Burns London
Burns is a British guitar brand that has been on the market under various private labels since 1959.
The manufacturer had its heyday in the 1960s, when in particular the instrumental band The Shadows with their front man Hank Marvin placed numerous hits in the charts. In the years from 2000 onwards, the brand experienced a significant upswing, in particular through the revived collaboration with Hank Marvin and the collaboration with Brian May (guitarist of the band Queen ).
The company was led by Barry Gibson from its founding in 1991 to June 2020. The company "Burns London Limited" was sold on June 16, 2020 to the British musical instrument dealers Lee and Peter Anderton from Woking .
Company history
Burns is a British guitar brand headquartered in London. The company itself was founded in 1959 by James "Jim" Ormston Burns (* 1925 in County Durham ; † 1998).
Jim Burns was an enthusiastic musician himself, he learned to play the guitar at a young age, but the instruments available at the time did not meet his ideas and requirements of a guitar. His trained profession as a precision mechanic and metal worker as part of his military service with the Royal Air Force (1943–1946) therefore benefited him very much. Burns decided - contrary to his original inclination for aviation - to serve with the ground crew, as his air sickness and fear of flying prevented him from a career as a pilot with the RAF.
In 1959, Burns founded the Burns-Weill company in London and began producing guitars, some of which were designed to be very extravagant and sometimes even daring to distinguish them from all others on the market. This company philosophy is still upheld today, the special certificate of every Burns guitar is the HANDCRAFTED (German: made by hand ), which is important to every "Burns" brand. This is clearly noticeable in the price of the instruments in the "Custom Elite" series. Burns died in 1998.
The individual brands
Burns-Weill 1959 to 1960
The first company, established in collaboration with Henry Weill, limited itself to the production of a single model, the so-called Fenton Guitar , which looked very similar to the Guyatone Antoria . Henry Weill developed the electronic system of the Burns guitar, which is still in use today. Jim Burns limited himself to making the wooden parts. The Fenton was only sold in very small numbers after it could not even begin to keep up with the Antoria in terms of price.
Burns London Ltd 1960 to 1965
Burns Vista Sonic, 1962
Burns short-scale jazz guitar in orange-red transparent paint, 1963
Body of the short scale
Burns Shortscale Jazz Guitar, 1963
Burns Marvin, early model, 1964
The advent of skiffle music in Great Britain and the success of rock 'n' roll required a massive expansion of the range and product types. After Fender was able to gain a foothold in Europe (import of the first Fender Stratocaster to Europe by Harry Webb, better known as Cliff Richard , in 1959 at the then price of 140 guineas or 147 pounds sterling ), the Burns company needed to act. The main focus was on the design of the Stratocaster and some excellent types of guitars were developed, which achieve top prices among collectors.
The Artist , Vibra Artist and Vibra Artist De Luxe models are reminiscent of the Stratocaster, but they have "mutilated" horns and only two pickups . This is where the roll center demolo (MK84) installed in a separate box was used for the first time. In addition, a total of six different models from the Bison series were sold ( Black Bison , Bison Guitar and Bison Models 2 to 5). The almost symmetrical body with two long horns, which (when viewed from the side) also extend to the front, is characteristic of the Bison series. Burns achieved this 3D effect on the bison by gluing additional pieces of wood onto the horns. As the name suggests, the model for the bison was the silhouette of a bison skull .
To create a counterpart to the Gibson Les Paul , Jim Burns developed the Sonic series, consisting of Sonic , Split Sonic , Vista-Sonic and NuSonic . The body of these guitars is reminiscent of the Les Paul , but in order to avoid confusion with the Les Paul, it provided the left body shoulder with a small cutaway. These guitars were all equipped with a tremolo (MK84 whale centremolo).
The Jazz models were produced especially for the American market. The shape of the Short Scale Jazz Guitar and the Jazz Split Sound Guitar are reminiscent of a Stratocaster. The ShortScale was equipped with two pickups (TriSonic), the Jazz SplitSound with three pickups (Tri-Sonic Splits). The markedly shortened scale length and the curiosity of 25 frets are characteristic of the two jazz models . Only the high price of the jazz models (Shortscale 78 guineas - 82 pounds sterling, SplitSound 105 guineas - 110 pounds sterling) prevented higher editions of these two guitars. The surplus guitar bodies were later used for the production of the Shadows bass guitar ( e.g. for John Rostill ) but also for the DoubleSix.
