The single pickup "Stroller" and the dual pickup sister model "Clubman" were the first guitar models mass produced by Vox. The styling of these early Vox guitars was influenced by popular Fender guitar models from the 1960s.
Dick Denney, the lead engineer at Vox, indicated on page 21 of his 1992 book "The Vox Story," that the Stroller and Clubman models were introduced to the Vox line in 1961. These guitars were originally produced in the UK by Stuart Darkins & Co, a furniture maker in Shoeburyness England under contract to Vox. After 1963, production was shifted to G-Plan of Hemel Hempstead, another UK based furniture maker. The Stroller and Clubman were intended to be entry level, student grade instruments and not upper end models.
The necks used on the Stroller and Clubman guitars did not have an adjustable truss rod.
The Stroller guitar appeared in the 1962 Vox product catalog, seen below. A reprint of this catalog is available from North Coast Music, just click on the catalog image.
Vox introduced a number of other guitar models based on the body and neck used for the Stroller. The 1962 Vox catalog offers the "Shadow" with twin pickups and vibrato plus the "Dominator" with three pickups and vibrato. In 1963, three pickup Dominator became the "Shadow" and the two pickup model formerly called the Shadow became the "Duotone." The Stroller and Clubman names and models remained unchanged.
The 1962 UK JMI Vox Catalog described the Clubman guitar as follows: "Fine quality solo or rhythm solid electric guitar, high grade Vox electric strings and pickup. Red or white cellulose finish with polished removable neck, separate tone and volume controls. Adjustable bridge unit."
A fiberboard hard shell case was available.
The price list that accompanied the UK 1964-65 Vox catalog indicated that the Stroller guitar retailed for about 17 pounds, or roughly $50 USD. Adjusting this 1965 price for inflation, the Stroller would retail today or about $350.
