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FENDER | CATALOGS | 1968 FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS... ON THE GO! | PAGE 10 FENDER SOLID BODIES

Fender Mustang, Mustang Bass, Duo Sonic II, Mandolin, Musicmaster

1968 Fender guitar and bass catalog - page 10

Fender 1968 guitar and bass catalog. Page 10. Fender lower priced solid bodies. Image of the Fender Mustang, Fender Mustang Bass, Fender Duo Sonic II, Fender Mandolin and Fender Musicmaster. This is the left hand page of a two page spread. Details of the guitars pictured are on the following page.

Prices for these instruments (July 1968) were as follows: Mustang $199.50, Mustang Bass $199.50, Duo-Sonic $164.50, Musicmaster $134.50 and Electric Mandolin $169.50. The guitars are all available in the three colours shown here only: red, white and blue, the mandolin only in shaded sunburst.

Fender Mustang, Mustang Bass, Duo Sonic II, Mandolin, Musicmaster - 1968 Fender catalog - page 10
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Vintage Fender guitars for sale

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1964 Fender DUO-SONIC II Blue with 66 body CLAY DOTS + L-PLATE + 64 pickups

1964 Fender DUO-SONIC II Blue with '66 body CLAY DOTS + L-PLATE + '64 pickups

Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3390


Add Me to Your Favorite Sellers
Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1964 Fender Duo-Sonic II. The body is from 1966, but everything else dates to 1964 with the exception of one switch. The original Red '64 body was replaced with this original Blue '66 body. In the routes for the pickups and switches a small portion of the treble side route walls have been slightly widened to make room for the original 1964 pickguard assembly. It has a great playing neck with great frets and clay ... more
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1961 Vintage Fender Musicmaster Guitar Pre-CBS

1961 Vintage Fender Musicmaster Guitar Pre-CBS

Sandpoint, Idaho, 838**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3350

1961 Fender Musicmaster guitar. Former owner bought this in the 90??s as an original finish guitar, but it is actually a 30+ year old refinish in Dakota Red. Appears to have originally been Olympic White. Finish checking on both sides does not photograph well. Neck appears to have been over-sprayed with clear at the same time. Volume pot and jack have been replaced, but originals are included in case. Frets have been dressed and crowned and are in great shape with plenty of life left. Some ... more
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Fender Musicmaster 1957 - Desert Sand

Fender Musicmaster 1957 - Desert Sand

Brooklyn, New York, 112**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3950

1957 Fender Musicmaster
A beautiful example of a naturally worn 50's Fender in a classy finish, Desert Sand. This early version of the student model guitar from Fender has the anodized pickguard to match the class of the finish. The guard has a pleasing amount of wear, with the gold worn off in many spots but especially in the picking area. The lone pickup shows a nice amount of wear and some discoloration around the edges. There are a fair amount of small dents and dings around the body, but... more
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1964 fender mustang guitar

1964 fender mustang guitar

Santa Ana, California, 927**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3950

All original 1964 Fender Mustang guitar! Works perfectly and comes with original case. Both in excellent condition.
... more
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1963 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Short Scale Guitar w /  Mahogany Body, 100% Original

1963 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Short Scale Guitar w / Mahogany Body, 100% Original

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6300

Up for sale, a 1963 Fender Duo Sonic in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and bridge cover. A rare variant featuring a mahogany body and distinctive transparent Cherry gloss nitro lacquer finish, this Duo Sonic has a natural midrange warmth and growl that sets it apart
The guitar has a bold natural acoustic tone, qualities which translate well via the original pair of black bobbin alnico magnet single coil pickups. ... more
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1975 Fender MUSTANG Sunburst

1975 Fender MUSTANG Sunburst

Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2390


Add Me to Your Favorite Sellers
Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1975 Fender Mustang in Sunburst. It has a great playing neck with great frets. It's all original with the exception of the tremolo arm. The original hardshell case is included, but only one latch is working. There are nicks + dings, finish cracks, a small chipped off corner of the pickguard and other cosmetic wear including some chipped finish on the neck. The guitar itself remains structurally sound with no ... more
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Vintage 1966 Fender Mustang (body only refin)

