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Find out more about this instrument here: 1973 Fender Musicmaster bass
This is a lovely playing bass. It's got that nice solid Fender feel, but with an easy playing 30.5" scale. I've got it strung with flats for that retro feel, and it sounds and plays great. This video showcases the bass played fingerstyle and with a pick, with tone on full, about half way, and turned right down. When playing through an amp I tend not to use the tone control much (i'd probably turn up the bass a little on the amp - check out my video of this bass through an Ampeg B15) but in a DI situation, a little tweaking of the tone control adds some gorgeous roundness to the overall sound. Maybe too refined for all you punk rockers out there, but I love it.
Recorded through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1979 LAB series L7
The Marauder was quite atypical when it was first developed by Bill Lawrence for Gibson: with its maple fretboard and bolt-on neck. This clip shows a late period mahogany body, rosewood neck Gibson Marauder, played through a contemporaneous (actually 1979) 4x10 100w LAB series L7. The guitar is strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46). The L7 was created by Moog and Gibson (both Norlin companies) and is a seriously underated amp. The snarlier sounds are featured here, but it has a lot of really nice clean tones too. Watch the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area, to hear a bit more of this guitar / amp under different settings.
There are three clips: first a demo of the pickup blend pot, then a clean/glassy tone demonstrating the LAB series midrange boost, and finally some really dirty fuzz from the lower boosted input. This amp has a HUGE range of sounds!
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
Here is a very short clip of a super cool Super Ace by Vox. Made in England in the JMI factory circa 1963 - and paired with a gorgeous 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb. Check out the other clips of this guitar/amp combination, or watch the long version (25+ different, from rich and warm, through superbly crunchy, to interplanetary exploration) in the vintageguitarandbass 'supporting members' area here. Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1968 Hagstrom H8, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The H8 is traditionally tuned in octaves, but you can also get some very interesting effects using alternate tunings of the treble strings. For more examples of this, check out the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox Symphonic, 1963 WEM ER-15
This clip shows this 1966 Vox Symphonic bass played through a 1963 WEM ER15 with 1x12" Pick-A-Bass cab. This is a really nice playing bass, not dissimilar from the early 1960s Precision on which it was based. It's got a good tone, and is a far more substantial bass than many made by Vox. Strung here with Fender 9050L flatwound strings. This video shows a small sample of sounds using different bass and amp settings. See the longer version for a more in depth view of what this guitar/amp combination can do.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox New Escort, 1976 WEM Dominator mkIII
This is a fabulous guitar - Vox's take on the Fender Telecaster (which was in pretty short supply in mid-1960s Britain), and actually a pretty awesome player. It has some gorgeous snarl through this WEM Dominator, but check it out through the 1963 WEM ER15 and 1965 Vox AC4 in our other videos.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1969 Gibson Melody Maker D, 197X WEM Clubman MK 8
This is a lovely late 1960s dual pickup Gibson Melody Maker D guitar. Pots date to December 1968 / January 1969. It plays beautifully and just rocks through a WEM. This Clubman (mk8) probably dates to the very early 1970s. 5w, all-valve, with superb clean tones, but super gainy when pushed. This has a lot of crunch with the volume up high, and extreme bite when the treble is turned up too. It's loud, but not too loud. This is an AWESOME combination -you just can't stop playing!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Bassmaster, 1963 WEM ER-15
A UK-built (JMI) 1963 Vox Bassmaster dual pickup bass guitar, played through an (also 1963) British WEM ER-15 head with Pick-A-Bass cab. I usually prefer flatwounds on basses like this, but the ancient rattley roundwounds that were on it just sounded so great cranked up, I had to record it. Check it out - listen to the end!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1973 Fender Musicmaster bass, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
The WEM Dominator bass is a superb sounding British tube amp from Watkins.. it's got plenty of bass, and growls beautifully when volume gets past about half way. A wide tonal palette with plenty of useable sounds. Paired here with a 1973 Fender Musicmaster; a cool 30 1/2" scale bass, at the time inexpensive, but with the usual Fender build quality and a quick easy playing feel. This one is fitted with flats, but the WEM gives plenty of treble with the controls positioned accordingly. Watch the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area, to hear a bit more of this bass / amp under different settings.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1979 LAB series L7
