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  • WELSON
  • Early Solid-Bodies
  • Mid 62
  • 1962 2/2
  • 1963
  • 1963/64
  • 1964
  • 1964/65
  • Basses
  • Hopf
  • Zerosette Welson-like
  • Vedette and the like

Marble And Glitter Beauties Early Welson Solid-Bodied Guitars (1962-1964)

by Jack Marchal

These are the most desirable of all sparkle guitars made in Italy during the glorious early 60’s. The best looking, and nearly the best sounding and best playing. And since they are also among the rarest they are generally rather pricey on the vintage market.

The strange body shape, with a slight upper cutaway and a concave lower outline (sort of embryonic sharkbite) looks like a cross-breeding of Eko 500 and 700. Perhaps was it just intended that way. This suggests the series was started about mid-1962, i.e. some time after the above mentioned Eko models and the first Crucianellis.

This seems to be confirmed by the position of controls. Those are based on the same electronics used by Crucianelli and Gemelli-Bartolini. But unlike all other electrics made at the same time in the Castelfidardo district, pickup selectors are located on the lower part of the body. I suppose the designers carefully scrutinized the local competitors’ products and decided that putting pushbuttons just above the pickup zone was just idiotic (and idiotic it is actually). Welson wanted to offer something different with better ergonomics.

Another feature that put Welson apart is the neck attachment system. In the course of 1962 Eko, Crucianelli and Gemelli-Bartolini one after another surrendered the glued-in neck technique to install slimmer bolt-on necks. Strangely, Welson didn’t follow the example before mid-1964.

Last but not least : the incredible variety and beauty of finishes. Just look at the pictures.

Italiano

Ecco le più ricercate fra le chitarre a brillantini fatte in Italia durante i gloriosi primi anni 60. Le più belle, e fra quelle con la migliore suonabilità e il migliore suono. Dato che sono anche fra le più rare, sono in generale piuttosto costose sul mercato del vintage.

Questa strana forma di solid body con la spalla superiore appena tagliata e la linea inferiore concava (un embrione di sharkbite) fa pensare a una ibridazione di Eko 500 e 700. Forse fu proprio inteso così, il che suggerisce che la serie sarebbe state lanciata verso la metà del 1962, cioè qualche tempo dopo i sudetti modelli Eko e le prime Crucianelli.

Questo sembra confermato dal posizionamento dei controlli. Sono basati sulla stessa elettronica usata da Crucianelli e Gemelli-Bartolini. Ma al contrario di tutte le altre elettriche costruite contemporaneamente nel distretto di Castelfidardo, i selettori dei pickups sono sistemati sulla parte inferiore del corpo. Suppongo che i concepitori, avendo accuratamente esaminato i prodotti della concorrenza locale, decisero che spostare una pulsantiera sopra la zona dei pickups era semplicemente idiota (perché lo è davvero). Welson voleva affermare la sua differenza con una migliore ergonomia.

Un altra particolarità di Welson è il modo di fissaggio del manico. Nel corso del 1962 successivamente a Eko, Crucianelli e Gemelli-Bartolini hanno rinunciato al manico incollato per adottare manici avvitati e più sottili. Stranamente, il loro esempio non fu imitato da Welson prima della metà del 1964.

Last but not least : l’incredibile varietà e la bellezza delle finiture. Le foto parlano da sole.

Approximate Chronology

Except for the substantially redesigned final version, evolution affected only a few hardware components.

Mid 62

Single-coil pickups like those fitted on the Eko 400 ‘Ekomaster’ as well as the very first Eko 500 and Crucianellis. Floating metal bridge (often lost or replaced). The tremolo is the standard device used at that time by all local makers other than Eko

1962 second half

New dual coil pickups. Chrome covers have a Welson proprietary embossing pattern, some kind of caterpillar or waffle pattern.

throughout 1963

Fixed bridge with roller saddles for string intonation adjustment (same model used by Gemelli-Bartolini). This is the least rare version .

late 1963 or early 1964

New Welson branded vibrato, first version. .

1964

Welson vibrato, second version (look at the pics to see the difference)

Late 1964-early 1965

Slimmer bolt-on neck with a redesigned Fender.ish headstock and new Welson-specific tuners. Truss-rod adjustment is moved from headstock to body side.

Non-Welson but very Welson-like: Zerosette

  • WELSON
  • Early Solid-Bodies
  • Mid 62
  • 1962 2/2
  • 1963
  • 1963/64
  • 1964
  • 1964/65
  • Basses
  • Hopf
  • Zerosette Welson-like
  • Vedette and the like
  • Abramusic
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