Baldwin Burns Split Jazz circa 1965

This is the newest addition to my stable of guitars and I am very excited. A Burns Split Jazz labeled Baldwin from sometime around 1965. This guitar has a thick neck similar to a 1950's Strat but with a zero fret and the pickups sound better than I expected. It has a very full rich sound especially in the "Jazz" position (my favorite). The infamous "Wild Dog" setting is actually quite basic (reminds me of the out-of-phase position on my Fender Mustang).

The real treat for me is playing this guitar through my Germanium Fuzz Pedal (I use a weird homemade pedal called a "Nut Fuzz"). This guitar generates a particularly cool fuzz tone that seem to incorporate a lot of the octave and ring modulation sounds all the way up and down the neck. It has its' own unique sound and it really has a legit retro vintage vibe to it. Not really a blues guitar (I have plenty of those), the Burns makes me immdiately want to play in that mid-60's instrumental guitar style of the Shadows/ Ventures or more recently a band like the Raconteurs.

These are quite heavy guitars - at just under 10 lbs it is about the same or slightly heavier than my 1979 Ash Strat. Though it is quite comfortable to hold and play.


Note: I bought this guitar from the Guitar center in Santa Clara CA when they suddenly dropped the price.

Just thought I would share - you don't get a chance to see these too often on this side of the pond. - JC