Burns Jazz Split Sound Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), ser. #9714, original black hard shell case.

Burns Jazz Split Sound Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in London, England, serial # 9714, red/black sunburst finish, sycamore body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case. This is a good player's example of the Jazz Split Sound guitar, the most popular 1960s design from the always-eccentric James Ormston Burns of London. This model was available in the US labeled as Ampeg (1963-4) and Baldwin (after late 1965) but this "true Burns" example, dating to late 1964 or early 1965, is something of a rarity on these shores. Burns instruments were sold worldwide under the company's name, but very few made it to the US due to the English firm's lack of a distributor in this market. The Jazz Split Sound was Burns' mid-price instrument; professional class but less expensive than the more dramatically styled Black Bison and Hank Marvin guitars at the top of the line. It is a relatively unsung Beat-Group era classic and still a stylish guitar. Obviously owing a lot to the Stratocaster, the JSS has three "Split Sound" Tri-sonic pickups with a rotary control giving four tone selections including the snarlingly out-of-phase "Wild Dog" and the patented "Split Sound" which combines different half-coils to accentuate bass and treble registers. The lavish Burns "Series II" vibrato system incorporates a floating bridge cradle that moves laterally and individual saddles and must rate as one of the best systems of its kind. The sunburst-finished 23 1/2 inch-scale neck is slim and comfortable with a slightly less round feel than a Fender and a sunburst single sided headstock, later changed by Baldwin to a natural finish double-sided design. The red-black sunburst finish was standard for this model; this one has faded somewhat, but exhibits less heavy checking than often seen on these UK-made guitars. This one comes in a US-made hardshell case, so is likely one of a small number imported and sold in the US by New York jobber Maurice Lipsky in mid-1965. All the instruments from the Burns London period (1961-65) are extremely well-made, and this rates as a fine-playing guitar with tons of character and a very distinctive sound.Overall length is 40 in. (101.6 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 23 1/2 in. (597 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). This is a good playing example of this guitar with some wear and tear and a few parts alterations. The sunburst finish has faded somewhat to a pale orangey hue on the face with more vibrant color retained on the back. Overall the finish has a some dings and scuffs, with typical checking lines but none of the chipping or flaking often found on English polyester from this period. The only heavy chipping is to the tip of the headstock, which looks to have encountered a few walls or ceilings along the road. There are a few very small dents to the finish on the back of the neck mostly in the lowest position that can be felt.The guitar remains mostly original, with a few fairly minor changes. The nearly always missing trem arm and tailpiece cover ARE included, but the screw hardware for mounting the arm is not original and one of the knurled knobs securing the cover has been replaced by a screw. The three knobs are a set of 1970s brushed chrome Hi-Fi-style replacements, not original but not worlds away from the original round polished metal pieces. The eccentric wiring scheme works as designed EXCEPT the "Wild Dog" setting appears to have been wired to include the neck pickup as well as the other two, making the bark fuller if no less phase-y.The fingerboard has some old divoting but the frets show very little wear, leading us to believe it was refretted long ago although the wire looks original. In any event this is a fine playing and sounding example of this rare-in-America version of Jim Burns' most popular instrument, while not perfectly original solider and better preserved than many. The correct period US black alligator-grain hard case is included. Overall Very Good + Condition.