Park Grimshaw
project
The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
The only other mark is the number 606 on the metal plate at the base of
the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
when I got it.
--
project
vince_f
Emil Grimshaw made guitars in Britain from the 1950's.The only example
I'm aware of had 24 frets.
Does yours?
Park made amps, (in Birmingam i think ) and were swallowed up by Marshall.
There is a photo of a Grimshaw in the "Ultimate Guitar Book" This has a
single rounded cutaway.
Vince f
JNugent
>Has anyone heard of a guitar called a Park Grimshaw?
>The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
Yes. It was actually marketed under either brand (Park or Grimshaw) and was
available with either name on the headstock. The guitar was made in the
workshop of Emile Grimshaw (near Picadilly Circus) and sold by Park (under
either name). Emile had been making and repairing guitars for many years
(and was to continue for many more).
The instrument dates from 1967 or early 1968, at a time when the Gibson Les
Paul was rapidly becoming the instrument of choice (Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton,
Keith Richards, Vince Melouney*, et al were using it) but was simply
unavailable new. Secondhand Les Pauls were around £200 - £250 just then.
Park (an amplifier manufacturer in Birmingham who may also have had a retail
shop there - Smallbrook Ringway rings a bell) decided to have Emile Grimshaw
make up a guitar that looked quite like the LP, without being an exact copy.
It had a black scratchplate, for instance, and the body outline was narrower
than the Gibson's. The rosewood fretboard was adorned with dot-markers
rather than the crown or block inlays of a Gibson.
The new guitar was taken up by several UK players:
- Spencer Davies discontinued his renowned use of the Harmony Stratotone in
favour of the Park, and another user was
- Francis Rossi at the time of "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" (he later
admitted having swapped a Gibson ES345TDC Stereo for his!).
The Park would probably have done reasonably well in the market had it not
been for the unfortunate fact (for Park/Grimshaw) that Gibson re-commenced
production of the s/c Les Paul in late 1967 or early 1968 (it was
re-introduced to Europe at the Frankfurt Musik Messe of 1968), rather
sweeping away the market for LP look-alikes until the Japanese copy craze
(at MUCH lower prices) started a couple of years later.
The Park/Grimshaw was priced at 129 guineas (£135.45) in late 1967 - I had a
brochure (long-since lost). Other Grimshaw guitars (including one styled on
the ES335) were available at the same time at very similar prices. When the
LP came back into UK shops (mid-1968), it was priced at 339 guineas (for the
Custom with two humbuckers) and 225 guineas (for the Standard in goldtop
with 2 P90s).
>The only other mark is the number 606 on the metal plate at the base of
>the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
>when I got it.
It is certainly between 31 and 32 years old. Seldom has it been possible to
be more specific about a guitar that was a product of its time and of the
prevailing conditions in the guitar market.
Well, you did ask!
* Vince Melouney [who he?] was the lead guitarist with the Bee Gees when
they landed from Australia in mid-1967. He was on their first few UK records
(perhaps).
Tony Russell
project wrote in message ...
>Has anyone heard of a guitar called a Park Grimshaw?
>The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
>the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
>when I got it.
I remember these being advertised in the Melody Maker every week for a
couple of years. I remember seeing Gun, with Adrian Curtess, real name
Gurvitz as in Baker/Gurvitz Army play one. He sounded very good indeed.
What does yours sound like?
TonyR
project
<ta...@dial.pipex.com> writes
It sounds pretty good nice mellow tone but requires a bit of work on the
electrics, The tone pots are a bit dodgy. I play it through an H&H 100
combo.
--
project
project
<JNu...@AC30.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>project wrote in message ...
>
>>Has anyone heard of a guitar called a Park Grimshaw?
>>The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
>
>>the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
>>when I got it.
>
>be more specific about a guitar that was a product of its time and of the
>prevailing conditions in the guitar market.
>
>Well, you did ask!
>
>* Vince Melouney [who he?] was the lead guitarist with the Bee Gees when
>they landed from Australia in mid-1967. He was on their first few UK records
>(perhaps).
