VOX Wah Wah 1970 by Jen
In an effort to reduce labor costs, Thomas Organ president Joe Benaron had long been a proponent of consolidating US and UK Vox production into one plant in Italy. To that end, Benaron and Italian importer Ennio Unchini set up JEN, a manufacturing plant in Pescara Italy. JEN was an acronym of the first names of the founders Joe and Ennio. The plan to move all Vox production to Italy stalled in 1968 when sales declined in the US and JMI filed for bankruptcy in the UK. As a result, JEN would primarily produce Vox effects pedals.
After a relatively small amount of Vox Wah-Wah and Thomas Crybaby pedals were built in the US in early 1967, wah production was moved to EME (Electtronica Musicale Europea) in Recanati Italy. EME was controlled by EKO, the manufacturer that built guitars for Vox.
By mid 1969, Wah and Crybaby production was again moved, this time from EME to JEN. JEN supplied Vox wah and fuzz pedals to Thomas Organ in America and also to Vox in the UK from 1969 through 1978.
The JEN produced Vox V846 Wah-Wah was frequently equipped with a red Fasel inductor (shown at right). Vox wah pedals from JEN also featured white piping around the base of the pedal, similar to the white piping used around the grill panels of Vox amplifiers. In addition to adding a signature Vox styling cue, this piping provided additional clearance for the Fasel inductor to prevent it from striking the base plate.
Fasel Inductor
JEN Vox Wah-Wah and Crybaby pedals featured the original patented two transistor Thomas Organ/Vox circuit design. While many JEN Vox wah pedals were equipped with a Fasel inductor, some featured a metal "trash can" inductor.
Vox V846 and Crybaby wah pedals produced by JEN typically do not have serial numbers embossed on their base plates.