Vox Mark III

The Mark is an electric guitar made by Vox. The instrument is also known as the Vox Teardrop, but this is not the official name. The Vox Mark came in three variations, a 6 string (the Mark VI), a 9 string (the Mark IX) and a 12 string (the Mark XII)

History

In 1962 Vox introduced the pentagonal Phantom guitar, originally made in Kent, England but soon after made by EKO of Italy. It was followed a year later by the teardrop-shaped Mark VI, the prototype of which was made specifically for Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones, using a non-tremolo Fender Stratocaster bridge.

The Mark VI was released in three versions, as a 6-string, a 9-string, and a 12-string. The 9-string had three wound strings and three pairs of unwound strings.

The Phantom guitar received an international prize for best design when it was released.

Even though Vox discontinued the production of these guitars in the seventies, accurate copies of the Teardrop and other VOX models are still manufactured by Jack Charles of Phantom Guitarworks.