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WEM | VINTAGE ADVERTISEMENTS

WEM advertisement (1964)

Watkins Electric Music Limited

WEM Rapier 33, WEM Rapier 44, WEM GR-60 amplifier, WEM HR-30 amplifier, WEM Copicat effects unit

This advert from Watkins shows a selection of their range of musical equipment: keyboards, microphones, amplifiers, guitars and their famous Copicat echo unit. All items displayed at the AMII (Associated Musical Instrument Industries) in London, August 1964. The Watkins Rapier 33 and Rapier 44 guitars were two of the best known British solid body guitars of the 1960s.

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WEM advertisement (1964) Watkins Electric Music Limited

Other related vintage advertisements

WEM Copicat - Craftsmanship in Sound
WEM Copicat - Craftsmanship in Sound
"Switch to Watkins for Performance". Full color WEM advert from September (?) 1963. This advert was included in Melody Maker's 'Big beat Boys' spinoff, and features the cornerstone of WEMs producti...
WEM HR-30 - The Big New Watkins Sound
WEM HR-30 - The Big New Watkins Sound
Mid sixties advertisement for WEM/ Watkins gear. Although a number of amplifiers, keyboards and guitars are illustrated, the main focus is on the 30w control HR30 head and the 2x12" Starfinder cabi...
WEM Copicat - WEM, August 1967
WEM Copicat - WEM, August 1967
Like many previous WEM / Watkins advertisements, this ad shows a grid of different Watkins products: guitars, echo units and amplifiers, with brief description and prices. Shown are the 5th Man gui...

WEM Rapier 33, WEM Rapier 44, WEM GR-60, WEM HR-30, WEM Copicat

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Vintage 1966 Wilson and Sons Classical Guitar Model JT-2 Made in Japan

Vintage 1966 Wilson and Son's Classical Guitar Model JT-2 Made in Japan

Monrovia, California, 910**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$250

Comes with case you see in pictures which is very worn. Local pick up is welcome to save on shipping.... more
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Vintage 1970s Wem Watkins Copicat Tape Echo Delay

Vintage 1970's Wem Watkins Copicat Tape Echo Delay

Columbus, Ohio, 432**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$600

Original tape delay from when that works. Back screw mount to hold the cords is missing. It??s old but still works. Thanks
... more
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Vintage Wilson and Sons Acoustic Guitar w / case from 1968 Japan Amazing Find.

Vintage Wilson and Sons Acoustic Guitar w / case from 1968 Japan Amazing Find.

Newport Beach, California, 926**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$200

Vintage Wilson and Sons Acoustic Guitar w / case from 1968 Japan Amazing Find It has new strings and a beautiful sound .... more
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RARE! Vintage WEM Watkins Copicat MK2 Tube Tape Echo Delay For *Parts or Repair*

RARE! Vintage WEM Watkins Copicat MK2 Tube Tape Echo Delay For *Parts or Repair*

Santa Rosa, California, 954**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1150

For sale is a Vintage Watkins Copicat MKIl tube tape delay echo effects unit made for Guild guitars

Condition: NONFUNCTIONING

The tape echo unit is old and requires some repair or great for parts. There is a split or crack along one side of the casing see picture eleven. The unit powers on and the motor does need a little push to get the tape to spin. The main issue with the echo unit is that the delay tape heads 1 and 2 don't seem to repeat, tape head 3 does repeat. ... more
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WEM Watkins Copicat

WEM Watkins Copicat

Miami, Florida, 331**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$425

found this beauty recently at a garage sale. it looks to be in pretty good condition. it does power on + the motor seems to work. however, I have no way of testing it without a tape which is why I'm selling it for parts. I do hear noise though. when I touch the heads through an amp. I assume it will need some work but it's rare to find these on the other side of the pond. I will The US power adapter. shipping to the US only.... more
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1968 Wilson and Sons Classical guitar in hardshell case - Made in Japan -Project

1968 Wilson and Sons Classical guitar in hardshell case - Made in Japan -Project

Harrisonville, Missouri, 647**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$199

Wilson and Sons Classical guitar in hardshell case - Made in Japan - Project
This item is a very neat old classical guitar that was made in Japan by Wilson and Sons way back in 1968. This is a model JT-1 and it carries the serial number 2-13. Wilson and Sons was from City of Industry California.
The guitar is in very good condition except for the bridge, which is lifting pretty badly and will need to be repaired or replaced. Because of that we are selling it as-is and shown.
We think... more
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WEM Watkins 2 X 12 Speaker Cabinets Celestion G12h

