Vox Mando-Guitar (1967)

Introduced by JMI in 1964, the Vox Mando-Guitar brought a unique style of electric guitar to the market with its 12-string configuration and unison high-strung tuning. Its upper register chime and ability to occupy a specific space in a mix make it a lovely studio tool. Brian Jones, Alex Chilton, and Ry Cooder are some of the notable players who've used this funky mid 60s creation!

This 1967 Mando-Guitar found its way to us via a local customer who'd owned it since the early 1980s. It was once outfitted with Stratocaster pickups, but we've since returned it to its original configuration with the proper Vox single coil pickups. It has remained in great shape throughout the years, with a dark Sunburst finish that's held up very well. The original white 3-ply pickguard shows some slight warping, but remains solid and supports the pickups and entire wiring harness without issue.

Thanks to the 1 3/4" wide nut, playability is quite friendly! The frets are in good shape and while one of the G string slots was lowered to accommodate a heavier wound G at one point, the original plain string setup still works well.

Plugging into one of our favorite reverb combos - the Carr Super Bee - we're right into "You Can't Always Get What You Want" territory almost instantaneously. It's a quirky guitar, no doubt, but it definitely gets the creative juices flowing in a way that conventional 6-string electrics can't quite achieve. It's a total blast to play!