Did the Bell Musical Instrument catalogue mean much to you?

[JimN]

If so, you might want to take a look at the Facebook group:

"Bell Musical Instruments - the catalogue that dreams were made of".

https://www.facebook.com/groups/345084965591129/

JN

[Mike Honey]

Used to read it avidly; every page,line,word!! but wouldnt touch facebook with a bargepole!!

mike

[RayL]

At that time (1961) when information about electric guitars was rarer than hens teeth, the Bell catalogue was a window into a new world.

BUT, even then, as one leafed through the pages, discrimination set in. The 'Genuine Russian Guitar For Only 5Gns' looked naff and just had to be rubbish. The 'Framus Acoustic Electric Guitar Calypso' was an old man's guitar. You had to get to p.24 to find the real stuff - 'The Famous Burns Solids' ! Three pickups, six controls, two switches, tremolo arm . . . . . . the stuff that dreams are made of!

Facebook? I'm with Mike Honey.

Ray

[AlanMcKillop]

I'm trying to remember how we got them. Were they advertised in music papers of the day and you wrote away for one?

[alanbakewell]

Or you could telephone and they'd send you one. Many happy hours browsing.

[JimN]

OK, Mike and Ray.

This site doesn't accept files as big and detailed as Facebook does, so there's had to be some downsizing, but we start at:

http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=163&image_id=1260

I'll be back

JN

[RogerCook]

This brings back memories, mainly of things I couldn't afford back then, but I did buy an Egmond dual pickup but probably not from Bells. My catalogue was constantly open at the Levin Goliath page. I never did get one though

Roger

[Mike Honey]

thanks for that jim! I seem to remember the first one i got was all black and white illustrations. Bought my first Watkins rapier from them (and my second!)
Never ever visited the place though!!. Still remember the tingley feeling when the postman delivered it!!!

mioke

[Paul Childs]

I remember it very well.
Coming from Cornwall there weren't any decent gutar shops down here back in the 60s & 70s and the Bell catalogue was the main information of what was on the market.

[Paul Childs]

I'm trying to remember how we got them. Were they advertised in music papers of the day and you wrote away for one?

Alan, It used to be advertised in the daily papers with their address to send for one.