Burns Era Shadows Music: The end of the road?

[MMStingray54]

As Flingel Bunt is Burns Era, and it must rank as one of the most iconic of the harder edged instrumentals, the Burns era is surely not going to die.

The tone of the Burns bass on that track in Mark Griffith's hands is really superb - more tone than the Precision - and the original, featuring the wonderful John Rostill has a rock blues era bass part before its time pre dating Jack Bruce et al. Really a super track for us bass players.

Unfortunately no one will ever persuade me to buy a Burns bass to play one track (if indeed I play it again) - I know someone that has one I could borrow but having heard it, the Stingray (even in pink) does gritty blues rock somewhat better

[Iain Purdon]

Griff certainly does a great job reproducing the flavour of John's original bass line but I think it's unlikely he used a Burns bass on the re-record. I'm not even sure whether John used a Burns in the original session. Do we know when the first Burns Shadows bass was delivered? I have an idea it arrived a bit later than the Marvins. John could have used his own Jazz bass or the Precision that was handed on from Lic.

[fenderplucker]

Roger,

some thoughts on when the Burns was used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuYc1r945Jk&feature=youtu.be

Paul.

[MMStingray54]

Griff certainly does a great job reproducing the flavour of John's original bass line but I think it's unlikely he used a Burns bass on the re-record.

I should, perhaps have been more specific Iain and was referring to the version played on the Final Tour.

[Iain Purdon]

Ah yes, Don, that most certainly IS a Burns bass. Griff is playing it finger style, as is his preference, and that gives it a quite different tone. It looks like the Burns Legend production model -- its certainly not the Rostill re-issue - and the toast rack is missing. It's high quality bass playing, for sure.

[KurtFroberg]

Please see some Burns beeing played here:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=15437

[abstamaria]

Interesting thread, this. I wonder if opinions have changed over time.

With best regards,

Andy

[dave robinson]

Anyone know the real reason in particular why HBM after the Burns was stolen
went back to the Strat rather than get another Burns to go on with.

Er....the Strat is a 'better' guitar, less 'made in the garden shed by your local enthusiast barber' or made in Russia and with less superfluous decoration and not quite as good a sound? I don't think people would have gasped so much seeing a double page spread in 'Boyfriend' of HBM holding a Burns- maybe in them days they would have... The Burns design is a bit over the top and unnecessary whereas the Strat is tighter and more minimalist, keeping to the essentials but with classic curves. Frankly if The Shadows hadn't used them I doubt many would have bought them. No doubt there will be strong disagreement here...

Only just noticed this particular message - October 8 2023.
When I met Hank at Bailey's night club back in the early 70s, I asked him about the Burns theft and if he wanted a replacement and he said an emphatic 'no'. He was pleased to be back played a Fender Strat, the white one he had was purchased from Barrats of Manchester. It was later sprayed black and added Humbuckers and eventually given to Ben.
I remember he described the Burns as 'clumsy'.

[dave robinson]

To add to stuff I've already said, I recently parted with my own Marvin reissue because I never played it, but not before replacing it with a Burns Marquee in white. All I needed to do, was fit some Alnico Pro II pickups that I had laying around spare and it sounded spot on and played just as well as my Marvin, but with the Strat type tremolo was no longer 'clumsy' - I use it a lot.

[hiffclall]

Thought I'd just chime in as I'm the bloke that bought Dave's Burns Marvin from him.

I absolutely love it. It's one of, if not "the" nicest guitar I've ever played. I love the sound of it (to me, it has an edge to it that I can't get from a strat) and I really like the trem system. I recently picked up my strat copy and really couldn't get on with the trem on it at all, having played the Marvin so much. I also recently got a casino with a bigsby fitted and what I wouldn't give to get the bigsby to be as nice to use as the Marvin trem.

Anywho, horses for courses and all that. Just grateful that Dave wasn't playing it and decided to part with it - my gain

Am I right in thinking that Hank and Bruce do now own Burns re-issues and use them occasionally?