Vintage 1966 Fender Mustang (body only refin)

Carlsbad, California, 920**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2599

Maker: Fender
Model: Mustang
Condition: Very Good
Description:
Here for your consideration we have a 1966 Fender Mustang in very good condition
A beautiful feeling neck in excellent condition, body only refin in white, original tuners, pickguard, pots, bridge / trem. Pickups were dying so we put in a brand new set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities under the original vintage pickup covers. Ships with brand new Fender Mustang hard case. A very clean, player grade ... more
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1964 Fender Musicmaster a cool Desert Sand w / a Rosewood clay dot neck Killer !

1964 Fender Musicmaster a cool Desert Sand w / a Rosewood clay dot neck Killer !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3495

This is one of the coolest small guitars that??s an original Musicmaster from May 1954. Its original yellowed Desert Sand finish is in cool patinated shape over a lightweight alder body. Its veneer Rosewood Neck is super comfy w / clay dots & is dated February 1964. Its original single layer pickgard is a bit worn as she??s been played most of her life. Its original pickup was replaced w / a screaming vintage DiMarzio DP-1 from 1982 & she??s got original pots dated to the 20th week of ... more
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Vintage 1957 Fender Duo Sonic. Partial Restoration. 

Vintage 1957 Fender Duo Sonic. Partial Restoration. 

Houston, Texas, 770**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4200

Vintage 1957 Fender Duo Sonic.

I bought this guitar about 10 years ago from a friend that passed away and had a guitar collection. I found the guitar in the condition shown on the second picture. For some reason the guitar had been gutted out in the area of the pick guard, I have no idea why. Maybe to do some kind of modification. Who knows. I am not a musician but I love guitars and I??m handy with tools. So I decided to attempt to replace the area that was gutted. I didn??t know ... more
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Fender 1968 Vintage Electric Guitar Duo Sonic II Nice Storage Case

Fender 1968 Vintage Electric Guitar Duo Sonic II Nice Storage Case

Kingman, Arizona, 864**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2150

Fender 1968 Vintage Electric Guitar Duo Sonic II Nice Storage Case
Used, But still in Great Shape. This Vintage 1968 Fender Electric Guitar Duo Sonic II is still in great playing condition and has a few minor condition issues. There are some light scratches / dent marks on the from face and back side of the guitar, along with the sides. The case has some wear and tear on the outside with the edges and corner taking most of the damages, the pleather inside is tearing off one side of the ... more
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1958 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Pre-CBS Electric Guitar Desert Sand W /  Case

1958 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Pre-CBS Electric Guitar Desert Sand W / Case

Tucson, Arizona, 857**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4000

1958 Fender Duo Sonic in its original Desert Sand finish

Someone attempted to route this guitar and cut off a good amount of the wood under the pickguard. Please study all photos for proper understanding of condition

The pickups on this guitar are not the original pickups, the pickups are Custom Shop Seymour Duncan Antiquities that were put in more recently. Aside from the pickup switch, everything underneath the pickguard has been replaced.

WHATS ORIGINAL ... more
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Vintage Fender Mustang Red 1966

Vintage Fender Mustang Red 1966

Brookfield, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3499


Vintage Fender Mustang Red 1966
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR AN IN-HAND DESCRIPTION
A dynamite player, this ultra cool Mustang is finished in Red & sports a silky smooth neck with rosewood fretboard. These have always been a big favorite here at Cream City Music & thanks to a pro set up from our in-house tech, it's ready to play straight out of the case
Cosmetic Condition: Various nicks, chips, dents & dings; scratches, weather checking & some finish ... more
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Vintage Fender Duo Sonic II Red 1966

