ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Oct 3, 2021 12:19:06 GMT
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Post by grayn on Oct 3, 2021 21:24:10 GMT
In my first band, the guitarist had a Rapier 44 (4 pickups). They were good for their time and price. I hope the newer, probably Chinese ones, are better. Probably will be. Although you could get a 2nd hand, low end Fender Srat, for the same money. But we're talking nostalgia here.  |
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Post by scorpiodog on Oct 4, 2021 11:58:10 GMT
Yes, I remember them. Never owned one but two of my friends did. I always used to clout that switch under the pick guard when I played them. Sloppy playing, I suppose, but I never really lusted after them for that reason.
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garynava
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Post by garynava on Oct 4, 2021 14:50:58 GMT
Funny thing, I just had a trade newsletter from JHS saying that the Rapier was being re-made; I had been watching an original Watkins Rapier 44 on ebay only last week- it went for £530 I think, a bit rich for me!
When I was a lad I had a catalogue from Bell Music in Surbiton which I used to drool over- dreaming of Watkins guitars! I guess one of the reasons that I started building guitars, was simply that I couldn't afford such a thing!
Cheers Gary
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Post by grayn on Oct 5, 2021 18:52:47 GMT
Funny thing, I just had a trade newsletter from JHS saying that the Rapier was being re-made; I had been watching an original Watkins Rapier 44 on ebay only last week- it went for £530 I think, a bit rich for me! When I was a lad I had a catalogue from Bell Music in Surbiton which I used to drool over- dreaming of Watkins guitars! I guess one of the reasons that I started building guitars, was simply that I couldn't afford such a thing! Cheers Gary My friends and I, at school, used to to drool over the Bell catalogue. I went to the shop a couple of times, too. Bought myself a Wilson Mercury Bass from there.  It seemed so cool then. Wilson was another name used by the Watkins Company. |
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Andy P
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Post by Andy P on Oct 5, 2021 19:05:48 GMT
Andy P - And I believe you had one too, Andy... I did indeed Keith, a lovely shiny red 33, just like the one in the ad. I think I bought it second-hand for £15. It enabled me to help form my first band (known then as a group of course and mercifully not as a combo). I was 15 at the time and played lead guitar. We called ourselves The Orions (why???) and wore white shirts and mustard ties: Melvyn Earp (vocals), Robert Owen (rhythm guitar - a Burns I recall), Will Blake (bass) and a drummer whose name escapes me. Our repertoire included all the favourites of the day, such as Johnny B Good, Poison Ivy and Love Potion No 9. I'm sure we did a did a Stones song but I can't remember which one. We were managed by my big brother Bob. We wowed the Liberal Club on our debut gig and went down a storm on our second at Sydney Workingmen's Club, at the end of which my lovely shiny red Rapier 33 fell on its face and the neck snapped off. Fortunately my Dad was a woodwork teacher and effected an expert repair with a couple of dowels and a good glue and the career was back on. Sadly we bombed at what should have been our triumphant return to Sydney and the band never met again. I should point out that this particular Sydney is a suburb of Crewe  Do you remember the Watkins Copycat? |
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Oct 5, 2021 21:26:21 GMT
Andy P - yes I certainly do remember the Copycat, Andy, though never came within playing distance of one. Did you use one? The Orions wasn't such an embarrassing name - Keith, Andy and I called ourselves the Trydents because there were 3 of us and we tried very hard. Yuk! I'd never have had Melvyn Earp down as a vocalist, nor Willy Blake as a bass player. Though I do remember Will actually came to a school evening do of some sort wearing a Beatle suit, which caused quite a stir. Sydney? Wow, quite an out of town gig - near Crewe Green isn't it? Anyway, thanks for your Rapier remembrances from what almost seems like a completely different world now! garynava and grayn - the Bell Music catalogue was the stuff of dreams at school - I also managed to get hold of a Gibson catalogue and a Hofner one too - much reading behind text books etc... Keith
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Andy P
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Post by Andy P on Oct 6, 2021 18:51:58 GMT
Andy P - yes I certainly do remember the Copycat, Andy, though never came within playing distance of one. Did you use one? The Orions wasn't such an embarrassing name - Keith, Andy and I called ourselves the Trydents because there were 3 of us and we tried very hard. Yuk! I'd never have had Melvyn Earp down as a vocalist, nor Willy Blake as a bass player. Though I do remember Will actually came to a school evening do of some sort wearing a Beatle suit, which caused quite a stir. Sydney? Wow, quite an out of town gig - near Crewe Green isn't it? Anyway, thanks for your Rapier remembrances from what almost seems like a completely different world now! garynava and grayn - the Bell Music catalogue was the stuff of dreams at school - I also managed to get hold of a Gibson catalogue and a Hofner one too - much reading behind text books etc... Keith No Keith I never used a Copycat either. I don't think I knew what it did at the time. The Trydents is no worse The Orions and at least there was a rationale behind it and (I presume) you didn't wear white shirts and mustard ties! Will Blake was quite a cool dude and I can well imagine him in a Beatle suit. When I recall his face now it puts me in mind of Bernie Leadon. I wonder what became of him? Will Blake, not Bernie Leadon. Yes Sydney is netwee Crewe Green and Monks Coppenhall. I lived there for a while after I was first married (the one before Helen). I spent a lot of time, and money, drinking Robinsons' beer in the Sydney Arms...drowning my sorrows  |
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Post by frankieabbott on Feb 1, 2022 19:33:09 GMT
Nostalgia is alive and well....and I'm heartened to see it. I'm picturing (and hearing) a Watkins guitar through a Watkins Dominator amp via a Watkins Copicat tape reverb.
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Jo whoever he is.
