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Bill Brazier, John Landon, Paul Mountain and Rob Duffy performing at the Arnold Show 2006

The Beatmen with Tracy Martin

Cliff & Stuart reunited with their guitar.

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photographs courtesy of Bill Brazier

photographs courtesy of Tony Mann

click on image to enlarge

The Tour Bus

with Cliff

with Stuart

with Justin

The Gibson ES 345 Stereo Blonde was originally purchased by Cliff Haynes in 1961 from Papworths Music Store, Alfreton Road, Nottingham, and was resold back to Papworths when Cliff ceased playing with The Beatmen. It was then purchased by Stuart Lane (Stormcats/Mansfields) who eventually sold the guitar for £130 to Carlsbro, Mansfield, in 1967 The guitar was then purchased by Justin Haywood (Moody Blues) for £150 and subsequently featured on the front cover of International Musician May 1977. In the interview for the magazine Justin Haywood said,” The Stereo is beautiful, I just saw it in an ad, I used to have a roadie who was very good at picking up those kind of things. I used it on a couple of things, I played solo on ‘Seventh Sojurn’ and on ‘Every good boy deserves favour’, it’s beautiful for real stereo recording and that’s what I liked about it and it’s got a very fine and precise sound and I love the sound that it gives right through the range. It’s good for electric rhythm as well”. Having sold the guitar almost 40 years ago the nearest Stuart Lane thought he would ever get to seeing it again was when he purchased a copy of International Musician. However in August 2006 whilst searching the internet for ‘Gibson ES345 Stereo-Blonde he stumbled across the website of a retailer who specialises in rare and vintage guitars. And there it was, Stuart’s guitar in the original case and an illustration of it being played by Justin Haywood on stage. The store was Southworth Guitars, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. After ‘interesting’ negotiations the guitar is now back in the UK in the hands of Stuart Lane(and please don’t ask him how much he paid). The sister Gibson that Bill Brazier bought in 1961 at the same time Cliff Haynes fist purchased his Gibson is still owned and played by him when he performs with the Beatmen. This means that that the original shipment of these two guitars now vintage is back in the UK after 45 years Oh well if ever proof were ever needed about the power of the internet here it is Stuart Lane

The Locarno Ballroom Nottingham

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