Vintage Fender Duo Sonic II Red 1966

Brookfield, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3499


Vintage Fender Duo Sonic II Red 1966
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR AN IN-HAND DESCRIPTION
100% original & a great player finished in a super cool Red. These have been steadily climbing in price recently & this particular example would make an excellent addition to any Fender afficionado's collection. Professionally inspected & set up ready to play straight out of the case
Cosmetic Condition: Various nicks, chips, dents & dings; scratches, weather ... more
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1964 Fender Musicmaster Cherry Red | Rare MAHOGANY BODY Pre-CBS duo sonic

1964 Fender Musicmaster Cherry Red | Rare MAHOGANY BODY Pre-CBS duo sonic

Lee's Summit, Missouri, 640**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3299


1964 Fender Musicmaster Cherry Red Rare Mahogany Body Pre-CBS!
Really nice and honest vintage Fender Musicmaster in rare Cherry Red with Mahogany body. Fender did a run of guitars with mahogany bodies and cherry finish kind of like Gibson! This was for a short period in 1963-64. Not many were made. This guitar is playing well and sounds excellent. A-neck like most musicmasters of this time period. Really a cool piece of Fender history and yet a very useful guitar at ... more
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Fender Mustang 1966 w /  Hardcase

Fender Mustang 1966 w / Hardcase

Jenison, Michigan, 494**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3000


Vintage 1966 Fender Mustang Electric Guitar, Brazillian Rosewood Fingerboard, Red
Condition
Moderate wear: Classic wear you typically get with a vintage instrument including finish checking, 1st string is a little low in the nut slot, but there is very little buzz. and slightly scratchy switches. Moderate damage: Classic wear you typically get with a vintage instrument including finish checking, 1st string is a little low in the nut slot, but there is very little buzz. and slightly... more
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1963 Fender Duo Sonic very cool all original example cool axe like a mini Strat.

1963 Fender Duo Sonic very cool all original example cool axe like a mini Strat.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4995

This is one of the coolest small guitars that??s an all original Duo Sonic from 1963. Its original 3-tone Sunburst finish is in nice shape over a lightweight alder body. Its Rosewood Neck is super comfy & feels like a Strat. Its original White single layer pickgard is clean. Its original pickups are super potent & she??s got original pots dated to 1963. She??s very good overall, she has a killer vibe & she has her original Tan tolex hard case
... more
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1978 Fender Musicmaster Cherry Red w / HSC

1978 Fender Musicmaster Cherry Red w / HSC

San Diego, California, 921**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1495

1978 Fender Musicmaster In Cherry Red Finish
This Guitar Is Located At IVG Sherman Oaks
In Very Good Overall Condition (Please See Photos)
Finish Shows Some Cosmetic Playwear Including Various Dings, Marks And Scratches As Shown
All Original Example
Made In USA
Alder Body
Maple Neck With Rosewood Fingerboard And Dot Inlays
Original Frets In Good Condition With Life Left
1 5 / 8" Nut Width
Weighs 8lbs 12oz
With Non-Original Hard Shell Case
... more
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Vintage 1968 Fender Mustang Red w /  Original Hard Case

Vintage 1968 Fender Mustang Red w / Original Hard Case

New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3199

Vintage original 1968 Fender Mustang in original Red finish
A real nice example that is pretty clean for the age. Original red finish is unfaded and nice and vibrant
Has that vintage 1960s look
Neck date is 16 MAR 68 B. Neck is nice and straight and plays well all the way up and down, no buzz or issue. Tremolo works great and guitar stays in tune.
Original pickup controls are on and off and out of phase making for a real wide variety of tones
A classic vintage Mustang... more
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1978 Fender Mustang Vintage Electric Guitar Olympic White 100% Original w /  Case

1978 Fender Mustang Vintage Electric Guitar Olympic White 100% Original w / Case

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2800

Up for sale, a 1978 Fender Mustang in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order. Featuring the fairly uncommon cosmetic combination of a deeply yellowed Olympic White gloss finish paired with black plastics, this stunning vintage example is complete with the original hardshell case. With an ash body, maple neck, and dark rosewood fretboard, there's plenty of snap, snarl, and cut available from this Mustang. The ash body ensures a certain midrange authority and note attack, ... more
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1959 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Pre-CBS Electric Guitar Desert Sand Slab Board

