 Vox Stroller Guitar - 1963-1966
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The six string, single pickup electric guitar pictured at left was introduced by Vox in 1963 as the "Stroller." It was a student level instrument and the replacement for the original Vox Stroller guitar introduced a year earlier in the 1962 Vox "Choice of the Stars" print catalog. It was sold by Thomas Organ in America as the "V201 Vox Stroller" and by JMI in the rest of the world as the "Model 238 Vox Stroller." The Stroller made its final appearance in both US and UK catalogs in 1966.
Unlike the profile of the first generation Vox Stroller which resembled the Guyatone/Antoria or Vox LG-50 guitar, the mildly offset body shape of the second gen Stroller was doubtlessly influenced by Fender.
The second gen Stroller guitar featured one chrome plated Vox V-1 single coil pickup along with a tone and volume control.
The headstock of the second gen Stroller guitar was equipped with a "six on a side" individual tuner set with plastic buttons. The nineteen fret bolt-on neck included a 1⅝" wide slotted plastic nut with a zero fret. Rather than having an adjustable truss rod, the neck was reinforced with an embedded steel rod.
The floating bridge assembly included an adjustment for height.
The bodies and necks for the both the first and second generation Stroller guitars were initially fabricated for Vox by Stuart Darkins & Co, a furniture maker in Shoeburyness England. Sometime after 1963, body and neck fabrication was shifted to G-Plan of Hemel Hempstead, another UK based furniture maker. These parts were then shipped to JMI Vox facilities in either Dartford or Erith Kent for final assembly.
The second gen Stroller guitar first appeared in the 1963 Vox product catalog, seen below, where it was described, "A fine quality soild electric guitar for solo or rhythm featuring Vox high grade electric strings and pick-up. In red or white cellulose finish with polished natural Sycamore neck, separate tone and volume controls and an adjustable bridge." A reprint of this catalog is available from North Coast Music, just click on the catalog image.
Vox introduced a number of other guitar models based on the body and neck used for the Stroller. The 1963 Vox catalog offered the two pickup "Clubman," the two pickup "Shadow" with a vibrato arm plus the three pickup "Dominator" with a vibrato arm.
A fiberboard hard shell case was available.
The price list that accompanied the UK 1964-65 Vox catalog indicated that the Stroller guitar retailed for about 17 pounds, or roughly $50 USD. Adjusting this 1965 price for inflation, the Stroller would retail today or about $350.
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