Guitars
Vox Tear Drop Ex Bill Wyman - The Rolling Stones
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Among the mythical instruments that have forged the great history of music are shapes that have become iconic and have painted the contours of music. In a horizon marked by the slender shapes of the Stratocaster, the rounded curves of the Les Paul and the generous contours of the ES, an original and surprising shape stands out, the famous "Teardrop". VOX guitars have made history with innovative designs that have not gone unnoticed. The Teardrop and the Phantom were designed in the 1960s and quickly fascinated musicians around the world. These transgressively shaped models shook up the norms, and played an important role in the invasion of British rock with the biggest English bands playing teardrop-shaped guitars. Among them, the then very young Rolling Stones took over this now legendary guitar shape.
This Vox Teardrop bass from Matt's Guitar Shop is the one used by Bill Wyman on Rolling Stones recordings and tours from 1966 to 1968.
When Vox introduced the Phantom and the Teardrop (officially called the Mark) consecutively in the early 1960s, these two instruments were a revolution. They shook up the codes hitherto accepted in the world of electric guitars, and established a surprising, original and immediately recognizable shape. The electric guitar version of the famous Teardrop was quickly adopted by the British rock scene, as was its bass counterpart. The history of the Rolling Stones and the Teardrop are intimately linked. The young musicians helped to make this model an icon of the 1960s: Brian Jones quickly made the white-finish guitar created especially for him his own, while Bill Wyman made the Teardrop his reference bass and also had a model stamped with his name.
In August 1965, Vox launched the Wyman Bass, a semi-acoustic Vox Teardrop named after the Rolling Stones bassist. It was actually billed as the "Wyman Bass", as evidenced by the bass head. The instrument available at Matt's Guitar Shop is the bass played by the Rolling Stones bassist between 1966 and 1968 on numerous recordings and stages. This Vox Teardrop is immortalized in several vintage photographs of the band on stage and in the studio, while its heavy and round sound accompanied the Stones' early hits. It comes directly from Bill Wyman's collection.
This 1965 Vox Wyman Bass has a teardrop-shaped flame maple hollow body with a sunburst finish and a stylized Vox-f-hole. It also has two control knobs, a toggle switch and an input jack which are fitted on a chrome plate affixed to the face of the bass. Finally, the bass is fitted with a natural finished maple neck and a fingerboard with block inlays. The chrome pickguard on the top carries the Vox trademark, while the headstock is labeled "Wyman Bass". Few instruments have participated in the birth of one of the greatest myths in music history... For the Rolling Stones, look no further than Matt's Guitar Shop!
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Bill Wyman
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