Lenny Breau's Baldwin guitars
Garry Hansen
promoted in the 1960s? Two unusual models feature prominently in the
"Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary. The first looks like a flat-top with
round sound hole and a single pick-up. The second is a funky-looking
double-cutaway with a shallow body, f-holes, two routed pick-ups, and the
pot dials peeking out from under the pickguard (sort of reminds me of an old
Silvertone a friend once owned). Although I'm familiar with Baldwin pianos,
I'd never heard of Baldwin guitars and I'm curious. You can see photos of
Lenny playing the latter guitar here:
http://www.enter.net/~rainsong/lbgallery1.html
Thanks,
Garry Hansen
Charlie Christian: Legend of the Jazz Guitar
http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/hansen/Charlie/
TomLippinc
>promoted in the 1960s? Two unusual models feature prominently in the
>"Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary. The first looks like a flat-top with
>round sound hole and a single pick-up. The second is a funky-looking
>double-cutaway with a shallow body, f-holes, two routed pick-ups, and the
>pot dials peeking out from under the pickguard (sort of reminds me of an old
>Silvertone a friend once owned). Although I'm familiar with Baldwin pianos,
>I'd never heard of Baldwin guitars and I'm curious. You can see photos of
>Lenny playing the latter guitar here:
Here's a quote from Tony Bacon's "The Ultimate Guitar Book":
From small beginnings as Burns-Weill in 1959, Jim Burns's company became the
most successful British guitar-making organization at its peak in the 1960's,
exporting high-quality instruments throughout the world and making some
important contributions to the evolution of the electrinc guitar.
In 1965 the American Baldwin company bought out the Burns companies, having
been beaten by CBS in the attempt to acquire Fender. This signaled a change in
fortune, and by 1970 all gutiar production ceased.
(end of quote)
Jim Burns was supposedly the U.K.'s answer to Leo Fender. It seems like I read
that he just recently died.
Tom Lippincott
Garry Hansen
TomLippinc wrote in message
<19990503022602...@ng-cs1.aol.com>...
|In 1965 the American Baldwin company bought out the Burns companies, having
|been beaten by CBS in the attempt to acquire Fender. This signaled a
change in
|fortune, and by 1970 all gutiar production ceased.
Thanks for the answer to my question, Tom. Interesting stuff.
TomLippinc
>Thanks for the answer to my question, Tom. Interesting stuff.
>
>Garry Hansen
I was inspired by your post to do a search on the web for any mention of Balwin
guitars and all I came up with was a few mentions at the Gutiarchives site, and
a couple of vintage guitar type places that were selling parts like pickups and
pickguards. Also I got the impression that Gretsch had some connection with
Baldwin at some point.
Tom Lippincott
tba...@my-dejanews.com
Fred Gretsch sold the company to Baldwin in '67. They promptly ran it into
the ground, and the Baldwin-era (70s) instruments are pretty unloved,
although some are actually quite good. Baldwin got out in 80, but it was too
late for Gretsch. It's now owned by another Fred, who's nephew of the
previous Fred. Baldwin also owned Kustom in the 7
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Garry Hansen
|the ground, and the Baldwin-era (70s) instruments are pretty unloved,
I'm not clear on how this jives with Tom's info, which traces the lineage to
the Brit Jim Burns in 1965. Were these Baldwin-era instruments sold under
the Gretsch label, the Baldwin label, or both? Lenny's guitars are clearly
marked "Baldwin" in large letters on the pickguard. I didn't really notice
if they also had "Gretsch" on the head.
tba...@my-dejanews.com
All will become clear: In 1965, after unsuccessfully attempting to buy
Fender, Baldwin bought Burns for $380,000. Gretsch had already been buying
Burns vibratos when for some reason Bigsby's supply became irregular. Baldwin
went on to put their name on several Burns models, and it's one of those
Breau is playing in the pictures you linked to. I don't know which model, but
it's relatively unusual. I have seen Baldwin-labelled Bisons, for example.
Gretsch sold out to Baldwin in 67, and production of the Burns guitars didn't
last too long after that, stopping in 1970. Oddly enough, after Baldwin
bought Gretsch, it introduced some Burns-pioneered features such as an active
treble boost circuit and a gearbox truss rod adjustment, but went back to
Bigsby whammys. Baldwin may be good with keyboards, but they had a habit of
running guitar-related companies into the ground... Burns, Gretsch, Kustom..
all casualties. Hope that helps. By the way, Burns, much like Gretsch,
managed to revive itself in the 90s, and as I understand it was doing well in
England, and Jim Burns was active in the company right up until his recen
Garry Hansen
|Breau is playing in the pictures you linked to. I don't know which model,
but
|it's relatively unusual. I have seen Baldwin-labelled Bisons, for example.
