Guestbook
Thanks for visiting The Guitar Collection!
If you would like to leave a comment for the Guestbook contact me: guy@theguitarcollection.org.uk
Hayman Guitar
Hello Guy,
I thought that I would never meet another guy named Guy, let alone a guy named Guy who also has a Hayman! I was extremely impressed with your collection, however, I was a little surprised that you had the bass model only. If it interests you I have a Hayman 2020 posted on ebay at this time of this email.
Just enter Hayman guitar and its the natural finish model on there, well there is also a bass that someone seems to be selling for parts. I’d prefer to keep the guitar in tack, after all I’m hoping that it goes to someone who appreciates it for its specialty, seeing that it’s all original except two of the knobs. The case is banged up a bit, but I believe it to be original as well. There is a sticker on the back of the headstock showing where the guitar came from. Some shop in Philadelphia, PA., U.S.
Well happy collecting and keep up the good work!
Guy's Response:
Hi Guy,
Thanks for contacting me and, yes, there can’t be many other guys’ with a Hayman guitar!
I think that by the time I replied to your email your guitar was sold but best wishes anyway!
All the best,
Guy.
Sakai Guitar
I wonder if you can give me any information about this guitar?
Cheers, Glenn.
Australia.
Guy's Response:
Thanks for the pictures.
Actually it seems in good condition. It was certainly built in Japan in the 1970s but its almost impossible to identify the factory although it may be by Kawai. The guitar appeared under several brand names depending on the importers and what brand name they wished to give it and was certainly available in the USA and the UK and most likely anywhere else they could sell it. That’s about as much info I can give you from memory and hope it helps – I’d like to add a picture to my Guestbook if you wouldn’t mind.
All the best,
Guy.
Sakai Guitar
Hi
I came across this guitar when cleaning out my loft was wondering if you knew any info on it please it’s got a badge at the top saying sakai at the top tried searching the Web and could not trace any like it.
Thank you for reading and I hope u can help me. Julie.
Guy's Response:
Hi Julie,
Thank for your message.
Your guitar was built in Japan in probably the mid 1970s and Sakai was a budget brand in the UK. The instrument was based on the style of a Gibson SG guitar and, in fact, probably plays quite well. Today these Japan built guitars from the 1970s are becoming quite collectable (they are affordable!)and it probably has a value of somewhere between £70-120.
I actually have never seen one exactly the same as yours although there were several different models of Sakai guitars.
All the best,
Guy.
Ayar Bass Guitar
Hello,
Your collection has guitars that look very similar to my late uncle’s. I am hoping you might be able to help me identify it. I would love to know the history. I’ve attached two pictures. I appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Thank you,
Cathy
Guy's Response:
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your message. Your late uncle’s bass guitar was built in Japan in, I believe, the mid -late 1960s. It’s certainly a lovely looking and good quality instrument and in excellent condition too. Ayar (a US brandname) is very rare in Europe and was, we believe, only used in Germany.
That’s about as far as I’m able to help – but I would like to add a picture of it to my Guestbook and maybe some more info will be forthcoming.
All the best
Guy.
Zenith Supersound amp found in Johannesburg
Hi Guy
I am Trevor from South Africa. I have just found an old Supersound Zenith amp here in Johannesburg. I am trying to find info on this amp.
I was wondering if this looks familiar to you. I saw a Zenith amp on Trevor Midgley’s site, but it looks like a bigger model. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards Trevor
Guy's Response:
Hi Trevor,
Thank you for your message. Yes it is familiar to me it dates from probably 1958 (maybe ’57 or early ’59…the company relocated to Hastings then) and its a rare example of an amp built by the Supersound Company and branded Zenith by that organisation and sold by them.
If you were in the UK and the amp was for sale, I’d love to own it as a piece of history – but they do come up for sale from time to time but not always in great condition!
I hope this helps and I’d like to add one of your pictures to my Guestbook… if thats ok with you.
All the best,
Guy.
Trevor’s response:
Hi Guy.
I was wondering if you knew how to correctly read this model number. I’m not quite sure if it should read as M17, or should it be read as N’117. I suspect it would be more on the M17 side. I am taking it to a techie friend of mine to fire it up for the first time. I’m a bit nervous to just plug it in for fear of thing blowing up. I’ll let you know how it all goes. I do intend to keep it as it’s the only true vintage amp I have. Do you have a collection of Supersound amps. I’d love to see it if you do. Take care.
Regards Trevor
Guy’s response:
Hi Trevor,
Unfortunately I don’t have any Supersound amps so I’m sorry to say I can’t help with the model number – but it seems to us that its more likely to be M17.
It should have a great vintage sound if it fires up OK and I’ll look forward to hearing from you to see how that goes!
All the best,
Guy.
Teisco Tremo Twenty
Hi, I was reading an article by you about your guitar collection in which you mentioned the above guitar.
When I was about 15 my parents bought me a guitar and amplifier, the guitar was called a Tremo Twenty and would now be about 50 years old. In your article you say not many were made, and I wonder if I own one of the remaining few. I attach two photos, and would be pleased to hear from you.
Best regards David
Guy's Response:
Hi David,
Thank you for contacting me. As you know, these Teisco built guitars were marketed under various different brand names. However these Tremo Twenty instruments were marketed by Rose Morris, as part of their Top Twenty range, with painted bodies.
It seems to us that very few were made in this guise but certainly very few seem to have survived – I know of only about half a dozen that I’ve been aware of in the last 10 years or so.
Yours seems to be in very good condition despite being about 50 years old.