This video demonstrates 11 distinct sounds from a 1981 Gibson Marauder, played through a 1979 4x10 100w LAB series L7. This is a really nice playing guitars and a hugely versatile amplifier. As I usually do in these clips, I start off with some clean tones, and get gainier as the video progresses. There are a lot of recommended settings out there for this amp - but for this video I chose a few of my own. Settings that, to me at least, sound great paired with this guitar.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
Here is a very short clip of a super cool Super Ace by Vox. Made in England in the JMI factory circa 1963 - and paired with a gorgeous 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb. The Vibrato and Reverb on this amp are just MAGNIFICENT. Check out the other clips of this guitar/amp combination, or watch the long version (25+ different, from rich and warm, through superbly crunchy, to interplanetary exploration) in the vintageguitarandbass 'supporting members' area here. Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1968 Hagstrom H8, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The H8 strings are in pairs - you need to play downstrokes to hit each pair with any degree of uniformity, but you can select just the 'bass' string with careful upstrokes. Check out the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox Symphonic, 1963 WEM ER-15
This clip shows this 1966 Vox Symphonic bass played through a 1963 WEM ER15 with 1X12" Pick-A-Bass cab. This is a really nice playing bass, not dissimilar from the early 1960s Precision on which it was based. It's got a good tone, and is a far more substantial bass than many made by Vox. Strung here with Fender 9050L flatwound strings.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Bassmaster, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
The WEM Dominator bass amp is a British 15w tube amp with a 15" Celestion G15M speaker. And it gets plenty dirty! Always my first choice for some snarly overdriven bass. The Vox Bassmaster is a cool little guitar, and as can be heard here quite capable of laying down some tones! It's very, very, playable, the Vox V1 pickups are pretty sweet, and the combination of short scale and thin neck make this one of the easiest playing basses ever made!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox New Escort, 1976 WEM Dominator mkIII
This is a fabulous guitar - Vox's take on the Fender Telecaster (which was in pretty short supply in mid-1960s Britain), and actually a pretty awesome player. It has some gorgeous snarl through this WEM Dominator, but check it out through the 1963 WEM ER15 and 1965 Vox AC4 in our other videos
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1969 Gibson Melody Maker D, 197X WEM Clubman MK 8
The WEM Clubman is one of my favourite amps. It's small; probably too small to play out; but capable of some really gritty sounds. Fantastic recording amp. Clean sounds first, getting gainier as we go through. Check it out!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1976 WEM Dominator mkIII
This is a tasty combination. Actually these two give a pretty bassy basic tone, and the whole amp rattles and vibrates with any significant volume, especially on the lower strings - so quite a few of the settings I used had the amp bass rolled down to some extent. But not all - turn it up loud enough and you can't hear the amp anyway! This amp has some truly wonderful grittier tones, and a world apart from the clean tones of many other amps. Compare the sounds attained here with those from a Fender amp, or Gibson/Norlin solid state LAB series amp. Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46)
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1973 Fender Musicmaster bass, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
Long version of this video with extra bass settings. This is a great bass/amp combination with a tone all of its own. Compare this video with the others on this site - ie with the bass DI'd and through an early 1960s Ampeg Portaflex B15.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
1963 Vox Super Ace vs 1973 Fender Vibrolux (Shure left, Heil right) Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46) - The Vibrolux is an AWESOME amp! Like it's big brother, the Fender Twin, it has a great clean tone, cavernous reverb, and the most amazing vibrato - but in a smaller 40 Watt 2x10 package. A superb recording amp indeed. And just perfect for blues. But it does rattle a bit when turned to high. I use other amps for distorted tones, but the Vibrolux is the GOD of clean! The Vox Super Ace, with it's V2 single coil pickups has a really great sound too - three three pickups operate one at a time, with tone controls for the middle and neck only - this guitar has some superbly beautiful warm tones, with these tones rolled down a little (or a lot!). It doesn't do bright and piercing as well as it does warm and rich, but it's a real pleasure to play. This video demonstrates 25+ sounds, from rich and warm, through superbly crunchy, to interplanetary exploration.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1968 Hagstrom H8, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
