From Italy, with love

[Chris Pile]

Odd vintage bird crossed my bench today... a 1959 Vox bass w/ treble boost, distortion, and G tuner. Check the quarter note shaped F-holes, no binding, and the very curled up plastic pickguard. Pots and switches need cleaning, and a truss rod adjustment. It's in great shape, only missing the belly pad on the back of the body.

 

[mst]

Re: From Italy, with love

wow! really from another era!! tell me bro, how's ths sound?

is that an expensive instrument?

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: From Italy, with love

Finally finished it. Believe it or not, it sounds like a P-bass. The distortion sounds like a Big Muff, and the treble boost sounds clankier than a Rickenbacker with new roundwounds.

I don't know how much they are going for, but the new owner loves it.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: From Italy, with love

Not to throw a negative out there, but those Voxs have such homely headstocks.. 59? Wow! If that was a Les Paul, you would be holding a gold mine..

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: From Italy, with love

That headstock shape was typical for all early Vox guitars and basses. When you've grown up with guitars from that era (like I did), you don't even think twice about the quirky defining features...no more than you do about a Fender or Gibson design. It just IS.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: From Italy, with love

Very cool guitar.

What's the switch above the neck pup?

 

[Aceman]

Re: From Italy, with love

Wow - that is really cool!

You need to dual post in basement for the low end dealers.

 

[RorySquier]

Re: From Italy, with love

Now that is one funky looking bass guitar...very retro & rad.



;>)/

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: From Italy, with love

love the old Vox guitars..
I saw my first with Brian Jones playing a Pear shaped vox.. I thought it was sooooo cool...

nice...

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: From Italy, with love

That would be circa 1969, not '59...methinks.

I remember playing one of those guitars in a store back then...it even had the Repeat Percussion and a built-in wah!

It was...GROOVY!

VOX...It's What's Happening!

Bill

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: From Italy, with love

That would be circa 1969, not '59...methinks.

Incorrect. Quick check of the vintage Vox websites will set you straight.

 

[DankStar]

Re: From Italy, with love

How much jazz cabbage was stuffed in the F hole?

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: From Italy, with love

Incorrect. Quick check of the vintage Vox websites will set you straight.

Don't mean to offend, but I found this:

http://www.voxshowroom.com/us/guitar/astro.html

From the VOX Showroom website, it would appear to be a V273 Astro IV bass, produced from 1967 to 1969.

My late friend Dan G. owned an Astro IV exactly like this one, along with a few other vintage VOX and Hofner basses.

Bill

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: From Italy, with love

I think you're right after all.... I was sure the client said '59, and when I did my research - I saw '59 because that's what I was looking for. So..... 59 or 69, it looked beautiful and sounded great!

 

[Diego]

Re: From Italy, with love

That thing just looks amazing, odd and quirky and awesome. I'd rock the **** out of it!