1959 Fender Duo Sonic Vintage Pre-CBS Electric Guitar Desert Sand Slab Board

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4900

Up for sale, a 1959 Fender Duo Sonic in 100% original, collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original "knucklebuster" hardshell case and bridge cover. The guitar has a smooth, lively natural acoustic tone, qualities which translate well via the original pair of black bobbin alnico magnet single coil pickups. These pickups are essentially wound identically to a '59 Strat pickup, with the only difference being the flat pole piece design. Both pickups have ... more
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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 bassRose-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 ZambesiThis 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 AceThe 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 EscortThe 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 CareCatalog 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 FolkThe 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 guitarThe 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

1959 Hofner Committee

1959 Hofner CommitteeThe Hofner Committee was a truly beautiful guitar produced in Germany, primarily for the UK market. It was a large bodied (initially 17 1/2") guitar with a carved spruce top, available as an acoustic or electric guitar. By the early sixties the carved top was replaced with a laminate, and although still a very fine guitar, the earlier carved top examples, with frondose headstock (like the example shown here) are far more highly prized amongst musicians and vintage guitar collectors.

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins TennesseanThe Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean, or model 6119 was Gretsch's best selling hollow body of the 1960s. This wonderfully faded example from 1965 was originally Dark Cherry Red, but has turned a mid-orange brown. The original color, however, can be seen underneath the pickup surrounds. 1965 specs: maple body, two-piece neck, Brazilian rosewood fretboard and Hi-Lo 'Tron single coil pickups. Nickel plated Gretsch Bigsby tailpiece.

1965 Gretsch 'For the Spectacular Sound of the Times' guitar and amp catalog

1965 Gretsch catalogThe 1965 Gretsch catalog, or catalog #32, featured 10 hollow body electric guitars, including the newly launched Gretsch Viking; four solid body electrics, including the Astro Jet - making it's only catalog appearance; just one bass, the single pickup PX6070; nine acoustics and 12 tube amplifiers. Pride of place went to the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman that adorned both the front and back covers. 24 pages, six of which are in full color.

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret ends

Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret endsLoose frets are especially problematic in certain old guitars, but are generally very easy to fix. You'll be amazed at the difference you can make with just a few tools, a bit of knowledge, and a little time. Fixing loose frets can eliminate fret buzz, remove sharp fret ends, and greatly improve the tone of any guitar. If your luthier bill will be greater than the value of your guitar, definitely time to have a go yourself!

1966 Hagstrom 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog (Merson USA)

1966 Hagstrom guitar catalogHagstrom guitars were distributed in the mid-1960s United States by Merson of USA. This eight page 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog, printed in two-colors contained six solid body electrics, three solid body basses, two electric acoustic guitars, two electric acoustic basses and five acoustics.

1965 Hofner President

1965 Hofner PresidentThe President was produced by Hofner in Bubenreuth, Germany, specifically for Selmer, who distributed the brand in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and other commonwealth nations. The President was a hollow body electric acoustic, available as a full body or thinline, and with blonde or brunette finish. It was a great playing guitar that sold fairly well in the second half of the 1950s, throughout the 1960s, and into the very early 1970s. The example shown here is a full-body depth guitar in blonde - and as a 1965 guitar, one of the last to feature the rounded Venetian cutaway. From late 1965 until 1972, the President sported a sharp Florentine cut. Naturally, such an electric acoustic suggests jazz and blues, but many of the original British Hofner President players were part of the rock 'n roll, skiffle and beat scenes of the late 50s and early 60s.

1963 1964 Fender catalog

Fender 1963 catalogue"The Choice of Professional and Student Musicians Everywhere" This eight page catalogue was included as an insert in the 1963 annual "school music" issue of Downbeat magazine (September 1963). As well as keyboards and pedal steels, this catalog contains seven guitars, three basses and ten amplifiers - from student guitars such as the Musicmaster and Duotone to professional models like the new Jaguar.