We can get some really bright chiming tones from this bass / amp by selecting just the bridge pickup and picking down by the bridge. Check out the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Bassmaster, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
For snarly distortion, I love my WEM amplifiers, but for cleaner tones, nothing beats an Ampeg B15. Unlike the previous videos (above), the bass is now strung with flatwound strings (shortscale, Rotosound Jazz Bass RS77S, 40-90, so still fairly light). These are not actually ideal, as the ball-end silk windings actually extend over the saddle - not great for accurate intonation, but it's the set I bought! (Labella Deep Talkin' strings don't have winding at this end, but I didn't have any spare on the day I was making the video). It's a nice sounding bass, although with somewhat limited controls: despite the dual pickups, it only has a master volume and master tone - no option to select the pickups individually. The neck is narrow, but not too shallow, and topped with a nice radiused rosewood fretboard. Some other early Vox instruments had a flat sycamore board - notably the Clubman bass. Actually rather good for playing some of those faster runs not so easy on some necks. The Vox V1 pickups are (as always) pretty nice - plenty of midrange and a lot of character. This bass is very light (just a shade over 3kg), and a lot of fun to play, but probably too primative to be anyone's main bass.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox New Escort, 1965 Vox AC4
This is a fabulous guitar - Vox's take on the Fender Telecaster (which was in pretty short supply in mid-1960s Britain), and actually a pretty awesome player. It sounds pretty good through this contemporaneous Vox AC4, but check it out through the 1960s WEM ER15 and early 70s WEM Dominator
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1969 Gibson Melody Maker D, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
This is a wonderful late 1960s dual pickup Gibson Melody Maker D (pots date to December 1968 / January 1969). It's one of those guitars that you just can't put down! And it sounds great through this 15w WEM. The Dominator bass is technically a bass amp, but is basically the same as the guitar version, save for a bigger 15" speaker cone. Played first at a lower volume, and then ramped up for some lovely distorted valve tones.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox Symphonic, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
This clip shows this 1966 Vox Symphonic bass played through a 1964 Ampeg B15. This is a really nice playing bass, not dissimilar from the early 1960s Precision on which it was based. It's got a good tone, and is a far more substantial bass than many made by Vox. Strung here with Fender 9050L flatwound strings
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1976 WEM Dominator mkIII
Long version of this video with extra guitar and amp settings. This is a great guitar/amp combination, with a lot of awesome clean and distorted sounds.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1973 Fender Musicmaster bass, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The Ampeg B15 is an absolute classic amplifier, famous for its clean midrange output: there's little snarl, and certainly no fuzz, but the clean tones are magnificent! Contrast the sounds of this amp with those from the WEM Dominator also featured on this site
Strung with Fender flats
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 197X WEM Clubman MK 8
The WEM Clubman is one of the brands smaller amplifiers - just 5 watts through a single 12 inch speaker. But it's an awesome sounding amp, especially if you want a bit of grit! And the three-pickup Vox Super Ace has a lot of different tones. This video shows just one sound: the middle pickup of the Vox with the tone rolled down a little, through a fairly tame amp. Crank up those controls for some MUCH hotter sounds. Check out the other long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass 'supporting members' area to see what this combination can do. Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1968 Hagstrom H8, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The Hagstrom Eight String bass (H8, or F800) is a pretty quirky instrument with some pretty unique sounds. And there are a LOT of sound possibilities, both from the instruments controls, and the use of unconventional tunings. Strings are in pairs, traditionally tuned in octaves, just like a 12-string guitar. The treble string is positioned directly above, and quite close to, the bass string, and like the 12-string, notes are played together on both strings. It's not impossible to play fingerstyle, but is more effective when played with a pick. Unlike a guitar, chords are not really the name of the game, and as single notes are the focus of most basslines, downward picks give the most tonal consistency. But you can play just the 'bass' strings if you carefully pick upwards. A typical hard plastic bass pick works ok, but I find you get a better result with a more flexible pick. Thin plastic is ok for playing multiple strings, but I quite like a 'Leather Tones' leather guitar pick. These are firm enough to get a decent sound when playing one string, but flexible enough when playing several. They do produce a darker jazzier sound though. Hear the difference in the video.