Ahhh....all is clear now. Thanks!
jazzfolk
>it's relatively unusual.
On the cover of the Lp "Guitar Sounds Of Lenny Breau" he's playing a
Baldwin. The headstock look like it reads Vibraslim. Can anyone confirm that
this is a model, it's a bit hard to make out the last few letters on the
headstock.
Garry Hansen
|Baldwin. The headstock look like it reads Vibraslim. Can anyone confirm
that
|this is a model, it's a bit hard to make out the last few letters on the
|headstock.
I'll have to take a look, but since it's a shallow-bodied model with a
whammy bar, "Vibraslim" makes sense.
Joey Goldstein
Baldwins but I think the main reason Lenny used that guitar was because
it had a wider than usual fretboard. Similar in some ways to a classical
guitar's fretboard.
I don't think it was a very good guitar although I may be wrong. It sure
sounded good whe he played it though.
--
Regards:
Joey Goldstein
Guitarist/Composer/Bandleader/Teacher
Check out: http://webhome.idirect.com/~joegold
Reply To: <joegold AT idirect DOT com>
Maranata73
were slumping badly because everyone wanted to play guitar. So Baldwin decided
to buy the Fender Company. CBS made a better offer and you know that story.
Baldwin bought out Burn's Guitars of England. Originally the first Baldwin's
were Burn's guitars with Baldwin logo's on the bodies and headstocks. There
were a few new type guitars such as The Virginian, a thin hollow body round
sound-hole guitar with two Burns pickups. Within a couple of years Baldwin
went Italian and imported a lot of their stuff from Italy. Quality IMO was not
as good. Dove-joint necks were replaced with bolt ons on their hollow bodies.
Some really neat stuff that Baldwin made were their solidstate amps. Willie
Nelson has used a Baldwin amp throughout his career. They made one called the
Exterminator that was the size of a Fridgidare side by side.
I am not familiar with Breau's guitars. The photo's that I have seen of him
are on classical guitar. Baldwin did make the first classical guitar to have a
built in piezo pickup. Chet Atkin's played one of these and eventually took
the pickup out of these guitars for his Hascal Hale guitars and his Gibson
classical electric prototype.
One more thing. Baldwin made the coolest electronic harpsichord. The body
was made out of steel. It had a string for every note. A lucite top that
opened like a grand piano and 3 wooden legs. I am not sure of the pickups for
this, whether they were magnetic or piezo.
marc
Maranata73
guitars were not selling too well. Gretsch was having financial troubles.
Baldwin thought that they could make a go of the Gretsch company and bought
their tradename. I can't remember if Duke Kramer was going to run Gretsch for
Baldwin or not (he lives in Cincinnati where Baldwin's main offices are). To
make a long story short Duke bought the remaining parts, guitars and whatever
from the Gretch factory and loaded it up into about 5 or 6 tractor trailers and
has it stored away and sells his stuff through the mail and at guitar shows.
marc
tba...@my-dejanews.com
Just to clarify a few things. Baldwin bought Burns in '65, and it did not
sell the way Baldwin had hoped, since Americans never did care much about
Burns guitars. Enter Gretsch. Gretsch was NOT having financial troubles. They
posted $6 million in sales in '66, and were by all accounts a very sound
company financially. But Fred Gretsch was getting up in years and ready to
get out. Baldwin wanted a high-profile guitar company, and they didn't just
buy the name, they bought the whole kit and kaboodle. Then everything went to
hell. Baldwin, frankly, didn't understand guitars are made very differently
than keyboards. By 73 the company really was in trouble, and longtime
employees Duke Kramer and Bill Hagner took over for five years to try to put
things right. '73-'78 are the best of the Baldwin/Gretsch years. In '78
Baldwin took over again, and by '81 it was over. Kramer did buy up A LOT of
stock, and is probably the best source for NOS parts. As I side note, during
the late 60s and 70s Gretsch took out A LOT of patents on piezo pickups and
bridges, that never turned up on any Gretsch models. The Burns influence?
Sounds like they all ended up on those Baldwin harpsichords and stuff.
