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Average Price: $723
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$799
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Description
Meet the Vox Continental, a timeless classic that continues to resonate within the music industry since 1962. Known for its signature reverse-color keyboard and vibrant red hood, this organ offers a simplified yet powerful alternative to the traditional stop-tab systems of its era. Just by adjusting the six drawbars, you can easily switch between reed or flute voicing and octave range. Its ethereal, breathy sound has been the backbone of iconic tracks such as The Doors' "Light My Fire" and The Animals' "House of the Rising Sun". Unleash your creativity with the Vox Continental and dive into the world of extraordinary, otherworldly sounds.
Key Features:
- Classic reverse-color keyboard design
- Vibrant red hood, adding a standout visual element
- Six drawbars for controlling voicing and octave range
- Streamlined answer to bulky stop-tab systems
- Signature ethereal, breathy sound quality
- Played a key role in iconic tracks throughout music history
Product specs
| Brand | Vox |
| Model | Continental |
| Finish | Black / Orange |
| Year | 1960s |
| Categories | Organs |
| Analog / Digital | Analog |
| Key Size | Full Size |
| Keyboard Action | Synth Action |
| Number of Keys | 49 Keys |
FAQs
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What type of sound can I expect from the Vox Continental organ?
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The Vox Continental organ is known for its distinctive, bright tone with a sine wave-like sound, making it ideal for classic rock and pop music.
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Is the Vox Continental suitable for live performances?
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Yes, the Vox Continental is highly regarded for its portability and robust build, making it a popular choice for live performances.
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How many keys does the Vox Continental have?
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The Vox Continental features a 49-key, full-size keyboard with synth action, offering a comfortable playing experience.
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What is the difference between the Vox Continental and a Farfisa organ?
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The Vox Continental offers a thinner, Hammond-like sound, while the Farfisa organ is known for its aggressive, raspy tones.
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Is the Vox Continental an analog or digital instrument?
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The Vox Continental is an analog organ, known for its classic vintage sound.
Videos
Reverb
VOX Continental Performance Keyboard 61-Key | Reverb Demo Video
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Vox Continental.
Features and functionality
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The valve drive effect is praised for enhancing the aggressive sound, especially in rock band settings.
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Firmware version 2.0 allows configuring a split to play Rhodes bass lines with the left hand.
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The organ's 12 oscillators generate the top octave, with a divider chain for lower octaves, impacting note functionality.
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The Korg Vox Continental only samples the Super Continental, not the regular version, impacting authenticity in recreating specific classic sounds.
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Comparisons
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It excels in piano sounds compared to the Hammond SK1 but lacks in pipe organ and mellotron voicings.
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The Korg Vox Continental excels in Vox and Farfisa sounds, surpassing the Nord Electro in these areas.
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Korg Vox Continental is viewed as an economy version of the Nord Electro, with fewer tones and Hammond imitation rather than samples.
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Use cases and applications
Setup and maintenance
Build quality
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Some Vox Continental models feature a slanted/italic logo, suggesting varying manufacturers and possibly differing build qualities.
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User experience
4.5 out of 5
Based on 0 Reviews and 15 Ratings
Artist usage
Add artist
Right at the start of this video, of Arctic Monkeys performing "505," Alex Turner can be seen using a Vox Continental Organ.
This November 1965 photo shows Paul McCartney playing a Vox Continental as the Beatles rehearse at Donmar Rehearsal Theatre in London for their upcoming UK tour.
In the YouTube video "Dan Auerbach - The Prowl," Dan Auerbach can be seen using a Vox Continental organ.
John Lennon commonly played the Vox Continental organ during the Beatles' raucous set closer "I'm Down."
In 2008, the Vox Continental used by John Lennon at the historic 1965 Shea Stadium concert and the Beatles' August 13, 1965 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was auctioned off by Christies for $182,500.
The following comes from the Daily Beatle's article about the organ and the ensuing auction:
In front of a crowd of 55,600, Lennon closed out the most famous concert in history with a frenzied rendition of “I’m Down” in which he wildly pounded on the offered keyboard, resulting in the organ not working properly for the next show in Toronto on August 17.
The next day in Atlanta, the organ was traded in for a functioning Vox Continental organ from the Thomas Organ Center – The Vox Shoppe, the exchange being completed by a local Atlanta policeman. At the concert in Atlanta they had a rare opportunity to hear the organ in concert, as the stage was equipped with something of a rarity for the Beatles in those days, monitor speakers!
It was done especially for The Beatles. FB ‘Duke’ Mewborn, the boss of Atlanta hi-fi store Baker Audio, decided to give the group something that had never been done before: monitor speakers on the stage, pointing towards the group, to allow them to hear their voices and instruments.
“It was adequate. We got over it, we were on top of it. You could hear them amidst the screaming,” commented Mewborn.
