PSA - Lefty c.1967 Watkins Rapier

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RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
edited May 2014 in Guitar
Not too far from me for sale is a Red '60's Watkins Rapier (model code 8510? - don't know anything about these).

Apparently needs a bit of a re-finish but all electrics etc are original.

Just in case anyone is interested.

Edit. Have no idea about the 8510 - ignore, just what it says in the ad. - looks like a 22 now I've googled it.
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Comments

  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9983
    edited May 2014 tFB Trader
    They are quite crude by modern standards ... the UK music manufacturing industry had barely seen a 'real' US instrument at that time. The pickups are weak but have an interesting 'gritty' character. The necks are normally quite narrow. The electrics are normally the thing that is looed from the originals ... so one with electrics present and correct is nice. It won't be worth much mind: If it has to be re finished the novelty value is pretty much gone. They had an early poly finish if I remember correctly ... usually in red ... it cracks like a bastard. Just like later Shergolds. Nice as a fun thing to have and restore ... not really a goer for gigging or making a profit lol :-)

    http://www.watkinsguitars.co.uk/rapiers.htm

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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    I remember a post on here from way back where someone was looking.  It looks very 'British '60s'. and very red!

    I think the guy wants 150 euros for it.  Just in case anyone was interested.
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  • boogiemanboogieman Frets: 12314
    I know a guy who gigged with one for a while. It looked the bollocks but sounded really weedy and nasty and it got the boot fairly quickly.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Designed by someone who couldn't play guitar and had once seen a picture of Hank Marvin on the side of a moving bus.

    Avoid.
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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    ^ presumably the bus was going fairy quickly and in the opposite direction! It has a fairly 'homemade' look about it. And not at all in a cool Red Special way.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    David Bowie and Kevin Rowland (Dexy's Midnight Runners) both used them, if I remember correctly - or were at least pictured with one. Doesn't make them any good though.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ChrisMusicChrisMusic Frets: 1133
    I had a Watkins Rapier 33 when I was a nipper.  I don't remember poly finish though.  The wood was very light both in colour and weight, I wonder what it was?    I took it right back and spray painted it in orange metallic car paint, no primer, had a really nice tactile satin metallic look, pretty unique.  I thought it looked brilliant, so not biased at all then.

    The pickups were atrocious, straight out they came and got replaced by something much better.  Even filling the cavities with mutant wasps would have sounded better than the originals.  Replaced all wiring, switches, pots etc.  All other hardware upgraded.  This was not easy at the time as there was little available to hot rod guitars.

    The frets got a good filing down and refinish, so it became almost semi-fretless, I probably had the Gibson LP phrase "fretless wonder" in the back of my mind at the time.  The action came way down, really low, and it actually played really well, and sounded pretty good too.  I think I eventually swapped it for an old Shergold or Hayman.

    Now that's given me some ideas for another (non-Rapier) project.

    Yes I've always been a bit of a barbarian at heart, occasionally I let it out to play.  ;)

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