WEM Watkins 2 X 12 Speaker Cabinets Celestion G12h

Bournemouth, BH8***, UNITED KINGDOM

£995

Very nice example for year. All up together and working perfectly    If you want to collect from Bournemouth and pay old fashioned money then I can make it £495 but you need to contact me first to discuss times
... more
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Watkins Rapier 44,  1963 Electric Guitar

Watkins Rapier 44, 1963 Electric Guitar

HONITON, EX14***, UNITED KINGDOM

£650

Watkins Rapier 44, 1963 Electric GuitarIn Red, 'Toaster Pickups' SN 8720Some small dings, in good condition for the year.... more
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Watkins Copicat Delay - Rare Sound On Sound Version - Read Description - Vintage

Watkins Copicat Delay - Rare Sound On Sound Version - Read Description - Vintage

Mansfield, NG18***, UNITED KINGDOM

£193

This is a great vintage Watkins Analogue Delay - I bought this mainly because I loved the folk art Billy elvis murphy and wanted an IC version
I??ve never seen the sound on sound switch before on a copicat before, not sure how rare this is.
This is clearly a well used unit and I believe has a new tape head (erase head) - I never really got it working properly - the delay does work but only very quietly and on full sustain and feedback setting - not sure what this means, but for someone ... more
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1965 Watkins England Rapier Bass - Powder Blue - Original

1965 Watkins England Rapier Bass - Powder Blue - Original

Nottingham, NG1***, UNITED KINGDOM

£800

A super rare, iconic British piece of music history - an English-made Watkins Rapier Bass, dating from 1965

Dating to 1965 owing to the 4 digit serial and its concurrence with the ?65 serial run - this also definitely makes it a ?Watkins?? - pre-WEM / Wilson. For this reason, some of these earlier models (including this one) did not feature the usually-seen branded top right horn ?guard??, I believe. A few early model also had no headstock decal paired with a small white truss guard ... more
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WATKINS Rapier 22 - Early 60s

WATKINS Rapier 22 - Early 60s

Dreieich, 63***, GERMANY

€360

Zum Verkauf kommt eine WATKINS RAPIER 22 aus den frühen 60er Jahren, vermutlich 1961 / 62. Die Gitarre weist eine sehr niedrige Seriennummer auf: 1038
Viele englische Gitarristen starteten (ihre Karriere) mit einer Rapier als preiswerter Variante einer Stratocaster, so beispielsweise auch Danny Kirwan von Fleetwood Mac (s. Fotos, mit einer Rapier 33). Bekannt war Watkins vor allem auch für seine WEM Produkte, die viele prominente Nutzer hatten. Das Besondere an dieser frühen Ausführung ... more
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Vintage 1960s Elac 10N / 87 15ohm 10" Speaker Watkins V Front Vox AC10

Vintage 1960s Elac 10N / 87 15ohm 10" Speaker Watkins V Front Vox AC10

Heanor, DE75***, UNITED KINGDOM

£125

Vintage 1960s Elac 10N / 87 15ohm 10" Speakers Watkins V Front Vox AC10
This is a wonderful original Elac 10N / 87 speaker, as used in Vox AC10 and Watkins V Front amplifiers. This is 16ohms and in perfect working order - and super clean condition too! Original cones, tested well, and ready to go! I've got quite a few of these, so if you need more let me know. Please have a close look at the high resolution photographs below, as these form part of our description. I am always willing to do a ... more
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very rare WEM Watkins Digital Copicat Shadow, Digital Tape Multi Tap Echo Delay

very rare WEM Watkins Digital Copicat Shadow, Digital Tape Multi Tap Echo Delay

Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, MK19***, UNITED KINGDOM

£700

PLEASE NOTE
NO POWER SUPPLY

BOX IS DIRTY BUT ITS DONE IT JOB AS THE RARE COPICAT IS IN FANTASTIC CONDITION
The WEM Watkins Digital Copicat Shadow is a highly sought-after pedal known for its versatile digital tape multi tap echo delay capabilities. This rare piece of equipment offers musicians the unique opportunity to create intricate and dynamic soundscapes with its digital technology and analogue-inspired tape echo effects. Perfect for guitarists and bassists looking to add... more
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Vintage Watkins Rapier 33 Strat style electric guitar 1960-70??s ORIGINAL