You can also get some very interesting effects using alternate tunings of the treble strings; typically uptuning these by a 3rd or a 5th. Again, hear some of these sounds towards the end of the video.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about this instrument here: 1966 Vox Symphonic
This clip shows this 1966 Vox Symphonic bass played through a Marshall 2061X reissue head / Marshall 1550 1x15 cab. This is a pretty gainy amp, and certainly not one to chose if you want hi-fi clean sounds. I've just used the bass channel here, but it can get a whole lot grittier if you daisy chain the lead and bass channels together, Strung here with Fender 9050L flatwound strings.
I'm not entirely happy with this video. The low E string sounds like it is a little to low and clanks against the frets a bit too often, and the Electrovoice microphone was starting to fail, adding extraneous vibrations to the signal. I'll replace this video when I get to record a better version.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about this instrument here: 1969 Gibson Melody Maker D
This is a wonderful playing guitar and a fantastic amp... really great combination! The 2061 has two channels, lead (left hand side) and bass (right hand side) - and both sound pretty cool, but the magic of this amp, at least for gainier sounds is when you patch the two together. This video demos the lead channel alone, then with it patched into the bass channel - in a range of volume and tone settings. I really like this guitar / amp combination with the tone rolled off a little - you can get some superbly rich tones - check it out around the 9 minute mark - tones to die for! As always the video starts with the cleaner tones, working through each guitar pickup configuration before tweaking the amp a little hotter as we go. The heavy overdriven sounds people most associate with Marshall start around the 11 minute mark.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Vox New Escort, 1963 WEM ER-15
This is a fabulous guitar - Vox's take on the Fender Telecaster (which was in pretty short supply in mid-1960s Britain), and actually a pretty awesome player. It sounds pretty good through this 1963 WEM ER15 with some lovely rich tones, but check it out through the 1965 Vox AC4 and early 70s WEM Dominator
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1961 Hofner Colorama, 1963 WEM ER-15
This is a wonderful playing guitar - and it sounds pretty cool through the WEM ER15. The Hofner Colorama was sold by Selmer in the UK 1958-1965: yet the several different guitars were included under the moniker at different times. In 1961 it was a nice set-neck solid body, with a Hofner 510 diamond logo pickup, and a long 6-in-a-row headstock. The controls of these single pickup models are easier to understand than the dual pickup examples, but are still not totally intuitive. These are 1) natural pickup sound 2) treble cut 3) bass cut 4) treble and bass cut. Because the electronics on these controls only act on a single pickup, there is not quite the range of sounds on a dual pickup example, and frankly, they seem pretty subtle. Compare this to the dual pickup 1960 Colorama - the treble/bass switches also turn pickups on/off making the effect far more noticeable - and because of this, using the treble and bass cut together is not possible.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1960 Hofner Colorama, 1963 WEM ER-15
This is a great little guitar - and it sounds pretty cool through the WEM ER15. The Hofner Colorama was sold by Selmer in the UK 1958-1965: yet the several different guitars were included under the moniker at different times. In 1960 it was a nice set-neck semi-solid - and one of the lightest guitars i've ever played! The controls are not totally intuitive, but the five basic settings have real character. These are 1) both pickups 2) neck pickup 3) neck pickup with treble cut 4) bridge pickup 5) bridge pickup with bass cut.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
Fender amps are all about clean. You can push them for a bit of snarl, but it's the nice rounded warmth and the sparkling glassiness that really make this amp come alive. Dial in some vibrato and reverb for some really classy sounds. You can go overboard for some craziness (check out some of my other videos of this amp) but just a little shimmer goes a long way! There are some lovely tones here from this combination. What i've recorded here is pretty polite, but that's what this amp inspires. Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46)
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: , 1964 Ampeg B-15N
This is a fantastic bass. Quality has to be felt, and like the 1960s instruments of Gibson, Epiphone and Guild, Gretsch guitars exude it. Despite having just one pickup, the tone circuitry gives this bass a good tonal range, admittedly in the realm of 60s thump rather than 70s clank, but a great playing and utterly sweet sounding bass for sure!
