Watkins Ranger 2

Watkins guitars and WEM amplifiers launched the careers of many British guitarists in the 60's and 70's. They were regarded as 'the British Strat' but were available at a price which most teenagers could afford. The company was started in London by the legendary Charlie Watkins and his brothers Reg and Sid. Charlie was really the 'amp man'. Sid and Reg Watkins made the guitars in their factory in Chertsey Surrey. In the late 60's the decision was made to split the guitars away from the amps as a separate company and the name Wilson was adopted. Wilson was the maiden name of the brothers' mother.

Here we have the Wilson Ranger 2 made in 1968. The unusual body shape was a departure from the strat shape of many early Watkins model. Here is a link to more information on their earlier guitars. The Ranger 1 and 2 were entry level guitars designed for those youngsters unable to afford their upscale Rapier models, but the quality of the originals have stood the test of time - they're just hard to find, so it's time for Eastwood Custom Shop to step in and make a tribute to this cool old oddity. Here are the proposed specifications:

solid basswood body

bolt-on maple neck

Blackwood fingerboard, 24 3/4" scale, 1 5/8" nut

dual single coil pickups

two volume, master tone

Jazzmaster style tremolo

tune-o-matic bridge

Final price will be only $499, $100 deposit will secure yours! Expected release date in. November