In order to be able to keep up with Framus or Gretsch , semi-resonance guitars came onto the market around 1963 , including in particular the TR2 , Vibraslim , GB65 , GB66 and the GB66 De Luxe Virginian .
After Cliff Richard and the Shadows had steadily increased in popularity in England since 1959 , Jim Burns applied to the management of the Shadows to produce the appropriate instruments for this formation from now on. The jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs played a significant role in the history of the Marvin's genesis , and he accompanied the guitar from the first prototype to the finished production model and worked on corrections, improvements and further developments with Jack Golder , Norman Houlder and Les Andrews . Hank B. Marvin , the lead guitarist for the Shadows, should also help develop the. He demanded the perfect electric guitar, on which everything had to be right for his needs, from the execution to the design, which he supplemented with his idea of the violin head. The headstock of the Marvin series - for which Hank Marvin provided his name, which later caused trouble with Fender - from then on adorned a snail like on string instruments. In professional circles, the headstock is therefore called a scroll head . Jim Burns had Eddie Cross engrave his own pickguards for the Marvin and Rostill bass models used for television appearances and concerts by the Shadows , with the company logo on the right body horn more than twice that of the available models was big - and could be recognized accordingly.
The model series of instruments based on the Marvin included the Marvin itself, the Marvin "S" (luxury version of the Marvin ), the twelve-string Double-Six ( Marvin with twelve strings, without tremolo with TriSonic pickups) and the Shadows Bass for John Rostill , who was also called Marvin .
Ampeg 1963 to 1964
For the American market, they sought to work with the amplifier manufacturer of the same name, Ampeg , in order to be able to sell Burns guitars in the USA. Mainly the ShortScale and SplitSound models were selected for this, as they were not particularly successful in Europe. Contrary to expectations, the sales figures remained very low. Ampeg guitars are a very sought-after rarity today, especially the models with a double logo from the early days of the collaboration (AMPEG with the engraved lettering by BURNS LONDON underneath). Four guitar models and one bass guitar version were added to the range. The original English names are in brackets: Wild Dog (Split Sonic), Wild Dog De Luxe (Jazz Split Sound), Thinline (TR2), Sonic Six (NuSonic) and, as a bass guitar, Wild Dog Bass (Vista Sonic Bass).
Baldwin Burns Ltd 1965 to 1970
The rise of the “young rebels” in rock music ( The Beatles , The Rolling Stones , The Who and many more) meant a massive drop in sales for Burns. The time of so-called twang music was over, open supplier invoices and high production costs led to the collapse of Burns London Ltd. The American keyboard instrument manufacturer "Baldwin Piano Company" acquired the English company for a relatively low price of less than £ 400,000. The purchase price was just enough to cover the outstanding supplier invoices. The originally quite unusual design of the guitars - especially the necks and the headstock - has been converted into simplified, often "slimmed-down" versions. These design changes did not lead to an increase in sales. Jim Burns was allowed to continue working as a developer and consultant in the new company, but he had to cede his naming rights to Baldwin. Instead of BURNS LONDON, BALDWIN was now emblazoned on the guitars. Baldwing guitars, which were still built from "original" components from old stocks, are very popular collector's items.
Ormston Burns Ltd 1966 to 1968
Because of the contractual name binding (see above), Jim Burns developed various models, some of them very unusual, under his second name Ormston, which, however, were often not supposed to go beyond the status of a prototype. At least for a short time he was able to marketing of steel guitars reasonably keep the company Denley under the trade name "Ormston Steel Guitars" afloat and continue to fund its projects.
