1967 Baldwin Shadows Vintage Electric Bass Guitar Bison Burns Hank Marvin w/ohc

Up for sale a 1967 Baldwin by Burns Shadows Bass in exceptional condition and in perfect working order. Well kept and 100% original, this iconic Burns model was crafted in the UK and imported by parent company Baldwin for sale in the USA. One of the rarest and most collectable (and yes, best sounding too) models in the Burns/Baldwin line, the Shadows Bass is the counterpart to the Hank Marvin signature model. Produced early in '67, this Shadows Bass features a trio of stock Bar-o-Matik single coil pickups, which are very round, detailed, and clear sounding. Throaty and distinct in all positions, these pickups benefit from liberal use of the Tone knobs, with the ability to growl and cut when the Tone knobs are maxed, or thump and pulse when they're dialed back. These pickups overdrive smoothly too, and in addition to the unique instrumental niche carved out by Hank Marvin and the Shadows, this bass would be a viable and distinct tool for a wide range of musical genres. Balancing well on a strap, the guitar weighs in at 8lbs 14oz. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, this Baldwin plays incredibly well with low action and 45-100 roundwound strings.

The neck has an extremely comfortable and fast medium depth V shaped profile with a smooth gloss finish and consistent width as you move up the fretboard. The profile rounds out and deepens a bit in the higher registers too, filling the palm and feeling very substantial. The bound rosewood board features pearloid dot inlays and original fretwire which is in fantastic shape. The stock fretwire is fairly slender, with well rounded crowns and only faint wear beneath the A and D strings on frets 1-7. The original nut is intact behind the zero fret, measuring 1 5/8" in width, and the scale length is 33 1/2". The Shadows model was also one of only two full scale basses offered by Burns along with the Bison! The original VanGhent tuning machines are intact on the headstock, and they turn extremely smoothly. The headstock shape is the later pseudo-scroll style with the transparent raised "Shadows" badge on the face and corresponding accents nailed to the headstock sides.

On the Obeche body, all of the original electronics are intact, with three Burns Bar-o-Matik single coil pickups which feature adjustable pole pieces and original windings. The original UK made three-way selector switch and pots are intact as well. The trio of tortoise pickguards is absolutely gorgeous, with a subtle leopard pattern in the deep red nitrate, which contrasts very well with the original milky white poly finish. On this bass the strings are anchored in a very unique fashion, utilizing the Rez-o-Tube vibrato unit seen on corresponding Burns model guitars, but without the bar. This bridge has incredible mass and thus incredible sustain, with each string anchored in its own individual tube, a feature which was engineered to provide as distinct and isolated a sound per string as possible. All body routes are original and untouched, and all plastic parts are present as well, including the original switch tip, knobs, neck plate, and black accent piece behind the vibrato unit.

Cosmetically, this is an clean and well cared for vintage example, and the finish is still very bright white with almost no yellowing of the clear coat. In fact, the finish beneath the pickguard is actually just hair yellower than the exposed finish due to the chemical composition of the nitrate pickguards. There is some prominent wide lacquer checking on the body, which was extremely common for this model, and a few light nicks and scuffs around the edges of the body, but as the photos show, this is a remarkably well kept example. The neck profile is silky smooth and completely free of wear. The pickguards also show some typical shrinkage and modest buckling around the controls as was common with this material, but all tortoise appointments are still well secured to the body.

This Burns/Baldwin Shadows Bass is a rare instrument in any condition, and this is a prime example that's been professionally setup and dialed in for stage and studio work.

The original hardshell case is included.