Post by Tony Ravenscroft on Dec 28, 2023 13:33:12 GMT -6
The very first bass I ever touched was a Vox Panther, back in 1974. I could have bought it for $75. Bright red, short scale, and missing the key on the E tuner.
A few years later, 1977, my buddy and I were bored in college so tried to put a band together. We found a drummer, but until a proper bassist appeared we needed a bass. Went to B Sharp Music and bought a decent-enough used bass for $100. And, sure enough, a red Panther with missing key on the E tuner. This one, though, had the original "ironing board" case (albeit with broken-off plastic handle). I still own it.
Over the years, I've tried various Vox instruments, and nothing really stood out. This little beast, though, is unique. For starters, it has absolutely the narrowest neck imaginable -- 1-3/8" wide, 1-1/16" center-to-center.
To the best of my understanding: Early versions had a one-piece neck. Then they were made by EKO, marked "Made in Italy," and featured a sweet five-piece neck, three maple slats separated by thin strips of dark wood. Somewhere along the line, they were marked as made by Vox, in Italy, and retained the striped neck.
Though pushed out as a beginner instrument, there's gratuitous quality in the details. That nice neck has a single-bound fretboard. The two knobs are nicely machined, and there's a black rubber ring to provide grip. The pickguard is engraved to display the names of both the company and the model. MSRP was $129.90 (so a bit south of $1K in 2023 cash).
BIGGEST DOWNER: The 3-ply pickguard tends to shrink and spontaneously buckle, likely because of the white layers being celluloid. When I got mine, the two furthest corners had already broken from the screws. You'll often see a Panther on the market with extra holes drilled to pin the guard down.
Over the years, I've seen them in red, black, and burst, so now I enjoy seeing one in a nicely aging white. I feature it here because it also has the original tailpiece cover (of which I've seen a few different versions). They're asking $900, which is not terrible considering you're getting an irreplaceable and never-cloned bass AND that OEM case.
A few years later, 1977, my buddy and I were bored in college so tried to put a band together. We found a drummer, but until a proper bassist appeared we needed a bass. Went to B Sharp Music and bought a decent-enough used bass for $100. And, sure enough, a red Panther with missing key on the E tuner. This one, though, had the original "ironing board" case (albeit with broken-off plastic handle). I still own it.
Over the years, I've tried various Vox instruments, and nothing really stood out. This little beast, though, is unique. For starters, it has absolutely the narrowest neck imaginable -- 1-3/8" wide, 1-1/16" center-to-center.
To the best of my understanding: Early versions had a one-piece neck. Then they were made by EKO, marked "Made in Italy," and featured a sweet five-piece neck, three maple slats separated by thin strips of dark wood. Somewhere along the line, they were marked as made by Vox, in Italy, and retained the striped neck.
Though pushed out as a beginner instrument, there's gratuitous quality in the details. That nice neck has a single-bound fretboard. The two knobs are nicely machined, and there's a black rubber ring to provide grip. The pickguard is engraved to display the names of both the company and the model. MSRP was $129.90 (so a bit south of $1K in 2023 cash).
BIGGEST DOWNER: The 3-ply pickguard tends to shrink and spontaneously buckle, likely because of the white layers being celluloid. When I got mine, the two furthest corners had already broken from the screws. You'll often see a Panther on the market with extra holes drilled to pin the guard down.
Over the years, I've seen them in red, black, and burst, so now I enjoy seeing one in a nicely aging white. I feature it here because it also has the original tailpiece cover (of which I've seen a few different versions). They're asking $900, which is not terrible considering you're getting an irreplaceable and never-cloned bass AND that OEM case.