PAUL
VERNON CHESTER
Manouche Maestro
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Manouche Maestro |
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Jack Toogood's Guitars
After the death of
Emile Snr in 1943 the business was continued by Emile Jnr and guitar
production was increased, at this time all subsequent production received
the ‘Grimshaw’ signature logo on the head. In the 1950s (some also received
this style in the 1960s) it was hand written/painted signature on the head ,
it is very likely that the signature was actually done by Emile Grimshaw
personally. Interestingly, over the years Emile,s signature changed slightly
and it is possible to date a guitar by signature.
In the 1960s the signature was a
manufactured wire type badge, and in the final years the signature was a
transfer type. Post war, the resonator back guitars were
discontinued in favour of the electric pickup
which solved the volume problem. Grimshaw
Snr was Editor for the BMG Magazine 1911-33
During
the fifties Grimshaw made many archtop, acoustic and electric models including
the G3, G5,G6, and Plectric single cut away
jazz style electric, all were archtop styles some with pickups built into the
fret board (Grimshaw patented this type of pickup in USA and GB) Grimshaw called
these invisible pickups, tone/volume controls added to the scratch plate. The
most popular model of the 1950s was the SS (short scale) De
Luxe and Custom models, the later having humbucker pickups, the styling on this
model was a cross between a Gibson 335
and a Gretsch White Falcon, with an
individual Grimshaw style of un-equal cutaways. These were good substitutes for
the American guitars which were not imported into the UK (due to austerity
measures post war). Some had a Grimshaw patented tremolo system.
The SS models were very
pretty guitars and played well, Grimshaw should have had more success with this
model than they did. During the sixties in line with the boom in guitar groups
they manufactured solid bodied electric models, some were based on the
Fender/Gibson designs. Grimshaw
were granted a licence by Gibson to produce the
Humbucker pickup, if this is correct then it would be the only occasion
Gibson have done this. (Seth Lover the inventor of the humbucking pickup
mentions this in his biography).
Grimshaw Guitars -
History
Joe Morreti of Johhnny Kidd and the Pirates fame
The thin line, with the cats eye sound holes is a Grimshaw SS.DELUXE around 1957/9 favoured by the early English rockers i.e. Joe Brown, Joe Morreti, Bruce Welch, - Keith Sellers
Early Grimshaw Plectric - Vibrato Tailpiece had ball bearing action and note the added second DeArmond Rhythm Chief Pickup |
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Grimshaw
SS (Short Scale) Deluxe with unequal Cutaways
