Vox VBM1 User Manual

Owner’s Manual

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

• Read these instructions.

•Keep these instructions.

• Heed all warnings.

•Follow all instructions.

• Do not use this apparatus near water.

• Mains powered apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or
splashing and that no objects filled with liquids, such as vases,
shall be placed on the apparatus.

• Clean only with dry cloth.

• Do not block any v entilation openings , install in accordance with
the manufacturer's instructions.

• Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat
registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that
produce heat.

• Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding­type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than
the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided
for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet,
consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet. (for
U.S.A. and Canada)

• Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched
particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the apparatus.

• Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

• Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused
for long periods of time.

•Turning off the power switch does not completely isolate this
product from the power line so remove the plug from the soc ket if
not using it for extended periods of time.

• Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is
required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way,
such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been
spilled or objects have f allen into the appar atus , the appar atus
has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally,
or has been dropped.

• Do not install this equipment on the far position from wall outlet
and/or convenience receptacle.

• Do not install this equipment in a confined space such as a box
for the conveyance or similar unit.

• Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by
the manufacturer , or sold with the appar atus . When a cart is
used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination
to avoid injury from tip-over.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol
within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
"dangerous voltage" within the product's
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude
to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.

CE mark for European Harmonized Standards

CE mark which is attached to our company’s products of A C mains
operated apparatus until December 31, 1996 means it conforms to
EMC Directive (89/336/EEC) and CE mark Directive (93/68/EEC).
And, CE mark which is attached after January 1, 1997 means it
conforms to EMC Directive (89/336/EEC), CE mark Directive (93/
68/EEC) and Low Voltage Directive (73/23/EEC).
Also, CE mark which is attached to our company’ s products of
Battery operated apparatus means it conforms to EMC Directive
(89/336/EEC) and CE mark Directive (93/68/EEC).

FOREWORD

n the popular domain of “Classic Rock” Brian May needs no introduction. Thanks
to his expansive body of w ork with Queen, he is quite literally a global institution.

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In addition to being one of the genre’s finest songwriters and arrangers, fans and
critics alike consider him to be one of rock’s most distinctive and tasteful guitarists.
And, just like his unique playing style, Brian’s instantly recognisable guitar tone is
highly revered, fortifying his status as a living legend.

As you know, throughout his lengthy and highly successful career Brian has always
been associated with Vox amps and his celebrated wall of nine AC30 combos is a
“Brian May trademark” that is instantly recognized in all four corners of the globe. As
soon as said “wall” is spotted on a stage, the audience immediately knows who is
going to be plugging into it!

What isn’t as well known is the source of many of Brian’s most celebrated recorded
tones. Believe it or not, many of them have been made using a tiny, homemade
combo that was built for him by Queen’s bassist, John Deacon, back in the early
‘70s. Because of its maker’s name, this unique and wonderful sounding little device
was christened the “Deacy” amp and, as just stated, its unique voice can be heard
on some of Brian’s and Queen’s most famous recordings, including “The Fairy
Feller’s Master-stroke” & “Bijou”, to name but two.

By working extremely closely with Brian, we are proud to offer you this exciting
new product — the

Brian May Special

...

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Brian’s Introduction for

Vox Brian May Special!

© Richard Gray

For years I have been wondering what on Earth I would do if the Leg­endary Deacy Amp one day stopped working! And so often I have been
asked where such an amp could be bought, to produce sounds as far
apart in time as “The Fairy Feller’s Masterstroke” from “Queen 2,” and
“Bijou” from the “Innuendo” album.

Well..... It’s here!! At last I am secure in the knowledge that Steve

Grindrod &Vox now know how to provide me—and you—with an
infinite supply of sounds that could NEVER be squeezed out of an Amp
Simulator!!!

THIS WILL DO IT FOR YOU!!!

Or my name’s not .....BM!

Plug right in and Enjoy!

Cheers!

Brian May
Dec 2002, London, England.

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DETAILS:

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what-so-ever and, according to legend, was put together from parts the bassist
managed to salvage from a rubbish skip (a large garbage container)! The amplifier
circuit-board* John used consisted of a simple, solid-state design that dates back to
a Mullard circuit that was published when tran­sistors first became popular and was almost
definitely “rescued” from what was once a car
radio. The resourceful Mr . Deacon mounted this
amp board into a compact, 1960’s “bookshelf”
HiFi speaker cabinet and used it to drive the
small woofer and tweeter combination the cabi­net contained. When connected to a 9 V olt bat­tery the Deacy produced a massive 0.45 W atts
of power...RMS of course!

History, Use and Design Philosophy.

s stated in the FOREWORD, the original Deacy amp was made by Queen’s
bass player, John Deacon, sometime in 1970/1971, whilst he & Brian were
studying at University. The compact combo he built boasts no controls

© Richard Gray

*NOTE: for more technical details regarding the original Deacy please refer to the “Tech­nical Talk” section at the end of this manual.

The two friends quickly discovered that when the Deacy was coupled with Brian’s
homemade Treble Booster pedal (which actually accentuates the upper-mid frequen­cies to be exact), and his world-famous, homemade “Red Special” guitar, the result­ing tone was both extremely pleasing and unique. As a result of the great sound it
produced this 100% homemade set-up was used to record a large amount of Brian’s
lead and guitar orchestration work on Queen’s vast catalogue of hit albums and
singles.

Obviously the original Deacy is a very unique and, due to its age, irreplaceable
amplifier. Not surprisingly, Brian treats it with due reverence, as it is part-and-parcel
of his signature sound. Unfortunately, the electrical components it employs are long
gone from production, as is the speaker system it uses and, for that matter, the
batteries it requires are not readily available! Also, the original is extremely limited
because it has no controls and is also
uses it in conjunction with his homemade Treble Booster.

never

used purely by itself — Brian

always

Because of all these truths, after consulting with Mr. May, it was decided that the

Brian May Special

amp plus his homemade Treble Booster) that, in addition to emulating its unique
sound, offers a number of features and controls that the original doesn’t have. Brian
was also very keen for the resulting product to be as affordable as it is practical, so
that its sound could be brought to as wide an audience as possible. Hence the format
of the VOX

Brian May Special

should be a variation of the original Deacy “system” (the Deacy

recording amp you’re now the proud owner of...

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