Vox Wyman Bass Model Electric Bass Guitar, c. 1966, made in Italy, sunburst finish, laminated maple body, laminated maple neck, original grey hard shell case.
The only signature instrument from Vox, and one of the most visually distinctive bass guitars of the 1960s. The Wyman bass was designed in 1965 using elements of the Vox "Phantom Mark III" teardrop design -- later called just the "Mark" series -- and features from Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's preferred Framus hollow body basses. His bandmate Brian Jones had been using the prototype solid teardrop guitar for much of 1964-5, and Vox was eager to secure another Stone as an endorser.
The body is fully hollow, with an arched top and a single distinctively shaped curved sound hole. The laminated maple short-scale neck is very narrow, which was Wyman's preference. Like most production Vox instruments after 1964, this was built in the Eko factory in Recanti, Italy. The electronics feature two standard single-coil Vox bass pickups along with a tone, volume, and 3-way select circuit mounted on a metal plate.
This is a very light, easy-playing bass with a surprisingly punchy and well-defined tone...definitely one of the better Vox designs. Wyman himself used his prototype for several years in the mid-late 1960s before moving on to Fender and Dan Armstrong basses.
Overall length is 43 in. (109.2 cm.), 13 in. (33 cm.) width, and 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 29 1/2 in. (749 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/8 in. (35 mm.).
Very nice original condition. Missing the stamped metal bridge cover and metal pickguard. No neck splits (which are very common on these laminated neck Italian Vox models). Some typical heavy finish checking and one small top crack between the neck and bass pickup; overall very clean with little wear. A very good, playable example. Includes the original Vox oblong grey tolex case, with the fragile plastic handle still intact. Generally Excellent Condition.
