A HISTORY OF BROADWAY GUITARS

Broadway 1925 Bass

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Many thanks to Guy Mackenzie, whose website can be found at http://www.theguitarcollection.org.uk​​  with Paul Day's account of this bass, to be found there. 



"Broadway was a brand name belonging to UK importers/wholesalers Rose-Morris and appeared on a wide range of musical instruments and related equipment. This comprehensive catalogue naturally encompassed electric guitars, which were added when demand increased dramatically at the start of the '60s. The majority of Broadway-branded solid bodies were imported from Japan, but Rose-Morris augmented the range with some British-built examples and these home-grown alternatives included a couple of bass guitars, introduced around 1961/62. The cheaper of the two carried the Rose-Morris catalogue designation 1925 and it was actually the UK-made equivalent of an earlier, Far Eastern-origin four-string that had been sold under the Star brand banner as the 1869 model. Similarly styled, but slightly different from its predecessor, the British-built 1925 still targeted the beginner bassist, while the appropriately simple format also stayed the same.



The slab mahogany body is scaled down in size and its offset shape hints at the Fender Jazzmaster. The headstock is equally Fender-ish and carries Van Gent-made guitar-type tuners, which were a common component choice at that time. The glued-in neck is also mahogany and carries a rosewood fingerboard, although earlier examples employed maple and this material change mirrored other UK-made electrics of the era. Frets number 19 and are spread over a short (27.5") scale length that was also a popular preference back then.



The body and headstock are finished in dark cherry red cellulose, while the neck is black, and this contrasting combination was also seen on electrics from makers such as Burns and Fenton-Weill. In fact, while not conclusive, all available evidence indicates that this compact four-string was indeed built by the latter company, as various aspects of construction, components and cosmetics provide appropriately strong links to this UK maker.

Like the distinctive metal strap buttons, the chrome-covered single-coil is certainly from Fenton-Weill, sitting in a shallow recess near the neck end and screwed straight to the body front. The partner controls comprise volume and tone pots, plus a somewhat optimistic rhythm/solo slide-switch. Along with the output jack, these are carried on a thin, white plastic scratchplate that runs the length of the body's right side. A small, separate section up on the left horn provides a distinctive visual touch, echoing the appearance of the Japanese-origin original.



Strings anchor in a combination bridge/tailpiece that's the same as the type used on some equally inexpensive Vox basses of the period. Mounted on a chunky black plastic plinth that provides necessary height clearance, the rather basic, bent steel baseplate features two adjustable bridge saddles and is topped by a clip-on, chromed metal cover.



Although Rose-Morris literature suggests otherwise, the 1925 bass guitar actually carried no brand logo or any other ID indicator. Despite a shortlived production span lasting only around two years, it proved quite popular with beginner beat groups in the early '60s, as the £35 selling price made this quite stylish, four-string solid more affordable than some of the contemporary competition.

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This particular instrument had been subjected to a few owner-perpetrated, misguided modifications, but these have now been rectified as part of a thorough restoration and the end result now represents an ideal example of one of the lesser-known, but equally important, entry-level British basses.



Paul Day (April 2012)