Hayman 1969 to 1975
Hayman was a brand of Dallas-Arbiter under which drums were sold from 1968 (named after George Hayman - actually Haymon , who had developed an inner cover called "Vibra Sonic" that should make the drums particularly loud). When in 1969 Jim Burns in cooperation with suppliers (Jack Golder - woodwork and Nick Houlder - truss rod, both later Shergold) from earlier days and former employees of the company Vox (Bob Pearson) further developed guitar models from the Burns-London-Ltd time near Dallas- Arbiter marketed, the brand and logo were adopted. After the guitar names were also contractually protected, Jim Burns chose numerical designations for his instruments: 1010, 2020, 3030 and 4040, 5050 for the basses, 1010H, 2020H, 3030H, White Cloud, Modular, Comet, Perspex Hayman (on Höfner's semi-acoustic guitars, respectively Framus- like shape).
In response to numerous customer requests, Burns returned to the classic neck design from more successful times. Today, the Haymans are valued precisely because of their neck, despite problems with the shielding. When the company went down, the remaining parts were sold as do-it-yourself kits. These guitars made from it are known today as Hayman Bitzer . Successor Shergold also used remaining semi-finished products from Hayman at the beginning. The guitars and drums were made until 1975 ( Free - George Hayman Logo, The Chris Barber Band - Hayman Logo, endorser Mitch Mitchell ).
Burns UK 1974 to 1977/78
Burns Flyte
LJ24
Jim Burns tried again to regain his old reputation in the field of electric guitars. This time he tried extremely unusual models, some of which were reminiscent of spaceships or battle axes of fantasy figures. Although it has returned to the old Burns quality, the company went bankrupt in 1977 because the instruments were too expensive. After Gibson had brought the Flying V onto the market a few years earlier and the model enjoyed great popularity, Burns brought similar guitars onto the market with the Flyte and Concorde . Both instruments were also made as bass guitars. The range also included the Artist , the Mirage , LJ24 , and the Mark Griffiths Bass .
Jim Burns Ltd 1979 to 1983
Marked by the failures of the last decade, Jim Burns wanted to withdraw from the market completely, but he was persuaded by some friends and sponsors to start over. Earlier models were reissued in the old design, but especially with the Marvin there should be problems with Fender, as Fender claimed the naming rights of Hank Marvin. The successful model "The Marvin" was renamed The Legend , which put a damper on the sales figures. The Legend differs in small details from the original guitar, in particular the lack of the push-pull circuit (pulling out the volume control activates the middle pickup), as well as the neck binding (framing of the fingerboard). The previous Marvin has been greatly simplified as a budget model, in particular the Rezotube system has been replaced by a conventional knife-back tremolo. With this guitar, devalued by collectors and enthusiasts as a budget version of the Marvin, they wanted to increase sales in the cheaper budget sector. However, there was a dispute over the design of the Marvin , as it looked confusingly similar to a Fender Stratocaster in its now greatly simplified design. The Marquee budget model was later developed from this model .
Before the company went bankrupt again, Jim Burns withdrew. Almost ten years would pass before Burns guitars were to be manufactured again. The range comprised only seven different instruments, namely Steer , Magpie , Marvin ( Legend ), Bison , Bandit X , Black Scorpion , and the Black Scorpion Bass .
Shergold and Jack Golder
Jack Golder , guitar maker and owner of the Shergold company, worked for Jim Burns for many years and, with the consent of Jim Burns, made the successful Marvin model up to his death in 1992, always on customer request. The models from his hand differ from the original Marvins (Burns or Baldwin) in minor details, e.g. B. Body contour or neck pockets (neck pockets). The pickguard engravings were still done by Eddie Cross . The guitars known as Golder-Marvin in collectors' circles are very sought-after and accordingly high-priced.
Burns London Ltd 1992 to 2009
Headstock of the Doublesix in detail
Burns Double Six, twelve-string version of the Marvin
Burns "The Marvin Anniversary 1964-2004 , 2004
Burns "The Marvin Anniversary 1964-2004 , 2004
Burns "The Shadows Custom Guitar"
Barry Gibson, himself a well-known musician from England, reactivated the brand that had disappeared for a long time and relied on tradition, but also relied on new developments. A special coup was the development of the Brian May Signature Guitar by the guitarist of the same name from the band Queen. Brian May, who at a young age built his legendary “ Red Special ” instrument with the unmistakable sound from valuable wood and some original Burns parts (Tri-Sonic pickups) , agreed to the marketing. The Marvin and the Shadows-Bass were also reissued.
