FURTHER DOWN SHAFTESBURY AVENUE

Yesterday I kicked off this blog with a post about my first electric guitar, still in my possession after 47 years. A little rooting around online has turned up some more detailed information about the model including a selection of catalogue pages. The model debuted in 1968, as part of the launch of the Shaftesbury brand, whose other models at this stage included three Rickenbacker knock-offs (6-string, 12-string and bass, all employing the same body shape derived from the Rickenbacker 330). What Rickenbacker thought about this is unknown, but presumably Rose-Morris, the owners of the Shaftesbury brand, felt justified in imitating the style of the instruments they had previously sold under an importation deal with Rickenbacker... which I'll be looking at in more detail in a future post.

The Barney Kessell knock-off was sold as model 3264, and as pictured in the first Shaftesbury catalogue (above) was a 100% accurate copy of Gibson's original, right down to the musical note motif on the headstock (which had disappeared – possibly on legal advice – by the time my own example left the factory. The catalogue instrument may even have been a prototype). A slightly different Barney Kessell copy was also offered by Japanese manufacturer Greco, but it was less accurate than the Shaftesbury. No information exists as to whether these were licensed copies of the Gibson, but the models appeared immediately prior to what is generally known as the lawsuit era of mass market copying of popular American-made guitars (mostly of Les Pauls and Strats) by Japanese manufacturers, so there's a fair chance that Rose-Morris were chancing their arm with these knock-off designs. They would shortly expand their range to offer clones of the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Telecaster Thinline, both of which had become fashionable guitars at the tail end of the 1960s.

The 1968 Shaftesbury catalogue also illustrates two pedals that were sold under the Shaftesbury brand: the 'Dual Fuzz' and the legendary 'Squall' (of which more in a later post).

The back of the headstock showing the model ('stock') number, 3264, and serial number

Model 3264 retailed at £89.19s and remained in the Shaftesbury catalogue until 1972: meaning that the model I acquired in 1973 was no more than five years old, and selling at a third of its original retail price. Then as now, dealers evidently worked in increments of 30% when valuing used instruments.

As the flagship instrument in Rose-Morris's new range of guitars, the 3264 merited a page to itself in the catalogue. Despite its indifferent-sounding pickups, and inferior quality tuners (the buttons had a tendency to drop off), my own 3264 would see me through almost a decade of playing before I gave any thought to acquiring another guitar... or two...

These and other catalogue pages can be viewed at www.vintageguitarandbass.com