NGD - Peter Cook Axis 6/12 Twin Neck

OilCityPickups

You can see a little of Peter Cook's past in some of the body shape.

Exhibit a,. A Shaftsbury Ned Callan, known somewhat unkindly as a Knobbly Ned back in the 70s when they came out. Peter made the 'Knobbly Ned' as a cheap but high quality alternative to US brands ... before Japan started to produce the really good stuff.

I've been wanting one of these ever since I worked in a music shop in my teens ... we had a second hand one in and it played beautifully ... but sadly I couldn't afford it.

Kittyfrisk

OilCityPickups said:

You can see a little of Peter Cook's past in some of the body shape.

Exhibit a,. A Shaftsbury Ned Callan, known somewhat unkindly as a Knobbly Ned back in the 70s when they came out. Peter made the 'Knobbly Ned' as a cheap but high quality alternative to US brands ... before Japan started to produce the really good stuff.

I've been wanting one of these ever since I worked in a music shop in my teens ... we had a second hand one in and it played beautifully ... but sadly I couldn't afford it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shaftesbury-Ned-Callan-Hombre-538-Electric-Guitar-Sunburst-Pre-Owned/312963117416?hash=item48de0e3168:g:5IQAAOSwM0BeKy~s    
Edit  @OilCityPickups ;

PhilKing

It looks like the one @BAJD had, even down to the pickups.  See https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/89169/peter-cook-guitar-builder-the-who-and-many-others/p1.  If you scroll to the link to his Flicker link and go to page 68 (lots of interesting pictures to see if you go page by page).  This is there https://www.flickr.com/photos/140770712@N08/37553772194/

HarrySeven

https://i.imgur.com/IwXSQTo.jpg

Certainly looks that way...

Philly_Q

I once got Kent Armstrong to make a soapbar-sized humbucker for a Gordon Smith GS1.  The only problem was, the GS had a really steep neck angle so the entire pickup ended up sitting above the guitar body - you could see right under it.

I can't remember what it sounded like, I was pretty clueless but I'm sure Mr Armstrong delivered whatever it was I asked for.

impmann

OilCityPickups said:

You can see a little of Peter Cook's past in some of the body shape.

Exhibit a,. A Shaftsbury Ned Callan, known somewhat unkindly as a Knobbly Ned back in the 70s when they came out. Peter made the 'Knobbly Ned' as a cheap but high quality alternative to US brands ... before Japan started to produce the really good stuff.

I've been wanting one of these ever since I worked in a music shop in my teens ... we had a second hand one in and it played beautifully ... but sadly I couldn't afford it.

The original Knobbly Neds were made by the Shergold factory and were *very* good - the bass was well liked by Entwistle and Mike Oldfield to name but two. 

https://www.shergold.co.uk/models.html  (scroll to the bottom)

HarrySeven

I think it’s definitely the same guitar.

Look at the sticker on the case in the RH side of the pic:

https://i.imgur.com/javmK7R.jpg

Now look at the sticker residue on the case today:

https://i.imgur.com/P8hccYH.jpg

Kittyfrisk

^  + 1  Not to mention the grain markings on the front of the guitar correlating in both sets of photo's.

PhilKing

And the banjo tuners on the 6-string neck

HarrySeven

Kittyfrisk said:

^  + 1  Not to mention the grain markings on the front of the guitar correlating in both sets of photo's.

Yup.

HarrySeven

PhilKing said:

And the banjo tuners on the 6-string neck

Indeed. Though I’ve no idea how many of these 6/12 double-neck Axis models were made - if there were more than one, the banjo machine heads would be common to them all?

PhilKing

HarrySeven said:

PhilKing said:

And the banjo tuners on the 6-string neck

Indeed. Though I’ve no idea how many of these 6/12 double-neck Axis models were made - if there were more than one, the banjo machine heads would be common to them all?

I was thinking one, but looking at the picture with Peter Cook, the pickups on that are different to yours.  If @BAJD got it new, then there must have been two, at least.

MrBump

Crikey.  That's - umm - interesting.

Is there a green tinge to the finish..?

Funkfingers

MrBump said:

Is there a green tinge to the finish?

It is a very particular shade of transparent green. I associate it with Burns, Baldwin and Fenton-Weill. 

Kittyfrisk

PhilKing said:

HarrySeven said:

PhilKing said:

And the banjo tuners on the 6-string neck

Indeed. Though I’ve no idea how many of these 6/12 double-neck Axis models were made - if there were more than one, the banjo machine heads would be common to them all?

I was thinking one, but looking at the picture with Peter Cook, the pickups on that are different to yours.  If @BAJD got it new, then there must have been two, at least.

You are right, the pickups on the 6 string side have been changed at some point.
Having said that IMHO, all the photographs in the thread are of the same guitar.
Have a close look at the wood markings on the body front, they are all the same.
On the 6 string side, there are what looks like 2 darker, almost parallel grain lines extending from the bass side of the bridge, about 1cm apart.
On the 12 string side, there are wider grain lines from the bridge that converge slightly toward the guitar body end.
I reckon I'm right, but rumour has it, I have been wrong before ...

HarrySeven

Kittyfrisk said:

Having said that IMHO, all the photographs in the thread are of the same guitar.

Have a close look at the wood markings on the body front, they are all the same.

On the 6 string side, there are what looks like 2 darker, almost parallel grain lines extending from the bass side of the bridge, about 1cm apart.

On the 12 string side, there are wider grain lines from the bridge that converge slightly toward the guitar body end.

I agree - the grain definitely appears to match.

That (coupled with the sticker residue on the case) clinches it.

@BAJD doesn’t seem to have been around for a while, which is a shame - could do with some input!

NB. The 1980 Sounds book says the guitar was made in 1979, which agrees with @BAJD’s post.

PhilKing

Interesting though, they have the same p/u surround material which must mean that Peter Cook was involved with the change.

Philly_Q

Out of interest, is Peter Cook himself still around?  And is/was he the same Peter Cook of Peter Cook's Guitar World?

HarrySeven

Philly_Q said:

Out of interest, is Peter Cook himself still around?  And is/was he the same Peter Cook of Peter Cook's Guitar World?

Nah, it’s this one...

https://66.media.tumblr.com/113358063a706310052412f432143cce/tumblr_pq8h9rHMhr1qa9dy8o1_1280.png

Philly_Q

I knew that was coming....