JEI's rotating line source speakers, in company with its PA amps, are likely to have been "carried over" by Tom Jennings from JMI. The PA amps, in exactly the same form as Tom produced them from late 1968, were exhibited by JMI with VOX logos at the Russell Hotel Trade Fair of late August 1967.

That JMI did not have time to put the PA amps and speaker columns into production was probably a result of the financial difficulties that arose in December '67. The company was propelled into receivership (controlled bankruptcy) and struggled manfully for around six months before throwing in the towel, ceasing trading at the end of April 1968.

"Vox Sound Equipment Limited", the company that took up the VOX name in ths summer of 1968 evidently had no use for the amps or the speaker. so presumably was happy enough for Tom to market to produce and market them. Whether Tom or Dick Denney were felt to have the "rights" to the designs is not known.

In the shot below, taken at the Russell Hotel Trade Fair, late August 1968, Dick Denney demonstrating an effects-laden Framus guitar. At left a R.L.S. 5 rotating column, and at right one of the new JEI PA amplifiers.

Dick Denney at the "Associated Musical Instrument Industries" Fair in London in August 1968.

Below, the earliest firmly dated reference to the RT.10 - an advert for the coming Jennings display at the Frankfurt Fair, February 1969. Although neither of the columns was included in the "Jennings Scene" brochure produced for the Frankfurt show, they can be seen in published photos of the Jennings stand.

Detail of a full-page Jennings ad showing the RT.10 published in the music trade press in advance of the Frankfurt Fair, February 1969.

During the course of 1968, Tom pushed promotion of the R.L.S.5 and RT.10 rotating columns forward, displaying both at the Russell Hotel Fair of late August, illustrations and descriptions provided in the catalogue printed to accompany the show (at the head of this page).

A great ad for the R.L.S.5, RT.10, and J.100 combo placed in the music press, July 1969.

Below, Gary Hurst's notes on the Jennings stand at the Russell Hotel published in "Beat Instrumental" magazine (October, '69).

Extract from the report of the Russell Hotel Trade Fair of late August 1969.

Quite how many rotating columns were sold by Jennings is unknown, but they certainly had some appeal, as both are still listed in July 1972 (mentioned in a "Beat Instrumental" article on "Amplifiers"). However, by December they had gone, no listing given in the JEI pricelist of that month - available here.