STOLEN (SHADOWS) GEAR

[event]

In the latest issue of Guitar & Bass thers a coverstory about stolen gear, with focus on famous guitars. But not a single word about The Shadows and the Burnsguitars shat was stolen from their van in...? Can anyone tell me that story?
Best regards EvenT

[AlanMcKillop]

I believe it was around 1971/72, when a van with their gear was broken into at the home of their roadie and the guitars were stolen. They were appearing at the Palladium at the time.

[StuartD]

HI

Alan is correct.

Hank's Green and White Burns Guitars, together with Hank's Martin and a Gibson 12 string and 6 string acoustic were all stolen from the Volkswagen camper van form outside the home of Roy Lemmon, the Roadie.

The irony is that two of the guitars that weren't taken were the original Strat, 34346, and John Farrar's Les Paul, which would have been much more valuable at that time than the Burns.

They then bought a long wheelbase Bedford CF Van with an alarm on it!!

Regards

Stuart

[dave robinson]

I saw a club act using the green Marvin at Grindon Broadway club in Sunderland. The person who had i boasted that it was once Hank's. I did take down the serial number and it resides in the back of my 1972 or 1973 diary . . . . . I wonder?

[JimN]

Just to be clear: it was 1972.

That was the year of the Cliff / MWF Palladium summer season which regrettably, I never went to see, despite living in North London (only about four miles from the Palladium) at the time. On the other hand, the female guitarist/vocalist of the band I was in (Mary: are you out there?) was a huge John Farrar fan and she went to see them several times on nights off.

Hank was using the white Marvin on BBC TV (the Saturday teatime Cliff Richard show) right up to the time it was stolen.

I bought my own Marvin c. April or May 1972. The next day (a Sunday), I was playing it on stage at a pub in Stoke Newington. The landlord was a Cliff & Shads fan and remarked on the guitar being just like the one Hank had used the previous evening.

JN

[JimN]

I saw a club act using the green Marvin at Grindon Broadway club in Sunderland. The person who had i boasted that it was once Hank's. I did take down the serial number and it resides in the back of my 1972 or 1973 diary . . . . . I wonder?

The one with the distinctively-misplaced upper scratchplate?

[dave robinson]

I saw a club act using the green Marvin at Grindon Broadway club in Sunderland. The person who had i boasted that it was once Hank's. I did take down the serial number and it resides in the back of my 1972 or 1973 diary . . . . . I wonder?

The one with the distinctively-misplaced upper scratchplate?

No idea Jim, I was never that much of an anorak.

[JimN]

I saw a club act using the green Marvin at Grindon Broadway club in Sunderland. The person who had i boasted that it was once Hank's. I did take down the serial number and it resides in the back of my 1972 or 1973 diary . . . . . I wonder?

The one with the distinctively-misplaced upper scratchplate?

No idea Jim, I was never that much of an anorak.

How did you know it was Hank's?

[dave robinson]

I had recently met Hank at Baileys Sheffield and he had mentioned the stolen guitars in our conversation. I also remember him saying that he wasn't that bothered about having them back, he had just bought the white 'Barrats' 70's Strat and was over the moon with it. As I said in my post I was suspicious when I examined the Burns on stage where no one could see me as the owner boasted it was recently Hank's. I did contact Saville Music when I got home to give them the serial number, but no one seemed interested.

[StuartD]

I had recently met Hank at Baileys Sheffield and he had mentioned the stolen guitars in our conversation. I also remember him saying that he wasn't that bothered about having them back, he had just bought the white 'Barrats' 70's Strat and was over the moon with it. As I said in my post I was suspicious when I examined the Burns on stage where no one could see me as the owner boasted it was recently Hank's. I did contact Saville Music when I got home to give them the serial number, but no one seemed interested.

HI Dave

I can vouch for that. He told me, probably at the same time, that he wasn't that bothered and the Strat was better

Regards

Stu