Need some education on this guitar

[Bob K]

Hi all:

I've always been intrigued by the small bodied guitar played by Johnny Guitar of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes early on in the Liverpool scene. Here's a link to a half-decent picture:



I've heard that it is an Antoria made by Guyatone, and also that it is a Fenton-Weill. Does anyone recognize this make/model?

Do they ever show up for sale? I've kept one eye open for a few years but have yet to bump into one.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Bob

[VintAxe]

Hi Bob,

This guitar is listed in the 1964 Bell Musical Instrument catalog I have in the Catalog Section of VintAxe. Although the instrument pictured is not an exact match, it is the same guitar. It is called the Freshman, model 5800. It was made by Guyatone beginning in the late 50's and appears to be a budget guitar compared to the prices of other instruments listed. The 50's models had a rounder lower bout so the guitar in the picture is probably early 60's like the one in my catalog. I've never seen one in the flesh, I don't know how common they might be in the UK. I hope I've told you something useful, good luck with your search. sb

[Bob K]

Great! Thanks Steve.

Bob

[simonm]

Hi

a bit more more info - although they look basically the same, the 50s version, made by Guyatone in Japan, is better quailty than the Freshman -it has a thicker body, set neck and superior pickup(s), where the Freshman is maybe UK-constructed with mostly imported parts of the cheapest possible kind - the body is only one inch thick, with finish you can scratch off with your fingernail, and a thin thin neck held on w/ 2 screws. Freshmen (heh!) turn up on UK ebay occasionally, but the Guyatones are pretty rare. I've never seen one, although I have a slightly later Guyatone with the orignal metal GUYAtone logo, but a more strat-like body that is quite a good li'l gtr. I got a Freshman on ebay as it was being sold with a Selmer amp, but I sold it on pretty quick.

The early Fenton Weill and Burns Weill c1959-60 gtrs were higher quality and Brit-made but the same shape, hence the confusion - there's one here, pretty cool:



here's a pic of a Freshman, forgot about the horrible 3 piece pickguard - so think you could cut it with a pair of scissors: -

[Bob K]

Fantastic info, simonm! Thanks so much.

Are you of the opinion that the guitar that Johnny Guitar played was the Guyatone version? Seems like that would be the case.

I guess there's not much hope of finding one - sound rare as hen's teeth

Thanks again,
Bob

[simonm]

[Bob K]

Well, here's one on ebay, but kind of a basket-case - and except for the body shape not much like the one Johnny Guitar played. All of the hardware, pickups (woodgrain?), pickguard, bridge, etc. all seem different than his model. They must be totally different guitars, as it doesn't seem this Freshman could withstand the rigors of early sixties Liverpool.

It's not a bolt-on neck, though .



Any input/thoughts?

Bob

[Big Beat]

The eBay guitar is a Freshman. The one in the photo is most likely a c. 1959 Burns-Weill.

[Michael Ambrose]

If anyone out there is REALLY interested in these old Guyatones and getting their hands on a project, I was just in an OUTSTANDING shop... makes project-junkies like me go apeshit...

Check out Time Warp Musicnear Venice CA. The dude has TWO old Guyatones (one MIGHT be a Soph model, not sure, might be 60's as opposed to 50's) sitting in varying states of disrepair. You project hounds should hop on this!

<3,
Michael Ambrose.

[Bob K]

Hi all,
There's a Guyatone on ebay at the moment that looks similar to the Johnny Guitar model that I'm after (as pictured in my first post).



Body shape looks the same but hardware and headstock are very different.


The seller says late '50s, which I would imagine would coincide with Johnny Guitar's (as he used his in the very early '60s).

Can anyone shed some light on this ebay guitar and how it might relate to the model I'm looking for?

Thanks,
Bob

[VintAxe]

Hi Bob, I think the seller is right. This guitar is pictured in Bizarre Guitars of the 60's. It is described as a late 50's LG-608. The skinny fenderish headstocks are listed as the LG-408 and LG-508. The LG-608 appears to be the top of the line from this series. From what I can tell the eBay guitar looks to be all original. Good find & good luck. sb

[Bob K]

Well, over a year later and I finally put my hands on one!

It's pretty close to Hank and Johnny Byrne's model. The fretboard inlays are not the same. It's unbranded as was theirs. It does have a model number on the back of the headstock (HG-80). Funny fact - there is no trussrod under the trussrod cover!!

Here's Johnny Guitar:


And Hank Marvin (and Cliff Richard)


And here's mine (wife and guitar )







Any further input would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help, guys.

Bob

[VintAxe]

Hey Bob,

Congratulations on your acquisition, it looks like a very clean example.

sb