| Vox Continental | |
|---|---|
 A single-manual Vox Continental | |
| Manufacturer | Vox |
| Dates | 1962–1971, 2017 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Polyphony | Full |
| Synthesis type | Electronic |
| Effects | Vibrato (single speed) |
| Input/output | |
| Keyboard | 49 keys (reverse colour) |
TheVox Continental is a transistorisedcombo organ that was manufactured between 1962 and 1971 by the British musical equipment manufacturerVox. It was designed fortouring musicians and as an alternative to the heavyHammond organ. It supportsdrawbars in a similar manner to the Hammond, and has distinctive reverse-coloured keys. The sound is generated by a series ofoscillators, using afrequency divider to span multiple octaves.
The first Continentals were produced at Vox's manufacturing plant inDartford, England; after arranging a deal with theThomas Organ Company, later models were produced in the US and Italy. The most popular model was the single-manual Continental, but other models were produced, such as the budget Vox Jaguar, various dual-manual organs, and the experimental Guitar Organ and Voxmobile, based on the Vox Continental's internals.
The Continental became a popular instrument in the 1960s and 1970s, especially withgarage and laternew wave bands, and was used bythe Beatles,the Animals,the Doors,Iron Butterfly,Elvis Costello, andMadness. After being phased out of production in the early 1970s, the instrument remained a sought-after combo organ by enthusiasts. Japanese manufacturerKorg bought the Vox name, producing a new version of the Vox Continental in 2017, and various modern stage keyboards include an emulation of the organ.
The Continental had two basic designs, each with its own variations. They were the single-manual Continental, and the dual-manual model called the Vox Continental II in England and the Vox Super Continental in Italy.[1] Each manual features 49 reverse-coloured keys (blacknaturals and whitesharps) as on aharpsichord.[2] The organ comes with a chrome Z-shaped bolt-on leg stand assembly.[3] The top of the organ is furnished with an orangeRexine cover.[4]
The Vox Continental uses six slider-type, metered volume controls calleddrawbars instead of the stop-tab rocker switches seen on other combo organs. Two of the drawbars on the righthand side control the voices (flute and reed tones), while the four on the left control thefootages (corresponding to ranks of pipes on apipe organ). The stock Continental has 16', 8' and 4' drawbars, with a fourth one labelled "IV" containing a mixture of higher pitches.[5] There is a single-speed, single-intensityvibrato whose rate can only be adjusted by removing the lid of the instrument and adjusting a potentiometer[a]. The Continental has no other internal effects.[7] Abass pedalboard was available as an optional extra.[8]
Dual-manual models also have a 5 1/3' drawbar on the upper manual, an octave of bass keys and a string bass feature. Later models also supported a percussion feature similar to that on a Hammond.[9]
The organ's sound comes from twelve oscillators, one for each note in thechromatic scale along the top octave of the instrument.[4] The signal from each of these is fed into afrequency divider circuit that allows the frequency to be halved, in order to produce the sound an octave lower. This is then halved again for the subsequent octave, and so on down the rest of the instrument's range, except for the lowest note,C, which has a dedicated generator.[10] Each key is connected to four contacts connected toground; when a key is pressed, it makes a connection to thebus bar which sends a signal to the drawbars to produce a sound.[11]
The first Continentals were manufactured with wooden keys covered with plastic key caps. Musicians complained this gave it an unpleasant playing action.[12] Later models switched to using plastic keys connected to metal shafts.[13]
The Vox Continental was first manufactured by theJennings Musical Instruments factory inDartford, Kent, in 1962. Most of the components for the organ were subcontracted to other companies, with Jennings working on the final assembly. The original cabinets were constructed by Heathpoint Timer inRayleigh, Essex, while some of the electrics were made by Kimber-Allen inSwanley, Kent.[14] Jennings sold part of the company to the Royston Group in 1963.[15] Production later moved to Vox Sound inErith, Kent.[16] The dual-manual Continental II was introduced in 1965.[9] That same year, the single-manual model sold for $995 ($9,900 in 2024).[8]
The Vox Jaguar was introduced as a budget version of the Continental the following year, retailing at $495 ($4,800 in 2024), which used rocker tabs instead of drawbars. Onlyfundamental frequencies could be produced on the Jaguar, as it lacked the circuitry to generate additional harmonics like the Continental. The tabs allowed a choice of "flute", "bright", "brass" and "mellow", a "bass chords" option and the vibrato as found on the Continental. The bottom octave could be switched to a monophonic sub-octave bass generator, which was routed to a separate audio jack. Though the Jaguar superficially resembled the Continental, the sound was significantly different. However it was still popular, particularly in the US. The Jaguar was also sold in DIY kit form, allowing musicians to save money by finishing certain aspects of the assembly on their own.[4][17]
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The Continental quickly became popular, as it was advertised as part of theBritish Invasion of the mid-1960s, particularly after being endorsed bythe Beatles.[18] In order to increase supply, a licensing deal was signed between Jennings and theThomas Organ Company in the US in 1966.[13] Later that year, production for the US market was moved to EME in Italy for economic reasons; Thomas held a 30% stake in the EME factory, with Jennings and Royston holding 22%.[19] The Italian Continentals used cheaper plastic keys glued to metal shafts, that were easier to break.[20] There were also some minor cosmetic differences compared to older models, including a different vinyl covering, colours on the drawbar tips and construction of the stand.[3] By 1969, the price of the Continental had dropped to $599 ($8,500 as of 2024).[8]
