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frank allen, guitar collector, author and bass guitarist of the searchers since 1964... |
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With Frank Allen, Saturday 30th August 2008, Truro |
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The Searchers - Frank's enormous Burns Bison bass seemed to dwarf him! |
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Frank and his early 50s Fender Precision replica specially made by Norway's Martin Olsen |
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Part of Frank's guitar collection |
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alan lovell, lead guitarist, swinging blue jeans... |
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The Limits 1964 Alan, bottom right, with Watkins Rapier and Keith with Alan's Dallas Tuxedo |
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Solid Gold Tour and John Leyton |
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Swinging Blue Jeans and Ray Ennis |
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Alan Lovell |
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john leyton.... |
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John Leyton with a fan
Milton Keynes 1996 |
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That £1M cheque
but why didn’t John Leyton sign one of his own?? |
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At Babbacombe,
Devon 14th June 2008 ... with The Flames |
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With Sally and Porgy
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status clone... |
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Bethel Social Club, St Austell. 15th March 2008 |
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Publicity Photo 2000 |
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Farewell tour 2008 |
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Paul and Lars (Yamaha Pacificas), Dave (Status bass) and Steve (" now where did I put that Burns Weill Fenton?") drums. |
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dave edmunds... |
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On tour with Joe Brown 2007 |
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"Crawl a mile over broken glass ... and do it for a game" (Deborah) |
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bbc tv's antiques roadshow... |
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Filming my guitars at Exmouth Pavillion, September 2007 |
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Alastair Dickenson, antique silver and guitar expert with my Gretsch TW-100T |
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With my Watkins Rapier 3 - identical to his first guitar |
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Lars Mullen plays my Rapier - and it really sounded great! |
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Alastair Dickenson with his own vintage Gibson Flying Vee - restrung as a lefty |
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grimshaw guitars.... |
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The Who
with Pete Townshend and Grimshaw SS (no it's not a Ricky!) |
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Grimshaw guitars
again with Pete Townshend and Bruce Welch |
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I have always wanted to know why Pete Townshend's Grimshaw
had a Rickenbacker truss rod cover on its headstock. Now I have the answer
thanks to Frank Allen, bass player with the Searchers for 43 years, who
contacted Pete direct and then forwarded his reply to me - which is
as follows:-
"I bought the guitar at Ivor Maraints, I'd always wanted one (was it because
Joe Brown played one?). At the time I was used to Rick pickups so when I ran
out of Rickenbackers one day I rigged the Grimshaw with the pickups and
added the headstock blazer as deception. However, when people asked me what
model of Rick it was, I told them it was a Grimshaw. It played beautifully."
My thanks, once again, to two great legends of Rock n Roll - Frank Allen and
Pete Townshend for setting this particular record straight. |
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mick green.... |
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The Pirates
(Johnny Kidd's 'classic' line-up from c.1962-64)
took no prisoners in the 70s and still shakin' today |
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The Pirates at the Half Moon, Putney · 10 November 2006 |
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Mick Green and Amanda |
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Johnny Spence with Amanda & Iona |
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bill geddes (1947-2004).... |
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The Highlanders in 1960
Bill on right |
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1965
with Watkins Rapier and Vox AC15 amp |
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1966 The Blue Stars
with Guy & Bob Smith |
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1980s
at Butlins, Isle of Sheppey - Bill on right |
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1980
Bill meets his No.1 fan (Hank Marvin) Gaumont
(Mayflower) Theatre, Southampton |
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Bill's Burns Hank Marvin guitar, Vox AC30 and Dusty |
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Late 1990s Fine Blend
Bill with 1989 Fender Strat '57 reissue |
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Bill Geddes
as I will always remember him . . . . |
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martin "thumbs" bellamy.... |
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Late 60s
with Watkins Rapier 33 |
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Early 1970s
with 70s Les Paul copy |
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1980s
The Wonderful Mission of Earl Lavender |
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. . . . Lizzie on vocals |
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tony price.... |
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Early 1960s
Army days and Hofner Club |
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Early 70s
with Hofner Verithin |
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Mid-70s
cabaret style and Epiphone ET-270T |
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A lighter moment and Eko acoustic |
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Tony Price
2006 |
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Tony Price
and Rick Jones with 1964 Gibson 345 Stereo |
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solid gold tour 1994.... |
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Marty Wilde and the Wildcats
1994 |
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the beatles at stowe 1963.... |
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Their fee for playing was £100 ! |
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Beatles autographs |
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mungo jerry.... |
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John Godfrey of Mungo Jerry
pictured with the Burns Weill bass now in my
collection |
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© Photographs reproduced with kind permission
of Rob Kamphues /
www.mungojerry.nl |
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artistes i have backed.... |
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Johnny Lord
(with Fender Starcaster) the one man band show (but
occasionally he needed a drummer) |
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Wayne & Crystal
Country and Western artistes |
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freakshow.... |
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Freakshow
formed in 1990 and still gigging in 2006 . . . .
and that Kif guitar |
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film-maker robin mackenzie.... |
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California based award winner filming in Cornwall in May 2006 |
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Jonestown
at Barripper, Camborne |
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My Elvis Blackout
at The Vic Bars, Newquay |
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johnny kidd and the pirates 1966.... |
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Johnny Kidd with the Pirates
line up in 1966 - featuring Mick Stewart on guitar |
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The Pirates
following the Kidd's untimely death in October 1966 |
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mick stewart.... |
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The Sweet
1970 featuring Mick Stewart |
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Mick Stewart and Ms's
Capitol Records Christmas Party 2005, Beverly
Hills Hotel |
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Photos courtesy of Mick Stewart |
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kif guitars.... |
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The amazing Kif : engineer, instrument maker, musician . . . genius! |
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Kif
with slide guitar |
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12 string semi-acoustic |
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Kif
with bass dulcimer |
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5 string fretless bass guitar |
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ron & rosalind.... |
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from Cornwall |
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1980
Guild Starfire X350B and 1979 Fender Stratocaster |
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1981
The Julie Rogers show with Tony Tears on sax,
ex-Magil Five - note double-necked Gibson SG copy |
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1982
Backing Ricky Valance with Andy Pascoe of
Modern Music
Truro on bass |
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1982
Bert Weedon with Ron's custom-made Grimshaw in Ron's parents'
living room 1977 |
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1958
Ron with Hofner Committee |
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Gene Vincent
1958 with Grimshaw short-scale, probably owned by
Joe Brown |
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the nitewalkers.... |
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from Cornwall |
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1962
featuring Ed Simons (left) with Vox Shadow |
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1963
Guitars: Rosetti Solid Seven, Custom Bass built by
Ed Simons, and Ed (right) with Vox Shadow with custom body. |
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jim knight and paul day.... |
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Jim Knight
International guitarist and entertainer with 1978 Shergold Masquerader
12 string at Carn Brea Castle, Redruth, Cornwall |
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Paul Day
signing my copy of the Ultimate Guitar Book written
by him and Tony Bacon |
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eric sandiford.... |
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The Jokers 1965
(Eric, left, aged 15) youth club gig - their
fee ... 10/- (50p), their transport ... a handcart! |
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The Emotion 1968
at Bolton Wanderers football Club |
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Guitars
Eric with Vox Lynx, also Fender Precision Bass |
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Eric Sandiford
in 2007 with Grimshaw Park |
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