BEATLES AND VOX CONQUERORS


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One of the longest and most fierce discussions on the web has been about the Beatles and their use of amps. The nature of the web is such that information that has already been spread, comes up at Google searches, and is then repeated. This way misinformation can live on and on. One such piece of information is about the Beatles use of Vox solid state amplifiers. The otherwise well-informed Vox Showroom takes the view that it is not possible to decide whether the Beatles used Conqueror or Defiant amps, but offers the opinion that they probably used Defiants, based on an argument that they went for Vox' "biggest and best". This statement of The Vox Showroom is refered to in a number of other contexts, and so it keep repeating itself. However, there is evidence that it is not so:

The two amps distinguish themselves visually in a couple of ways: The Conqueror head is not as deep as the Defiant head, by about two inches. This makes the sides of the Conqueror heads almost perfectly square, while the Defiant head sides are prolonged rectangular. The greater depth of the Defiant heads was caused by a percieved need for more vents on the top. While the Conqueror heads only have one row with two long vents behind the handles (and in later years plastic vents), the Defiants also have vents in another row next to the handles. The greater depth also causes the handles of the Defiants to be positioned further away from the panel, to keep it in balance. Defiant cabs are larger and taller than the Conqueror cabs. They are in fact the same size as UL730 cabs. But unlike the UL730 cabs, the Defiant cabs have a Midax horn, and this means that on a true Defiant cab, the Vox logo is positioned close to the center of the front. Also, the difference in size of the cabs means that on a Conqueror cab, the top of the curly stand will be above the top edge of the Conqueror cab. This is not the case on a Defiant cab where it is almost at level with the top edge of the cab. The Vox Showroom agrees on these differences, BTW.
A final difference to look for is simply the length of the model banner. The longer "CONQUEROR" banner will span three grill diamonds, while the shorter "DEFIANT" will only span two.

Jim Elyea, in his very detailed Vox book, has stated, what I also noticed a long time ago, that the Hello, Goodbye cabs must be UL730 cabs, as they do not have any horns. This leaves the question about the heads. The Hello, Goodbye amp heads only had one row of vents on the top, and that means that they must be Conquerors.
These facts are confirmed by the studio sightings of the Vox solid states. Based on the same characteristics, it is pretty clear that the Beatles also used Conquerors in the studio.

Check out the photos for yourself:





Hello, Goodbye tea break. See the amp in the lower left corner. It has only one row of vents, and the handle is very close to the panel. As it should be on a Conqueror.

Hello, Goodbye again. Look at the shape of the sides of the amp heads. They are perfectly square, as Conquerors are! Notice also that the stands are not the same ones as seen on the studio pictures, but due to the white pie style logo and its position is not a Defiant cab either. So it looks as if they brought their 730 cabs and solid state heads for the filming.

Harrison playing through a Conqueror with its curly stand mounted. It is clear that the top of the curly stand is above the top edge of the cab. And the side of the amp head is perfectly square. The typical features for reckognition of Conquerors. This picture must be from mid-1967, either Pepper og Magical Mystery Tour.


Conquerors can also be seen in the jan/feb 1968 film accompanying Lady Madonna/Hey Bulldog. Again it shows an amp with square sides, and curly stand with top so high above cab height that you can actually see the mounting bracket underneath. So this was also a Conqueror, and it is probably the same Conquerors that turn up again and again in all the pictures.

Here's another clue for you all: Again in this studio shot, an amp head with only one row of two vents, so this is also a Conqueror. In this case it has its matching cab. The fastening brackets on cab are there, but the stand has been removed. The cab does not have a horn, and the logo is near the top edge of the cab, like all Conqueror cabs. If you look really carefully, you can also see that the model type lettering on the head is a long word.
This picture is also interesting, as it proves that the Beatles used Conquerors during the White Album sessions. How unusual to see Yoko and a Vox Conqueror in the same picture!


So the argument about "biggest and best" may not be true. According to the author of "Beatles Gear", Andy Babiuk, Dick Denney - the designer of these magnificent amps - is quoted for saying that the Beatles specifically asked for lower powered amps for their studio work. Given their previous use of AC30s and UL730s, it would be obvious to supply them with their solid state counterparts, the Conquerors.

The Beatles may have used Defiants too, but so far there is not a shred of photographic evidence to support this theory. So prove me wrong.