THE BURNS SOUND

[RayL]

Dave Richmond was not only a session bass player (using a Black Bison for much of the 60s and 70) but of course also recorded with The Shadows and helped to compose tunes with them. Here he is in the studio at Television Centre (centre of the picture with the Bison) working on Don Lusher's World Of Music.

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Don Lusher (trombone) is on Dave's left. Alf Bigdon is on drums and Ronnie Price on piano. The camera crew is Crew 7 because that's Ron Green on camera 1 (extreme left). Ron and Crew 7 were the top Light Entertainment crew.

Ray

[cockroach]

Well Harry, the Searchers certainly used Burns guitars live on stage, and as I said, I saw them play live in 1964, but unless you are assuming that session men played on their records, or that they used other guitars, I would guess that if they did play on their recordings they probably used the gear they used on stage, as was common in those days. (All the studio photos I've seen of early Beatles recording sessions show them playing the same guitars they used on stage) Mike Pender also had a Burns Vibra Artiste in their early days, which possibly may have been used on the early Searchers records like Sweets for my sweet.

[BrianD]

Well Harry, the Searchers certainly used Burns guitars live on stage, and as I said, I saw them play live in 1964, but unless you are assuming that session men played on their records, or that they used other guitars, I would guess that if they did play on their recordings they probably used the gear they used on stage, as was common in those days. (All the studio photos I've seen of early Beatles recording sessions show them playing the same guitars they used on stage) Mike Pender also had a Burns Vibra Artiste in their early days, which possibly may have been used on the early Searchers records like Sweets for my sweet.

That may not necissarily be the case, It is well known that Johyn Rostill far preferred his Fender Jazz bass to the Burns Shadows bass and I believe used the Fender rather than the Burns when working in the studio. It is quite possible other musicians / bands used different instruments in the studio to what we saw them use on TV or stage. In the Searchers I think John McNally was very much a Fender / Telecaster man wasn't he?

Brian

[George Geddes]

As I recall, Frank Allan has made no secret of the band's dislike of the Burns instruments...

George

[HAIRY]

Gene Vincent is backed by the French band The Sunlights playing a couple of Burns guitars 10th October 1963 on Belguim TV see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utSPUUtjgSc . Interesting but off-message in that it is not evidence of a recording.

[geoff1711]

I've seen a video of Mark Knopfler playing a double six, I think it was at Knebworth, it was on a video tape and I now have nothing to play it on so I can't be sure.

But changing the subject I've just bought a Burns Marvin 64 in Fiesta red, in the catalogue they show a white tip trem, mine is black is that usual?

To be fair it's second hand, one shop said they'd have them in but they didn't turn up and best guess was December and that seemed in some doubt.

There was some price confusion as well Sutherland were showing them at £995 but shops wanted £1195, Coda has them at £975 but petrol would have been around £60 or £70

So Second hand from Guitar Village at £895 and looks as if it's hardly been played seemed a good deal.

When you think what they cost in 2004 that's some price hike I wish my wages had increased nearly 3 fold since then as well.

Geoff

[HAIRY]

Mark Knopfler used a Double Six to back Rod Stewart at Wembley in 1986 see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0GhHy7B7PM
Mark Knopfler used a Double Six on Angel of Mercy in the On Location tour in 1981 see www.mark-knopfler.info/guitarsburnsdoublesix.htm

[chas]

The Searchers' site http://www.the-searchers.co.uk/guitars.htm shows them with a Burns Split Sound, Marvin and Bison Bass but no indication is given of their use on recordings, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rOa6kZH ... re=related shows the Burns Double Six. Another web reference claims Sounds Like The Searchers featured Burns guitars.

I never could understand why Hank didn't have a white D6 to match the band's other white Burns, considering they rarely used the greens ones. Mike's white D6 in that youtube clip looks great.

Chas.

[George Geddes]

I think Hank started using the 12-string Burns before the Marvins (see, for example, the beach scene in 'Wonderful Life')

His red one was not as close to the 'Marvin' look as the green one.

George

[johnto]

I've seen a video of Mark Knopfler playing a double six, I think it was at Knebworth, it was on a video tape and I now have nothing to play it on so I can't be sure.

But changing the subject I've just bought a Burns Marvin 64 in Fiesta red, in the catalogue they show a white tip trem, mine is black is that usual?

To be fair it's second hand, one shop said they'd have them in but they didn't turn up and best guess was December and that seemed in some doubt.

There was some price confusion as well Sutherland were showing them at £995 but shops wanted £1195, Coda has them at £975 but petrol would have been around £60 or £70

So Second hand from Guitar Village at £895 and looks as if it's hardly been played seemed a good deal.

When you think what they cost in 2004 that's some price hike I wish my wages had increased nearly 3 fold since then as well.

Geoff

Geoff , Re/ the black tip trem on your Fiesta Red Burns Marvin 64. This is the sort of thing that makes Burns guitars so "individual". My Fiesta Red Marvin came with a white tip trem, a white rear trem cover plate but a BLACK rear neck plate cover! I love 'em.