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The Vox Stroller was an early British solid body guitar, available from 1961 until 1967 when Vox ceased guitar production in the UK. This example hails from mid-1967, and has to be one of the very last Strollers shipped. Generally, the Stroller was a pretty rudimentary model, with just a single pickup, one volume and tone control, and no tremolo. It was the entry-level model in the Vox solid body line, having an April 1967 UK price of £18 2s - Vox's lowest price electric. At the same time, the Ace was listed at £37 5s 6d, whilst the Phantom cost £85 4s.
But like any guitar model with a production period in years, the Stroller underwent continual design upgrades; this guitar, whilst keeping the basic one-pickup/no-trem specification, is significantly improved from the earliest examples. It has a much nice solid hardwood body, an improved chrome 'wedge' tailpiece, and, perhaps most importantly, takes a regular 1/4" jack, rather than the less effective (frankly ridiculous) coaxial output of earlier versions. Compare this guitar to an early version 1961 Stroller with Guyatone single cutaway body style.
So this is actually quite a nice guitar. The body is a nice slab of mahogany (around 27mm thick) - an improvement on the thinner (22mm) laminate body used in the early/mid sixties. This extra depth, combined with a thicker pickguard, and jack surround (each 3.3mm thick), is what allows for the regular 1/4" guitar jack. But despite the extra body width, this is still a pretty light guitar, weighing in at just 2.24kg.
The (most-likely G-plan) neck is quite basic though. Like most UK-produced Vox guitars, it is made from sycamore. It has a flat, one-piece, fretboard, again sycamore, but tinted to appear darker. No rosewood in sight. It still has no adjustable truss rod, which, even as long ago as 1967, was pretty poor really. Note the zero fret and double fret dots at 5th, 12th and 17th frets.
The new 'wedge' tailpiece offers no additional functionality over the original 'hump' design, however is a far better looking component. The new height adjustable rosewood bridge is an improvement, however; with no access to the truss rod, any ability to adjust string height is significant.
Body reverse with larger neckplate (50mm x 60mm). The neck is attached to the body via four 1 1/4" screws.
Without components it can be seen how easily this body could be fitted out as a Stroller, Clubman, Shadow, or Duotone, simply by adding a different scratchplate and bridge/tailpiece. The paint is thick red poly, but the mahogany body wood is clear to see in the neck pocket.
1967 Vox Stroller with 1965 Vox AC4 - check out the video clips below and in the supporting members area
The AC4 is a very small amp with a great tone - too quiet for accompanied performance, but great for home use and as a recording amp.
Subscribe to the vintageguitarandbass youtube channel for more vintage guitar and bass demos. Also, check out the other Vox Super Ace videos in the supporting members area.
Find out more about these instruments here: 1967 Vox Stroller, 1965 Vox AC4
A final year 1967 single pickup Vox Stroller played through a 1965 Vox AC4 amplifier.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
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