Change of guitar.

[JimN]

It must have been about the same time that Duane Eddy switched from Gretsh to Guild........I wonder what it was all about??

Duane, if I recall correctly, did his deal with Guild a little earlier than the Shadows/Burns and Ventures/Mosrite tie-ups (at least, in public).

I'm sure there's at least one 1962 LP sleeve which shows Duane with his Guild DE model.

Here it is (March 1962):

[abstamaria]

Yes, I believe Jim's right. The Guild site has Duane Eddy shifting to a Guild about the middle of '62. The Ventures I think we're flogging Mossrites by very late 63, beginning recording with them on the "in Space" album," recording into 1964. The Shadows were also shifting to Burns in late '63, if I'm not mistaken, so at about the time the Ventures moved to Mossrites.

The move by Duane Eddy seems commercial; only Guild agreed to build a "Duane Eddy" model. The Ventures' motive was clearly commercial; they were given the distributorship rights. Perhaps the Shadows were similarly motivated; maybe the allure of having a guitar named after you was a strong incentive.

The Ventures (or at least Bogle and Edwards) and Hank Marvin seemed happy to be able to return to Fender, never looking back at the Mossrites or Burns, respectively, so I do not think the shift from Fender was for technical reasons.

Anyway, by February 1964, the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, and guitar bands, regardless of guitar used, became yesterday's music.

My take only.

Andy

[David Martin]

If a Strat is set up properly it shouldn't go out of tune. Applying pressure to the tailpiece and going out of tune is usually associated with very low gauge string (9s) or a combination of light strings and set up.

Oh so that is what it is?....I use light gauge strings "9s" I will try using a slightly higher gauge. Thanks for the advice.

I use strings as low as 8 gauge on one of my Strats and it stays in tune just fine despite some "trem abuse!" A proper bridge/trem setup (which takes time) is the answer...

[cockroach]

I recall reading interviews with Duane where he said that asked Guild for a similar layout to the Gretsch (with a master volume) and he wanted the single coil DeArmond pickups- which became his signature model- although Guild changed all their other guitars to their new humbuckers about then (1963) and the h/b types went on the DE model after a few years too.

He said he used the Guild for touring and live work and the Gretsch (his original guitar) in teh studio only, on records- he didn't want to risk his beloved Grestsch on the road! He said that the Gretsch was immaculate as a consequence, but that the Guild was scratched etc because he lent it to 'some kids called Steven Stills and Richie Furay' and it came back like that!

Mind you, I've always been fascinated by that blonde guitar on the Duane LP cover- never seen another like it- maybe it was a prototype, as the body shape is smaller and different from the eventual DE model, master volume knob and pickup switches are in opposite locations and it looks like it has the pickups suspended and mounted on a steel rod inside the body, and surrounded by cutouts in the top, just like the Guild George Barnes signature models...interesting!

Same as the double cutaway red Guild which Bert Weedon had as a signature model after his single cutaway Starfire model- maybe that one was a custom too, as I've never seen an identical Starfire double cutaway like that...and Bert must have also liked the DeArmond pickups too, maybe he and Duane compared notes when DE toured the UK and met Bert a few years earlier...

Coming back on topic regarding Hank and the boys and changing to Burns, let's face it, if I was in a group or a solo player, and my management secured an endorsement deal or even a heavy discount, on some great new professional quality gear-I'd be happy to change- and definitely if it was FREE!!! And if the gear got stolen, broken or worn out etc they changed it straight away for another new one!

Even Paul McCartney once joked that he was anybody's for a free new guitar!

[humdrum]

In this rather surreal thread which started with me asking why the Shadows changed from Fender to Burns then morphed into "tremelo tuning problems"& finished up as a discussion on Duane Eddys Guild I would further like to "muddy the waters by going back to the Strat tremelo tuning discussion. I would like to know how you can set up a strat to not go out of tune when you "accidently" apply pressure to the tailpiece. By it's very nature this is how the unit works isn't it? Fender probably knew this when they designed the guitar, that is why the early Strats came with the "ash tray" bridge cover, but of course ths stops you damping the strings........something that the Shadows sound is a big part of.