Best wishes,
Guy.
Hofner 172
Hello Guy
I was interested to find your website after seeing you on “Antiques Road Trip” and it turns out that I have the exact same model Hofner 172 as in your collection with original fake snakeskin case.
I bought it in 1972, when I was 18 but have not used in for many years. I recently dragged it out of my garage after being inspired by your program plus a visit to the Gibson factory in Memphis (60th birthday trip).
I’m currently having the pickups rewound by Alan Exley, a Hofner expert in Redditch, and then I plan to sell it on to buy an Epiphone Acoustic/ Electric (as I can’t afford a full Gibson).
I hope you find the attached picture of interest. You have an amazing collection, good luck with your future plans for gigs.
Best Regards
Frank
Guy's Response:
Hello Frank,
Thank you so much for your message and for sending on the picture of your Hofner. I know Alan Exeley well and in fact own a guitar made by him with an aluminium body! (The APX Falcon in the Galleries) And he certainly is the right person for you to go to.
Thanks for your good wishes – my current project is to promote the Charlie Gracie Concert which takes place next month which has taken up a lot of my time but, as its for charity, its really worthwhile too. Of course it will be great to play with one of the R n R legends too.
Best wishes with the sale of your guitar and proposed purchase.
Guy.
Dallas Rangemaster Twin Neck
Hi Guy,
Martin Kelly from the Vox Guitar book here. I hope this finds you well.
While looking over your site which I often do, I espied an email from a guy with a rather interesting Dallas Rangemaster guitar.
This rang a bell in my mind so I started looking back through a bunch of Dallas catalogues I have here.
In the ’60 full line which came out in late 1959 there it was!
Well – not a single neck six string like the one you have in the pictures but the Rangemaster “Twin”. Could it be the first UK made double neck electric? (Click on the image above to see a larger version.)
It’s certainly the Elephant Man of ’50’s UK guitars.
Perhaps Dallas made a standard Rangemaster “single” too – or maybe both instruments were follies that never made it.
Either way the the Rangemaster single isn’t pictured here or in any other Dallas cats I have from the era.
There’s definitely a similarity between the 2 guitars – check the switching – and I though you might be interested.
Cheers,
Martin
Guy's Response:
Hi Martin,
It was really good to hear from you and thank you so much for your really interesting message. I must admit I was really amazed to see the catalogue picture of the Dallas Twin neck Rangemaster!! Of course I had no idea that one had ever existed and, of course, I had no idea that the Dallas single neck Rangemaster had ever existed until I was contacted by the owner of one!
Your catalogue is an amazing find and one would presume that at least one must have been built? Of course I now wonder what happened to it.
And now you have set me off on another search… so, firstly, do you know of anyone who had an involvement with Dallas back then who might be able to shed some light on the range (!) of Rangemasters?
And of course it must have been the first UK built double neck electric….. I’ve never heard of any others from this era, i.e. Supersound, Burns Weill, Watkins etc. And I’ve interviewed Batty Weill, Mary Wootton and, of course, I’m in close contact with Reg Godwin…
Of course if you ever come across any other unusual or one offs pictures please send them through as I’m always interested.
All the best,
Guy.
Burns Weil
I have a Burns Weil guitar which I know nothing about and wondered if you can help. If you could at least tell me how old it is. It has a fantastic sound and plays really well.
Chris.
Guy's Response:
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the latest picture and I can confirm that this is a Burns Weill Fenton guitar and dates from between Feb ’59-Dec’59 – which was the period when Jim Burns and Henry Weill were in partnership. It is the six string version of the bass I own and which is shown in Gallery 9 of my website – although the bass had a much larger body.
Its a rare instrument today and yours looks great in red! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Best wishes,
Guy
P.S. I would like to add your email and a photo of the guitar to my if you wouldn’t mind – as it will be of interest to visitors to my site.
Teddy Wadmore
Hi Guy,
My name is Jamie and my grandfather was Teddy Wadmore, did you ever meet him or know much about him?
Best Jamie.
Guy's Response:
Hi Jamie,
Thank you so much for your message. No I never met your grandfather but I have heard quite a lot about him as I collect vintage guitars and his name has been mentioned several times as one of the leading upright bass players of his day and as a real innovator as far as electric bass guitars are concerned.
As I’m sure you know, he played the very first solid electric bass commercially manufactured in the UK. This instrument was built by the Supersound company. In fact the company made another for him with his name engraved on the scratchplate but he never collected it and they still have it today!
I’ve met Mary Wootton who with her husband formed the Supersound company in 1952. When her husband died in 1973 she folded the company, although in her 80s she is in contact with me and in fact I had a Christmas card from her. If you would like I can contact her and maybe you could contact her direct? She knew Teddy well.
I’ve also met Bob Rogers who was in the Ted Taylor four with your grandfather and if he is well enough I’m sure he would be happy to be in contact with you. Of course it was when he was with the Ted Taylor Four that he first used the Supersound bass on the Jack Jackson TV show in late summer 1958. His bass was very similar to the Supersound Single Cutaway which I own and is featured on the “Historic Guitars” Page of my website www.theguitarcollection.org.uk and of course he is mentioned in my write up.
I would be delighted to speak to you if you would like to ring me and also Paul Day who is the UK’s leading vintage guitar expert and he could give you more information although he never met him.
In the meantime I would love to see a picture of the guitar he owned which is still owned by your family..and maybe a picture of him holding a bass guitar–if one still exists.
I’ll look forward to meeting or speaking to you in due course.
Best wishes,
Guy Mackenzie.