Burns Track Listing Wanted - Please

[dave robinson]

I don't think that there's anything wrong with the Burns sound, I like mine, but they are clumsy and awkward to play compared with a Strat / Jazzmaster /Telecaster. The problem for me is around the controls when needing to make adjustments whilst playing, the trem is in the way, but I wouldn't part with any of mine and I often use them on solo gigs when I have plenty of time to set the controls between numbers.

[David Martin]

As you know, I used Marvins exclusively for 10 years with "Legend"... happy days

I sold my UK made Legend guitar eventually, finding the Chinese 2004 Anniversary model to be superior. I think the "clumsiness" DR refers to above results from unfamiliarity. If, as I did, you play one day in and day out, learning new tunes, revising old ones, the it's the Strat which feels unfamiliar... neck shape, string spacing at bridge, trem sensitivity, position of controls.

Most recently, I've played Gibsons on a day to day basis, and now both Marvin and Strat feel unfamiliar ... but I've discovered some fab Gibbo noises...

If you really want to experience an "unfamiliarity gap" try swapping from a Marvin to a Fender Bass VI for one number in the middle of a set... just wierd... scale length 30", neck narrower than a Strat, string spacing narrower too, strings like hawsers and a Jazzmaster style trem... a real challenge.

Frankly, I don't care what Hank thinks or thought about these guitars, or that musical tastes had moved on when The Shads started to use them, I just love the sound of some of those post Flingel tunes... that haunting, musical, compressed, slightly "nasal" sound... the sound of the guitar almost without echo ( I mostly used just a touch of reverb with Legend) combined with the Top Boost and DeArmond pedal (both essentials for authentic noises) and the unusual choice of pickups... and the sheer beauty of a simple tune like Now That You're Gone, or Lady Penelope...

In my view, as with the guitars, not a question of "better than" or "worse than" just a question of what moves you...





(And DON'T make remarks about syrup of figs either!!!! )

[ecca]

Syrup of figs move you.

[Iain Purdon]

Iain P wrote
"But I think Burns would be the most appropriate instruments for a Shads-style band doing the 60s material to use, not Fenders! Not only did they have the longest run, they are also the only instruments built and branded specially for the group".

You can try to justify the Burns guitars all you like but here are the facts;

1 The big, significant hits of The Shadows were recorded using Fender guitars. Their legendary sound that they are instantly identified with was down to the sound of the Strat/Vox combination. The Burns period co-incided with their failing popularity.

2 It's been well documented that John Rostill hated the 'awkward' Burns bass and played his Fender whenever he could get away with it.

3 Hank doesn't care for the Burns either, when I met him in the early seventies he was playing a white Strat and commented that the Burns guitars had been stolen and he didn't seem to distressed and he was pleased to have a Fender once again. I recall that he mentioned something about the Burns being 'clumsy' .Yes - I too was surprised.

I have several Burns guitars, Marvin 2004/Shadows 2005 and the budget D6 and love the look of them - but the playability of the Strat and P Bass are superior in every way. Hundreds of thousands of Strat players (as well as Jazz & P Bassists) can't be wrong.

I don't think I need to justify the Burns guitars. The Shadows did that by commissioning them and using them on stage for more than half their first manifestation as a group. That, too, is a fact.

It's also well documented that John hated doing the Shadows steps, but that doesn't invalidate them.

I agree that the Burns instruments are not so easy to play as the Fenders but I also find that frequency of use helps -- as I'm sure it did between 1964 and 1969, otherwise I'm sure they'd have been ditched.

Iain

[neil2726]

Seems strange that if Hank didnt like the Burns he continued with them fo so long after, I believe, the contract with Baldwin or Burns ran out. He wasnt short of a few bob to go and buy a decent Strat.

[cockroach]

Well Hank seems to have done OK really in the '60's- a canny Northern lad!

He probably bought the Antoria, and his Gretsch and a couple of others, but Cliff bought the first Strat, then Jennings supplied the Fenders, then they got the Burns supplied...just give back the old ones for updating whenever new ones came out!

So I'd guess that he (and probably the others too) had free guitars from about 1959 until the Burns were stolen in about 1970, then Hank finally had to put his hand in his pocket and BUY his own Strat!

Licorice said that when he replaced Jet they gave him a nice new red Precision bass and Vox amp!

Over ten years of free guitars- nice one Hank!