>
>
a few months later sold it back to the same guy, and then about three
years later after wishing for sometime that I hadnt sold it contacted
the guy and bought it back complete with amp this time for £200 and
there is nothing would make me part with it now.
All the very best Iain
--
project
project
>project <pro...@saintcolumba.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>Has anyone heard of a guitar called a Park Grimshaw?>The one I have looks like
>a les paul copy.
>>the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
>>when I got it.
>>project
>
>Emil Grimshaw made guitars in Britain from the 1950's.The only example
>I'm aware of had 24 frets.
> Does yours?
>There is a photo of a Grimshaw in the "Ultimate Guitar Book" This has a
> single rounded cutaway.
>Vince f
>
>vincefr...@cwcom.net
>
Thanks for the feedback
Iain
--
project
Phil Leigh
judging by the finish at least - any views?
Tony Russell <ta...@dial.pipex.com> wrote in article
<7jgje6$3if$1...@lure.pipex.net>...
>
> project wrote in message ...
> >Has anyone heard of a guitar called a Park Grimshaw?
> >The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
> >The only other mark is the number 606 on the metal plate at the base of
> >the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
> >when I got it.
> >--
>
>
> I remember these being advertised in the Melody Maker every week for a
> couple of years. I remember seeing Gun, with Adrian Curtess, real name
> Gurvitz as in Baker/Gurvitz Army play one. He sounded very good indeed.
>
> What does yours sound like?
>
> TonyR
>
>
>
The Nit Nurse
<pro...@saintcolumba.demon.co.uk> wrote:
<In article <7jeuqr$ek$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>, JNugent
<<JNu...@AC30.freeserve.co.uk> writes
<>project wrote in message ...
<>
<>Park (an amplifier manufacturer in Birmingham who may also have had a retail
<>shop there - Smallbrook Ringway rings a bell)
I think we're getting a bit confused here. Park was Jim Marshall's wife's
maiden name and was used by Marshall as a Rose-Morris-avoidance brand-name
to put
out Marshall amps on his own under that name. Marshall had sold his soul
to Rose Morris to fund an expansion program and R-M had sole rights to all
products under the Marshall name. To get round this, and to try and get back
some control, Jim Marshall put out slightly restyled Marshalls under the
brand name Park. If you see an old Park valve amp in a shop, its a Marshall
in disguise. There was a similar range called Narb, which were sold by his
friend Ken Bran through his oulet for a while (Bran -> Narb, gettit?)
I have no idea about Grimshaw guitars, although I vaguely recall they did some
of their own designs, but I assumed that the LPs were like Antorias and
Shaftsburys - bought in generic bolt-neck Les Pauls, made in Japan but
with a UK distributer name on the neck.
--
-------------------------------------------
This space has been intentionally left blank
-------------------------------------------
Steve Cobham
Nit Nurse) wrote:
> <>Park (an amplifier manufacturer in Birmingham who may also have had a retail
> <>shop there - Smallbrook Ringway rings a bell)
>
>I think we're getting a bit confused here. Park was Jim Marshall's wife's
>maiden name and was used by Marshall as a Rose-Morris-avoidance brand-name
>to put
>out Marshall amps on his own under that name. Marshall had sold his soul
>to Rose Morris to fund an expansion program and R-M had sole rights to all
>products under the Marshall name. To get round this, and to try and get back
>some control, Jim Marshall put out slightly restyled Marshalls under the
>brand name Park. If you see an old Park valve amp in a shop, its a Marshall
>in disguise. There was a similar range called Narb, which were sold by his
>friend Ken Bran through his oulet for a while (Bran -> Narb, gettit?)
Then there's the apocryphal story that the name of Park amps was
itself an anagram of "krap".
This was told to me in all seriousness by a guitarist with quite a
famous band - a few top 40 hits. I don't even think that the way that
"krap" began with a "K" made him think twice about the theory.
Incidentally, a friend of mine has a low wattage Park combo - one of
the valve originals, not the new tranny sort - and it has the sweetest
tone you'll hear in a long time.
He won't sell it to me..........swine!
Steve.
===============================================
Guitar and bass tuition - all styles and levels.
http://users.powernet.co.uk/guitars/tuition.htm
Interested in Zappa? Guitar? Beer?