This video demonstrates the natural bass tone in a number of playing styles, as well as with tone chokes engaged (0.03µF and 0.1µF) - and five different amp settings, from deep and mellow, to jagged snarl. This bass sounds great through the B15 (although, to be fair, everything sounds great through a B15!)
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1971 Epiphone 1820 bass, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The Ampeg B15 is an incredible amp, with some absolutely gorgeous sounds. The Epiphone 1820 is a good solid bass; nice sounding, with no tonal extremes. But like any other bass, it sounds awesome through a B15. Strung here with Rotosound RS77S short scale flatwound strings. Check it out!
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1971 Epiphone 1820 bass, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
The Epiphone 1820 has the simplest controls possible for a two pickup bass, with just a master volume and tone, and pickup selector switch, there is no shortage of useable tones, from nice and smooth, through deep and rich, to a dirty angry snarl. The pickup heights are not adjustable and the pickup volumes can be a touch imbalanced. Furthermore the pickups have a tendency to be somewhat microphonic, picking up string and pick noise. Not great for more refined performances, but not an issue for basslines with a bit of punky attitude!
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about this instrument here: 1971 Epiphone 1820 bass
The Epiphone 1820 as it was initially named (or the ET-280 as it was better known), was a 30 inch scale solid body, based on Aria's model 1820 bass, but with a few extra enhancements, most notably a 2x2 headstock and nice pearl Epiphone inlay. The pickups are nice sounding, but lack any adjustability, and can be slightly microphonic at times. This is a pretty early example - by the end of production, examples with height adjustable pickups were being shipped. Strung with Rotosound RS77S short scale flatwound strings.
Recorded through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended!
Find out more about this instrument here: 1971 Epiphone 1820 bass
This demo just shows the bass DI'd, for the purest tone. With no amp settings it is just a selection of clips of the bass with both pickups employed, then just the neck and finally just the bridge. Tonally this bass is quite nice, but the lack of pickup height adjustability is a little problematic: the bridge pickup is a shade too tall to lower the bridge saddles to where i'd want them without the strings vibrating against it. It's also slightly louder than the neck pickup. By the end of the production run, this issue had been addressed, but the vast majority of 1820 / ET-280 basses have the pickups shown here.
Recorded through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended!
Find out more about these instruments here: 197X Shaftesbury 3263, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
This is a pretty cool looking bass, and one that plays pretty nicely too. Made by Eko for Rose Morris (UK Rickenbacker distributor) from the very late 1960s. Short scale, and (thanks to the Eko build and components) quite similar to the late 60s Italian Vox guitars. I normally use flatwound strings, but it's demo'd here with some gnarly old roundwounds. They needed changing, but I wanted to document the sound. Played through an early 1970s WEM Dominator bass mk1. Brilliant amp for fuzzy / gritty sounds. Check out the companion video through a 1964 Ampeg B15 to hear it a little (but not a lot) cleaner
There is a longer version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area here.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1967 Vox Clubman, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
This clip shows a rather atypical Vox Clubman (with rosewood fretboard and adjustable neck), played through a 40w 2x10" silverface Fender Vibrolux. Nice guitar, superb amp! Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46). Check out the link above for the specs of this unusual variant of the Vox Clubman, and watch the long version of this video in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area, to hear a bit more of this guitar / amp under different settings.