In 1966, Vox produced the Guitar Organ, which put the internals of a Vox Continental in aVox Phantom guitar body, and used a series of contacts along the frets so that a note would sound when a string was depressed onto a fret.John Lennon was given a sample instrument in the hope he would promote it, but it was never recorded and the instrument never entered full production.[21]
In 1967, Thomas manufactured the Voxmobile as a promotional instrument, designed by custom car designerGeorge Barris. It combined a dual-manual Vox Continental with two oversized Vox basses, which were mounted onto a 289ciFord Cobra engine.[22] The Continental Baroque was introduced in 1968, which combined the usual Continental manual with a multi-timbral one similar to that on other Thomas organs, and included a built-in amplifier. It sold for $1,598 ($14,400 as of 2024), significantly more than the Super Continental.[23] The additional sounds included banjo, harpsichord andceleste.[24] It was considered unreliable and expensive, and did not sell well.[23]
Jennings struggled to retain control of Vox, and chief designer Dick Denney was fired on 19 September 1967, with employees loyal to him leaving shortly afterwards. Royston filed for bankruptcy two years later.[15] The company was bought by Corinthian Securities, who attempted to reintroduce a range of Vox Continentals, with the price of the Super Continental reduced from $999 ($7,800 as of 2024) to $265 ($2,100 as of 2024). By then, groups were preferring to use aHammond organ andLeslie speaker instead of a Vox. Most of the remaining assets were sold at a liquidation sale in 1971.[22]
There are no definitive figures for how many Vox Continentals were manufactured. However, estimates based on serial numbers indicate 9,100 single-manual organs were manufactured. Around 4,100 of these come from the UK, followed by 4,000 from Italy and 1,000 in the US.[3]
The Vox name was later sold toRose Morris, who in turn sold it toKorg in 1992. Since then new products carrying the trademark Vox have been primarily for the guitar player, and the Korg trademark appears on most keyboards.[25] In September 2017, Korg released a workstation-style keyboard named in honour of the Vox Continental and highlighting the particular Continental organ sound, competing with contemporary keyboards such as theNord Electro.[26][27] The original Vox Continental is still used by collectors of vintage instruments.[20]
The Vox Continental used relatively unstablegermanium transistors in its oscillators, which can occasionally drift in pitch and required to be re-tuned.[11] The wooden keys on earlier models are more durable than later plastic ones. The organ is connected to the mains via a round three pin Bulgin connector, which was standard for the time but is no longer in general use because it does not meet modern safety standards. Some technicians have retrofitted the power supply on a Continental to take a standardIEC 60320 C14 "kettle plug" lead. The later US and Italian Continentals have a hinged lid, which allows servicing without having to dismantle the instrument.[22]
Because the Continental was designed to be played in concert and used in touring, there are relatively few of them in good condition unless they have been repaired. Several surviving models are missing the original case carrying the stand and volume pedal.[28]
Several modern keyboards feature emulation of the Vox Continental, including theNord Stage andNord C Series,[29] and the Hammond SK series.[30] There are also some software emulations of the instrument, including theArturia Vox Continental V, aVirtual Studio Technology plugin that uses modelling to accurately recreate the electronics of the original.[31]
The instrument was commonly heard in 1960s rock music, and played by the Beatles' John Lennon,the Dave Clark Five'sMike Smith andthe Animals'Alan Price.[32] Lennon played the Continental onRubber Soul's "Think for Yourself",[33] and regularly used it on "I'm Down" as a live set closer, such as their 1965 concert atShea Stadium. In 2008, this model was sold at auction for $182,500.[34] Price used it prominently on the Animals' hit arrangement of "The House of the Rising Sun".[35]The Doors'Ray Manzarek played a Vox in combination with aRhodesPiano Bass early in the group's career, including "Light My Fire".[36]Paul Revere Dick ofPaul Revere & the Raiders switched from aFarfisa organ to a Vox, and became endorsed by the company.[37]John Cale used the organ with distortion onthe Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray".[38] Other hit singles released in the 1960s and featuring the Vox Continental includethe Monkees' "I'm a Believer",Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl",[39]? and the Mysterians' "96 Tears"[40] andIron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".[41]Augie Meyers' use of the instrument drove theSir Douglas Quintet's instantly distinguishable sound.[42]
TheGrateful Dead'sPigpen switched from the Farfisa to the Continental, before moving on to a Hammond.[43]Tom Constanten also played a Vox Continental during his tenure in the Dead, but did not like playing it and switched to a Hammond as well.[44]Yes'Tony Kaye played a Vox Continental when the group formed in 1968, and disguised it in a Hammond organ style casing on stage, before upgrading to a real one six months later.[45]
The Vox Continental was revived during thepunk andnew wave movements in the late 1970s. It was used bySteve Nieve, keyboard player forElvis Costello & the Attractions, particularly in the early years up toThis Year's Model.[46] It was also used by several2-Tone groups, includingthe Specials'Jerry Dammers andMadness'Mike Barson.[47][48]Benmont Tench ofTom Petty and the Heartbreakers has also frequently used a Vox Continental, and sometimes prefers its "drier, thinner, more cutting sound". On "Don't Do Me Like That", he played one through a Leslie speaker.[5]
In the 21st century, the organistRhys Webb, of the UK bandthe Horrors can be seen using the Continental.[48]
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