Want to see McGuinn's Rickenbacker?
How about trading Zappa and Danny Gatton tapes?
http://users.powernet.co.uk/guitars/
"Wiener schnitzel, wiener schnitzel -
finest apples west of Tennessee"
===============================================
JNugent
>In article <eAhT3HAT...@saintcolumba.demon.co.uk>, project
><pro...@saintcolumba.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> <In article <7jeuqr$ek$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>, JNugent
> <<JNu...@AC30.freeserve.co.uk> writes
> <>project wrote in message ...
> <>
> <>Park (an amplifier manufacturer in Birmingham who may also have had a
retail
> <>shop there - Smallbrook Ringway rings a bell)
>I think we're getting a bit confused here. Park was Jim Marshall's wife's
>maiden name and was used by Marshall as a Rose-Morris-avoidance brand-name
>to put
>out Marshall amps on his own under that name. Marshall had sold his soul
>to Rose Morris to fund an expansion program and R-M had sole rights to all
>products under the Marshall name. To get round this, and to try and get
back
>some control, Jim Marshall put out slightly restyled Marshalls under the
>brand name Park. If you see an old Park valve amp in a shop, its a Marshall
>in disguise. There was a similar range called Narb, which were sold by his
>friend Ken Bran through his oulet for a while (Bran -> Narb, gettit?)
I remember that too - and Park are now back in production - as a sort of
"Squier" to Marshall's "Fender". Nevertheless, the Park concern DID sell
that guitar (though they didn't make it).
>I have no idea about Grimshaw guitars, although I vaguely recall they did
some
>of their own designs, but I assumed that the LPs were like Antorias and
>Shaftsburys - bought in generic bolt-neck Les Pauls, made in Japan but
>with a UK distributer name on the neck.
No - all UK-made, not an import in sight.
In the 50s/very early 60s, Grimshaw guitars were used by an impressive range
of UK rockers, including:
Joe Brown (before he got his ES335)
Tony Sheridan (before he got his ES175)
Marty Wilde (perhaps before he found Big Jim Sullivan...)
Cliff Richard (at least in photos!)
Bruce Welch (on a live album, though he only borrowed it).
Tony Russell
Steve Cobham wrote in message
>
>Then there's the apocryphal story that the name of Park amps was
>itself an anagram of "krap".
>
>>Pedantic mode <on>
An inversion, to be precise.
TonyR
Steve Cobham
.esruoc fo thgir er'uoY
evetS
Ron Johnson
>> project wrote in message ...
>> >The one I have looks like a les paul copy.
>> >The only other mark is the number 606 on the metal plate at the base of
>> >the neck. I have had it for about 20 years and it was pretty old looking
>> >when I got it.
I had one in the early seventies, I bought it of a guy (name escapes
me) who used to play with a well know North West band, The MBQ. It was
an unatractive brown (mahogany?) colour, played and sounded just o/k
(a bit dull) not a patch on a real Gibson or a decent modern copy.
Mine just had Grimshaw in italics on the headstock.I bought it for
(IIRC) eighty quid. I never really liked it much.
On Mon, 07 Jun 1999 15:20:37 -0400, "Phil Leigh"
<philip...@compuserve.com> wrote:
>I believe that Grimshaw was also involved in the Ned Callan guitars -
>judging by the finish at least - any views?
I also had a Ned Callan, a cherry red SG Standard shape but with an
elongated headstock (sposed to increase the sustain!) It had a ally
plate on the headstock when I bought it with Simms Watts printed on, I
pulled it off one day and it was engraved Ned Callan beneath.
I was at that time a Simms Watts dealer (mid seventies) and obtained
it cheap of the rep (it was slightly damaged), I remember that it was
a fine guitar for its price, and I sold a few more on the strength of
it hanging up in the shop for the liggers to play on.
Simms Watts did some mighty fine valve amps before cocking it up with
some God awful transistor jobs and sinking slowly into the sunset.
