Guitars . . . . Burns plus

Burns guitars were undoubtedly British and as featured by bands like The Shadows (see Hank Marvin) but we thought they were uncool. Fat thick and clunky looking we favoured Fender and Gibson’s that were from the ‘exotic' shores of Merikay! Even Martin’s the acoustic Holy Grail of boxes!

If they were British they must be hokey and naff! Right? Actually they were really good and sounded fine but you know what the pro bands wanted we wanted too!

The Martin Guitar Orchestra

Mind you it was only in the seventies when I found my first Martin that I discovered they were actually not British and American after all - nowadays the woods are getting thinner and thinner so it’s touch and go if you get a good one. Buy vintage ( if you can!?) 

Jimi’s Gibson Flying V (looking especially groovy here today - even Gibson made clangers and Jimi never really enjoyed his V. 

Johnny Winter used one but they didn’t really match the artistry of the Holy Grail of the Strat, the Tele and even the Jaguars and such. The tail pieces always felt clumsy to me! Awkward despite the electronics that must have been good enough surely?

I have said before I never really understood the sound of the Resonator guitars (they all resonate dudes!) and especially the National Steels. What is THAT about ?

I just don’t get it. If its wood it will ring loud and lets face it the Americas had so much raw natural resource that they could afford to make endless budget Harmonys even sold through Sears and Roebuck catalogues as I have said before (I started to collect them and my £90 Harmony H162 is worth about £400 now. ) Ronnie ‘Plonk’ Lane here adored his resonator mind you!

Frank with Jimi's Strat!

Frank Zappa with Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster (the Hendrix/Zappa guitar is one of the most infamous guitars of all time. It’s alleged that Jimi Hendrix burned this guitar at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival or at the Astoria in Finsbury Park in March ‘67. Frank Zappa bought or was given the remains, and after Frank died his son Dweezil got it. It was repaired to be playable, and Frank Zappa played it on his 1976 album “Zoot Allures“…)

Never much of a Zappa fan apart from his 'use' of Captain Beefheart (I bought 'Hot Rats' and 'Bongo Fury' but that's about it I think) His political view is anarcho-right wing and anti-socialist for sure. There is an arrogance behind Frank that he considered himself better or above others yet I cannot and would not deny his role as a groundbreaking musician. As a guitarist I found him inexpressive and boring. The king of noodlers. As a recent non-smoker it is interesting to me whilst allegedly notoriously anti-drugs that Frank died from his addiction to nicotine and didn't appear to realise it. Shame but ironic somehow