The Vox Continental, defining sound of my generation:

**Trailer Park Casanova** · September 22nd, 2009, 06:50 AM

**sumitomo** · September 22nd, 2009, 11:30 AM

All by itself it has that errie Halloween sound.Sumi

**bigG** · September 22nd, 2009, 01:21 PM

Man, next to a Hammond B3 w Leslie, the Vox Continental was THE organ to have back then!

The very first band I was in (1964) was a four-piece: guitar, bass, organ (+ guitar) and drums. Our organ/rhythm guitar player initially had the infamous FARFISA (!) organ thru an Ampeg amp (also played a Gibson Firebird on some songs). Within months he graduated to a Vox Continental and a Vox Royal Guardsman amp.

I, as the bass player, was using, as my first rig: a Framus bass (Hofner knock-off) and a Standell 60w 2x12 amp. Soon graduated to a Gibson SG bass and Vox Bristol amp! (Ultimately ended up w my ultimate set-up: Ric bass and two Super Beatles used w Y-cords, as well as a Gibson 335 and SG for rhythm work. Used two home-made cabs w the Beatle heads (200w each), for bass work, built to exacting specs, each w 2 12" - JBL D140Fs (if memory serves), covered in OEM Vox grille cloth. I didn't care for ANY of the "stock" manufacturer's bass cabs back then, and those JBL D140Fs were THE best bass speaker made at the time.

I'll stop myself now, or I'll go on forever...

Great memories, TPC!

**Kazz** · September 22nd, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by bigG

Man, next to a Hammond B3 w Leslie, the Vox Continental was THE organ to have back then!

The very first band I was in (1964) was a four-piece: guitar, bass, organ (+ guitar) and drums. Our organ/rhythm guitar player initially had the infamous FARFISA (!) organ thru an Ampeg amp (also played a Gibson Firebird on some songs). Within months he graduated to a Vox Continental and a Vox Royal Guardsman amp.

I, as the bass player, was using, as my first rig: a Framus bass (Hofner knock-off) and a Standell 60w 2x12 amp. Soon graduated to a Gibson SG bass and Vox Bristol amp! (Ultimately ended up w my ultimate set-up: Ric bass and two Super Beatles used w Y-cords, as well as a Gibson 335 and SG for rhythm work. Used two home-made cabs w the Beatle heads (200w each), for bass work, built to exacting specs, each w 2 12" - JBL D140Fs (if memory serves), covered in OEM Vox grille cloth. I didn't care for ANY of the "stock" manufacturer's bass cabs back then, and those JBL D140Fs were THE best bass speaker made at the time.

I'll stop myself now, or I'll go on forever...

Great memories, TPC!

Ha....I wasnt even thought of yet in 64

:

**bigG** · September 22nd, 2009, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by Kazz

Ha....I wasnt even thought of yet in 64

:

Kazz, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing...but it's definitely a thing!

:

**Trailer Park Casanova** · September 22nd, 2009, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by bigG

Man, next to a Hammond B3 w Leslie, the Vox Continental was THE organ to have back then!

The very first band I was in (1964) was a four-piece: guitar, bass, organ (+ guitar) and drums. Our organ/rhythm guitar player initially had the infamous FARFISA (!) organ thru an Ampeg amp (also played a Gibson Firebird on some songs). Within months he graduated to a Vox Continental and a Vox Royal Guardsman amp.

I, as the bass player, was using, as my first rig: a Framus bass (Hofner knock-off) and a Standell 60w 2x12 amp. Soon graduated to a Gibson SG bass and Vox Bristol amp! (Ultimately ended up w my ultimate set-up: Ric bass and two Super Beatles used w Y-cords, as well as a Gibson 335 and SG for rhythm work. Used two home-made cabs w the Beatle heads (200w each), for bass work, built to exacting specs, each w 2 12" - JBL D140Fs (if memory serves), covered in OEM Vox grille cloth. I didn't care for ANY of the "stock" manufacturer's bass cabs back then, and those JBL D140Fs were THE best bass speaker made at the time.

I'll stop myself now, or I'll go on forever...

Great memories, TPC!

Thanks, I figured at least one person would dig it.

Encore:

And then of course:

**Trailer Park Casanova** · September 22nd, 2009, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by bigG

Kazz, not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing...but it's definitely a thing!

:

So why did the Continental go outta favor and production?
To me they are a stand-out sound all it's own.

Did something more popular come along?

What happened?

**wingsdad** · September 22nd, 2009, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Trailer Park Casanova

So why did the Continental go outta favor and production?
To me they are a stand-out sound all it's own.

Did something more popular come along?

What happened?

Besides the emergence of synthesizers (Moog, etc.), quality went in the toilet as Vox changed ownership. It's all in the wikipedia entry you posted a link to in this thread:
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=12973
But I remember them well, and the 'infamous Farfisa', from my hs-year band days. Between those 2, or a Fender Rhodes or Wurli piano, there were really no other practical portable keyboards for kids' bands. You needed buddies from the football team to be your roadies and an Econoline van if you wanted an actual B3...

**Trailer Park Casanova** · September 23rd, 2009, 05:21 AM

I found an interview were Manzarek said the later versions of the Continentals had keys that stuck.

Also found a place that sell restoration parts.
I'm sniffing around for an early model to restore.

**Brian Krashpad** · September 24th, 2009, 08:14 AM

This only reminds me I gotta get a Farfisa I blowed up fixed. It's a shame for it to sit out in the garage at Casa Krashpad. Heavy mofo though.

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