The ShadowMusic Web Community

I came across this video of The Dave Clarke Five playing Catch Us If You Can on the American TV show Shindig which was produced by Jack Good of Oh Boy Fame. The bass player Rick Huxley is playing what appears to be a Burns instrument ,pause the video at 1.02 and see looks like it maybe a six string bass.Can anyone spot what it is.
[youtube][/youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRQCN5x1-NI

Could be Split Sound 6-string Bass, as used by John Paul Jones...

George

I agree. It is definitely a Burns. Initially I thought it a regular 6 string but can see he is playing the bass lines on it so assume it must be a 6 string bass. I remember the Burns 6 string bass of that era was basically a converted standard 6 string guitar with a regular scale length.

Brian

The DC5 on US tv in 1967

George

I think a few groups ventured in to six string bass country back then -I have seen a early clip of The Hollies using a Fender VI.

It looks very much like the 'Vista-Sonic' guitar, of which I had a White one, in the mid sixties. It is obviously a mimed show, so wouldn't make any difference to the performance. There was a four string bass version of the guitar, but it was quite big & you would not mix it up with the six string guitar. This instrument looks as though it has the size & proportions of a normal guitar, & not even a short scale bass, so I would guess it is a Vista Sonic being mimed to the recording.

Tony.

The Burns 6-string bass had the same body and scale length as the equivalent guitar, so you can't really tell from a distance unless you can see the strings!

George

The Burns Vista Sonic had two controls and a three-way toggle, whereas the Split Sonic replaced the latter with a rotary type. The Split Sound six-string bass was essentially a Split Sonic, except for the bound neck and cradle-type bridge assembly necessary to accommodate the special hefty strings made for this model. Various clips on You Tube confirm the Burns employed by Mr. Huxley displays these differences, so it was indeed a Split Sound bass.

Dusty F,

Here's a pic I 'borrowed' from Alfons Lahaye's website which shows the guitar in question in more detail (thanks Alfons!)

Ooooo.... lovely!