Vox Marauder

Twin single coil pickup, solid body guitar with strat-style neck and what looks like a crude vibrato bridge but no arm is fitted on the example I have. Body is like a squared telecaster, quite thick and finished in black lacquer, neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard and medium frets ( very worn around the A blues scale on this example ). I believe it was made in Italy for VOX in the '60's.

Sound is quite remarkable for a cheapo guitar - 2 pickups together gives a rich, strat type chime, a bit like the neck and middle out of phase setting on a strat but with more bite and twang. the individual settings are less interesting but certainly useable. Used with a Marshall 20 watt valve combo, the twin pickup sound is amazingly addictive.

The guitar is a bit battered after 40 years or so, I picked it up for virtually nothing at a car boot ( auto trunk ) sale but am now actively looking for another one or two examples to make into a really good one. The only net info I have found so far is a company in London called Bartolini who are advertising a Marauder neck for sale - I might be tempted !. Action is fine after fitting a new set of 10's, a few buzzes but the frets are very worn.

40+ years and still an impressive sound.

A great find, simple great sounding guitar.