Regards
Ron
The Nit Nurse
m...@phenomena.idps.co.uk (Ron Johnson) wrote:
<
<I also had a Ned Callan, a cherry red SG Standard shape but with an
<elongated headstock (sposed to increase the sustain!) It had a ally
<plate on the headstock when I bought it with Simms Watts printed on, I
<pulled it off one day and it was engraved Ned Callan beneath.
<
<I was at that time a Simms Watts dealer (mid seventies) and obtained
<it cheap of the rep (it was slightly damaged), I remember that it was
<a fine guitar for its price, and I sold a few more on the strength of
<it hanging up in the shop for the liggers to play on.
<
<Simms Watts did some mighty fine valve amps before cocking it up with
<some God awful transistor jobs and sinking slowly into the sunset.
Didn't Simms Watts do a Ned Callan amp - a 70 watt (or so) 1x12 small
combo with a switch on the back which dropped the power to around 20
watts for the studio?
Who was Ned Callan, anyway?
Ross Edwards
remind me of the Pedulla basses.
Check out Tony Bacon's "The Ultimate Guitar Book" for some photo's
--
==============================
*New* & updated jokes section:
http://www.rossweb.currantbun.com
==============================
The Nit Nurse <tnnurse@NO_JUNK_THANX.usa.net> wrote in message
news:tnnurse-ya0235800...@singer.cent.gla.ac.uk...
Phil Leigh
Hombre for years - great guitar but a little weird. It played like a Les
Paul Junior - sounded like a Firebird...similar pickups I was told. The
finish on the Hombre was Olive sunburst which I was told was typical of
Grimshaws work. The lacquer was subject to bad crazing over the years.
These guitars were marketed in the early 70's under the Shaftesbury trade
name by Rose Morris. I have a friend who worked at RM in those days (who
strangely also has a Hombre!!!) who confirmed some of this.
I think was an attempt to give the Shaftesbury name some credibility after
years of crap Jap copies - although I remember a rather nice Shaftesbury
Thinline Tele...
Ross Edwards <ross.ed...@SPAMcurrantbun.com> wrote in article
<375fcc28.0@news1>...
Skitzoid Rotary Blastmaster
"Ned Callan" was in fact Peter Cook (the Hanwell based builder, not
the comedian) working under a pseudonym.
The Peter Cooks shop is still there, but Mr Cook is long gone.
Many designs ended up being built under license by Japanese
manufacturers, but the original "nobbly Neds" were Peter Cooks AFAIR.
On Sat, 12 Jun 1999 05:12:49 -0400, "Phil Leigh"
<philip...@compuserve.com>, kissed the big ugly shark and wrote:
>There were 2 Ned Callan "knobblies" - the Hombre and the Cody. I had a
>Hombre for years - great guitar but a little weird.
>These guitars were marketed in the early 70's under the Shaftesbury trade
>name by Rose Morris.
>I think was an attempt to give the Shaftesbury name some credibility after
>years of crap Jap copies - although I remember a rather nice Shaftesbury
>Thinline Tele...
>> > <I also had a Ned Callan, a cherry red SG Standard shape but with an
>> > <elongated headstock (sposed to increase the sustain!) It had a ally
>> > <plate on the headstock when I bought it with Simms Watts printed on,
>> > <pulled it off one day and it was engraved Ned Callan beneath.
>> > Who was Ned Callan, anyway?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Skitzoid Rotary Blastmaster xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
|--------------------- ski...@dircon.co.uk --------------------|
|- Cardiacs / Thrash Metal / Arcade collecting / Guitar Tech --|
|---------- http://www.skitzo.dircon.co.uk/index.htm ----------|
Phil Leigh
spooky coincidence or what?.
When I go back there I must ask them if they have any knowledge of Ned
Callan - although as you imply I doubt it.
Those Ned Callans were definitely british-built...you can just tell about
guitars of that era. They were nice - very flat fingerboards (bit like a
Riccy) but the hardware sucked. Nice wood and paint job tho...I had mine
"rebuilt" during the late 70's - brass nut, Dimarzio's coil tap etc...it
must bout there somewhere...bit like my old Marshall 2187:(
Skitzoid Rotary Blastmaster <ski...@dircon.co.uk> wrote in article
<3767fdcb...@news.dircon.co.uk>...