Burns Black Marvin

[Teflon]

You haven't seen a black Marvin now, that's basically a Marquee.
No ResoTube trem, just a Strat copy.

But still a "Marvin" from Jim Burns during his "Burns Actualizers" period (post the Burns Baldwin period) . Not something I would like myself, as you say, it's essentially a Strat copy with a scroll headstock.

The trem bridge was suspended via a knife-edge arrangement.

The pickups were way better than anything Fender were then making!

I had been told they were nice guitars - good to know the trem was more than just a Fender copy . I must confess, I've often wondered why Barry produced the "Marquee", rather than making it a repro Littleport "Marvin" (as I tend to think of it) as they have a lot of similarities at first glance.

Cliff

[Moderne]

I remember contacting the factory to try to obtain one c.1983 but it all came to nothing - I think I was too late. I was 19 at the time and had saved up enough money from my Saturday/school holiday job clearing tables in one of the four 'eateries' at Fenwicks in Brent Cross! Hank actually posed for a photo session with one of these guitars...and ended up having to pay the photographer! (I hope Stuart Duffy is reading this as he will remember more details and may even have the photograph...) Definitely more than a 'Strat-copy' which it appeared to be...but certainly not a replica of the original 1960s Burns Marvin.

I believe they made a 'Bison' at the time, as well as the (then!) current Burns range (Magpie, Bandit, Steer etc)... The Burns logo wore off as it wasn't engraved into the scratchplate.

[Moderne]

Plenty more info here...

https://blackguitars.com/burns-1979-actualizers.html

[leddo]

I'm pretty sure that seller has been mentioned on this forum before.

[Teflon]

Well there you go, having said on this very thread that I've only ever seen pics of this model finished in white or black, a brown one appears on Reverb https://reverb.com/uk/item/64186645-burns-marvin-in-brown-sunburst-1980s (sale is nothing to do with me I should add!)

Cliff