Iconic 60’s (but non-Shadows) Guitars

[abstamaria]

You mean "Jazzmaster," Didier.

Andy

[abstamaria]

It seems then that the Jazzmaster doesn’t fit in neatly in the “non-Shadows guitars” category. The Mosrite (which I understand should be pronounced “Mose -rite”), however, is squarely a non-Shadows instrument and belongs solidly in the Ventures camp. Here’s the headstock of the Mosrite shown earlier, on semi-permanent loan to me. It has an aggressive, raw sound and is best played with the thin strings that Nokie Edwards preferred even in the early days. I don’t use it much.



Regards,

Andy

[JimN]

Thinking about it, at one time or other, in the group or solo, they used almost every available model of Fender guitar and bass!

I can think of.....Strats (Hank and Bruce, and Jet years later), Jazzmaster (Bruce), Jaguar (Jet) , Tele (Bruce) Precisions (Jet, Lic), Jazz bass (Lic and John) and Bass VI (Jet and later, Hank...)

Hank's Bass VI was (at least) once famously played by John Rostill too. In late 1966, Cliff Richard and the Shadows played a televised gala performance one Sunday evening, but Bruce became ill some time before the show. The group appeared as a trio and played The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt, with John R playing Hank's Bass VI (with the tremolo arm attached but tucked away). Hank threw in a few comping chords between the lead lines on the Burns and John played a sort of Chet-style combined bass and rhythm on the Fender.

I was recording the audio, but years later, encountered a slightly better quality off-air recording used on the Fremus compilation CD: ""Atlantis" (CDFR 0543; Italy 1994).

There were also various Gibson and Martin acoustics (one Martin with a built-in DeArmond pickup - Bruce), and electric hollowbody Gretsches (Hank and Bruce, and Jet on the Diamonds recording (tuned down to D)

Then the Burns guitars, basses and 12 string guitar...

How am I doing so far, JimN??

Did you remember the Vega Electravox?

[cockroach]

JImN,

I do remember Bruce's Vega of course- and Bruce's earlier Framus, and Hank's Hofner Congress, and of course his Antoria- plus all the various Burns that they used.

Andy asked what happened to Bruce's Jazzmaster, and as you said, he sold it to the bloke in the Hunters, but didn't Bruce also sell the Gretsch 6120 to another player on the scene- wasn't the guy a Chet Atkins style picker who also played r'n'b? Can't remember his name, was it Roger Dean????....someone wrote about it on this site years ago.

It's all a bit academic over 50 years later!

[abstamaria]

Not an electric six-string, but a bass guitar that is squarely rooted the early 1960s, the Hofner 500/1. The “Beatles Bass” or “violin bass” has no Shadows connection, as far as I am aware, but the Ventures’ Bob Bogle did use one for a spell in the 1970s. It is the one bass guitar casual fans instantly recognize.

Anna’s guitar is a fairly new one, a 500/1 “Vintage 62” model. She can’t use it for Shadows pieces, but I know it’s her favorite guitar.

[Uncle Fiesta]

Lovely!

And the bass is quite nice too.

Oh, sorry. I've already done that one.

[neil2726]

What bass???

Ive just bought a Hofner Verthin which were popular in the 60s when we couldnt afford Gibsons!

[cockroach]

Andy,

I think it's a bit sad that Anna can't use her favourite bass to play what ever tunes the band are doing...sometimes having to use matching instruments means a sacrifice just for appearances!

[abstamaria]

Yes, John. It's the nature of the Madeleine Cookie Shows, though, which tries to give the visual cues the audience expects to see. For Ventures and Shadows pieces, Anna uses her Precision Basses (sunburst for Ventures, although that technically should be correct for the Shadows' Apache, too!). We use matching guitars, typical of the period. For the vocal numbers, she switches to the Hofner. With flatwounds through the Ampeg, it sounds really good.

As an aside, we're getting so many retro shows now, with the Cascades, the Ventures (perhaps Nokie's last), and others the last year, and Dionne Warwick in the next week. Our shows have to compete!

Andy

[abstamaria]

Here are the Ventures with "non-traditional" Ventures guitars, including a Hofner violin bass.

Andy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbpcrtzVMK8