Thomas Walter Jennings
Encyclopedia
Thomas Walter Jennings, also known as Tom Jennings (born 28 February 1917 in Hackney
, London
, England
) was the founder of the company that produced the first Vox
Guitar amplifier
.
player and served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
during World War II
. In 1942, Jennings was discharged on medical grounds and went on to work at a munitions plant in Kent
. It was here that Jennings met amateur guitarist
Dick Denney. Denney played with a local big band
and on occasion, the two played together. Denny also had an interest in electronics
and radio technology.
musical instruments. In 1946, Jennings set up his first shop in Dartford
Kent and began importing accordions. He also started inventing new products, the first being the Univox Electronic organ
, which was a huge success, and became the springboard from which he would build his instrument-manufacturing empire.
, but had little success and the project was shelved. Dick Denney however, was also experimenting with amplifying guitars and succeeded in producing a 15 watt
unit paired with a 12 inches (30.5 cm) speaker. After adding a tremolo
unit, he produced two more prototypes, one of which was taken to Jennings. Jennings offered Denny a job with his company now named Jennings Musical Industries (JMI), which Denny accepted as engineer
.
Denny continued to develop his prototype and in 1957 the AC2/30 was launched, the first guitar amplifier to be branded under the Vox name.
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was the founder of the company that produced the first Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
Guitar amplifier
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
.
Beginnings
Jennings was an accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
player and served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1942, Jennings was discharged on medical grounds and went on to work at a munitions plant in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. It was here that Jennings met amateur guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Dick Denney. Denney played with a local big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and on occasion, the two played together. Denny also had an interest in electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
and radio technology.
The first shop
Around this time, Jennings had started repairing accordions and trading in second handSecond Hand
Second Hand is the title of an album by Mark Heard, released in 1991, on Heard's own Fingerprint Records. The album was listed at #4 in the book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music ....
musical instruments. In 1946, Jennings set up his first shop in Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
Kent and began importing accordions. He also started inventing new products, the first being the Univox Electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
, which was a huge success, and became the springboard from which he would build his instrument-manufacturing empire.
The first Vox amplifier
During the early 1950s, keyboards were Jennings' main interest, rather than guitars, although he did attempt to modify organ amplifiers for use with electric guitarsElectric Guitars
Electric Guitars were formed early in 1980 by Neil Davenport and Richard Hall who were both studying English at Bristol University. The band soon increased to a five-man line-up, with Andy Saunders , Matt Salt and Dick Truscott , they also later added two backing singers: Sara and Wendy...
, but had little success and the project was shelved. Dick Denney however, was also experimenting with amplifying guitars and succeeded in producing a 15 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
unit paired with a 12 inches (30.5 cm) speaker. After adding a tremolo
Tremolo
Tremolo, or tremolando, is a musical term that describes various trembling effects, falling roughly into two types. The first is a rapid reiteration...
unit, he produced two more prototypes, one of which was taken to Jennings. Jennings offered Denny a job with his company now named Jennings Musical Industries (JMI), which Denny accepted as engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
.
Denny continued to develop his prototype and in 1957 the AC2/30 was launched, the first guitar amplifier to be branded under the Vox name.