The first thin-edge boxes (January to November 1964)
Paul McCartney's AC80/100 on stage in Australia, June 1964. Vox consigned the amp to Paul in late 1963, in time for the Christmas Shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria. Note the thin-ness of the wooden sides of the box.
The very first boxes were a fraction less wide - around 1/4" - than later thin-edged boxes. Tolerances for slipping the chassis in and out were tight.
Covers for AC80/100s and AC100s can be seen on this page. An overview of Vox covers in general in 1964 is given here.
Serial number 173. Still no screw on the top edge of the back board. The dimensions of the box are a fraction larger than that of no. 117 - 19" x 11.5" x 7.25". The back panel machine screws screw into aluminium blind rivet nuts.
Some thin-edge boxes have six back panel screws (ie. one now on the top edge of the panel). Above, serial numbers 177 and 178. For more pictures, see this page.
The first thick-edge boxes (by late November 1964)
20th November 1964: Gene Vincent on stage with "The Londoners" at the Empire Pool, Wembley. Note the thick-edged AC80/100 (no corner protectors) and SDL cab, the thin-edged AC80/100 on the drum riser, the early AC50 large-box trolley with a "basket-top" rather than parallel bars, and the Rickenbacker 325 belonging to the guitarist far right(a thing known for some time to Rickenbacker afficiandos).
Rehearsals for the Beatles Christmas shows, December 1964. At left, Paul's first AC80/100, right one of the new amps in a thick-edged box. Note the absence of corner protectors.
Serial number 225 - a demonstration amp. No corner protectors. In the second image one can see the single centrally placed cage nut for the screw on the top edge of the back.
Serial no. 221. Six back panel screws. Note the corner protectors, lacking on the thin-edge boxes.
Serial number 392, complete with original cover, its logo off-centre. The back panel machine screws are 2BA, brass, raised countersunk, 1 1/4" long. The screw for top centre is no. 8 brass wood screw, 3/4" long. The box still has blind rivet nuts for the machine screws (rather than T-nuts, which were used later). Three of the four screws for attaching the chassis to the box (via its underside) remain: 2BA, brass, raised countersunk, 2" long.
Two fixing points on the top edge of the back panel
Boxes with a single central fixing point on the top edge of the back panel carry through to the end of the cathode bias period. Two fixings points come in with the fixed bias amps - in other words, the drop-edge of the chassis was punched or drilled differently. Two fixing points continued to be the norm until the end of production.
A very early fixed bias amp. The box may not belong to the chassis, but the back panel certainly does.
Stencilled "G-R" inside - serial numbers in the 700s
"G-R" stands for Gla-Rev., the company established by the flamboyant Henry Glass and Mr Revel.
Box that accompanied serial number 323, but not original to it. The machine screws for the back panel now screw into T-nuts behind the runners. Behind the T-nuts are strips of leather. One can be seen near the "G-R" stencil, flapping slightly loose. The internal screws securing the baffle are daubed with red paint to indicate they have been checked.
Later GlaRev boxes
to be continued......