Return of the Rapier 33

ICBM

Stuckfast said:

Maybe they wanted to create a reissue of something where no-one, however deluded, could possibly say that it was worse than the original. 

Wis!

The real irony is that the Rapier 22 - which was a much better guitar (OK, less shit...) without the 33's ludicrously wonky-looking middle pickup and dodgy switching, and a whole £7 cheaper - quite a lot of money back then - is much rarer. Did people want to ape a Strat *that* badly that they had to have three hideously crap pickups instead of two?

Funkfingers

Well, some punters were so determined to have a wonky looking three-pickup electric guitar that they bloody well built it themselves.

Philly_Q

Stuckfast said:

Interesting that they've revived the model but don't seem to have acquired either the Watkins or Wilson brand names.

Presumably Harold Wilson was the prime minister when they changed the brand name from Watkins to Wilson, so maybe these should be called Johnsons?

Teflon

JezWynd said:

I'm sure these modern ones will play better - they're intonatable (is that a word?) for a start and the electronics are likely a step up from the originals. I remember them in the Bells Catalogue (in B & W iirc) but I never lusted after one.

players in the 60+ age band who will have had a Rapier pass through their hands and, at £429, will think “I better save that for my gas bill"

With Alan Entwhistles involvement, I'm pretty sure they will play and sound quite quite nice. Provided they're not too expensive I think they'd make a nice nostalgic 2nd guitar for players of a certain age 

Voxman

Offset said:

Jeez.  I remember hankering after the 4-pickup model from pictures in a catalog in the early 1970s - was it Boosey & Hawkes?  

My cousin who lived 4 days away from me had the Rapier 44 in bright red and a Watkins amp. He lent me the Rapier and had to restring it as he was left handed.  I recall that the neck was a lot fatter than my cheap Tele copy and it felt very different but sounded pretty good. 

scrumhalf

The wood for these guitars has been especially sourced. It's difficult these days to find a sufficient supply of barrels to scrape the bottom of.

Next thing you know there will be re-issues if that horrific Satellite electric I used to have, complete wirh frets made out of the softest metal known to mankind. 

MartinBush

I like the look of these. Not keen on the logo though - seems a bit Britpopish.  But the guitar looks good to me.

guitars4you

I agree with various comments that those who lusted after a Rapier 33 back in the 60's will always play the nostalgia card - Yet many will no longer be playing guitar now and some long gone

Many of those  'European' old electric guitars had a good action up to the 1st fret then became close to un-playable - Yet somehow many are so cool - To be fair to JHS, most retro models they have handled/re-issued have been of a decent quality and played far better than the originals ever did - Italia, Dan Electro and Supro for starters and sold

In some ways I've fancied an old European guitar for a while - Nostalgia and cool - Bargain basement price - But plays well - Yet they don't exist - Find an oldie and have it  'customised/upgraded' by a good guitar tech, to play better, so mainly a good re-fret and the cost/value just won't add up, especially when it is only for a bit of fun - I've played a few Italia and Supros and hard to fault them for what they are

In some ways an old Rapier performs similar to that of an old Morris Minor, when you compare both to equivalent new models from say Squier/Yamaha and Toyota/Mini - But the oldies will always have nostalgia but rarely will you be able to, or want to use them on a day to day basis 

Philly_Q

Looking at the detailed pictures on the JHS website, the zero fret looks to be a bigger size than the other frets - a super-jumbo.  It would be a nice touch if they'd made it stainless.

Teflon

guitars4you said:

I agree with various comments that those who lusted after a Rapier 33 back in the 60's will always play the nostalgia card .............. 

To be fair, I doubt there were many (if any) who actually lusted after them back in the day - it was more a question of what you could afford .  Nevertheless, they played a huge part in the lives of many budding guitarists back then, and to have something that takes you back to those days, but now also plays quite nicely, is quite an attractive proposition to my mind. Seeing the pic in the opening post certainly sparked some memories for me, and I suspect I won't be alone. If the retail price is right, I could be sorely tempted 

guitars4you

price looks to be £425 ish

WezV

Presumably they have none of the issues of the original, so  hopefully you get quirky vintage looks with modern construction and playability.... seems like an idea that could be popular.

Teflon

WezV said:

Presumably they have none of the issues of the original, so  hopefully you get quirky vintage looks with modern construction and playability.... seems like an idea that could be popular.

Yup, summed it up far neater than me  .  Won't be everyones cup of tea, for sure, but there'll be a market for them.

57Deluxe

will be bought by those amongst us who were avid thumbers of the annual Bell Music catalogue...

Offset

WezV said:

Presumably they have none of the issues of the original, so  hopefully you get quirky vintage looks with modern construction and playability.... seems like an idea that could be popular.

Sorry @WezV, I just can't see 'em selling...

Pabcrane

Looks like I'm pretty lonely in the opinion that they look kinda cool 

JayGee

Offset said:

WezV said:

Presumably they have none of the issues of the original, so  hopefully you get quirky vintage looks with modern construction and playability.... seems like an idea that could be popular.

Sorry @WezV, I just can't see 'em selling...

I suspect they’ll sell enough of them to make the effort worthwhile, and that most of them will go to people who’ be never seen, let alone handled or heard the originals. Retro is the new modem, and seems to be doing quite well across a lot of markets, guitars being just one of them…

hollywoodrox

Philly_Q said:

Stuckfast said:

Interesting that they've revived the model but don't seem to have acquired either the Watkins or Wilson brand names.

Presumably Harold Wilson was the prime minister when they changed the brand name from Watkins to Wilson, so maybe these should be called Johnsons?

Philly_Q said:

Stuckfast said:

Interesting that they've revived the model but don't seem to have acquired either the Watkins or Wilson brand names.

Presumably Harold Wilson was the prime minister when they changed the brand name from Watkins to Wilson, so maybe these should be called Johnsons?

Isn’t Johnson Slang for penis  lol   Rather fitting for the PM and the guitar 

WezV

Offset said:

WezV said:

Presumably they have none of the issues of the original, so  hopefully you get quirky vintage looks with modern construction and playability.... seems like an idea that could be popular.

Sorry @WezV, I just can't see 'em selling...

You are probably right.

Personally, i think that is a shame.

I would  rather there was money in modern improved versions of old guitars, better than making yet another clone of the big 3.  But you are right, there probably isn't.

ICBM

Offset said:

Sorry @WezV, I just can't see 'em selling...

I don’t think anyone cool ever played one. Kevin Rowland is the only one I can even think of, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t count as cool.

The nostalgia market is much more for original examples, flaws and all - or rebuilt as much as possible to play well, but still fundamentally the same guitar. (I have a fair amount of experience doing that to things like the aforementioned Tiesco-made Satellites.) I certainly can’t see a new semi-reissue selling if it’s more expensive.