"BELL's" Early 60's catalogue.

[philc]

Just come across this after many years, I was about thirteen years of age and drooled over the Watkins Rapier 33 and Dominator amp every day. I eventually had enough pocket money for a deposit on the guitat, the amp came later.

Here's just a few pages, hope it brings back some good memories!

Phil

PS. I also have the Hofner catalogue of the same date.

[Charlie Hall]

I never had a Bell's catalogue but I saw one at school. This boy at school had a Rosetti acoustic guitar. The neck was almost identical with the one of the Lucky 7 model pictured, same heastock shape, same horrible flat fingerboard and frets. I managed to get him to sell me it for £1! I can't remember what happened to it but I doubt I lost anything with the deal.
My second electric was the Burns Sonic as pictured, with the same light coloured fingerboard. My dad bought it for me secondhand for £30. I loved it to begin with as it was quite easy to play, but I secretly longed for the day I could have a Strat.
Nice to look back on this stuff, but I don't wish I still had any of it now!
Regards,
Charlie

[godzilla]

Wow! Memories! I still have (and use occasionally) a Rosetti Airstream III that I bought from a junk shop for £5.00 in 1968. It still sounds pretty good and the action and feel are great. Even the vibrato system works well and the switching system means any combination of 1,2 or 3 pickups can be used. When I was playing in my band in 1963-65 I used a cheap no-name 2 pickup solid through a Watkins Dominator 17 watt amp (also shown in the catalogue above), which I bought from another band for £10.00 in 1963 and stupidly gave away with the guitar when I left the band to go to university in 1965. I reckon it would be worth a bit now!! I do agree with Charlie, though - my current gear is considerably better!

Thanks for posting Phil.

Keith

[Deleted]

I remember that catalogue, especially the amp's. Read it over and over. Would love to see more.

Regards, Duncan.

[philc]

When I received the Rapier, it had flat wounds and sounded terrible, I managed to buy some Gibson round wounds heavy gauge, the only ones available to me. When I strung the guitar up, the tremolo arm touched the pick guard!

Duncan, I'll post the other pages and the Hofner cat shortly.

Phil

[Deleted]

I remember the Bell catalogue very well Phill, except mine was a pale sky blue in colour. My Dad sent off for a guitar for me, paid for with money that I had saved from my paper round. It was dark cherry in colour and called Model 707,which had three pups. There was a Model 708 as well, which had four pups.I haven't a clue as to the make. Being young at the time and totally inexperienced, I didn't realize it could have done with a good setup. Happy memories,
Cheers, Graham

[specky]

Ahhh memories -
had a loan of a Dominator amp for a while -it had tremelo on it and was great
thanks for the memories Phil


Tommy

[boritz]

Thanks for the post Phil.

Takes me back to the early '60s when I was about 10 y.o. before my parents and siblings emigrated to Oz. Jumped on a double-decker from Leatherhead along with my boy-band mates for a magical trip to Bell's in Surbiton.

Then looking with awe at the Aladdin's cave of wonderful equipment (most of which I had no idea how to use). As a lad I probably only bought a plectrum or sheet music.

At the time I had (and still have) a blue Futurama II with Monopole flat-wounds - nowhere near as good as my MIM Strat' is today. But The Shad's caused it all .

[pluckit65]

Hang on guys, just wiping a tear from my eye. The memories those pages bring back are bitter sweet. I drooled for many hours over the pages, knowing I could never afford any of the guitars. When I was around 13/14 a kid brought an electric guitar to school, the first most of us had seen, including him. We were so naïve that we asked the science teacher if he knew what lead we needed to plug it into the wall socket. When he eventually stopped rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter, he told us we needed an amplifier.
Over the following years I have had in my little cache of instruments, about a hundred guitars and stringed instruments. Now, I have cut it down to around 30 or so. I do have a Rapier and, it has pickups that would blow the dust off a lot of modern guitars. It also has a neck like the proverbial cricket bat.
Thank you for the post Phil, it was great.
regards
Roger

[allclaphands]

That brought back some memories it was a wishing catalogue a well as the local music shop window.
Came across this hope you don't mind me posting it Phil.


www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/history.htm


Pete

[philc]

I never realised how good my old Rapier 33 was until I heard a guy playing it on Youtube, really bluesy sound.

Phil

Here's some more from the Bell and Hofner catalouge's, notice the Biro'd HP terms for the Futurama, I was dreaming and hoping my pocket money would accumulate!

[Roger...]

Hi Phil,

Three pictures of my band from the early sixties showing a few items from the catalogue:-

Watkins amplifier left and Bird amplifier right (on chairs)


Watkins CopyCat echo on floor and Selmer Truvoice amplifier behind bass player's legs.


