Hi –

I read the interview with you in Collectors Club from 2008 regarding your collection and would like to introduce myself. My name is Errol, and I’m a musician and guitar collector in the U.S.

I’m also contacting you because I’ve been searching for a Burns Mirage for quite a while and saw that you have one in your collection. I believe you had said in the interview that it was the most expensive guitar you had purchased.

I’m very interested in purchasing the Mirage from you, and even if you had not considered selling it, I would be pleased to make it worthwhile for you to consider.

I would greatly appreciate your emailing back to me. I have over 200 guitars in my collection – including a Burns Flyte and a Burns Artist – and would like to “talk guitars” with you.

Best regards,
Errol

Hi Guy,

Just a note to say the guitar recently added to your guestbook is a Hohner Apache, not an Amazon.

They are pretty similar, but the Apache has no contouring to the body, undrilled pickup covers and was originally offered in the unusual ‘beige with maroon plate’ colour scheme. Amazons as you know had the red plate, black engraved mini plate, plus heavily contoured bodies in a natural mahogany or sycamore finish.

The ‘Fenton Weill Amazon’ is not something that ever existed – this range (including the Zambesi which is essentially an Apache with a sycamore veneer on the top and bottom of the body) were only ever sold as Hohner here in the UK (although I’ve seen a Swedish advert that has them branded as FWs, but with different names … Tuxmaster maybe?).

While we are on the subject, my feeling is that the other Hohners made to this shape – the “Holborn” are NOT the work of Fenton Weill. I’ve owned an Apache, Amazon and Holborn in the past, and the Holborn has none of the signifiers of early Fenton Weill manufacture (set neck, little red switch), but is almost identical to several Vox models, which shared the beech with sycamore veneer with bolt on neck construction. Possibly made by g-plan?

Will
Hand Of Glory Records

Hi,

I noticed the purple plated guitar in the earlier post, and I think it may be a stripped Apache model. There has been a bit of confusion online about the various (admittedly similar) Hohner guitars that emerged during the early 60s.

With experience working on, or playing all of these (I own two genuine examples) Id like to shed a bit of light on the subject.

Starting with the Hohner Holborn…

This guitar was presumably made by G plan or an associated company. It featured a bolt on neck, Fenton Weill pick-ups, a fixed Telecaster style hardtail bridge and a mahogany body with a “maple” top. It had a see through pearloid scratchplate, with the “Holborn” legend engraved into it.

This guitar has no connection with Fenton Weill, apart from the pickups Fenton Weill also built similar designs for Hohner, releasing three models, using the same shape, although making considerable differences to each one.

Firstly, the “Apache”.

Solid mahogany construction, set neck and finished in an unusual beige nitro finish. Two Weill bar magnet pickups fitted onto a dark purple scratchplate. No mini scratchplate.

Typical Weill electrics and trem. Also open backed van ghent tuners.

Second in line was the “Zambezi”.

Solid mahogany construction, set neck and finished in a clear nitro finish. The finish showed off a “maple” top,(basically a very thin veneer) very much like the previously mentioned Holborn. Two bar magnet Weill pickups fitted onto a black scratchplate. The mini scratchplate was white with “Zambezi” engraved into it.

Typical Weill electrics and trem. Also open backed van ghent tuners.

The third and final guitar in this line was the luxurious “Amazon”.

The same type of body, however it was sculpted and sanded with a blended in heel-less neck. Finished in a clear nitro finish. Two powerful separate magnet Weill pickups fitted onto a red or sometimes black scratchplate. Mini scratchplate was either black or white (depending on main plate colour) with the “Amazon” legend engraved in.

Typical Weill electrics, trem and teardrop shaped van ghent tuners.

Obviously Fenton Weills vary a lot, and there have been the odd unbranded and unusual Fenton Weill branded anomalies crop up. The list above are the pretty much “official” designations for these particular guitars.

Thanks.
Piotr, the Weill lord!

Good morning and greetings from the U.S.,

I would like to interest you in a very rare, but used Fleishman Bassic guitar … Authenticity has been confirmed as I emailed Harry Fleishman himself as I researched this piece. He’s considered by many as the finest Luthierist of our time and is perhaps best-known for designing Dave Pomeroy’s bass “the beast”. This baby will be a wonderful addition to a collector’s repertoire; with it’s 3 octaves and 36 frets!

Best,
E

Hello Guy

I was very interested in the post number 217 from 2012 regarding a Dallas Range master guitar.

I also have one of these. I believe that it was bought for me in 1960 by my Grandmother. She died shortly afterwards so, whilst the guitar was superseded by better and more expensive instruments, I have kept it all these years until just before Christmas my Son secretly took it Nigel’s guitar workshop in North Yorkshire and Nigel made it playable. (One of the best presents I’ve had.)