Vintage Watkins Rapier 33 Strat style electric guitar 1960-70??s ORIGINAL

Brighton, BN2***, UNITED KINGDOM

£313

Watkins Rapier 33 guitar in good working condition for ages. Has some age / usage related wear and tear, buckle rash etc. shown in the pictures. It is missing the original tremelo arm, but a strat arm fits the hole and I can supply. Would probably benefit from some new strings and a service
Collection preferred, but can arrange a courier at buyers expense.... more
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WATKINS COPICAT SUPER I C  MODEL Vgc

WATKINS COPICAT SUPER I C MODEL Vgc

Peterborough, PE7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£209

collection Pe68nu only... more
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1969 WEM  /  WATKINS SAPPHIRE - made in ENGLAND

1969 WEM / WATKINS SAPPHIRE - made in ENGLAND

COLOGNE, GERMANY

€1250

1969 WEM Sapphire - made in ENGLAND:
* alder body finished in sunburst, has laquer cracks & wear
* maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
* Van Ghent tuners
* 3 single coil foil pickups
* Hagstrom style bridge
* tremolo
* low action
* a cool guitar with a unique sound !
... more
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Watkins Rapier 33 Red Circa 1965 (5367)

Watkins Rapier 33 Red Circa 1965 (5367)

UK, UNITED KINGDOM

£810

... more
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1969 WEM  /  WATKINS SAPPHIRE - made in ENGLAND

1969 WEM / WATKINS SAPPHIRE - made in ENGLAND

Köln, 50***, GERMANY

€1294

1969 WEM Sapphire - made in ENGLAND:
* alder body finished in sunburst, has laquer cracks & wear
* maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
* Van Ghent tuners
* 3 single coil foil pickups
* Hagstrom style bridge
* tremolo
* low action
* a cool guitar with a unique sound !
... more
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Set of 7x Vintage 1970s  1 / 4?? control knobs - Carlsbro - WEM - Watkins

Set of 7x Vintage 1970's 1 / 4?? control knobs - Carlsbro - WEM - Watkins

London, E7***, UNITED KINGDOM

£125

Set of x7 vintage 1970's Taiwanese amplifier control knobs
these will fit a 1 / 4" shaft and afix with grub screws
these are just over an inch wide and are nice and heavy not cheap like the later knobs in this style
Perfect if you have a vintage seventies amplifier / FX unit and want some period correct knobs
Buy them before I decide to buy an amp to put them on!!
the listing is for 7
anything else just ask
... more
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WEM Watkins Copicat 1960??s-1970??s tape echo machine | Includes spare tape loops

WEM Watkins Copicat 1960??s-1970??s tape echo machine | Includes spare tape loops

Birmingham, B35***, UNITED KINGDOM

£517

WEM Watkins Copicat 1960??s-1970??s tape echo machine | Includes spare tape loops
Owned since 2016 and recently unearthed after 5 years in storage, the exact age of this machine is an uncertainty, but its previous owner told me that it dates from the late 60??s to the early 70??s At present, it is in very good original condition, with all of the visual blemishes and imperfections being an obvious consequence of this item??s age. The sole noteworthy exception to this is some brown tape residue... more
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Find more WEM Rapier 33, WEM Rapier 44, WEM GR-60, WEM HR-30, WEM Copicat at vintageguitarsforsale.co

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1973 Hagstrom Swede Bass

1973 Hagstrom Swede Bass The Hagstrom Swede bass, or model HB 903, was only built in small numbers: just 1479 basses shipped between 1971 and 1976. Unlike the current range of Hagstrom guitars, the 1950s-1980s Hagstroms were built in Sweden. This example comes from 1973 and is pretty typical: translucent cherry finish, mahogany body, mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard. It's a really nice bass, beautifully appointed with a very wide tonal range, and a great playing feel. It is relatively heavy though for a mahogany instrument, mostly due to its thick solid body. Very cool bass, and certainly one of the very best basses produced by Hagstrom.

1973 Shaftesbury 3400

1973 Shaftesbury 3400 This example of the Shaftesbury 3400 was produced by Japanese manufacturer Matsumoku who made some great quality guitars in the 1970s and 1980s. This is a slightly later example, and has some features not seen on earlier 3400s. Although nice guitars, these are not in the same league as the Gibson Les Paul it was emulating (no set neck, no carved maple top); but they are far better than many of the entry-level Les Paul copies available in the mid-1970s - for example the Shaftesbury 3400 has gold plated hardware, a solid body bound front and back, Maxon brand humbuckers and nice inlaid neck and headstock.

