Burns/Baldwin Split Sound - Sunburst - UK 1967

Burns London, founded by Jim Burns in 1959, produced some of the most distinctive and inventive electric guitars to emerge from Britain during the 1960s. At their peak, Burns instruments were played by some of the era's most celebrated musicians, most famously Hank Marvin of The Shadows, whose association with the Burns Marvin became one of the defining guitar partnerships in British music history. In 1965, the Baldwin Piano Company of Cincinnati acquired Burns London, and guitars bearing the dual Burns/Baldwin identity were produced for the American and international markets. These Baldwin-era instruments, built in England to the same standards as their predecessors, represent the final expression of Jim Burns' design vision and are among the most collectible British vintage guitars in existence.

This 1967 Split Sound, serial number 19545, is finished in a deep and vivid Sunburst that graduates from rich red at the centre to dramatic black at the edges, a combination that retains exceptional vibrancy nearly sixty years on. The condition throughout is excellent and this guitar presents as one of the finest Baldwin-era Burns examples we have encountered. The large black pickguard carries the "BALDWIN" name in bold white lettering, a period detail that speaks directly to its place in the Burns/Baldwin production story, while the figured maple headstock displaying the distinctive "Jazz Guitar" inlay logo is immediately recognisable as a product of Jim Burns' idiosyncratic approach to design.

The Split Sound is distinguished above all by its proprietary Burns pickups, each unit bearing the "BURNS SPLIT SOUND" designation and offering three distinct tonal voicings via the on-board selector: Jazz, Treble and Split Sound. This switching capability, genuinely innovative for 1967, gave players a remarkable tonal range from a single guitar, from warm rounded jazz tones through to bright treble responses and the unique combined Split Sound character the model takes its name from. Perhaps most famously, the guitar also produces the legendary Wild Dog setting, achieved by engaging all three pickups simultaneously to deliver a fierce, cutting and distinctly aggressive out-of-phase tone that became one of the most talked-about sonic signatures in British guitar history. The Burns vibrato unit adds further expressive range, and the chrome hardware throughout remains in excellent condition consistent with the overall presentation of the instrument.

Complete with a non-original hard shell case, this Burns/Baldwin Split Sound represents a rare opportunity to acquire a genuinely exceptional example of British 1960s guitar making at its most inventive.

Specifications

Action at 1st Fret: 0.25mm

Action at 12th Fret: 2.25mm

Neck Depth at 1st Fret: 21.49mm

Neck Depth at 12th Fret: 25.78mm

Nut Width: 42.02mm

Width at 12th Fret: 50.59mm

Weight: 4.18kg / 9.22lb

Year: 1967

Serial Number: 19545

Model: Burns/Baldwin Split Sound

Crafted in: Burns London, England

Finish: Sunburst

Neck: Maple

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Pickups: Burns Split Sound x3

Controls: Volume, Tone, Jazz / Treble / Split Sound Selector, Wild Dog Setting

Bridge: Burns Vibrato

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: Black

Case: Non-Original Hard Shell Case