My Brand New Vox Continental V-301E

[LowreyT1]

         After a while I have finally had a chance to buy a Vox Continental. This one being my first ever that I have had. Everything seems to work good. I am still looking for an amp on the market though. Running a very nice Combo Organ through a Fender 10G guitar amp is kind of embarrassing to say the least. This Continental was luckily a short drive to get because I was able to meet the owner only two hours away from me. I had been looking at the organ on Facebook Market for a short time and was very interested. The price it started out at was $2,000 which was more than my spending range. I was messaging the guy about price and the least he would've gone at the time was $1,800. I had passed on it because it was at Christmas time and I hadn't had the money to spend on it. A few weeks later around January 5th or so, he messaged me saying he would meet kind of in the middle driving wise for $1,600. I said I would get back to him on it and he said that was fine. I will tell a little more about the organ now. It is a 1967 Vox Continental V-301E which is the less desirable for most, but good enough for me organ. It had just been serviced with a very respectable tech, Ray Klos of North Wales, Pennsylvania. It had what looked like to be original legs, pedal, cases, and cover. Obviously having some stuff most certainly repaired and not original though most probably being internal. Yesterday I had made up my mind and had the cash to pick it up. Probably one of the easiest transactions ever made big thanks to Marc. Getting back to playing it I did the every note test about twice with no issues. I have not tuned it but it already seems very in tune. I have only discovered two issues so far. The volume pedal did not sound correct which is possibly due to my amp but I am not too sure. And the middle A# key needs glued on because it can be lifted off. For the questions. I am probably going to needs some pointers from experienced Vox Continental owners. First being maintaining. What should I do to keep this very maintained and good as possible before needing any work? Secondly the issue with the key. I think that they are glued on but not sure. What should I use to reattach the key or possibly glue it back on? Lastly, I have a tight budget for an amp. I want to spend around $200 for an amp that does not need to be anything special just sounds good when playing at home. I will try to attach pictures below.


Thanks,
Vance

[LowreyT1]

Update tried attaching images but too large. Will try to upload them on a website and link.

[LowreyT1]

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[Alan Lenhoff]

Congratulations!  I think I saw this organ on Facebook. (Seller was in Buffalo, NY, right?)  It looked like a very nice, complete organ, and you got it at an excellent price. You say the V-301E is a less desirable model, but I've owned UK, Italian and US Continentals and they are all great instruments, and they all sound alike. People have preferences (there are small pluses and minuses about each model), but no model is "better" than the others. Ray Klos really knows his stuff, too. You did great!

On maintenance:  If everything sounds good and all the keys work with each of the drawbars pulled out individually, and the vibrato works, you're good.  I would clean the case carefully, and polish the stand and metal hardware pieces. (Latches, hinges, etc.).  But there's no preventive maintenance to do.  Just be prepared to address issues when and if they happen. If the power supply's large capacitors have Italian brand names on them, they are several decades overdue for a re-cap.  But there's no need to do so until/if it fails.  If keys start getting scratchy or intermittent, you should clean the key contacts. But often, simply playing the organ for a while will take care of that. So, just clean the case and stand and enjoy it!

On re-gluing the key, try using Amazing Goop, an all-purpose glue that I know many Vox owners have successfully used. You'll find it in most hardware stores.

On an amp:  It's all personal preference.  People use guitar amps (my preference), bass amps or the wider frequency range of keyboard amps. I've happily played mine through both solid state and tube amps. (The organ isn't like a guitar that you're going to want to drive into deep tube distortion.) The Continental doesn't have deep bass, so you don't need a large woofer.  I'd suggest buying something used that you can re-sell for your purchase price if you find it lacking.  A Continental sounds great with reverb, so look for an amp with that (or a pedal). Remember that the organ has a lot of tonal control, so if you buy an amp that seems too dull or too bright, you can adjust the reed drawbar a bit to compensate.

One word of caution:  The original Mains and Vibrato switches get very brittle with age.  Push them gently!  (And if they break, they can often be repaired.  Don't throw them away!)

Enjoy your Continental!  A great, classic instrument!

Alan

[LowreyT1]

Hey Alan it is the Organ from Buffalo. I figured recent service would be the way to go. I have heard many good things about Ray Klos. The leg brace are repops but the legs are original. I have not found a single spec of rust on them and I do know to polish chrome from experience with classic cars. It does have the original organ cover and seems like there is not much tears. I got the volume pedal working and glued the key back also. I am thinking about a Fender Blues Jr. for an amp possibly even though a little higher than my price range. Thanks for all tips.

[LowreyT1]

Here some pictures of the inside. Does it need new capacitors? http://imgur.com/gallery/Flr9z1f

[LowreyT1]

Interesting enough I figured that this organ may actually be a V302E not sure of the difference but two places on the inside say V302E instead. On the outside tag it states V301E.

[Alan Lenhoff]

Here some pictures of the inside. Does it need new capacitors? http://imgur.com/gallery/Flr9z1f

That big cap on the power supply board is definitely a replacement. If everything works right, don't touch it.

Alan

[The Real MC]

I found my Vox Continental 301-E in a pawnshop back in ~1995.  Has all the original components including the volume pedal.  Only needed a cap replaced in the power supply. 

You don't want to know what I paid for it.

[LowreyT1]

I found my Vox Continental 301-E in a pawnshop back in ~1995.  Has all the original components including the volume pedal.  Only needed a cap replaced in the power supply. 

Not sure if me not wanting to know is good or bad. 25 years ago I would expect the price to be different

You don't want to know what I paid for it.

[LowreyT1]

Got an amp! Decided on tube. Went with Vox because why not it is a Vox organ after all. It is a Vox AC 10 kind almost the lowest model for them. 10 watt tube is all I need. I think it has digital reverb which doesn't matter to me. On to the next instrument. Fender rhodes or a few G101s I have my eye on.

[Alan Lenhoff]

That amp ought to do the job nicely for you.

There's always another instrument, isn't there?

Alan

[LowreyT1]

Yeah there is. I want the whole Doors combo badly. I would even consider trading my Continental for a G101 <lol>.