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1961 Hohner Zambesi, 1965 Vox AC4
This is a really interesting early British guitar, and nicely built, with electronics by Fenton Weill, and woodwork by furniture manufacturer Stuart Darkins. It sounds pretty dark, with a fat woody tone - in part the result of it's solid mahogany body and set mahogany neck - far more like an early Gibson than an early Fender. The neck is deep and solid - and doesn't feel like it could move much - there is no adjustable truss rod. In fact there isn't much adjustability at all - the pickup height is set, and the floating bridge requires manual placement. But despite all this, it is a very playable guitar! And it works well with this mid-sixties Vox AC4. Great guitar (despite some hardware peculiarities), great amp!
There is a much longer video of this guitar exploring more settings from this guitar / amp in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area here.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1961 Hohner Zambesi, 1965 Vox AC4
This is a really interesting early British guitar, and nicely built, with electronics by Fenton Weill, and woodwork by furniture manufacturer Stuart Darkins. It sounds pretty dark, with a fat woody tone - in part the result of it's solid mahogany body and set mahogany neck - far more like an early Gibson than an early Fender. The neck is deep and solid - and doesn't feel like it could move much - there is no adjustable truss rod. In fact there isn't much adjustability at all - the pickup height is set, and the floating bridge requires manual placement. But despite all this, it is a very playable guitar! And it works well with this mid-sixties Vox AC4. Great guitar (despite some hardware peculiarities), great amp!
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 197X WEM Clubman MK 8
The WEM Clubman is one of the brands smaller amplifiers - at just 5 watts through a single 12 inch speaker, you're probably going to have the volume turned up somewhat. And this is where the magic is. Yes the clean tones are nice, but when you crank this amp, you get some seriously rich, and superbly creamy overdrive. As always, we start clean, turning gain up as we go. The three V2 single-coil pickup Vox Super Ace has plenty of tonal variation too. The combination of Vox Super Ace and WEM Clubman must have disturbed countless neighbours in the UK in the early 1970s. Not loud enough to gig, but a great recording set up with some awesome tone! TURN IT UP! Strung here with Gibson bright wires (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1967 Vox Clubman, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
The Vox Clubman is known as a pretty straightforward guitar, with a flat fretboard and no truss rod adjustment. But this example from 1967 was factory fitted with the same neck as the Vox Consort or Soundcaster: i.e. a curved rosewood fretboard on a fully adjustable neck, with floating metal bridge to match. Combined with a lightweight mahogany body, and Vox's V1 pickups, it makes a pretty respectable, instrument; far better than your typical mid-sixties Vox Clubman. Read the story in the link above. Played here through a 40w 2x10" silverface Fender Vibrolux, it sounds pretty nice! This guitar is strung with Gibson bright wire strings (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 197X Shaftesbury 3263, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
This is a pretty cool looking bass, and one that plays pretty nicely too. Made by Eko for Rose Morris (UK Rickenbacker distributor) from the very late 1960s. Short scale, and (thanks to the Eko build and components) quite similar to the late 60s Italian Vox guitars. I normally use flatwound strings, but it's demo'd here with some gnarly old roundwounds. They needed changing, but I wanted to document the sound. Played through my faithful old Ampeg B15 - great for cleaner tones. Check out the companion video through an early 1970s WEM Dominator to hear it get gainy.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1969 Gibson Melody Maker D, 1964 Gibson Atlas IV
This is just a short video, demonstrating just one amp setting - full! The Gibson Atlas IV is technically a bass amp, but actually works great for guitar - especially when you turn it up. It's a 50w amp, with a single CTS brand 15" speaker in a somewhat oversized cab. And it sounds creamy delicious! Some beautifully rich tones to be had from this amp. The Melody Maker, with it's single coil pickups can sound a little thin through certain amps.. but not here. Great guitar, great amp!
Recorded through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended!
