Thanks Bruce!
Evviva The Shadows!

The Shadows and their tools

Dear friends and dear friends, as we have announced in recent weeks, After 30 Years from his first visit to Soave will return to visit us Bruce Welch, the rhythm guitarist of the legendary English band “The Shadows”, from which we all learned to love the guitar, to investigate the most beautiful and expressive ways and to hear the desire to "put on a complex". Bruce is a true hero and teacher of this wonderful tool, In addition to being an excellent composer, musical producer and above all a great friend of my and all of us.

To honor his presence I decided to present some tools of my collection that have a lot to do with the history of the Shadows and his. Some, as you will see from the descriptions and photos, They remember closely those played by Bruce and Hank Marvin, The group soloist. One instead was used directly by them (Bruce o Hank, It matters little), Because it is part of a very limited number of prototypes made by Vox as an experiment between the 1960 e 1961.

I don't tell you anything else, But I will gladly leave you to the images of these tools that I hope you will like to see exposed to the exhibition on the festival days.

1- GUYATONE L-50 FINE ANNI ’50 SUNBURST SOLID BODY

 

The Guiatone LG-50, Distributed in England with the "Anteria" brand, It is a very light and rather aggressive tool. In the first records of "The Shadows" it is recognizable precisely for the rather harsh tone. Hank didn't love the handle of his, because he said the action was quite high. Despite that, Throughout the period in which he used it, he allowed him to obtain great sounds. You can feel very well in the long playing of "Cliff and the drifters" – This was the first name of the group, Then changed to "The Shadows" – ‘Live at Abbey Road’ del 1959.

Under: Hank Marvin with his Guyatone LG50 Anteria Natural, of the same period. Note that these tools did not have the vibrate lever.

2- FENDER STRATOCASTER 1959

My Fender Stratocaster of January 1959, just of the same period as that which, Purchased by Cliff Richard, Now it belongs to Bruce Welch, who brought her here to Soave on the occasion of his coming to 1995.

The Shadows proudly show the first Stratocaster of 1959, Purchased by Cliff Richard on the occasion of his short American tour and brought by him to England, which was used by Hank to record "Apache" and many other songs between the 1959 e 1961. Hank and Bruce bought immediately after their Stratocaster, But both already with a keyboard in "Slab Board" rosewood.

Bruce with this same guitar, donated to him from Cliff Richard several decades ago, After he had gained him blank. Bruce, Once you have in possession, He made her report from Burns London to the original color and always used it as its main electrical tool.

3- MARTIN D 28 OF THE 1957

My Martin D-28 del 1957, bella, sound and never reconditioned, practically sister of that of Bruce.

Under: Bruce in two shots in which he uses a Martin Dreadnought, Always his main acoustic guitar. You can see her for the first time in her hands in the film "The Young Ones" of 1961, When "The Shadows" perform "Peace Pipe" in the "Youth Club".

4- GRETSCH COUNTRY GENTLEMAN DEL 1961

Under: Guitar often present on stage together with Hank, and already subject to disputes about its use in the studio. The friend, and never forgotten, Roberto Pistolesi had come to establish, Through analyzes he conducted on the sounds of the records of "The Shadows", that the song "Apache" had been recorded with this tool. I remember Bruce, responding to this objection, He told him that "Apache" was recorded with Stratocaster, Puncturing “Dear Roberto, I was there in the studio ... you no!”. This specimen of mine is just the same as that of Hank, that you see in the following photos:

5- BURNS HANK MARVIN BIANCA 1964

6- Burns Hank Marvin White start 1965

7- BURNS HANK MARVIN BIANCA 1966

These three guitars, denominate “Burns Hank Marvin”, They were conceived by Jim Burns for "The Shadows" in order to give the most famous English group of the moment of national production. They were regularly used by them until the early 1970s.

8- BURNS HANK MARVIN LEGEND NERA 1995 Single specimen

This guitar was made in 1995, For me in black and for Enrico Ciacci in red, like two unique specimens, On the occasion of the first visit of Bruce Welch to our Festival (then called "Vintage"). Both go to our signatures and the wording "Unique Edition" both on the tremol plate and the rear that covers the fixing of the handle to the body. The model is the "Hank Marvin Legend", who replies the "Burns Hank Marvin" of the 1960s that we saw above.

9- BURNS “APACHE” BIANCA 2007 PROTOTYPE (1 FROM 3)

This guitar, Accompanied by the certificate signed by Barry Gibson by Burns London, Always tracing the "Hank Marvin Legend", It is one of the three prototypes made in prefiguration of the series produced to celebrate i 50 from the exit on the "Apache" market, The success he made the most famous group in Europe of "The Shadows".

Hank with his Burns

Bruce with his Burns:

Hank and Bruce in an advertising image for Burns London:

10- BURNS “BISON DOUBLE SIX” SUNBURST 1964

This guitar is linked to Hank Marvin especially for having used it in the song "Dancing on the beach", The best known song by "Wonderful Life", Films with Cliff Richard and "The Shadows" protagonists. The scene in which the song is performed is a video of the group on the beach, With cliff singing and dances, and Hank who takes up the instrument and performs a 'riff' then became a classic.

Hank in concert while using the "Double Six", Probably accompanying cliff right into "Dancing on the beach"

11- BURNS “APACHE DOUBLE SIX” GREENBURST #0003 A 12 Ropes of 2009

This guitar was made in 2009 in three specimens on the basis of the classic "double six" of 1964 but with the addition of the Tremolo lever. Destination: “Cliff and The Shadows World Tour”. Two of these three tools were used by Hank Marvin with two different tuning, This third was given by Barry Gibson to me, as is said in the accompanying letter.

Hank while he uses one of his two prototypes "Apache Double Six"

12-VOX AC30 1960/61 CA. “TV FRONT” EX “THE SHADOWS”

Of this amplifier you will not find trace in the VOX catalogs, because it has never been put on sale, as built only for The Shadows, who had asked the company to have more power in amplifiers. Vox seems to have produced only 12 of these units (the first with 4 entrances, Like the AC15, subsequent, like this, con 6) and that he withdrew when between the 1961 and the 1962, the final specimens made, i noti AC 30 in the format that we all know, The company provided them to the group and placed them regularly on the market.

You can see The Shadows with these amplifiers in a television broadcast of the 1961

13- EKO “I KINGS” 12 Red ropes 1966

On the occasion of his first presence in Soave, In the 1995, before he embarked to return to England, I asked Bruce to autographed the guitar to which I was more fond of, my 12 corde Eko “I Kings”, The only survivor after the theft that my group suffered in 1967. Bruce was so kind that this beautiful dedication to me. Ecco, 30 years after meeting with this myth of mine, Over time it became a dear friend, I feel I want to thank him in this way once again!

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