Burns Shadows 2005 Tour Guitars – UK 2005

We never ceased to be surprised at some of the amazing guitars that come to PREMIER GUITARS on consignment.

Any red blooded music fan from the UK, or for that matter, around the world, would be aware of the ground breaking instrumental sounds of The Shadows in the 1960s. The sweet tones of Hank Marvin’s guitar drove the band to huge international success in their own right, as well as backing English heart throb of the times, Cliff Richard.

The Shadows continued to have big hits and toured right up until 2005 when they finally completed a huge European Farewell Tour. To commemorate that tour, the Burns company of London, who had provided The Shadows with their unique guitars right through the 60s and 70s, created 3 very unique instruments for the band to use onstage.

The owner of Burns UK, Barry Gibson commissioned 3 matching Fiesta Red Shadows Custom guitars and presented them to Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and bassist for that tour Mark Griffiths.

The band used those instruments every night of that Euro Tour, and eventually handed them back to Burns at the conclusion of the tour. Barry Gibson kept them in storage for a few years until they were eventually sold as a set of three to a dedicated Shadows fan who has looked after them lovingly ever since.

Guitar Specs -

• Model - Burns Shadows Custom Limited Edition

• Colour – Fiesta Red

• Year - 2005

• Cases - Original Burns Hardcase

• Condition – as new

• Body: Select American Alder

• Neck Material: Canadian Hard Rock Maple
  
  
• Fingerboard: Indian Rosewood
  
  
• Scale Length: 25.5 Inch

• Pickups: Burns Rez-o-Matic Single Coils
  
  
• Bridge Type: Burns Rez-o-Tube Tremolo

• Gold Hardware
  
  
• Finish Type: Gloss
  
  

From Hank Marvin – “Some guitarists think America is the only source of high quality electric guitars, but some remember the wonderful guitars designed and produced by Burns Guitar UK. In 1963, the founder Jim Burns worked closely with myself and Bruce Welch of The Shadows to design a guitar with the style, sound and playability that we needed.”

These guitars are being sold a s a set of three, and are designated as follows –

“Prototype Hank 2”

 “Prototype Bruce”

 “Mark Griffiths Shadows Bass”

They are all housed in their original Burns hard shell cases, with tour stickers.

There are also some promo and tour photos of the respective band members playing these actual guitars, including one signed by Hank Marvin.

Most importantly, Barry Gibson has supplied a letter of provenance verifying these 2005 Euro Tour guitars, along with the statement that “Since the tour the guitars have been kept in their cases and still have the same strings fitted as were used on the tour.” 

So if you want a little of Hank & Bruce’s DNA, it’s right there on those strings because they still have not been changed.