When was Greenburst Marvin first used?

[Bill Bowley]

I saw this pic with Hank with a greenbust Marvin, not unusual one would say however I note both Cliff and Hank have short haircuts, I always thought that the greenburst Marvins appeared around the same time as Cliff and The Shads 'updated' to moptop style grooming - comments anyone?

[George Geddes]

My understanding is that the green Marvins were supplied as backups for the white ones, presumably at the same time. Although Hank was photgraphed more frequently in the studio and on tv with the green one during his solo career, there are few photos - to my knowledge - of the group using them on stage or on television.

Perhaps Stuart Duffy knows more?

George

[JimN]

The greenburst Marvins (and Shadows Bass) were supplied at approximately the same time as the original production white models, or possibly just a little later. They were used in a scene in the film "Rhythm And Greens", which was shot in the early summer of 1964. The white guitars were not used in the film. The same was true of the movie "Finders Keepers" (which was made two and a bit years later): remember My Way?

JN

PS: Notice the narrow gap between the bass side of the main scratchplate and the small upper scratchplate, on Hank's greenburst guitar? He retained that guitar through into his solo career and it was presumably one of the two stolen in 1972.

[George Geddes]

Yes, well, I took the appearances in R&G and FK for granted...

There was certainly a photo in one of the music papers in early 1969 - after The Shadows (minus Bruce) finally called it a day - which showed Hank in the studio with the green guitar. It was captioned 'the lone Shadow'or something similar. There are other pictures from tv appearances where he has the same guitar (possibly even with MWF) and I wonder if he felt the green one was less obviously 'Shadowy'? However, by the time MWF started touring, Hank and Bruce were back to the white models.

George

[Bill Bowley]

George, Jim,

Thanks guys -if anyone would know, you would!

I note the ref to the upper scratchplate, always looked 'oversize' to me and out of position - how ever a close comparison between the upper plate in the original pic I sent and the 1969 one would suggest that they may be two different items...... on further 'perusal' I would suggest that the main scratchplate is in fact the culprit, note the distance between the pickup adjusting screw on the neck pickup and the scratchplate edge in both cases.................

[StuartD]

Hi

Jim is right. The green Marvins and Bass were supplied at the same time as the white ones. The two films were where they were used and Hank used his a lot when he was doing solo TV and also on some TV with MWF, usually when Bruce and John were using acoustics. I saw MWF a lot live and neither Hank nor Bruce ever used the green guitars. The Bass is interesting because the white one is a one off; completely different to the others, whereas the green one is a 'bog' standard Shadows Bass, complete with angled Hand Rest and Badge on the scroll. Both the Bass and Bruce's green versions were taken back by Baldwin and sold in their St Giles Circus Store. Hank's was not at the office when they were collected and his remained with him until it was stolen along with the white one.

Regards

Stuart

[Bill Bowley]

Stuart,

Many thanks for completing the 'picture'!

I would still be interested in finding out when and why the change to the scratchplates were made (assuming of course it is the same guitar), the earlier picture looks like a standard Marvin scratchplate set to me........

[StuartD]

HI Bill

All I know is that the guitars used to get sent back to Burns for refurbishing. That's what happened when the two green guitars didn't come back. Could well have been that they were stripped down and new scratchplates were fitted. I know this happened twice on the white guitars. If they were scratched they could have been replaced and a slightly different shape fitted. But they were definitely sent back on several occasions for servicing.

Stuart

[dave robinson]

I saw the stolen green 'Marvin' in the possession of a guitar vocalist at Grindon Broadway club in Sunderland around 1973/4 - I had recently met Hank at Bailey's Club in Sheffield and he had told me about it. I noted the serial number in my diary as the guy who had it was boasting that it used to belong to Hank. When I got home I tried to alert Hank's management, but they weren't interested. I also remembered Hank saying that he wasn't too bothered about the Burns, which is possibly why nobody at the office cared.

[StuartD]

I too spoke to Hank about his Marvins and like you Dave, he told me he wasn't really bothered. He would like one but didn't want to pay too much for it.

Grindon Broadway. Why have you brought back such unhappy memories!!!

Stuart