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Can anyone identify which guitars the Mk 8 gold plated tremolo were fitted to thanks

I think you must mean the Mk. 9 tremolo.

In gold, the only production guitars to which it might have been fitted would be some solid-body Gretsches (Corvettes, maybe).

That original Burns-Gretsch tie-up happened whilst Jim Burns was still in control and was nothing to do with Baldwin.

No Burns production model fitted with the Mk. 9 had gold-plating.

Hi Jim
I am also confused as have never seen one before. I have a chrome and gold Mk 9. It has Burns markings on it looks like a Mk 9 but with a built in tension bar perhaps it is a different model number however I have never heard of yet alone seen a MK 8 so cant comment any further. Wish I knew how to post photos on here. Can email you the pic if you want to give me your address
Bill

Sorry Jim but I thought the gold plated MK 9 was fitted to the Artiste de Luxe as it looks exactly the same as the one fitted to my late Vibra Artiste. But I do stand to be corrected

The unit you're describing sounds like one of those Asian-made items from a few years ago (maybe eight or nine years).

They were utter rubbish and came fitted to a variety of guitars including the Alden Corsair, which was a copy of a Gretsch Princess, which was a version of the Corvette.

The guitar was OK-ish for a £150 instrument (I bought one but didn't keep it for a variety of reasons), but the "Burns" tremolo was absolutely awful. It wouldn't stay in tune and I had to junk it and fit a cheap gold-finish copy of a Bigsby instead. The copy Bigsby was a mile better.

Steer clear of the Mk 9.

JN

Here's a Burns Mk8 trem in gold

and here's one in chrome that works well with a Shergold 6-string bass

Maybe it just likes the pull of those b-i-i-i-g strings!

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Ray

Thanks Ray will try to post some things. Were the Mk 8s fitted to instruments or could they be purchased standalone. Would like to get hold of one for a project

As Jim says, several Alden models had the Mk.8 (I'm a bit of an Alden collector - they are well-made guitars). The Alden Corsair that Jim mentions is now in my collection. I have the Mk.8 from that guitar but without the arm, which Jim retained. Some Eastwoods were fitted with the Mk8 I believe.

The gold Mk.8 that you see in the picture above is one that I bought from eBay (so they are available on their own). It has been sitting around for 5 years waiting for me to have the time to build the guitar for which it is intended. Maybe I should sell it so that it actually gets some use.

Ray

Hi Ray if you ever decide to sell let me know how much you would want for it
Bill

that trem was never approved by burns, i had one and it was terrible i contact burns and they told me was not approved by them. far eastern knock off. i had it on an eastwood guitar, peter