The Guitar Collection of Guy Mackenzie
This classic guitar dates from about 1959, was built in Japan and retailed for £25-7-6d. Also branded as Antoria, this was a first guitar for British musicians such as Hank Marvin, Marty Wilde and Jeff Beck.
See this Guyatone LG50 played live on YouTube!
Or watch Simon Jones play this similar LG50, restored by Paul Day:
Model 135E built in Germany in June ’59 and retailed for £74-4-6d. with distributors Besson and model Aristone name on the chrome scratchplate. Famously used by British bassists like Jet Harris, “Liquorice” Locking, Heinz and later 5/149&150 by… Bill Wyman.
Ace bass player David Greenaway plays and gives his verdict on the vintage Framus Star Bass at The Guitar Collection YouTube Channel:
Guitar was built in Germany c. 1963 almost certainly by Klira (similar to Klira Bahama) for retailers/distributors Voss-Musik and features a “flat” neck and buttons and switches to die for! Didn’t Alexis Komer use an early Voss electric?
Guitar dates from c.1965, built in Japan and, almost certainly, originally branded “Futurama” – although the logo is long gone. It features the acclaimed gold foil pickups made famous by both Ry Cooder and Elvis Costello. Cost in Japan in 1965? 70,000 Yen.
Guitar made in Italy by Comus probably around 1980. Featuring Glide, Play Back and Auto/Manual. In reality this is just an elaborate child’s toy but easy to play (!) and must have been expensive “back in its day”!
Built c.1967 by Alamo Electronics in San Antonio, Texas, this rare guitar originally retailed for $92-50 and came to me in its original case in “as new” condition! An Alamo guitar was used by “Richie” in “Happy Days”.
U.S.A. built in about 1965 by Harmony featuring De Armond Pick-ups and marketed by Harmony as an H17. However in this Silvertone guise, it carries the in-house brandname of Sears department stores. Until 1940 Sears owned Harmony.
Built in Japan in the mid 80s and marketed by Jennings Musical Industries (J.M.I.) featuring standard offset cutaways and angled body but replacement tailpiece. But why is my 60s Vox Shadow white but this 80s White shadow red??
Built in Japan in the mid 60s, probably by Kawai, “Jaguar” styled with chrome and “tortoiseshell” triple scratchplates, this Bruno Vernon guitar was marketed by C. Bruno and Sons of Macon Ga., U.S.A – now part of the Karman Music Corporation.
Featuring built-in amp and speaker, this “take-away” guitar was built in Korea in 1989/90 and retailed in the UK for around £100. A budget “modern” version of Davoli’s 60s Krundaal Bikini, Teisco’s (Silvertone) TRG 1 and 80s Kay Busker.