Tim Baxter
The Gretsch Pages
www.cysour
Doug Allen
guitars on the rack. One model was equipped with vari-tone switch
similar to those on an ES-345. The tone selections were not numbered,but
named. One selection that made me laugh out loud was called "wild hound
dog". Obviously,it was a youth oriented product.
sfar...@gmail.com
> Does anyone know anything about the Baldwin guitars Lenny Breau played and
> promoted in the 1960s? Two unusual models feature prominently in the
> "Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary. The first looks like a flat-top with
> round sound hole and a single pick-up. The second is a funky-looking
> double-cutaway with a shallow body, f-holes, two routed pick-ups, and the
> pot dials peeking out from under the pickguard (sort of reminds me of an old
> Silvertone a friend once owned). Although I'm familiar with Baldwin pianos,
> I'd never heard of Baldwin guitars and I'm curious. You can see photos of
> Lenny playing the latter guitar here:
>
>
> Thanks,
> Charlie Christian: Legend of the Jazz Guitar
> http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/hansen/Charlie/
theonet...@gmail.com
> Don't know if it's been brought up yet and I don't know much about those
> Baldwins but I think the main reason Lenny used that guitar was because
> it had a wider than usual fretboard. Similar in some ways to a classical
> guitar's fretboard.
ott...@hotmail.com
> Here is the Baldwin story as I know it. In the late 60's Baldwin's piano sales
> were slumping badly because everyone wanted to play guitar. So Baldwin decided
> to buy the Fender Company. CBS made a better offer and you know that story.
> Baldwin bought out Burn's Guitars of England. Originally the first Baldwin's
> were Burn's guitars with Baldwin logo's on the bodies and headstocks. There
> were a few new type guitars such as The Virginian, a thin hollow body round
> sound-hole guitar with two Burns pickups. Within a couple of years Baldwin
> went Italian and imported a lot of their stuff from Italy. Quality IMO was not
> as good. Dove-joint necks were replaced with bolt ons on their hollow bodies.
> Some really neat stuff that Baldwin made were their solidstate amps. Willie
> Nelson has used a Baldwin amp throughout his career. They made one called the
> Exterminator that was the size of a Fridgidare side by side.
>
But it couldn't handle much volume especially, the speakers would crap out on the low notes and I was playing R & B at the time, so I think I ended up with a Fender Piggy Back Bandmaster.
Bg
Dom Minasi
> Does anyone know anything about the Baldwin guitars Lenny Breau played and
> promoted in the 1960s? Two unusual models feature prominently in the
> "Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary. The first looks like a flat-top with
> round sound hole and a single pick-up. The second is a funky-looking
> double-cutaway with a shallow body, f-holes, two routed pick-ups, and the
> pot dials peeking out from under the pickguard (sort of reminds me of an old
> Silvertone a friend once owned). Although I'm familiar with Baldwin pianos,
> I'd never heard of Baldwin guitars and I'm curious. You can see photos of
> Lenny playing the latter guitar here:
>
> http://www.enter.net/~rainsong/lbgallery1.html
>
> Thanks,
> Garry Hansen
> Charlie Christian: Legend of the Jazz Guitar
> http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/hansen/Charlie/
Bill Williams
Fender aficionados will never forgive you if word gets around.
Dom Minasi
> Does anyone know anything about the Baldwin guitars Lenny Breau played and
> promoted in the 1960s? Two unusual models feature prominently in the
> "Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary. The first looks like a flat-top with
> round sound hole and a single pick-up. The second is a funky-looking
> double-cutaway with a shallow body, f-holes, two routed pick-ups, and the
> pot dials peeking out from under the pickguard (sort of reminds me of an old
> Silvertone a friend once owned). Although I'm familiar with Baldwin pianos,
> I'd never heard of Baldwin guitars and I'm curious. You can see photos of
> Lenny playing the latter guitar here:
>
> http://www.enter.net/~rainsong/lbgallery1.html
>
> Thanks,
> Garry Hansen
> Charlie Christian: Legend of the Jazz Guitar
> http://www3.nbnet.nb.ca/hansen/Charlie/
JNugent
concern in 1965.
Burns models were all re-badged as "Baldwin" guitars (a huge marketing
mistake, as the name is far less "cool" than "Burns" had been).
There is a 1967 catalogue scanned in on Facebook:
https://scontent-a-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/62804_10151314629406746_1382466730_n.jpg?oh=be3e15751177628332b989e193852063&oe=5511A188
...and thereabouts.
JNugent
ranges were well thought of, but Baldwin discontinued them in favour of
USA-built Baldwin amps which never made an impact.
Another mistake.