1971 Epiphone 1802T

1971 Epiphone 1802T The Epiphone 1802T was the early name given to the Epiphone ET-270 and derived from an existing Aria guitar, also the 1802T. This was the first of the 1970s Epiphone solid bodies made in Japan by Matsumoku.The model evolved somewhat over its short production run: the very earliest examples were very similar to the Aria, sharing the same body shape, hardware, and clear-coated neck with Fender-style headstock with decal logo. By the time it was designated the Epiphone ET-270 it had been upgraded with the classic Epiphone-style headstock, with nice inlaid logo, and Epiphone 'E' motifs on the truss rod cover and scratchplate. This example from 1971 is somewhere in between with the Epiphone-style headstock, but with silk-screened logo, and no 'E's.

1971 Shaftesbury 3400

1971 Shaftesbury 3400Shaftesbury was a brand distributed by Rose-Morris in the UK - generally imported guitars from Italy or Japan. This guitar, model 3400 was produced by Matsumoku in Japan, and was one of the earliest Les Paul copy guitars, debuting in the UK in 1969, although the same guitar was also sold as the Univox U1982 'Rhythm and Blues' by Merson in the USA as early as 1968. It was also available in different territories under different marques, most obviously the Aria 5522 (Japan), Jedson Jet 4444 (UK, Dallas Arbiter), with no doubt many more examples worldwide.

1981 Gibson Victory MVX

1981 Gibson Victory MV-XThe Gibson Victory MV-X, or Victory 'Multi-Voice' 10, was so-named because of the 10 distinct switch settings: although on first glance this guitar is very much a 'super-strat', with its three-pickup 5-way switch wiring configuration, the original advertising, sounds like... all of 'em underlines that this isn't just a Stratocaster copy, having the sounds of both Gibson humbuckers and Fender single coils available with a flick of a switch. The model was short-lived, with the first instruments shipping from Kalamazoo in Summer of 1981, and the last (excluding any stragglers) leaving Nashville by early 1982. This one was stamped on August 3rd 1981 in Kalamazoo.

1970 Rosetti Epiphone guitar catalogue

1970 Rosetti Epiphone guitar catalogScan of 1970 Epiphone guitar catalogue produced by Rosetti for the UK market. Undated but most likely from mid-late 1970, this was the first UK catalogue to show the new range of Japanese (Matsumoku) Epiphone guitars. Interestingly, these pages show the Epiphone solid bodies with a single-sided Fender-style headstock layout - a feature quickly replaced with a typical two-sided Epiphone headstock almost immediately. Epiphone electric guitars: 9520, 9525; bass guitars: 9521, 9526; acoustic guitars: 6730, 6830, 6834

A World of Guitars by Rosetti - 1971

1971 A World of Guitars by Rosetti catalogueScan of 1971 Rosetti catalogue (UK) featuring guitars from from numerous manufacturers worldwide: guitars by Epiphone, Hagstrom, Levin, Hoyer, Egmond, Eros, Moridaira, Kiso-Suzuki, Schaller, and Tatra.

1971 Selmer guitar catalogue

1971 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1971 Selmer guitar catalogue showing the range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Gibson, Yamaha, Selmer, Hofner and Suzuki. 1960s Selmer had always placed Hofner at the front end of their catalogues, no doubt these were the better sellers - but into the 1970s Hofner were slipping somewhat and only appear at the tail end of this publication, pride of place going to Gibson, and to a lesser extent Yamaha. In fact this is the last Selmer catalogue to include the many Hofner hollow bodies (Committee, President, Senator etc) that had defined the companies output for so many years - to be replaced in the 1972 catalogue by generic solid body 'copies' of Gibson and Fender models. A number of new Gibson models are included for the first time: the SG-100 and SG-200 six string guitars and the SB-300 and SB-400 basses.

