Burns Ormston Burns Prototype 8-String Lap Steel Guitar Jim Burns Personal Lap Steel 1959

A Burns lap steel is the stuff of legend, it's long been argued that James Ormston Burns never made a lap steel, in fact he made two prototypes, he kept them both for his personal use (see pic), the guitars never went into commercial production, Jim used two 8-strings side by side, each with a different tuning.

Ormston Burns Ltd, was founded by James Ormston Burns & Alice Louise Farrell (she is the lady sitting on the front of the stage in the 1960 image of Jim Burns playing both prototype lap steels).

Eventually the company was bought by The Baldwin Piano Company in 1965.

This lap steel was bought directly from Jim Burns, it features in the opening pages of the Burns book.

A museum piece of Burns history!