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Burns USA Steer "S" Prototype "Brian May" Red Special Electric Guitar Case Paper
Estimated price for orientation: 700 $
Category: Electric Guitars
Class:
Description Brand: Burns Prototype Type: Electric Guitar Body Type: Unknown if it semi hollow like the production one Body Color: Red Burns Style Burst Model: Vintage Series: Steer Prototype Brian May Red Special Right-/ Left-Handed: Right-Handed Dexterity: Right-Handed Body Colour: Red Burst - Unique Exact Year: Around 2001 String Configuration: 6 String Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom Size: Full Size
Those whom follow my auctions know I search out and find the best examples of pre-owned / vintage items I can of everything I sell. I thank you for keeping up on my auctions and sharing them with your friends and families. Your support is key to the survival of not only myself and my mom, but our feral cat rescue efforts.:::: Breaking News :::: I found the black Burns case and Burns Steer paperwork that John Coates gave me "for" this guitar.. so now it will have a black Burns USA guitar case with it. I had forgotten that he provided me with these items a few weeks later. The paperwork is standard Burns USA Steer guitar paperwork - operations and care for instructions. A nice added bonus for the new owner....ALSO, for reason of added provenance, I will offer a notarized letter from me about the history of this guitar as I recall it to be to the best of my knowledge.Now here's the story of this particular prototype guitar as I know it:This guitar was given to me as a gift by John Coates (CEO) of Burns USA around 2001/2002 I believe..... It's been well cared for and protected over all these years.Back in the day John spit balled ideas with Barry Gibson (CEO) of Burns of London back when they were selling the Burns Brian May Red Special guitars.They produced this and I believe a green burst prototype (which I 1st learned about in 2016) with the Burns TriSonic pickups configured with the 3 separate volume switches and the 3 in/out of phase switches just like was done originally by Brian May of Queen. At the time I believe that Barry poo-poo'd the thought of making this a production model for whatever reasons.When John gifted me this guitar it was because for about a year or three prior I was very instrumental in helping to connect Queen fans and Red Special guitar players/enthusiasts to the Burns BM RS models and the outcome was a bunch of good sales and smiling faces. I worked very hard for everyone involved at the time... I was so happy Burns of London had brought about the Burns USA entity and I formed a fast friendship with John because I wanted to help so very much.This guitar was an awesome and very appreciated way to thank me. It's gorgeous as you can see.In playing this guitar again I can say it's an amazing sounding guitar. It plays well too. The action slopes up a little bit near the high frets because I was into slide playing and I believe a guitar tech took a shim out in a set up for me because I didn't wish to worry about scraping up the frets or wood.. which I never did. Then I brought it to another friend's shop and he lowered the action back down without putting a shim in.The result is that the action is very low and fast even though it slopes up slightly towards the higher frets. It feels and plays very good as is, but a shim would even it up IF you wish to.. I can play it well as is, personally. So that would be up to you... your personal preference, of course.Anyone who is familiar with Brian May's RS homemade guitar should know how the switches work in conjunction with the three tri-sonic pickups. It's the same way that the current Brian May Guitars models work... the way the Burns RS's worked... the way the Guild Brian May models all worked.. 84 and 93... no difference. If you google it, you will find many sources of info about it. They offer many different tonal ranges to tweak through your rig. It's a great guitar for the player who loves to tweak yet wants "built-in" simplicity.