1968 Selmer guitar catalogue

1968 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1968/1969 Selmer guitar catalogue (printed July 1968), showing the entire range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Hofner, Gibson, Selmer and Giannini. Selmer were the exclusive United Kingdom distributors of Hofner and Gibson at the time, and this catalogue contains a total of 18 electric guitars, 7 bass guitars, 37 acoustics, and 2 Hawaiian guitars - all produced outside the UK and imported by Selmer, with UK prices included in guineas. This catalogue saw the (re-)introduction of the late sixties Gibson Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Standard (see page 69) and the short-lived Hofner Club 70. Other electric models include: HOFNER ELECTRICS: Committee, Verithin 66, Ambassador, President, Senator, Galaxie, HOFNER BASSES: Violin bass, Verithin bass, Senator bass, Professional bass GIBSON ELECTRICS: Barney Kessel, ES-330TD, ES-335TD, ES-345TD, ES-175D, ES-125CD, SG Standard, SG Junior, SG Special GIBSON BASSES: EB-0, EB-2, EB-3 - plus a LOT of acoustics branded Gibson, Hofner, Selmer and Giannini

1961 Hofner Colorama I

1961 Hofner Colorama IHofner Colorama was the name UK distributor Selmer gave to a series of solid and semi-solid guitars built by Hofner for distribution in the UK. The construction and specifications of the guitars varied over the period of production, but by 1961 it was a totally solid, double cutaway instrument, with a set neck, translucent cherry finish, six-in-a-row headstock, and Hofner Diamond logo pickups. Available as a single or dual pickup guitar, this sngle pickup version would have been sold in mainland Europe as the Hofner 161.

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)Commodore was a brand applied to a series of guitars produced in Japan at the well-respected Matsumoku plant from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s - and sold primarily (perhaps exclusively?) in the United Kingdom. The models bearing the Commodore name were all guitars available from different distributors with different branding. Although there may have been some minor changes in appointments (specifically headstock branding) most had the same basic bodies, hardware and construction. Equivalent models to the Commodore N25 (and this is by no means an exhaustive list) include the Aria 5102T, Conrad 5102T(?), Electra 2221, Lyle 5102T, Ventura V-1001, Univox Coily - and most famously the Epiphone 5102T / Epiphone EA-250.

1960 Hofner Colorama II

1960 Hofner Colorama IIThe Hofner Colorama was the name given by Selmer to a series of solid (and semi-solid) body Hofner guitars distributed in the United Kingdom between 1958 and 1965. The Colorama name actually applied to some quite different guitars over the period, but in 1960 it was a very light, semi-solid, set necked guitar with one (Colorama I) or two (Colorama II, as seen here) Toaster pickups. Although an entry-level guitar, it was very well-built, and a fine playing guitar; certainly a step up (at least in terms of craftsmanship) from many of the Colorama guitars that would follow, and a good deal of the guitars available in Britain circa 1960.

1971 Epiphone 1820 bass (ET-280)

1971 Epiphone 1820 (ET-280) bassBy the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration. Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. Having said this, there are a lot worse guitars out there, and as well as being historically important, the 1820 bass can certainly provide the goods when required.

1981 Gibson Marauder

1981 Gibson MarauderProduction of Bill Lawrence's Gibson Marauder began in 1974, with production peaking in 1978. But by 1980 the model was officially discontinued, though very small numbers slipped out as late as spring 1981. Over 7000 examples shipped between 1974 and 1979, and although no totals are available for 1980 and 1981, it is unlikely production reached three figures in either of these years. These final Marauders were all assembled at the Gibson Nashville plant, and had some nice features not available through the later years of production, such as a rosewood fretboard, and in this case, an opaque 'Devil Red' finish. It's a great looking and fine playing guitar!

1971 'Pick Epiphone' Catalog

1971 Pick Epiphone catalogWhen Epiphone production moved from Kalamazoo to the Matsumoku plant in Japan, a whole new range of electric, flattop and classic acoustic guitars was launched. Between late 1970 and 1972 the new models were launched and refined. This 'folder' catalog contains various inserts released over these years detailing four electric six-strings (ET-270, ET-275, ET-278, and thinline EA-250), three bass guitars (ET-280, ET-285, and thinline EA-260), three folk/steel acoustics, four jumbo flattop acoustics, two 12-string jumbos, four classic acoustics, and a banjo.

