The history of Vox guitar amps dates back to the middle of the twentieth century when Tom Jennings and Dick Denney crossed paths, an accordianist and guitarist respectively. Jennings started “Jennings Musical Instruments,” which eventually morphed into Vox. The first product the company released under the Vox name was a volume pedal, with guitar amplifiers soon to follow based on designs from Dick Denney and Derek Underdown.
It’s safe to say that the 60’s guitar sound was defined in part by Vox (as well as Fender). The characteristic Vox chime and complex clean sounds helped make Vox one of the “Big 3” in classic guitar amplification (along with Marshall and Fender). The Vox AC15 and AC30 were used by a veritable who’s who in 60’s Rock and Roll, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks.
While the company has grown tremendously and added a wide range of gear such as effects and modeling amps, they are still primarily known for their characteristic sounds achieved through tube amplification. Different incarnations of the AC30 are still in production, and Vox amps are used by everyone from Brian May of Queen to the Edge of U2.