Find out more about these instruments here: 197X Shaftesbury 3263, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
This is a pretty cool looking bass, and one that plays pretty nicely too. Made by Eko for Rose Morris (UK Rickenbacker distributor) from the very late 1960s. Short scale, and (thanks to the Eko build and components) quite similar to the late 60s Italian Vox guitars. I normally use flatwound strings, but it's demo'd here with some gnarly old roundwounds. They needed changing, but I wanted to document the sound. Played through an early 1970s WEM Dominator bass mk1. Brilliant amp for fuzzy / gritty sounds. Check out the companion video through a 1964 Ampeg B15 to hear it a little (but not a lot) cleaner
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1972 Hagstrom HIIN-OT, 197X WEM Clubman MK 8
This is an awesome guitar, and an amazing amp. Early seventies Hagstroms were similar in style to the 1960s ancestors, but equipped with humbuckers and a vol / vol / tone / tone control layout. Great guitars, exceptionally playable. This one's fitted with Rotosound RS200 (gauges 12-52) top tape flatwound strings.
This video goes from clean to fuzz, as we turn up the amp. The 1972 WEM Clubman is an awesome 5w, all-valve combo with super nice warmth, that gets super gainy when pushed. A really great recording amp!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Shadow, 1963 WEM ER-15
A nice dual pickup 1963 Vox Shadow played through a 1963 WEM ER15 amplifier. Early Vox guitars often don't have great build quality, but the pickups are pretty nice. With a little love and attention (specifically frets and set-up), these lightweight guitars can sing like a lark!
There were several Vox Shadow variants. Check out vintageguitarandbass.com for a whole lot more on the Vox Shadow.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1987 Gibson 20/20, LabSeries L2
The Gibson 20/20 is a superb playing instrument. It has a wide tonal range, is comfortable to play, and, frankly sounds immense. It's paired in this video, with a late 70s/early 80s Gibson/Norlin Lab Series L2 100w bass amp with 1x15 speaker. And this is an awesome (solid state) bass amp, designed by Bob Moog.
This video (part2) demonstrates some of the wide range of sounds you can get solely by adjusting the L2 midrange frequency control - and, to some extent, playing style.
As you can hear, just this one control has an enormous effect on the sound - the Lab series amps really are awesome, and hugely underrated
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Gibson EB-0, 1973 WEM Dominator Bass Mk 1
This is a really nice bass - a late 1965/early 1966 Gibson EB0 - single pickup, with that classic FAT Gibson bass tone. The WEM Dominator is harder to date - probably early to mid 1970s. All-valve, with superb clean tones, but super gainy when pushed. This is a really cool combination with a huge range of useable sounds. Watch the vid.. it goes from a relatively 'middy' honk when played at the bridge with a pick - to total mud when played at the neck with the tone down - and to extreme fuzz with the amp driven hard
This bass is fitted with Labella Deep Talkin' flatwound strings (short scale) set 760FL-S. Great great strings (although expensive!)
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1987 Gibson 20/20, LabSeries L2
The Gibson 20/20 was not (visually, at least) to everyone's taste, but it is actually a superb playing instrument. It has a wide tonal range, is comfortable to play, and, frankly sounds immense. It's paired in this video, with a late 70s/early 80s Gibson/Norlin Lab Series L2 100w bass amp with 1x15 speaker. This video (part1) demonstrates the variance in instrument settings. Part 2 demonstrates some of the great sounds you can get by using the amps midrange frequency control.
