The VOX Showroom - The Berkeley II

The Berkeley II: V1081

The first appearance of The Berkeley was called the Berkeley II Super Reverb, which was the tube version of this amplifier model. It has two cathode biased EL-84's along with an EZ81 rectifier, two ECC83 (12AX7) and one ECC82 (12AU7) tubes.
By the end of 1965, Thomas had introduced its first transisitorized version of The Berkeley - The Berkeley II Super Reverb. This model utilized Germanium transistors in the output section and the pre-amp was hard wired to the power section. This was a serviceman's nightmare. As many as thirty wires had to be de-soldered and then re-soldered each time a service tech wanted to check the amplifier out for repairs.
The Berkeley III Super Reverb was an updated and simpler designed amplifier. This version was fitted with silicon transistors similar to the Royal Guardsman and Beatle amplifiers and included multi pin connectors between the pre-amp and power sections thus eliminating the soldering and de-soldering problem of The Berkeley II model.
All the Berkeley models were a piggyback version of the Cambridge Reverb with a separate speaker cabinet with the exception of the Berkely III.
The solid state valve Cambridge Reverb, Solid State Cambridge Reverb and Berkeley valve, Berkeley II amplifiers all have the same control panel, preamp, layout and effects features with the exception of the Berkeley III which had its preamp and control panel in common with the Scorpion. The lead channel (channel one) had reverb and tremelo. The mid or (channel two) had MRB (mid range boost- positions one, two and three) and reverb.
Additionally, the VOX MRB was the predecessor to what we know as the Wah-Wah pedal. MRB did the same thing as a Wah-Wah as far as emphasizing mid range frequencies. The difference was it did it in three fixed distinct settings. This idea was later adapted to the sweeping frequency shift of a potentiometer on a Wah-Wah pedal.

Features

Output Power 17 watts (Valve), 32 watts (Solid State)

Channel One Two inputs,
one volume,
one bass,
one treble.

Channel Two Two inputs,
one volume,
one bass,
one treble.

Speaker(s) Two Vox Bulldog 10" speakers

Size (Head) 8.5" H x 27.5" W x 9" D

Size (Speaker Cabinet) 17.5" H x 27.5" W x 9" D

Accessories Cover, Chrome rollerstand, Foot pedal.

Features
Output Power	17 watts (Valve), 32 watts (Solid State)
Channel One	Two inputs, one volume, one bass, one treble.
Channel Two	Two inputs, one volume, one bass, one treble.
Speaker(s)	Two Vox Bulldog 10" speakers
Size (Head)	8.5" H x 27.5" W x 9" D
Size (Speaker Cabinet)	17.5" H x 27.5" W x 9" D
Accessories	Cover, Chrome rollerstand, Foot pedal.

Photo courtesy Gary Hahlbeck, Sonic Speakers.