Vox Phantom IV V210

The Vox Phantom IV V210 is a vintage bass guitar, first manufactured in the 1960's. This is definitely one of the coolest looking bass guitars that I've played and recorded with, and it has a huge sound to match. I believe the one that I used was made in Italy, although I'm not sure if all of them were made there. The bass has two pick ups, with standard tone and volume control. I don't know what types of pick ups it had, but it's also possible that the one that I used was modded.

UTILIZATION

Playing the Vox Phantom IV V210 is really a fun experience. It's got a thick neck, which is definitely something that I like as it feels hearty in general. It's definitley easy to play, but it's probably better for playing some types of parts rather than others. It also has one of the coolest looking bodies and designs that I've seen for a bass guitar.

SOUNDS

To go along with it's unique look, the Vox Phantom IV V210 definitely has a pretty unique sound. It is very thick and round sounding, with a huge low end response, even for a bass. I've used the bass in the recording studio where we recorded both a direct and amp'ed sound. The DI box was a Sanamps, and the amp was an Ampeg head and cabinet. The result was definitely a very clear picture of a bass guitar sound, with a whole ton of roundness. If there is one thing the Vox Phantom IV V210 is great for, it's for delivering that ultra low end roundness...

OVERALL OPINION

It doesn't seem like there are too many of the Vox Phantom IV V210 basses out there still, but they can definitely still be had if you're interested enough. Since these are pretty old basses, it will cost a decent amount of money, but nothing outlandish for a bass guitar with this type of sound and overall quality. I don't know that this would be the best choice for an all around go to bass, as it's probably best as a complimentary bass, but I definitely couldn't argue with anyone trying to get one for this purpose.