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Post by spudmurphy on Sept 18, 2014 12:15:31 GMT
Hi Phil.
I was searching on the net for a replacement knob for my '33 and came across your interesting thread.
I originally had a '44 back in '71. Bought it for 44 guineas from Gamlins Cardiff.
I sold it 3 years later and moved onto Gibsons and now own some great Ernie Ball Musicman guitars.
Anyway, I bought my '33 a little while ago and it was fine when I bought it. I later went on to give it a sympathetic resto - clean up, fret dress. I'm still annoyed that I can't get a knob - the repro ones are not correct.
I bought a Watkins "decal" from the well known auction site - put it into a saucer of water and it dissolved!! Turned out to be a "sticker" not a decal.
I'm in the process of making my own Decal (not a sticker!!) and will let you know how I get on.
Two questions. 1) Mine also has the sunken dot inlays - How did you get yours out from the fret board? 2) Mine also has the faint remnants of the Watkins 33 logo on the scratchplate. I like the way yours looks - where can I source one from please?
I'll try uploading some photos of mine soon.
Cheers Spud, Cardiff.
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Post by philc on Oct 14, 2014 12:02:05 GMT
Hi Spud,
I bought new inlays which would fit over the recessed ones, but when I was about to do this, noticed that the ones fitted were loose and they dropped out so I re-packed the holes and stuck them back in.
The logo fits into the Rapier which is embossed into the pickguard, it has to be slid into place and then a special liquid applied which softens it to fit over the raised inprint.
Erik from the forum did the decal design for me and then I tweaked it to fit perfectly, give me some time and I will dig it out for you and the company that I had reproduce it.
As for the knobs, I missed a set of originals on the well known auction site, the ones I have are identical except that the chrome centres are cancave instead of convexed, they are still available.
Phil
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Post by spudmurphy on Oct 15, 2014 8:14:02 GMT
Hi Phil
Thanks for your reply.
One of my dots fell out when I looked at it lol, the others are stuck pretty fast - I may leave well alone. On mine you can just about see the remnants of "Rapier" on the scratch plate however I don't have any recess that a new logo could fit into – no biggie ! When I was in Denmark Street a good few months back, there was a Rapier on the wall and at Denmark St prices I seem to recollect that they wanted over £500 for it. It only had one of it’s knobs left and I offered to buy it. A phone call was made to his boss who came back with a price of £70!! Forget it! My mate (an amp tech in Cardiff) thinks he may have one in his shed – otherwise I’ll just hold out on one.
I’ve recently finished building a guitar out of a Brains Beer drip tray. Single Gibson P100 pick up, Tronical Robot tuners . I made a water slide decal of the Brains logo and nitro celly lacquered it onto the headstock. Worked out fine. If you can find the Watkins logo my e mail is spudwales(one word) at gooooooogle male dot com (obviously amend this)and I’ll make a water slide up.
If I make one decal I may as well fill up the A4 paper with as many as I can and will gladly send you one in return.
The great thing about gmail is that you can send large attachments so the greater the file size the better)
I work in Llanishen if it’s easier in the 18 story building by Morrissons super duper market.
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Post by philc on Oct 15, 2014 8:50:38 GMT
Hi Spud, If you buy 6mm inlays you can file/sand them so they fit flush over the ones that are there, or you could super glue a rod to the ones that are recessed and pull them out, pack the hole sand the surface, or reverse them and re-sick them in. I have one original knob which was on the guitar, waiting for two to come up on the well known auction site! Your pickguard should have reccessed "Rapier" as per picture below. Will email you shortly. Phil
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Post by spudmurphy on Oct 15, 2014 13:08:04 GMT
Cheers Phil
I'm in work at the mo and prolly won't get back until late tonight.- When I get a chance I'll post some pictures. My '33 is stock and it just has a very faint "shadow" of rapier shown on the pick guard. It isn't as "recessed" as yours - but hey, they changed over the years. I bought mine from a guy in Barry a year ago - £100. He says that he must have the missing black knob somewhere, but it's yet to turn up. Will check my e mails later (Gmail is blocked in my workplace).
Once again, thanks for your reply.
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Post by philc on Oct 15, 2014 13:35:21 GMT
Yours might be a later one?
I've sent you an email.
Phil
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Post by philc on Nov 10, 2014 8:54:40 GMT
Excuse me all for getting something off my chest!
You know, I will go out of me way to help anyone if I can.
