogue
Fine quality solo rhythm solid electric guitar, high grade Vox electric strings and pick-up. Red or white cellulose finish, polished neck, separate tone and volume controls.
The is a very simple guitar indeed, with a thin, lightweight laminate wood body with only the most basic of routing; the route has rounder edges than the squarer route of the later Stroller, but is broadly similar, capable of holding one or two pickups, and therefore suitable to be the body of a Vox Stroller or a Vox Shadow. The simple electronics are also much the same, with a coaxial output jack (in this example changed to a regular guitar jack).
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