My one is a bit more battered and used than the one in the earlier post having been constantly gigged for over three years. It’s base colour is the same cherry red as the other but mine fades to gold sparkle in the middle around the pickups. It is my understanding that it was bought brand new from a small music shop in Bruce Grove, Tottenham, North London.

When I have a little more time I’ll take and send you a photo along with the serial number on the back of the head and any other info I can find. Like you and the other owner I believed this to be unique. Clearly not and I am now even more interested to find out more.

Hope you find this interesting.
All the best,
David

Hello Mr McKenzie,

During one of many scourings of the web, looking for information about guitars which I used to own, or currently own, I came across your very interesting site. It did not actually supply me with the information about Kay guitars for which I was searching BUT, I spotted a picture of a very unusual guitar, and read the accompanying text.

The guitar in question was made by Dallas, back in the early 60s, and I recognised it instantly.

For your reference, the picture and text was dated 18th July 2012, and was supplied by John, and your reference number was 217. I recognised it because, if as you say it was a “One Of”, then I used to own it, and I have an old black and white photograph which was taken in 1964, (or maybe 1965), of me holding it, just before going on to play a gig in the NAAFI at RAF Ballykelly, in Northern Ireland.

I purchased it from Frank Hessy’s in Liverpool sometime in late 1961

The photo is in pretty fair condition considering how long ago it was taken, and the Rangemaster plate and Dallas logo can be seen clearly, as can the location of the tremolo arm.

The arm was very basic, being just a length of of chrome plated rod, threaded at one end,(don’t ask what the thread was, certainly not metric), with a black plastic cap on the other end. It was bent as shown in the photo. As far as I can recall it worked quite well and did not effect the tuning too much.

I somehow doubt that the guitar was a one of, but it is a possibility I suppose. I traded it in, part-ex, when I purchased a semi-acoustic Kay (Trutone, I think) in 1964 (or maybe early ’65) from a music shop in the Diamond in the centre of Londonderry. I often used to wish that I had not made the trade, as the Rangemaster was a much better guitar than the Kay, although the guy to whom I eventually sold the Kay, absolutely loved it. I have photo of that one somewhere too.

Anyway, if you or John are interested in this info, and would like to see the pic just get back to me as and when.

Regards,
Geoff Cheers.

Hi Guy, this is my latest creation, it’s great for slide, and has a lot going on. (The arty bits are from the first time Superman appeared in a comic!)

I am very happy with it, should make a nice present for someone.

Let me know what you think.
Trevor.

Guy,

About 5 years ago, I purchased what I think it an Amazon or Apache from a car boot sale for £20.

The guitar is pretty shot to bits, it plays however the wiring could be re-done, the person who owned it in the past, drilled the input jack into the base of the body rather than up front on the scratch plate and obviously the Fenton Weill labels and brand name have all but gone.

The scratch plate is purple?? Having seen the red variety online, I was wondering if this purple version was stock, it seems to look as though it came with the guitar.

I would love to get this guitar back to some sort of authenticity, despite the drilled input jack at the bottom of the guitar….. do you know where I can start??

Paul

Further information from Paul:

Hi Guy,

Please see to the right a picture of said guitar.

The thing that bugs me the most, is the fact the name section is missing, it’s mostly an annoyance as we don’t know which model this guitar is, but also, I bet its impossible to find one of those things.

The wiring is a bit ropey, and I think the pick-ups could do with some new soldering… it does play though.

Obviously it’d also need to be professionally set-up.

I do have two of the three original tone/volume switches, however replaced them with these three switches which were originally from my Vox bass.

I’ve picked up some true bargains living in Sussex, believe it or not, had more “beat” bands than Liverpool, sadly however the Bognor Beat didn’t seem to have the same ring to it as Mersey Beat and most of the bands didn’t really get anywhere with the exception of say five groups who actually managed to get a record deal, the truth is however there were hundreds of beat and instrumental groups in the south coast and thus, cool guitars used to be easy to find at car-boot sales and guitar shops which just wanted to get rid of the things, its probably much different now, however, I have a keen eye for old guitars and thankfully managed to get a few before people became aware in the mid 2000s.

I got a Hagstrom Futurama 2 in really good nick for £70, I love that guitar, I’d love to find a bass version however know I’d never get it for anywhere near £70.

Cheers
Paul

Hi Guy,

I’ve just bought this old guitar at an auction here in Scotland as it interested me. But I have no idea where or when it was made or, for that matter, who made it. Can you help?

Thanks,
Trevor.

Hi Guy,

I don’t usually build guitar out of toilet seats, millenium falcons and guitar boxes – I’m a real luthier who prides himself on crafting instruments from raw wood! However novelty guitars like this one are just that…novelty and fun to build too! And they don’t cost as much as my hand crafted guitars either!

Regards,
Doron.