Anyway, the guitar looks very good, like in the pictures, and plays and sounds VERY GOOD based on my explanation above. It has a great vibe to it.. a great feel. When I own a guitar for a long time it's always because of it's mojo. Something I believe all guitar collectors can agree upon. You have to connect to a guitar as an artist (or spirit) to be motivated enough to buy and keep it. That's how I am anyway.I do not have a Burns Brian May RS style "vibrato" arm anymore. But if you have or can get one, it will pushes right into the hole in the bridge and works fine. Be aware, they push in and pull out... it's not easy push/pull, so be a bit "toughguy" about it.. they should have rethunk that back then, but it does work. Overall, as this guitar sits, it stays in tune very well and intonation seems to have no issue.Keep in mind, like I have, that it really is one of a kind from Burns London.. in this color anyway. I basically do consider it quite a piece of Burns Guitars history memorabilia no matter what.Prototypes are prototypes for a reason. This would have been a popular production model, I believe. Making a "strummer" guitar into a tonal beast is still a cool achievement... plus, a great guitar player can still solo the hell out of this guitar anyway... no? :^) Kinda like a Tele is usually not considered a solo guitarist's axe of choice.. but then you see that you can beast out on a Tele just fine.If you are on the F B Burns groups you can find me for questions and/or lots more pictures. Or just email thru eBay and request more.. I will do my best to comply. We may also be able to arrange to voice and I can play the guitar a bit and try to give a better description if possible.Please SHARE and keep tabs on my other auctions, for friends and family too! I am also selling 2 Ampeg Burns Jazz Split Sound Wild Dogs, guitar / amp effects and lots of costume jewelry / collectibles of all kinds in my other auctions.. please always check them and SHARE... we greatly appreciate it.... times are hard for us all, I know someone always has it worse.. but month to month can really be a B for us.Any questions?Be rest assured that this, as well as all my auctions, benefit the disabled and elderly (myself and my mom). As well as our feral cat rescue efforts.So please bid often and generously! We're a good cause to support. :^)And make sure to always watch for new listings and my other items and SHARE anything that you think friends or family might like to buy too....please!US Priority Mail and UPS are standard offerings for shipment due to the fact that they offer tracking and insurance included. Being disabled, going back and forth to the post office is not an easy option for me.. thanks for understanding.Thank you, good luck and happy bidding! :^)
Description
| Brand: | Burns Prototype | Type: | Electric Guitar |
| Body Type: | Unknown if it semi hollow like the production one | Body Color: | Red Burns Style Burst |
| Model: | Vintage | Series: | Steer Prototype Brian May Red Special |
| Right-/ Left-Handed: | Right-Handed | Dexterity: | Right-Handed |
| Body Colour: | Red Burst - Unique | Exact Year: | Around 2001 |
| String Configuration: | 6 String | Country/Region of Manufacture: | United Kingdom |
| Size: | Full Size |
Those whom follow my auctions know I search out and find the best examples of pre-owned / vintage items I can of everything I sell. I thank you for keeping up on my auctions and sharing them with your friends and families. Your support is key to the survival of not only myself and my mom, but our feral cat rescue efforts.:::: Breaking News :::: I found the black Burns case and Burns Steer paperwork that John Coates gave me "for" this guitar.. so now it will have a black Burns USA guitar case with it. I had forgotten that he provided me with these items a few weeks later. The paperwork is standard Burns USA Steer guitar paperwork - operations and care for instructions. A nice added bonus for the new owner....ALSO, for reason of added provenance, I will offer a notarized letter from me about the history of this guitar as I recall it to be to the best of my knowledge.Now here's the story of this particular prototype guitar as I know it:This guitar was given to me as a gift by John Coates (CEO) of Burns USA around 2001/2002 I believe..... It's been well cared for and protected over all these years.Back in the day John spit balled ideas with Barry Gibson (CEO) of Burns of London back when they were selling the Burns Brian May Red Special guitars.They produced this and I believe a green burst prototype (which I 1st learned about in 2016) with the Burns TriSonic pickups configured with the 3 separate volume switches and the 3 in/out of phase switches just like was done originally by Brian May of Queen. At the time I believe that Barry poo-poo'd the thought of making this a production model for whatever reasons.When John gifted me this guitar it was because for about a year or three prior I was very instrumental in helping to connect Queen fans and Red Special guitar players/enthusiasts to the Burns BM RS models and the outcome was a bunch of good sales and smiling faces. I worked very hard for everyone involved at the time... I was so happy Burns of London had brought about the Burns USA entity and I formed a fast friendship with John because I wanted to help so very much.This guitar was an awesome and very appreciated way to thank me. It's gorgeous as you can see.In playing this guitar again I can say it's an amazing sounding guitar. It plays well too. The action slopes up a little bit near the high frets because I was into slide playing and I believe a guitar tech took a shim out in a set up for me because I didn't wish to worry about scraping up the frets or wood.. which I never did. Then I brought it to another friend's shop and he lowered the action back down without putting a shim in.The result is that the action is very low and fast even though it slopes up slightly towards the higher frets. It feels and plays very good as is, but a shim would even it up IF you wish to.. I can play it well as is, personally. So that would be up to you... your personal preference, of course.Anyone who is familiar with Brian May's RS homemade guitar should know how the switches work in conjunction with the three tri-sonic pickups. It's the same way that the current Brian May Guitars models work... the way the Burns RS's worked... the way the Guild Brian May models all worked.. 84 and 93... no difference. If you google it, you will find many sources of info about it. They offer many different tonal ranges to tweak through your rig. It's a great guitar for the player who loves to tweak yet wants "built-in" simplicity.
