Vox Bobcat V90 & Bobcat S66
£1,199
Q&A Semis? When I think of classic Vox guitars, they’re always solid‑bodied models…
That’s not surprising. Easily the best known Vox electric is the British-made Mark III ‘Teardrop’ solidbody played by Rolling Stone Brian Jones. The ‘coffin-shaped’ Phantom models loved by 60s garage bands and, later, guys like Tom Petty, run a close second in familiarity. Why the bonkers shapes? Vox wanted its designs to stand out from the crowd. Job done. It’s the Teardrops and Phantoms that we remember best today.
Why get into the semi‑acoustic market at all, then?
By 1966, John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles were playing hollowbody Epiphone Casinos. Many other artists used semis, too. That year, Vox released four new thinline semis to cash in on that trend: the V243 Super Lynx, vibrato-loaded V253 Super Lynx Deluxe, V245 New Orleans, and the V219 Bobcat. These guitars were made in Italy by EKO and Crucianelli.
The new Vox Bobcat is a reissue model, then?
Think of it more as an ‘inspired by’ thing. You see, there are actually two new guitars making their debut this year: the Bobcat V90 and the S66. An original two singlecoil pickup, trapeze tailpiece-loaded Bobcat was called the Super Lynx. The three single coil-fuelled model was called the Bobcat, and that guitar had a Bigsbystyle vibrato. The new triple-pup S66 model is a hardtail.
What other liberties have been taken here?
The Vox semis from the 60s have bolton necks. The Bobcat V90 and S66 are spec’d with set necks. The S66 has three Strat-style single-coil pickups. That’s vintage correct. The V90 substitutes a pair of soapbar-cover P-90 single coils for the old-school items. Both guitars feature your textbook two-volume, two-tone and threeway pickup selector toggle switch format. While the 60s ancestors came with floating bridges, these reboots are fitted with anchored tune-o-matic jobs. That’s good news for rock-steady tuning and intonation.
What about vintage details?
The bound f-holes, aluminium control knobs, not to mention the oversized headstock logo, those are your classic 60s Vox deets. Ditto, the model name etched into each guitar’s scratchplate. Yet another trigger for vintage geeks here is the squared off pickup covers on the S66 model’s single coils…
What else do I need to take onboard from the spec?
Taking a quick look through the spec sheets, the Bobcat V90 and S66 feature bodies formed from sheets of laminated maple, set mahogany necks, Indonesian
ebony fingerboards, 22 frets, and a scale length of 635mm (25 inches). Finish options for both models are Black, Cherry Red and Sunburst.
Who are these guitars for?
To answer that question you really need to consider the competition. The obvious contenders here are the various Epiphone and Gibson ES-335 models. Then there’s the shallow-bodied Gretsch Electromatic Center Block guitars, even the Fender Starcaster if you can find one. If you’re in the market for any of those guitars, you need to try these Vox Bobcats before you swipe your card. Just remember this. Unlike the hollow Epiphone Casinos that inspired the creation of the original Vox models, the V90 and S66 have weight-relieved spruce centre blocks. That makes them more like a Gibson ES-335 retrofitted with single coils. That could be the best of both worlds for you. You could call even call them, ahem, the missing Lynx… [EM]