Made in Japan in the Teisco factory between 1967 and 1970, this highly individual guitar was marketed in the States by a currently unknown New York distributor. Very rare today, especially in the UK, but one is currently used by “Queens of the Stone Age”.
Audition
Made in Japan in the mid to late 1960s this Audition budget guitar, with Burns influenced body style, was a starter guitar in the UK sold by that well known supplier of musical instruments, F W Woolworth and Co. Also marketed by Rose Morris as a “Top Twenty”.
Watkins Rapier 33
Dating from about 1963 and Reg Watkins designed, this is the 3 “toaster” pick-up version of the classic British made Watkins Brothers guitars that launched the careers of many UK musicians. Later models were marketed as Wem and Wilson.
Check out the Watkins Rapier being played: As seen on BBC TV’s Antiques Roadshow
Plus see the Watkins Rapier Deluxe played by Phil Walker at The Guitar Collection YouTube Channel:
Eko 720 V4
This triple cutaway Eko was manufactured in Italy by Oliviero Pigini in 1964/5 and was the “modern” version (and now more rare) of their top of the range plastic covered solids – first marketed by Rose Morris in the UK in 1963.
Hohner Shark Fin SE603
Matthias Hohner, a clockmaker from Trossingen, Germany, founded Hohner in 1857 making harmonicas and it wasn’t till the 1960s that guitars were added to their range. This c.1987 Arbor Series guitar must surely be the ultimate “Glam Rock” guitar.
Kay Travel Guitar K-45
Sometimes known as the “rifle guitar”, and sold in the States as the Austin Hatchet. Manufactured in Korea c.1983 and selling then for £109. Definitely a fun little guitar with a superb fitted leatherette travel case.
Teisco EV-2T
A 1969 copy of the Vox Phantom. After Teisco was taken over by Kawai in 1967, the company concentrated on copies including of Vox and Burns guitars branded as Kawai, Del-Rey and Teisco.
Rosetti Airstream 11
Built by Egmond in the Netherlands, this Rosetti Airstream 11 was a starter guitar for 1960s UK musicians. The Rosetti Lucky 7 semi was used by Paul McCartney in his Hamburg days.
Peavey T60
Hartley Peavey’s company, based in Meriden, Mississippi, manufactured only amps until 1978 when he added the T60 guitar to his product range. The guitar in my collection was built, with an ash body, in the USA in 1980 and this model continued until 1988.
Hofner 172
Dating from 1963, an almost immaculate and nearly original example of one of the legendary guitars of the early 1960s. Mine came complete with its original Selmer fake crocodile skin case!