Anyway, the guitar looks very good, like in the pictures, and plays and sounds VERY GOOD based on my explanation above. It has a great vibe to it.. a great feel. When I own a guitar for a long time it's always because of it's mojo. Something I believe all guitar collectors can agree upon. You have to connect to a guitar as an artist (or spirit) to be motivated enough to buy and keep it. That's how I am anyway.I do not have a Burns Brian May RS style "vibrato" arm anymore. But if you have or can get one, it will pushes right into the hole in the bridge and works fine. Be aware, they push in and pull out... it's not easy push/pull, so be a bit "toughguy" about it.. they should have rethunk that back then, but it does work. Overall, as this guitar sits, it stays in tune very well and intonation seems to have no issue.Keep in mind, like I have, that it really is one of a kind from Burns London.. in this color anyway. I basically do consider it quite a piece of Burns Guitars history memorabilia no matter what.Prototypes are prototypes for a reason. This would have been a popular production model, I believe. Making a "strummer" guitar into a tonal beast is still a cool achievement... plus, a great guitar player can still solo the hell out of this guitar anyway... no? :^) Kinda like a Tele is usually not considered a solo guitarist's axe of choice.. but then you see that you can beast out on a Tele just fine.If you are on the F B Burns groups you can find me for questions and/or lots more pictures. Or just email thru eBay and request more.. I will do my best to comply. We may also be able to arrange to voice and I can play the guitar a bit and try to give a better description if possible.Please SHARE and keep tabs on my other auctions, for friends and family too! I am also selling 2 Ampeg Burns Jazz Split Sound Wild Dogs, guitar / amp effects and lots of costume jewelry / collectibles of all kinds in my other auctions.. please always check them and SHARE... we greatly appreciate it.... times are hard for us all, I know someone always has it worse.. but month to month can really be a B for us.Any questions?Be rest assured that this, as well as all my auctions, benefit the disabled and elderly (myself and my mom). As well as our feral cat rescue efforts.So please bid often and generously! We're a good cause to support. :^)And make sure to always watch for new listings and my other items and SHARE anything that you think friends or family might like to buy too....please!US Priority Mail and UPS are standard offerings for shipment due to the fact that they offer tracking and insurance included. Being disabled, going back and forth to the post office is not an easy option for me.. thanks for understanding.Thank you, good luck and happy bidding! :^)
Anyway, the guitar looks very good, like in the pictures, and plays and sounds VERY GOOD based on my explanation above. It has a great vibe to it.. a great feel. When I own a guitar for a long time it's always because of it's mojo. Something I believe all guitar collectors can agree upon. You have to connect to a guitar as an artist (or spirit) to be motivated enough to buy and keep it. That's how I am anyway.I do not have a Burns Brian May RS style "vibrato" arm anymore. But if you have or can get one, it will pushes right into the hole in the bridge and works fine. Be aware, they push in and pull out... it's not easy push/pull, so be a bit "toughguy" about it.. they should have rethunk that back then, but it does work. Overall, as this guitar sits, it stays in tune very well and intonation seems to have no issue.Keep in mind, like I have, that it really is one of a kind from Burns London.. in this color anyway. I basically do consider it quite a piece of Burns Guitars history memorabilia no matter what.Prototypes are prototypes for a reason. This would have been a popular production model, I believe. Making a "strummer" guitar into a tonal beast is still a cool achievement... plus, a great guitar player can still solo the hell out of this guitar anyway... no? :^) Kinda like a Tele is usually not considered a solo guitarist's axe of choice.. but then you see that you can beast out on a Tele just fine.If you are on the F B Burns groups you can find me for questions and/or lots more pictures. Or just email thru eBay and request more.. I will do my best to comply. We may also be able to arrange to voice and I can play the guitar a bit and try to give a better description if possible.Please SHARE and keep tabs on my other auctions, for friends and family too! I am also selling 2 Ampeg Burns Jazz Split Sound Wild Dogs, guitar / amp effects and lots of costume jewelry / collectibles of all kinds in my other auctions.. please always check them and SHARE... we greatly appreciate it.... times are hard for us all, I know someone always has it worse.. but month to month can really be a B for us.Any questions?Be rest assured that this, as well as all my auctions, benefit the disabled and elderly (myself and my mom). As well as our feral cat rescue efforts.So please bid often and generously! We're a good cause to support. :^)And make sure to always watch for new listings and my other items and SHARE anything that you think friends or family might like to buy too....please!US Priority Mail and UPS are standard offerings for shipment due to the fact that they offer tracking and insurance included. Being disabled, going back and forth to the post office is not an easy option for me.. thanks for understanding.Thank you, good luck and happy bidding! :^)