Retrofret Stock # 4423. Baldwin - Burns Baby Bison Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in London, England, serial # 12686, cherry polyester finish, sycamore body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. The Baby Bison was Jim Burns' last design for the company that bore his name, initially intended as a less expensive "export" model for the American market. When the Burns company was sold to Baldwin in September 1965, this guitar had just entered production so "Burns" labeled examples are almost non-existent. This guitar is the earliest Baldwin version with a split "V" headstock, long "Rezo-Tube" tailpiece and only two small pickguard segments-all features that would be changed by summer 1966. The Baby Bison features the same rather advanced two-pickup circuit as the Burns Virginian, with the neck PU being a stacked coil with the coils blended via a third "presence" control. This model was offered in cherry and black and is one of the more familiar Baldwin guitars to US players, as the initial production run was mostly sent here as flag bearers for the Baldwin/Burns line. This is a trim and versatile guitar, once known as a favorite of Doobie Brother and studio ace Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. The pickups are quite powerful without losing clarity, and the sound ranges from crisp to raunchy easily. A very cool and underrated 1960's guitar!Overall length is 39 in. (99.1 cm.), 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). All original except missing vibrato arm assembley. Finish extremely clean and unfaded with only very light wear and virtually none of the heavy checking commonly seen on these guitars. There are small holes in the back of the headstock from other tuners but has been restored with the original VanGents. Just about as nice playing an example as we have ever seen. Excellent Condition.
