Jet Harris/ Vox Soundcaster Guitar

[anniv 63]

Just noticed on Jet/Tony tribute website a photo of Jet rehearsing with the Innocents group in1964
(around the time of Big Bad Bass)
Why Jet is using a Vox Soundcaster instead of his regular instrument a Fender Jaguar is to me puzzling.
Surely the Vox is a much cheaper budget instrument, I think about half the cost of Stratocaster at the time,
and probably not near the quality pickups of a Jaguar or even Gretsch, which give a thicker de tuned sound
required for Jet,s That Sound!!!!
Certainly around his comeback tour and NME Pollwinners Concert in spring 64 he was back on a Jaguar.
Anyone know if perhaps only a Vox guitar loan/ promotion for the picture or anything different?

Mike

[cockroach]

Is this the same photo to which you refer?

It's not a Soundcaster, but a similar Vox model..a Consort IIRC..

https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/n ... /825515476

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

I'd guess it was a spare guitar owned or borrowed by Jet and/or the Innocents, or a photography prop...Jet's Vox isn't plugged in to an amp, whereas the bass is plugged in with a lead..

[JimN]

The guitar played by Jet in that picture was a Vox Consort (the latest in a line of development for that model, with three V2 pickups, a Vox Hank B Marvin tremolo tailpiece and a more offset, Jaguar-style body shape than previous versions - and certainly different from the Soundcaster).

Jennings had presumably presented the instrument to Jet; he used it when making a short promo film for Big Bad Bass, syndicated around the ITV regions. Jennings also gave two identical sunburst Consorts to the guitarists in the Tony Meehan Combo and they were used in a TV promo appearance for Song of Mexico (Thank Your Lucky Stars, I think).

See:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQY7RI4GOs94HYJZ07T0QtKWvyou2plbsAYaY67LSE5Gr80rKYntA&s

and a previous discussion on the subject at:

http://www.shadowmusic.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12551&start=10

[anniv 63]

Thanks Jim and John for your replies, yes Consort not Soundcaster as I thought.
Yes I can remember seeing the Tony Meehan Combo on TYLS January 64 probably their
only TV promotion at the time. Dont remember the Consort guitars, but they would have
got some too.
Ah well wash day Monday, better see if my Anorak is dry yet!!!!

Mike

[mgeek]

I have a feeling that might have been a special baritone version they made a few prototypes of around this time

Surely the Vox is a much cheaper budget instrument, I think about half the cost of Stratocaster at the time,
and probably not near the quality pickups of a Jaguar or even Gretsch, which give a thicker de tuned sound
required for Jet,s That Sound!!!!

When Jennings were Fender's importers they just reverse engineered a strat pickup, and arguably improved their version by winding them slightly hotter. They are *very* good pickups. Even the metal covered ones used on their earlier models are good- basically a Burns Tri Sonic in a different cover. Cheaping out on pickup materials wasn't really a thing back then, and it's not like Fender were any better at wrapping some wire round some magnets than Vox were.

Whilst Vox's lower end guitars are arguably a bit crap, the high end stuff like the Consort, Soundcaster, Phantom etc were made to a much higher standard. Fenders were certainly better but largely only twice the price because they were made in America and therefore had duty and shipping added to their price. When imported in the other direction, the Vox Symphonic bass actually ended up costing more in the states than the Precision bass which it ripped off!

[dave robinson]

That guitar looks identical to the Vox Spitfire that I recently sold in the same colour sunburst.

[mgeek]

That guitar looks identical to the Vox Spitfire that I recently sold in the same colour sunburst.

Yep, the Vox Spitfire is basically the Italian made copy of the UK made Consort. Very different feel, materials, pickups, but basically the same spec and shape.

[cockroach]

The guitar played by Jet in that picture was a Vox Consort (the latest in a line of development for that model, with three V6 pickups, a Vox Hank B Marvin tremolo tailpiece and a more offset, Jaguar-style body shape than previous versions - and certainly different from the Soundcaster).

Jennings had presumably presented the instrument to Jet; he used it when making a short promo film for Big Bad Bass, syndicated around the ITV regions. Jennings also gave two identical sunburst Consorts to the guitarists in the Tony Meehan Combo and they were used in a TV promo appearance for Song of Mexico (Thank Your Lucky Stars, I think).

See:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQY7RI4GOs94HYJZ07T0QtKWvyou2plbsAYaY67LSE5Gr80rKYntA&s

and a previous discussion on the subject at:

http://www.shadowmusic.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12551&start=10

Gorblimey!

Perhaps it was a case of more freebie gear to those lucky guitar stars back then?!

What with nice new Vox amps and guitars and Fender guitars and basses being supplied by Jennings...they certainly didn't have to buy much, if any, of their own stuff at that time..lucky buggers!

[George Geddes]

Joe Moretti and John McLaughlin playing Vox Consorts... The mind boggles!

George

[JimN]

Joe Moretti and John McLaughlin playing Vox Consorts... The mind boggles!

George

Probably not on the record and Song Of Mexico was mimed on TYLS.

I'm fairly sure that the same model guitar - probably the same example - was used for the recordings of Scarlet O'Hara, Song Of Mexico and I'm Telling You Now by Freddy and The Dreamers.