Baldwin Marvin 'prototypes' used on 67 Australian tour

[TerryLee]

I would like to confirm that on the Australian tour of 1967 that both Hank and Bruce used Baldwin guitars and John used a Burns bass. I saw them play in Perth on 2nd and 3rd June 1967 at the Beatty Park Aquatic Centre. The guitars they used were notable as being different from the photo on the front cover of the programme which showed them holding Burns guitars. On the night they were supported by Perth bands The Troupadors, and The Valentines (with Bon Scott on vocals), and Denise Drysdale. We noted the presence in the crowd of many musicians from local Perth bands.

[hoffers]

I really do like the look of these prototypes. It would be a dream come true if Burns of London did a limited edition guitar from original specs (if such paperwork exists).
I spoke to Hank about this guitar and he couldn't really remember them or why they never went into production. I wonder, perhaps the group had already had enough by 1967 and were talking of a split . . .

[cockroach]

Hi Tony!

I'm with you there- I prefer the looks of those prototypes too! Not much chance of a re-issue though eh? - unless another rare fan of the model who is also a luthier builds one!

I'm still hoping dustyfretz (Paul Day) sees this thread and can answer my original query- did those particular prototype guitars have Bison type pickup circuits instead of the usual Marvin setup?

IIRC, in the Shads book, it stated that Bruce was not happy on that Oz tour as there were some unsold seats at some of the concerts, and he was concerned that the tour would be a flop...so, as you say, they were probably fed up with the group (and each other!) at that time!

[bor64]

The fourth knob was a pickup selector switch...
The Marvin MKII wasn't taken into production because the neck fitting was unstable on more then one guitar.
There was a kinda replica made by Burns it was the Marvin S from years back.

Cheers Rob

[cockroach]

Thanks Rob!

So, the Oz tour prototypes had the usual master volume, and two tone controls, plus a rotary 3 position pickup switch - which comprised the four knob layout?

Interesting- also your comment about the unstable neck fitting...

[Moderne]

I think there is confusion over the Marvin 'S' guitars which were apparently supplied to The Shadows for an Australian tour (though I've never seen a photo of them using them) and the Baldwin 'one-piece-scratchplate' guitars with four rotary knobs - which they are filmed playing in Australia in 1968. According to Paul Day's Burns Book, there were two green and one white Marvin 'S' guitars - made c. 1966. The green ones were subsequently sold (one of them appeared on the cover of a Wout Steenhuis LP) and the white one had an unstable neck. There is no mention in his book of the 1968 Baldwin prototypes. This has been discussed before.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=13629&p=95172&hilit=baldwin+prototype#p95172

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6602&p=45811&hilit=baldwin+prototype#p45811

Rock 'n' roll!

[Billyboygretsch]

Pictures here of one.

http://www.denmarkstreetonline.co.uk/pr ... -Prototype

[Billyboygretsch]

image.jpeg (20.09 KiB) Viewed 10736 times

So we're only 2 made. One Green one White. Did they both have the selector switch on the lower bout plate as shown on the DSG link ? I have a picture of a Baldwin S without the selector knob - is this a copy or a different mode ?

[bor64]

SIGH !!!! Urban legends are hard to kill!!

The notation in that beloved early Burns book from 37 years ago is known to be a misstake.....
Sadly enough it's just copied by every publisher who doesn't do there homework properly!
Funny enough those wrong "facts" are defended by those same publishers.....
Hard to defend when you clearly can see that the shads use two whites on the telly and there are pictures of two green ones, which are different from each other, in condition and pick guard engraving.
The white ones were send back to the factory, because of faulty neck alignement and stability...

So to say in sesame street language there where 4 guitars made !!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers Rob

[cockroach]

Just to clarify my original and subsequent posts on this thread..

I am again currently watching the DVD of The Shadows special edition of the Australian TV show (Brian Henderson's) Bandstand- the broadcast date is given as 2nd December 1967. I've paused the DVD on a clear closeup of Bruce's guitar to check details.

Both Hank and Bruce are using what looks like white painted Baldwin badged guitars- with bound fingerboards, four rotary control knobs- (no blade pickup selector switch), different body shape from the Burns Marvin (shorter body horns) or the green Baldwin Marvin S in the photos posted on this thread (similar short horned shape but with contoured body edges,no body binding and a smaller one piece scratchplate which does not have a separate panel which covers the top body horn)

These two guitars would appear to be unlike any previous or subsequent Burns or Baldwin production models or prototypes- at least in the details.

So, does anyone know the history of these two guitars please?