Help was wanted with the above posts, Erik spent some considerable time in producing a Watkins Rapier decal design, I also spent time modifying it to fit a recess in the scratchplate, this design as far as I know is not available anywhere.
The design was sent off to the person above.....it would have been a nice gesture to get just a "thanks"...... nuff said!
Phil
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 10, 2014 11:22:44 GMT
Hi Phil, He hasn't logged on here since 16th October. You could email him to ask him if he is OK as you never heard back from him, and see what happens. Regards, Charlie
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Post by philc on Nov 10, 2014 11:24:17 GMT
Hi Charlie, I have emailed him twice and also PM'd him!
Phil
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 10, 2014 11:43:20 GMT
Hi Phil, I doubt he has seen the PM if he hasn't logged on here. I hope he is OK. It does sound odd that you have heard nothing. I have sent you a PM. Regards, Charlie
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Post by philc on Nov 10, 2014 11:50:08 GMT
I've replied Charlie.
Phil
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 10, 2014 12:02:53 GMT
I've done the same, Phil! Regards, Charlie
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Post by spudmurphy on Nov 10, 2014 20:55:34 GMT
M'lud I would now like to present the case for the defense. First off - Phil, I apologize for the fact that I never actually sent you an e mail in reply to yours 3 weeks ago. Also, it may appear that I was ignoring your 2 pm's to me on this board - but I had not logged on to view them and maybe that was winding you up a bit? I am a very keen guitar player and lover of all things guitar, and having a Watkins Rapier in my possession again means a lot. I have actually gone out of the way and had the Watkins headstock logo totally redrawn by an independent designer, and only last week produced a water slide decal that is a perfect replacement for the original. The one you see on the well known auction site is a poor definition "sticker" and I do hope I'm not offending the originator of the "sticker" if he's on this board? :-)
I have just finished building a totally unique guitar, looking after my 90 year old Mam who had a fall, and trying to get son & University Business sorted out.I also work full time for HMRC travelling the country as a Business Analyst. I spend far too much time providing help and advice on the ernie ball forum with over 11 thousand posts on there - my time at home is tight and occasionally I let things slip - and that's what I did with you Phil - I am big enough to say sorry.
Your scratchplate clearly has more of an etched appearance as opposed to mine which looks like it just had it inked onto the scratchplate. Whilst surfing the net for a replacement black knob, I came across a you tube clip of a guitar the same as mine, which still had the Word "Rapier" on the scratch plate. It is completely different to yours - so I can't use the graphic you sent with your e mail as it won't be true to the original guitar.
I do intend to post pics of my Rapier on here so watch out for some pics.
I hope all I get from the "court" is a discharge – as used for the least serious offences for which the experience of being prosecuted and taken to court is thought to be punishment enough.
Edit
Phil - e mail sent
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 10, 2014 21:06:37 GMT
Hi spudmurphy, I'm glad to know you are OK, and thanks for posting your update. I'm sure Phil will be pleased too. Regards, Charlie
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Post by philc on Nov 10, 2014 21:08:47 GMT
Apologies accepted Kevin, I think we all had suspicions that you had been knocked down by a Merthyr bus. Re the decal, as I mentioned in an earlier post, your guitar must be a late one. Phil
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Post by spudmurphy on Nov 10, 2014 21:25:23 GMT
Cheers Phil - but Merthyr bus .... how weird is that, not quite - however I did get knocked over by a car outside Morrisons Llanishen 10 days ago. Stupid ol' gal was looking at her phone whilst stopped, I walked in front of her car. She looked up saw the traffic light change and hit me- span me around and went over me foot - everything is ok though. Wasn't you in drag was it?
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Post by spudmurphy on Nov 10, 2014 21:30:37 GMT
Oh I forgot - late one? - it's got the earlier style pickups on it. No trussrod and has "Watkins Hi Low Vibrato" on the front trem plate. It's earlier than my 44 which I bought in 69 - 70. So I'm guessing mid 60's. But as I say photos may help with identifying a likely year? On the Ernie Ball forum I post photos using a photo bucket link. What's the best way on here?
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Post by spudmurphy on Nov 10, 2014 21:32:00 GMT
Hi Charlie Thanks for that. Spud
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 10, 2014 21:52:19 GMT
Hi Spud, I use Photobucket, and I think most other members here do too. Regards, Charlie
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Post by spudmurphy on Nov 12, 2014 1:01:35 GMT
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