Baldwin - Burns Shadows Bass Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1967)
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Item #11103
Baldwin - Burns Shadows Bass Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1967), made in London, England, serial # 20257, white polyester finish, Obeche body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, hard shell case.
The super striking looking Shadows Bass is one of the rarer Burns-made instruments, and one of the most sought after. The four-string sister to the top-of-the line "Hank Marvin signature" guitar, this imposing three-pickup bass was designed expressly for the group it is named for, and used by them through the 1960's. It is also one of the best playing and sounding instruments of this eccentric but always interesting line. The Marvin guitar is the most collected of all Burns instruments, due to the Shadows enduring worldwide popularity; the Shadows bass is actually even rarer and is a must to complete the set!
Introduced in the middle of 1964, this was the company's most prestigious bass to date and the formerly top-of-the line Bison Bass was immediately re-styled to match it. The original Shadows bass was only built in small numbers and Burns-logo'd examples are VERY scarce today; the situation didn't change much after September 1965, when the American Baldwin piano and organ company took over Burns' operation. The model remained in limited production until the late '60's, but many features were changed in mid-1966 when Baldwin 'standardized' the line.
This early 1967 Baldwin example uses the "flattened" scroll headstock introduced in mid-1966, easier to produce than the huge carved scroll used before that. The tuners are metal-button VanGents with a streamlined cover, replacing the earlier plastic-button version. The three "Bar-O-Matik" pickups bearing a "James O. Burns Design" inscription are mated to a simple Strat-like wiring rig of a 3-way switch, master volume and 2 tone knobs. The tortoise pickguards over a white finish was the Shadows signature look at the time.
One serious oddity is the patented adjustable "Rezo-Tube" bridge which is suspended over the body with each string terminating in a separate tube inside a hollow cavity. The 33 1/2" scale neck with a bound rosewood fingerboard is shared only with the Bison Bass, other Burns basses had a shorter 30" scale. The body is a variation on the Fender Precision previously favored by the Shadows, with curvier cutaway horns typical of Jim Burns' designs. The "cage" handrest is another eccentric Burns touch.
Jim Burns himself was extremely proud of the instruments he designed for the Shadows, still among the UK's top acts in 1964. They put his company firmly on the map as England's premier guitar maker, and despite the obvious Fender inspiration they were unlike most guitars in existence in 1964 both in look and sound. The Shadows bass is very light for its size, handles very well and is an excellent and versatile player's instrument. Baldwin had limited success with the entire Burns line but enjoyed much better sales of the less expensive models like the Vibraslim and Jazz Split Sound. This dramatic looking bass is a considerable rarity, especially in this superbly preserved condition.
Overall length is 47 in. (119.4 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 33 1/2 in. (851 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This 55 year old bass is in truly spectacular condition; this is close to a time capsule example and there can't be many Baldwin/Burns instruments left that have weathered the years since the 1960's this well! The finish has only some typical check lines; many of these have checked very heavily. Overall there is very little actual play wear, only some small dings and dents and one filled-in chip near the bridge.
The heavy celluloid pickguards have shrunk only slightly; there is one partial split at a lower screw hole and some scuffing to the surface. All hardware is original and complete with the plating still shiny; the usually missing arcane Burns esoterica is fully intact including the "cage" handrest and suspended mute bar (with still functional rubber foam). On very close examination it appears one of the pickup adjustment screws is a slight mismatch.
The original factory black nylon strings are still fitted; the frets have no wear and the bass plays exactly as intended with a very versatile sound. The mute is currently functional and doing its job but can be easily removed if desired. The bass resides in a modern hard shell case and is a truly superb example of one of the classic Burns instruments. Excellent Condition.
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The super striking looking Shadows Bass is one of the rarer Burns-made instruments, and one of the most sought after. The four-string sister to the top-of-the line "Hank Marvin signature" guitar, this imposing three-pickup bass was designed expressly for the group it is named for, and used by them through the 1960's. It is also one of the best playing and sounding instruments of this eccentric but always interesting line. The Marvin guitar is the most collected of all Burns instruments, due to the Shadows enduring worldwide popularity; the Shadows bass is actually even rarer and is a must to complete the set!
Introduced in the middle of 1964, this was the company's most prestigious bass to date and the formerly top-of-the line Bison Bass was immediately re-styled to match it. The original Shadows bass was only built in small numbers and Burns-logo'd examples are VERY scarce today; the situation didn't change much after September 1965, when the American Baldwin piano and organ company took over Burns' operation. The model remained in limited production until the late '60's, but many features were changed in mid-1966 when Baldwin 'standardized' the line.
This early 1967 Baldwin example uses the "flattened" scroll headstock introduced in mid-1966, easier to produce than the huge carved scroll used before that. The tuners are metal-button VanGents with a streamlined cover, replacing the earlier plastic-button version. The three "Bar-O-Matik" pickups bearing a "James O. Burns Design" inscription are mated to a simple Strat-like wiring rig of a 3-way switch, master volume and 2 tone knobs. The tortoise pickguards over a white finish was the Shadows signature look at the time.
One serious oddity is the patented adjustable "Rezo-Tube" bridge which is suspended over the body with each string terminating in a separate tube inside a hollow cavity. The 33 1/2" scale neck with a bound rosewood fingerboard is shared only with the Bison Bass, other Burns basses had a shorter 30" scale. The body is a variation on the Fender Precision previously favored by the Shadows, with curvier cutaway horns typical of Jim Burns' designs. The "cage" handrest is another eccentric Burns touch.
Jim Burns himself was extremely proud of the instruments he designed for the Shadows, still among the UK's top acts in 1964. They put his company firmly on the map as England's premier guitar maker, and despite the obvious Fender inspiration they were unlike most guitars in existence in 1964 both in look and sound. The Shadows bass is very light for its size, handles very well and is an excellent and versatile player's instrument. Baldwin had limited success with the entire Burns line but enjoyed much better sales of the less expensive models like the Vibraslim and Jazz Split Sound. This dramatic looking bass is a considerable rarity, especially in this superbly preserved condition.
Overall length is 47 in. (119.4 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 33 1/2 in. (851 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This 55 year old bass is in truly spectacular condition; this is close to a time capsule example and there can't be many Baldwin/Burns instruments left that have weathered the years since the 1960's this well! The finish has only some typical check lines; many of these have checked very heavily. Overall there is very little actual play wear, only some small dings and dents and one filled-in chip near the bridge.
The heavy celluloid pickguards have shrunk only slightly; there is one partial split at a lower screw hole and some scuffing to the surface. All hardware is original and complete with the plating still shiny; the usually missing arcane Burns esoterica is fully intact including the "cage" handrest and suspended mute bar (with still functional rubber foam). On very close examination it appears one of the pickup adjustment screws is a slight mismatch.
The original factory black nylon strings are still fitted; the frets have no wear and the bass plays exactly as intended with a very versatile sound. The mute is currently functional and doing its job but can be easily removed if desired. The bass resides in a modern hard shell case and is a truly superb example of one of the classic Burns instruments. Excellent Condition.