Until 2009, the range included various guitar and bass models. The high-priced Custom Elite Guitar series included the Shadows Custom Signature , the Hank Marvin Signature Anniversary Guitar , the Shadows Bass John Rostill , the Jet Sonic, and the Sonic Guitar . The Brian May Signature is available in a wide variety of designs, including a left-handed model. The Custom Guitar series includes the Apache , the Apache Special , the Legend , the Legend Dream and the Shadows Bass . The following guitars were available as part of the cheaper Club Series : Barracuda , Batwing , Bison 62 , Bison 64 , Bison Bass , Cobra , Double Six , Marquee , Marquee Bass Guitar , NuSonic , NuSonic Black , Scorpion , Scorpion Bass , Shadow , Shadow Special , Steer and Steer Cutaway (both semi-acoustic models).
The Jet Sonic , The Legend , Scorpion , Brian May Signature Red Special and Batwing models were discontinued in April 2008. Likewise, the strictly limited models of the Shadows Custom Guitar (de-luxe version of the Marvin in fiesta red with gold hardware), Apache 50 Anniversary The Shadows and the John Rostill Bass Guitar were taken out of the range because they had reached the 500-piece limit per model.
50 years Burns London 1960–2010
For the company anniversary, Barry Gibson expanded the range. From then on, the following models were available in the Custom Elite division in 2010 :
Apache Double Six SPECIAL - DoubleSix with Rezo-Tube-Tremolo-System
Apache Dream Noiseless, limited to 50 pieces
Dream Noiseless Special, limited to 50 pieces
Prototype of the Dream with a grained, glued-on ceiling and sunburst varnish (one-off)
Dream Noiseless 50th Anniversary Special Edition (single item)
50th Anniversary Burns London 1960–2010 Gold Dream (limited to 50 pieces)
Shadows Bass in rare paintwork
Sonic
- Apache Double Six Special (12-string de-luxe version of the Apache with Rezo-Tube-Tremolo-System)
- Apache Noiseless Special (limited to 50 pieces)
- Dream Noiseless Special (limited to 50 pieces)
- Gold Dream (limited to 50 pieces)
- Hank Marvin Signature
- Nu Sonic Bass
- Shadows Bass
- Sonic
The Club Series division included the following models:
Barracuda Special Baritone Guitar in a rare black-red version
Bison 62 with knife edge tremolo
Bison 64 with Rezo-Tube tremolo and scrollhead neck
Marquee
Shadow
Cobra
- Barracuda (baritone guitar, i.e. playable as both guitar and bass)
- Barracuda Special (Barracuda with Rezo-Tube tremolo system, 500 pieces limited)
- Bison 62 (Knife-Edge-Tremolo) and Bison 64 (Rezo-Tube-Tremolo)
- Bison bass
- Cobra (strat-like entry-level model)
- Double Six (12-string version of the Marvin without a tremolo system)
- Drifter LG 50 (identical to Guytone Antoria, first guitar by Hank Marvin)
- Marquee (Marvin without Rezo-Tube-System, but with Knife-Edge-Tremolo)
- Marquee Bass
- Marquee Pro (special version of the Marquee with Tri-Sonic pickups and gear box)
- Shadow and Shadow Special (de-luxe version of the Marquee)
- Steer and Steer Cutaway (acoustic)
Available models 2019
As a result of the limited number of pieces being reached or as part of model and range maintenance, some guitars are no longer manufactured. The following list according to the company's website shows the instruments available in 2019.
"Custom Elite"
Models based on the Burns Marvin:
- Apache series: Apache Noiseless Special and Apache DoubleSix Special (12-string Apache with Rezotube tremolo system)
- Dream Noiseless series: TransBlue, TransRed, GoldDream, Honey Burst, Green Burst
- Hank Marvin Signature Limited Edition (currently unavailable)
other models:
- DoubleSix (12-string guitar, based on the Marquee model)
- Sonic (type Telecaster)
- NuSonic Bass
- Shadows Bass (based on the DoubleSix with scrollhead neck)
"Club Series"
- Barracuda Special: Baritone guitar with Rezotube tremolo system. The simplified barracuda has not been manufactured since 2015.
