In contrast to the classy, conventional look of Vox amps, with their diamond-stitched grille cloths, Vox guitars were among the most moedernistic instruments of the early 1960s, and they fit the musical attitude of the era perfectly.

The angular polygonal body of the Phantom series made it difficult, if not impossible, to play in a sitting position – a sign that Vox designers recognized the solidbody guitar as the instrument of rock’n’roll, where no guitarist would even think of sitting down.

Introduced in late 1961, the Phantom line grew to include a 12-string in 1963 and this stereo 12-string in 1966.

The Phantom XII’s three pickups were split, and each coil had it’s own volume and tone control. The 12 knobs of the stereo Phantom XII may have set a record, but the guitar did not find its way onto many records, and it was last made in 1968. In 1969, Vox’s parent company, Roylston, folded, and while amplifier production continued under future owners, it was the end of the original Vox guitars.