1981 'Gibson Specials' Pre-Owners Manual

1981 Gibson Specials Pre-Owners Manual'Gibson Specials' was part of the June 1981 pre-owners manual series, but unlike the other folders contained a mish-mash of different guitars: limited editions, test marketing and close outs. "You will find the unusual, the brand-new, and the bargain within this folder". End of line 70s guitars like the Marauder, S-1, and L-6S Custom mixed in with brand new models the The V, The Explorer and the Flying V Bass.
It was the largest folder in the series, with 24 inserts, (19 guitars and 5 basses): Guitars: 335-S Standard, Melody Maker Double, Marauder, L-6S Custom, S-1, RD Artist, Firebird, Firebird II, Flying V, Flying V-II, The V, Explorer, Explorer II, The Explorer, The "SG" Standard, Les Paul Artist, Les Paul Artisan, ES-335 Heritage, ES-175/CC Basses: Grabber, G-3, L-9S, RD Artist Bass, Flying V Bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bass Rose-Morris were selling Shaftesbury-branded Rickenbacker copy instruments from the late 1960s right through the 1970s. The 3263 bass was one of the first models, (alongside the 3261 six string and 3262 twelve string) available from late 1968 until about 1974. The earliest incarnation was a set neck bass, produced very briefly in Japan. But production quickly moved to Italy. This bolt-on neck example was built by Eko, in Recanati, using the same hardware and pickups as fitted to Eko, and Vox basses built around the same time. It's certainly a fine looking bass, and not a bad player either.

1961 Hohner Zambesi

1961 Hohner Zambesi This very early, and pretty rare British-built guitar is branded Hohner London. Hohner were, of course, a German company, better known for their harmonicas and accordions, but they were keenly expanding into guitars at the birth of the 1960s. This model, along with the Hohner Amazon and (particularly) the Hohner Holborn, bear some similarity with Vox guitars of the same period; furniture manufacturer Stuart Darkins constructed bodies and necks for both brands, with Fenton Weill assembling them using their hardware and pickups. These guitars do have some hardware peculiarities, and they are not the most adjustable of instruments, but they actually play very nicely, being solidly built out of some very nice woods. Check out the video on this page.

1963 Vox Super Ace

1963 Vox Super Ace The Vox Super Ace was a mid-priced British solid body electric guitar, produced by JMI at their factory in Dartford, Kent. It was broadly modelled on the Fender Stratocaster, and a sibling model to the dual-pickup Vox Ace. Both the Ace, and Super Ace (along with several other models), were redesigned in 1963 with a new body shape, headstock style, and pickup layout - only increasing the resemblance to the aforementioned Fender. The Super Ace had a 1963 price tag of £47 5S. It's a pretty nice playing guitar with some lovely sounds - check out the videos on this page, and in the Vintage Guitar and Bass supporting members area

1966 Vox New Escort

1966 Vox New Escort The Vox New Escort was Vox's version of the Fender Telecaster, at a time when American guitars were out of reach for most British musicians. It was made by JMI in England, for the British market, and unlike the majority of other models, didn't have an Italian-made equivalent. But the New Escort wasn't a slavish Fender copy, adding Vox's stylish teardrop headstock to the tele-style body, with a stop tailpiece and two Vox V2 single coil pickups. And it's a pretty substantial, and nice playing guitar, with a very comfortable neck. Check out the images, specifications, and watch a video of it in action. There is also extra content in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin' Care

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin Care Catalog scan. The 1969 Fender Lovin' Care catalog consisted of 48 pages of electric guitars, basses, amplifiers, steel guitars, acoustic guitars, banjos and keyboards. Like the previous catalog, this featured the company's guitars in a variety of interesting settings around California, from the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, to the Hollywood Bowl. Several instruments were making their first appearance amongst it's pages: the Telecaster bass, Montego and LTD jazz guitars, and the Redondo acoustic. It was the final catalog appearance, however, of the Electric XII, Bass V, Duo-Sonic, Coronado I and Coronado Bass I.

1973 Eko Ranger Folk

1973 Eko Ranger Folk The Eko Ranger series of guitars was incredibly popular in the second half of the 1960s and through the 1970s, selling in very large numbers. The Ranger Folk was 1 1/4" smaller, and 1" shallower than the Ranger VI and XII - and with a narrower waist. Not a bad guitar; a little quiet, but pretty playable. These were great value in 1973, and because they sold so many, they are easy to find and excellent value today.

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitar

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitar The Symphonic bass was built in the UK, by Vox parent company JMI. It was the Vox equivalent to the Fender Precision bass, and was one of the most expensive Vox guitars produced. It was actually a great playing bass, rather similar to the Precision in feel and sound, but was probably just too expensive compared to an actual Fender and consequently sold poorly. When Vox hit financial problems in 1968, unsold guitars and basses were passed on to Dallas Arbiter, who briefly sold the excess Symphonic bass stock as model 4537. This bass, although with a neck date of February 1966, was most likely one of the unsold Vox guitars sold on by Dallas Arbiter. Check out the bass, and the two video demos through 1960s Ampeg and WEM amplifiers.

