Tolex is a

trade name A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is fictitious business name. Registering the fictitious name with ...

for a flexible, waterproof,

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

material used as a cover material for books, upholstery, guitar amplifiers, cases, and other products. Tolex was filed as a trademark on August 30, 1945 by the

General Tire Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, d.b.a. General Tire, is an American manufacturer of tires for motor vehicles, and semi trucks. Founded in 1915 in Akron, Ohio by William Francis O'Neil, Winfred E. Fouse, Charles J. Jahant, Robert Iredell, ...

, and was registered as "a plastic sheet and film material for book binding and case covering for speakers and amplifiers". General Tire was disconglomerated, and the trademark expired in 2005. TOLEX is a Canadian trademark and brand of OMNOVA Solutions, Fairlawn, Ohio, now part of

Synthomer Synthomer plc, formerly known as Yule Catto & Co, is a British-based chemicals business. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange. History The company traces its roots back to 1863, when Andrew Yule founded a trading house known as '' Andrew Yul ...

Usage

It has been used in Henney-Packard hearses and ambulances of the 1950s, Fender amplifiers, the Fender Rhodes electric piano, and guitar cases from various manufacturers. Tolex was also used in

Packard Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company) was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana, in 1958. One ...

automobiles, hearses, and ambulances, and in marine applications, such as Chris-Craft boats and other watercraft. Musicians sometimes use "Tolex" as a generic description for any vinyl type covering on an amplifier or guitar case, but most are not actually Tolex brand, except for Fender- and

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. Rickenbacker is the first known maker of electric guitars, with a steel guitar in 1932, and produces a range of electric guitars and bass ...

-related products. Fender, today, uses textured vinyl, not Tolex.

References

{{Reflist Artificial leather