There are a number of newer amp companies out there that, while great, simply don’t have a history behind them. Sometimes this doesn’t matter, and sometimes it does. However, Vox Amps is not one of those. The company has a long and rich history of designing amps. It all began way back in 1917 when Thomas Walter Jennings was born. Jennings would later go on to co-found Vox Amps along with Dick Denney, whom he met in 1941. Both Jennings and Denney were amateur musicians, but they both also had an interest in electronics and in amps.
In 1944, Jennings opened up a second hand instrument store. While he mostly sold and traded accordions, he did deal in other instruments. His company flourished during the 40s, and at one point, he even created an electronic keyboard style instrument that he named the Univox. This unique instrument sold fairly well, and it helped Jennings fund The Jennings Organ Company.
While Jennings was doing well, during the 1950s, Denney was dealing with illness. While recovering, he started to experiment with amps, and he built his own 15 watt amp. It sounded great, and he built several of them. In 1956, a friend took one of Denney’s amps to Jennings’ store, and the two soon reunited. The next year, the first Vox guitar amplifier, the AC2/30, hit the market. Soon, the company was producing a number of different amps, and through the 50s and 60s, several bands began using Vox products.
In 1961, Vox products its first guitar. However, Jennings wasn’t happy with its look, and so Vox partnered with Italian guitar designer EKO to create some very different looking and poplar instruments, including the Vox Phantom. They continued to produce many new amps and guitars during the 60s and 70s, with many of them becoming very popular. However, towards the end of the 70s, the Vox line began to decline due to changes in ownership.
Vox was revived in 1980, and it once again began producing very popular amps and guitars. The company rebuilt itself, and by the late 1990s, it was once again very successful. In the 2000s, Vox began a relationship with Brian May, and the two created a number of amps together. They also began supplying a number of new bands, including Train and Primus, with amps and guitars. Today, Vox has reached a new level of popularity, and groups such as Fall Out Boy and Sparta often use their products. In 2007, they celebrated their 50th anniversary.
Both Jennings and Denney were amateur musicians, but they both also had an interest in electronics and in amps.