Wonderful bass, brilliant amp: AWESOME combination.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about this instrument here: 1981 Gibson Victory Standard
Fantastic bass guitar - modelled on the single pickup Fender Precision, but with humbucking and single coil mode. Played through a very cool reissue Marshall 20w Lead and Bass tube amplifier. Superb amp, that can get a lot gainier than demonstrated here (if you daisy chain the channels), but i'll save that for another video. Strung (unusually for me) with roundwounds.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1972 Fender Precision, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
Two absolute icons of bass guitar history: a 1972 Fender Precision (strung with roundwounds) played through a 1964 Ampeg B15. Great bass. Great amp. Great combination. Check out the other videos of this bass through a WEM Dominator, Marshall 20w Lead & Bass and Fender Bassman 100.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1965 Vox Ace, 1965 Vox AC4
Two very cool UK Vox (JMI) products from 1965: a dual pickup Ace guitar, and a 4w AC4 amp. Actually a great combination with a pretty wide tonal palette.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Clubman II, 1963 WEM ER-15
More about this guitar: https://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/vox/1963_Clubman_II.php Two from 1963. The Vox Clubman came as a single or dual pickup guitar - pretty basic, but with Vox's standard V1 pickups pretty nice sounding too. The WEM ER15 functions equally well as a guitar or bass amp, and with the gain turned up has PLENTY of bite.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1966 Epiphone Granada, 1965 Vox AC4
A gorgeous sunburst Epiphone Granada played through a 1965 Vox AC4 amplifier.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Shadow, 1965 Vox AC4
A nice dual pickup 1963 Vox Shadow played through a 1965 Vox AC4 amplifier. This model changed a lot through the sixties: different body styles, differing hardware and even different pickup arrangements. This example has the strat-style body, two pickups and tremolo.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1967 Gibson Melody Maker bass, 1963 WEM ER-15
A really cool bass, played through an equally cool amp. A rare Gibson Melody Maker bass, circa 1967, through a British WEM ER15 tube amplifier, with 'Pick-A-Bass' cabinet. With Gibson's hot EB-humbucker, a short 30" scale, all-mahogany construction - and finally strung with flatwounds - this bass is just SUPER FAT.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1964 Hagstrom Coronado, 1964 Ampeg B-15N
A wonderful early Hagstrom Coronado played through a Ampeg flip-top B15. These are great basses and really great amps! The bass is strung with flatwounds (long scale La Bella Deep Talkin' 760FL 43-104 - they fit, but only just! ) - and has a pretty dark tone - the BiSonic pickups are very well regarded, but I'd prefer more standard controls! It's a quirky looking bass - easy to play with a 32" scale - and with some really great sounds.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1967 Vox Stroller, 1965 Vox AC4
A final year 1967 single pickup Vox Stroller played through a 1965 Vox AC4 amplifier.
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1972 Fender Precision, 1972 Fender Bassman 100 with 4x12 cab
Here, the Precision is played through a 1973 Silverface Fender Bassman 100. Recorded as above, though now restrung with Labella Deep Talkin' 760FS flatwounds - great strings - not cheap, but worth every cent!
Recorded here with an Electrovoice RE-20 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1961 Hofner Colorama, 1963 WEM ER-15
Long version of this video with extra amp settings: starting off clean and gradually getting crunchier as we go. An easy playing guitar and a sweet sounding amp.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1960 Hofner Colorama, 1963 WEM ER-15
Long version of this video with extra amp and guitar settings. The treble pickup is biting, the 'bass on' (neck pickup + treble cut filter) is fat and warm. Very easy to alternate between jagged stabs and lazy laid back jazz.
Recorded here with a Heil PR-40 (left channel) and a Shure SM57 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1981 Gibson Marauder, 1973 Fender Vibrolux Reverb
Long version of this video with extra amp settings. This is a great guitar/amp combination with a lot of groovy sounds: great cleans for rhythmic funk or chord picking - and reverb/vibrato for surf and psychedelia, with enough snarl for some biting blues!
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
Find out more about these instruments here: 1963 Vox Super Ace, 1964 Vox AC4
This is a really cool British-built vintage guitar from the early 60s. Nice sounding, with plenty of mellow with the neck pickup selected and the tone rolled down, but maybe not as much bite as you'd expect from the bridge pickup alone. (Perhaps the springs should be removed to raise the pickup further). The tremolo is pretty useable, and doesn't detune the guitar significantly with a little use - i've not really tried any dive bombs mind you! The AC4 is a cool amp, with a beautiful basic sound; it isn't really loud enough to disturb anyone else, but this does mean it doesn't get especially gainy either. I generally wish it would give a little more... Strung with Gibson bright wires (10-46).
Recorded here with a Shure SM57 (left channel) and a Heil PR-40 (right channel), through a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface - highly recommended gear!
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Scan 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.
Scan 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
Hofner 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.
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.
The 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.
By 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.
Production 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!
When 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.
'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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
The 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 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
The 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
A 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!
The 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.
A 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
Not 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
The 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.
The 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.
The 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.
Loose 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!
Hagstrom 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.
The 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.
"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.