1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog

1968 Shaftesbury catalogThe 1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog was just four pages long, and contained four guitar models: the six string Barney Kessel-style 3264; and three Rickenbacker-styled semi-acoustic models: the six-string 3261, the twelve string 3262 and the 3263 bass. Shaftesbury was the house-brand of major UK distributor Rose-Morris, and seems to have been launched as a response to the company's loss of it's distribution deal with Rickenbacker. The guitars were mid-priced, and built in (initially) Japan, and later Italy, by Eko

1970 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns Celebrated Classics' catalog

1970 Rose_Morris catalog1970 Rose-Morris catalog, dated April 1970. It featured 6 electric guitars, 32 acoustic guitars, 3 basses and 1 steel guitar. It contains the following instruments, over 20 pages: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3262, 3264, 3265, 3400; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Colorado, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12; Aria 1674, 1675, 1676, 1679, 1680, 1695, 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk; Rose-Morris 15-11, Kansas, Georgian, Florida; Suzuki 1663, 1664, 1665, 3054, 3055, 3060; Tatay 1713, 1714, 1715; Peerless 3052; Steel guitar: Aria 3425

1971 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns' catalog

1971 Rose_Morris catalogThe sixteen-page 1971 Rose-Morris catalog featured electric guitars by Rose-Morris' own brand, Shaftesbury, and budget brand Top Twenty; aswell as acoustics by Eko, Aria, and for the first time Ovation. The catalog contains the following instruments: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3264, 3265, 3400, 3402; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Ovation: Balladeer, 12 String, Glen Campbell, Glen Campbell 12 string; Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12, Colorado, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Studio 'L'; Rose-Morris Florida; Aria 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk

1972 Fender Precision bass

1972 Fender PrecisionA detailed look at an early 1970s Fender Precision bass guitar in custom black finish, with rosewood fretboard. 1972 list price, $307.50. The Fender Precision had been shipping since at least very early 1952 - with just one re-design circa 1957. This example, then, shows a model already two decades old, but barely changed since the '57 revamp. Fender got it right first time around, and although there are numerous minor cosmetic differences, the essence of this bass is effectively the same as it was in '52: a simple, single pickup instrument with a GREAT sound. Check out the demo video through an old Ampeg B15. It's no wonder this is the bass that everybody wants!

1967 Vox Stroller

1967 Vox StrollerThe Vox Stroller was the brand's entry level electric solid body guitar, fitted with just one pickup and a fixed tailpiece. Although aimed at student guitarists, it wasn't a terrible instrument, but did lack somewhat in adjustability, having no accessible truss rod and only a floating rosewood bridge. But this example is actually quite an improvement on earlier versions, with a standard 1/4" jack and a solid mahogany body. 1967 price £18 2s. JMI ceased UK guitar production in late '67, and combined with decreasing demand for the Stroller, this surely must be one of the last examples shipped.

1963 Vox Clubman Bass (left handed)

1963 Vox Clubman Bass left handedA nice example of the Vox Clubman II bass, built by JMI in Dartford, Kent in 1963. This is a lightweight bass, short (30") scale and very easy to play. It is an early example, and as such has a thin black scratchplate and side mounted, coaxial output jack. JMI offered left handed examples of their solid body Vox guitars and basses at 10% premium. Production numbers are unclear, but left-handed examples rarely come up for sale

1977 Gibson ES Artist 'prototype'

1977 Gibson ES Artist prototypeNot to be confused with the Gibson ES Artist launched by Gibson in 1979; this ES Artist was an early model designed by the Gibson research and development team in Kalamazoo in 1977, the instruments themselves constructed by Gibson artist Chuck Burge. It was planned for launch as a high end semi acoustic with 335-style construction (central maple block) and innovative circuitry - but was pulled at the last minute, being deemed too expensive. Apparently, several examples were produced with varying specifications, though exactly how many actually left the Kalamazoo plant is unclear. Certainly two guitars were sold to LaVonne Music by Gibson in around 1980. Read more about the development of this guitar, with details from Chuck Burge and the story of it's sale to LaVonne music