AGUS's VOX AC 15 Handwired for Revolver: Taxman

    I saw an article in a magazine showing Paul holding an Epiphone Casino with P90's. It said he played that on Taxman.


    I don't have any hollowbody P90's, but I do have a MusicMan with their own P90's called MM90.


    So I grabbed that and hunted for Vox sounds. I couldn't find any "Super Beatle" VOX's or one of their variants (someone? profile!!!)


    But I found: VOX AC 15 Handwired


    It's my favorite VOX profile. So well done I like it better than any other. I only had to add a little gain and there it was, the Solo and the Rhythm E. Gtr for Taxman. Just nails it.


    So, anyways, a big Thanks to: AGUS

    When I was telling a bandmate about my new Kemper, first thing he asked was "Does it have a Vox Super Beatle?"


    Heehee. Beatle freak.


    I've never heard one in person, but I think it's a safe guess that the tube Voxs' sound better than the Super did.

    There's been some talk about whether they are "better" or not. The VOX Super Beatle came in a number of differently named incarnations, all Solid State preamp and tube power amp.


    The Beatles are known to have used them on Revolver because there are photo's of them in the studio (VOX delivered them as the latest in SS technology)


    I've also read Jimmy Page saying he used them on the first 3 Zeppelin albums (to put it into perspective, he apparently had many amps and who knows where he used what, but more to the point, he's mentioned a dozed different amps use on those albums so who knows the truth)


    A person I know who had them said the reason they aren't as popular with him versus the AC15 or 30's was that fixing anything required unsoldering and re-soldering 2 dozen connections. It wasn't made to be repaired with ease.


    There is so much that goes into sounding good I have no doubt they can, and on Revolver they DO sound awesome in the studio. Don't know about Live...


    Getting one today would be nightmare of fixing old caps and resisters etc, I imagine.

    I had one one of the SS ones in the mid 60's cost an arm and a leg. I can't say I ever thought it was a great sounding amp, but fairly versatile. But it was allways my understanding the Beatles used the all Tube Beatle amps

    Quote from db9091

    The VOX Super Beatle came in a number of differently named incarnations, all Solid State preamp and tube power amp.

    It seems I found different infos from the Italian guru of amps, Vincenzo Tabacco.


    He says that around 1966 the increasing demand pushed Vox to start collaboration with the American brand Thomas Organ. They produced some hybrid amps for the Beatles (Model 4 for Paul and Model 7 for guitars) with the brand-new silicon BC109 and a 4xKT88 tube power section (200 W!). For the American tour tho, Thomas Organ pushed for the use of their brand-new Super Beatle, totally SS. They were so few reliable that in certain concerts they had 12 of each amp.


    HTH


    @ Don: are you maybe referring to the Top Boost circuit? If this is the case, it was actually an active tonestack as opposed to the Vox classical HiCut control.

    For reference:


    Beatles Gear, by Andy Babiuk


    p166: The Beatles use of the Vox AC 100 lead to the renaming of it as the Vox Super Beatle for the American Market
    p180: Vox created a new model 7120, 120-watt (the bass amp was 4120) using solid-state pre-amp with a valve output section, the Beatles receiving the first models made.
    Says it had a transistor vibrato unit and VOX worked up a fuzz for them built into the amp. Bringing back the circuit from America, the pre-amp circuit was put into a powerful valve output section and that was the start of the 7120 and 4120. So apparently the American tour had those circuits put into the Super Beatle, brought back to England and added to a more powerful output section to create the new amp. Says they were "short-lived" and not put into proper production."they had all the effects, like the American amps, but with a valve [tube] output. We gave the first ones to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones"
    P187-188 Vox Super Beatle Amp: The Beatles didn't bring the 7120 & 4120 to America. Similar to the AC-100, had four 12 Bulldog speakers, crossvers, 2 high-frequency horns. Cabinet was similar, but the head was unlike the AC-100. Solid state had different controls in America than the British one, with a wah-wah-like "MRB" (mid range boost) heard clearly at the end (later) on "Birthday", was eventually added to the British amps.
    The Super Beatle wa model V1124, but now there were 2 varieties, the V1142 and a "fuzz" V1141. The American however lacked the tonal "lustre" of the British ones. But in America it was still quite popular and very expensive going for about $1,225 then, or 440 British Pounds, around $6,650 today or 4,700 BP.


    Recording the Beatles by Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan


    This book doesn't get into specifics too much but does have a section on p431 metioning amps and amplifiers used during 1966:
    E. Gtrs:
    - Epiphone E230-TD, Casino (3 or them)
    - Fender Strat (2)
    - Gibson SG Standard
    - Vox custom guitar (no evidence of use)
    - Vox Guitar Organ, Series I (no evidence of use)
    - Guild Starfire XII (12-string)
    Amps:
    - Vox 7120
    - Fender Showman (1x15)
    - Fender Showman (2x15)
    - Fender Bassman head with cabinet (2x12), blonde


    So it was the 7120 on Taxman, not the Super Beatle which I was thinking of. The Super Beatle went through these variants between 1966-67: The V-14 head evolved into: V1114, V1142, and V1143, which is what I was thinking of initially.

    Quote from viabcroce


    @ Don: are you maybe referring to the Top Boost circuit? If this is the case, it was actually an active tonestack as opposed to the Vox classical HiCut control.


    no, I don't think so.
    someone on a fuzz website posted a schematic of that circuit and build a clone for himself.
    I'll try to find it again... ;)


    Quote from db9091


    p180: Vox created a new model 7120, 120-watt (the bass amp was 4120) using solid-state pre-amp with a valve output section, the Beatles receiving the first models made.
    Says it had a transistor vibrato unit and VOX worked up a fuzz for them built into the amp.


    ah, I missed that. great info, thanks!


    now, who has a working 7120??? :D

    Quote from viabcroce

    Interesting. According to Tabacco, the 7120 models were not Super Beatle, which apparently were newer models ?(


    Yes, apparently they toured in America with the AC100 and that was adapted into the Super Beatle, which parts were brought back to America to incorporate into the newly formed 7120 and the bass model. so they are each different from one another in ways.

    The right guitars are as important , if not more so than the amp....not to mention the mikes and desk.
    The casino is certainly well represented, but George could have been playing the 64 SG Std. Or the rosewood Tele
    Getting as close as possible to those gots is pretty important part of the equation.
    Then there was George Martin....custom made mics ,...

    What a different time...


    "The Beatles recorded 11 takes of (Taxman), the last of which was the only one to feature vocals, and which became the basis of the final version. Track one of the four-track tape featured guitar, bass and drums; Harrison added two lead vocal overdubs onto tracks two and three; and the fourth track had a lead guitar solo by Paul McCartney, tambourine by Ringo Starr, and backing vocals by McCartney and John Lennon.


    The following day a tape reduction mix was made to free up space on the tape, and more instruments and vocals were added."


    The Beatle's Bible