It wasn’t just on stage that the sound was different. The state-of-the-art setup on the field included four Altec 1570 amplifiers, each giving 175 watts of sound, which in turn powered two stacks of Altec A7 speakers. Although unremarkable today, in 1965 it was an unheard of amount of power for a pop concert. The difference was noted from the stage, with Paul McCartney exclaiming after “She’s A Woman”: “It’s loud, isn’t it? Great!”
Being able to hear themselves enabled The Beatles to play tighter than usual, and they were delighted with the results. Afterwards, Brian Epstein suggested that Mewborn deal with the sound for their other shows, but the offer was turned down.
The organ remained in the possession of the owner of The Vox Shoppe in Atlanta for nearly four decades.
The organ itself is distinguished by a non-standard Vox Continental logo adhered to the front of the case, which is clearly visible in pictures and film from the event and from the set of The Ed Sullivan Show two days prior.
Before auctioning away the organ in 2008 at Christies’s Punk/Rock auction at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza for $182,500, the original organ was repaired, keeping all the original parts (which were in pristine condition) and was fully functional at the time of the auction.
Prior to the auction, the organ was featured in exhibitions at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, The Beatles Story in Liverpool, and “John Lennon Unfinished Music” at Cite de la Musique in Paris.
Additional photos of John at the Continental can be viewed here, here, and here.
In this 1969 photo of his Twickenham home studio, a Vox Continental organ is visible to the left. A full studio gear breakdown can be found here.
In the photo, Julian Casablancas is seen with a Vox Jaguar organ, identifiable by its distinctive white base keys and switches, often mistaken for a Vox Continental. Further details can be found in the full article here.
Seen in this Vox advert, and also mentioned in the Rolling Stones Gear book by Andy Babuick.
This photo shows Manzarek with a Vox Continental organ during a Doors concert at the London Fog in 1966. This was the organ Ray Manzarek played in the early years of the band. It can be head on every song from the band's eponymous debut album, as well as several later hits such as "People Are Strange," "When the Music's Over," "Peace Frog," and "Love Her Madly." Manzarek started touring with a Gibson G-101 (Kalamazoo) around August/September 1967, though the Continental made a few more appearances such as on the PBS Critique in April 1969 and at the Aquarius Theater in July 1969.
Ray described his use of the Vox Continental and his subsequent switch to the Gibson G-101 in a 2008 interview with Modern Keyboard:
The very first piano, or the first electric keyboard, I used was a Wurlitzer. We didn’t really play a lot of gigs with it, so it didn’t really count. Then we got a deal with Columbia Records; and Columbia owned Vox. Billy James [the Columbia A&R man who, in 1966, signed the Doors to a contract that ultimately produced no records] said, “Do you guys need any equipment?” We said, “Oh God, yes.” [laughs] He said, “We own Vox.” I said, “Vox…VOX. Oh my God, I can get a Vox organ like the Dave Clark Five. Yes I need an organ.” So we went out to Vox and I got an organ and an amp. I couldn’t believe it. It was free.
I played a Vox Continental for the first half of the Doors’ career. Until Columbia sold Vox to an Italian company. Vox was an English firm originally. And the Italian Vox Continentals just didn’t hold up. They started falling apart. Even the old ones I used to have to replace every six months. I would break them just by playing too hard. The keys would start to stick and I would fuse everything. So I’d have to throw it out, get a new one. Once every six months wasn’t bad. But once Vox was sold to the Italians, it was like once a month, once every other week.
I said, “Well that’s it. I can’t use these anymore. I’ve got to get something else. What else is there?” There was the Farfisa and there was the Gibson Kalamazoo. Now I would have gotten the Farfisa, except the top was rounded and I couldn’t put the Fender Rhodes bass on it. I needed something with a flat top. And the Gibson Kalamazoo was the only one that had a flat top. So that’s what I used—a Kalamazoo—for the rest of the time.
In this photo, Elton John can be seen playing a Vox Continental with his original band Bluesology in 1966 as they opened up for Manfred Mann at the Marquee Club in London.
In this photo, Lord can be seen playing a Vox Continental on The Dating Game (a U.S. television show) in October 1968.
This photo shows Cale playing a Vox Continental Organ. According to this website, John Cale used this organ on Sun Blindness Music and the White Light/White Heat albums.
Album Usage
The Vox Continental has been featured on the following albums:
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground (2013)
State to State 2
808 State (2002)
How I Long To Feel That Summer In My Heart
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (2001)
The Blue Trees
Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (2000)
2x45
Cabaret Voltaire (1982)
Candy-O
The Cars (1979)
The Doors
The Doors (1967)
I'm a Believer / (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
The Monkees (1966)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Vox Continental, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Similar
Add recommendation3 alternative and related items for Vox Continental, curated by the Equipboard community.
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Introduced in 1966 as the more affordable alternative to the Continental, the Jaguar sports the same signature reverse-color keys and red hood, but with streamlined voice options of Mellow, Bright, and Brass, each of which captures a simplified snapshot of the Continental's versatility.
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Introduced in 1965, the Super Continental was the dual manual version of the original Continental.
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