- Bison 62 (knife edge tremolo, TriSonic pickups)
- Bison 64 (Rezotube tremolo system and Rezomatic pickups)
- Bison bass
- Bison Ultrasonic (short graduation)
- Cobra (three TriSonic pickups)
- King Cobra (three NeoMatic pickups, improved knife edge tremolo)
- Marquee (simplified Marvin model with knife edge tremolo)
- Marquee Bass (simplified model of the Shadows Bass)
- Steer series (semi-acoustic guitar): Custom (TriSonic), Steer Cutaway and Steer Special (Rezomatic pickup)
Current development
At the end of 2018 the Burns Shortscale JazzGuitar was reissued as "Burns SSJ" in small series (25 pieces each in white and light blue, developed and built by Alan Entwistle), but this model has some differences to the original guitar. The SSJ was not equipped with a Bigsby-like whale centremolo, but with a simpler knife-back tremolo and has a slightly modified neck from the Cobra series. The shape of the neck of the old model was reminiscent of that of a Fender Telecaster and has a greatly shortened scale length, while the new edition, at around 25 inches, is almost that of a Fender Stratocaster . It cannot be assumed that the SSJ will be produced in larger series - despite the good reviews.
The Burns SSJ12, a 12-string short-neck model (without push-pull circuit) made on the basis of the DoubleSix, also comes from the workshop of Alan Entwhistle. With the introduction of the "SSJ Six Bass" model, a baritone model of the SSJ comparable to the Barracuda, their production also ended, and the models Steer, Steer Cutaway, Bison 64, Bison Ultrasonic, Bison Bass, Marquee, Marquee De Luxe are no longer available .
At the beginning of 2020 Burns London also reduced the "Custom Elite Guitars" product line considerably by removing the classic models DoubleSix, Marvin, Shadows-Bass as well as Apache and Apache DoubleSix from the range. The Dream Noiseless and Gold Dream, as well as the Sonic, which is reminiscent of the Fender Telecaster, will continue to be offered (as of June 2020).
In June 2020, Barry Gibson sold the brand and company to musical instrument dealers Lee and Peter Anderton.
Burns Model Characteristics
- Manufactured by hand
- Tri-Sonic pickups (e.g. Sonic, Shortscale, Double Six and Brian May, etc.)
- REZ-O-MATIK pickups (e.g. Shadows Custom Signature, The Marvin, Marvin Anniversary and many others)
- Rezo-Tube: Sustainsystem built into the tremolo with long tubes through which the strings are pulled
- Gear Box: Mechanics built into the neck, which allow extremely precise adjustment of the neck by means of a king thread
- Shape of the headstock: Often reminiscent of the shape of string instruments (Shadows-Bass, Legend, Marvin)
The different types of tremolo are particularly interesting (e.g. cylinder with free-swinging sustain block for Shortscale, Rezo-Tube tremolo for Marvin or Legend, etc.).
Well-known musicians and bands
Elvis Presley , Billy Bragg , Scorpions , Hank B. Marvin , Bruce Welch , The Shadows , Brian May , Paul William Day , Edwyn Collins , Menswear , The Searchers , Status Quo , The Tremeloes , The Troggs , Eric Clapton , The Elton John Band , The Honeycombs , Led Zeppelin , Mark Knopfler , Mud , Slade and many more. A comprehensive list and photographs can be viewed on the Burns website.
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Hayman (English)
- Burns guitar Museum (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Modified: Brass Nut, Five-Way-Switch (Out-of-Phase)
- ↑ The adjustment of the truss rod is under serial no. possible
- ^ Ivor Arbiter was also an importer for Ludwig and Ludwig , cf. Logos from Ludwig and Hayman
- ↑ Very rare
- ↑ With ReAn humbuckers
- ↑ Limited edition of 2004, 50 left-hand models, available in white and in greensunburst