Watkins CopyCat echo on chair and Vox AC30 (early fawn one, no top boost) on floor behind lead player's legs (me)


Those were the days....... eh!

Regards
Roger

[pluckit65]

 Hi
That last pic is great but, what was the drummer on and, can you still get it cos I want some.

Regards
Roger(pluckit)

[Roger...]

I think that he was asleep at the time (either too many gigs or effects of alcohol poisoning).

Regards
Roger

[shadfan4]

Almost bought a Hofner "Galaxy" way back, and then an early 60's strat was offerd to me. I took the strat and dismantled it sprayed it white with I think polyester paint. then sold it for a pittance. I could cry now when I see the price of these old relics..............

Mike

[pluckit65]

I think we have all been there Mike. I must have destroyed/given away or sold for next to nothing, some really collectible guitars. I do still have a Hofner solid body, covered in gold paisley vinyl. A Hofner Professional bass and, a very rare Hofner Club 70 from 1967. I had it refurbished and, you can see it on the Hofner collectors site under Roger Silcox. Oh well, no good crying now, just enjoy what guitars we do have.
Regards
Roger(pluckit)

[Deleted]

I actually went to Bells music shop in Surbiton for a look around when I was 14 I think it was like Aladins cave.
47 years ago. !!! Brings back memories

George.

[meladdison]

May 9, 2014 9:44:50 GMT Roger... said:

Hi Phil,

Three pictures of my band from the early sixties showing a few items from the catalogue:-

Watkins amplifier left and Bird amplifier right (on chairs)


Watkins CopyCat echo on floor and Selmer Truvoice amplifier behind bass player's legs.


Watkins CopyCat echo on chair and Vox AC30 (early fawn one, no top boost) on floor behind lead player's legs (me)


Those were the days....... eh!

Regards
Roger

Yes Roger, as you say, those were the days. All fresh faced good looking young lads with the world in front of them,
brilliant to have such photo's of your youth, they really are nice, thanks for sharing.

regards, Mel

[philc]

Hi Roger, you're looking quite smug there...did you just get payed

My first band did a competition in the early sixties, in one of the big dance halls in Bristol, I played lead through my Dominator which was also the PA, when the singer sung a loud note my guitar cut out. The judges at the back of the hall asked us to turn up, I was already on 10!

We used those square plastic tape recorder mics, the mic stand was fabricated from a steel tube and a car steering wheel for the base.

The other band was a well known Shadows type band I can't remember their name, but they had AC30's and Fender guitars and a real PA, needless to say, they won, but we came second.....as there were only two groups in the competition

This was taken about a year later 1965 in Blackpool Conservative Club, me playing my Rapier 33, Selmer amp behind, Copycat for mics by bass drum.



Phil

[rosemary]

Hi Roger and Phil
Great photos Roger and great to see the catalogue too Phil. Some interesting shapes and designs! It's always fascinating to see the early photos of members with their early gear. Thanks for posting.
Best wishes
Rosemary

[driftin]

those Levin goliath's are going for quite a few bob now they occasionally pop up for sale, just looking at the pictures takes me way back, great to see many thanks


regards

les

[Roger...]

Hi Phil,

You mention playing your Dominator through the PA with the singer. I was much the same. As our singer insisted in having some echo/reverb on his voice we both plugged into the CopyCat and like yourself, when our singer was singing loudly I disappeared and then came back again when he drew breath.

Regards
Roger

[sandra]

Looks like you even had groupies after you in Blackpool Phil, or were they just holding onto the singers legs in case a strong wind blew him away

I may have been around there at that time as I used to often stay with an Aunt who lived in Blackpool, but I would only have been 14 so wouldn't have been allowed in the club

[philc]

Sandra, yes I have a few stories, better not mention them here though

Phil

[asimmd]

Hi Phil

Thanks for the memories,Bell would send me a catalogue when a new one was released.

I remember in one of the catalogues they advertised a Burns just like the Burns Marvin,though I think
it was called a Baldwin at the time,but it looked the same.

It was £150 and my Dad sent a cheque off to buy it for me,I was most upset when about 6 weeks later we received a letter saying that they were
not able to supply the guitar.No reason given,to say I was upset is an understatement.

It's really nice to see the old style gear again,thanks.

Alan

[Deleted]

Hi Roger, loved the photo's, I photoshoped one of them. If you like it I can do the others for you.

app.box.com/s/p9agx2nnfoqhrz6qmnm8

Regards, Duncan.

[Roger...]

Hi Duncan,

Yes, certainly. Thanks very much.

Kind regards
Roger

[philc]

Hi Roger, here's the other one for you minus a lot of the scratches, folds etc.

Phil

[Roger...]

Hi Phil,

That's amazing. Thanks for that.

Regards
Roger