John Birch guitar

I see from Brian's website he has the John Birch copy back

Does anyone know when he got it back and who mended it? also the back has now been sprayed green around the edges, was that the way it was before? surely not, I don't remember it looking like that before.

Who found it? I know it was stolen after the gig and I have seen a pic of it in bits but I didn't think Brian ever saw it again

Any info out there?

Here's the fast version;

Brian broke the guitar at a gig in Chicago during the Hot Space tour in Chicago.
The guitar was then given to an employee of Fender.  He was going to make a prototype for Fender.  The guy was fired when Fender went through some major cutbacks.  Brian then made a deal with Guild.
The guitar was put away until someone found it not too long ago.  It's been in Brian's possession for a couple of years now.
I'll post some more info once I get home.

The Guild factory is walking distance from my home. The main office was in New Jersey. My former guitar player worked there when Brian came in February of 84. I drove by and saw the limo but never got inside. My buddy said he brought it in without a guitar case and then they took it all apart to take measurements etc. He'd been there a couple of times after that but as most know the relationship with Guild and Brian went south. Guild shut down a few years ago after Fender bought them out. My buddy now works for Hamer near Hartford Connecticut and he told me that Guild is sort of back in business as they are basing themselves in or around the Hamer factory compliments of Fender. As for the John Birch? I had read that Brian tossed it off the stage after a poor performance.

Here it is!
[/QUOTE]http://www.brianmay.com/brian/johnbirchguitar/johnbirchguitar.html[/QUOTE]

So what happened to the Guild and Brian relationship?

Pilot in Play aka (Artemis Moon Band) wrote:



Here's the fast version;

Brian broke the guitar at a gig in Chicago during the Hot Space tour in Chicago.
The guitar was then given to an employee of Fender.  He was going to make a prototype for Fender.  The guy was fired when Fender went through some major cutbacks.  Brian then made a deal with Guild.
The guitar was put away until someone found it not too long ago.  It's been in Brian's possession for a couple of years now.
I'll post some more info once I get home.

Yep, that's about right.  Except the concert was in New Jersey, not Chicago.  Brian got upset with it as it was the second guitar to break a string in a two minute span, so he threw it over his Vox stack and it shattered into several pieces, as seen in the pictures.

Great thanks, I remember reading the article on Brian's website, but I didn't know it had been repaired and more to the point I still don't understand why it has gone green on the back and sides, in another topic someone siad it was due to paint oxidising? That can't be right surely why after all this time? and why would that happen under the varnish?

Anyone know?

Hi guys,

It was repaired by Andrew Guyton. Brian wanted the guitar put back together after he had it returned to him...with the proviso that Andrew didn't do a complete restoration as he wanted to see where he broke it. It sounds amazing, I had the privilege of playing it a few weeks back through my rig and it sounded great!

Just back from the Photo exhibition by Peter Hince
Well worth going BTW
Noticed that the John Birch guitar did actually have a green tint around the edge!!!
Looking closely at the shots from the WWRY shoot you can see it

Never knew...

I don't know if anyone can remember but the guitar was sold on ebay a couple of years ago. It was still in pieces back then. Brian must have bought it back in the auction.

Here is the pic to show how it looks now

http://brian-mayniacs.com/Mark/P1010022m.jpg

birch guitar isnt good at all
[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]i've played it.....[/QUOTE]

No you haven't because unless you managed to do that in the late 70's or early 80's it's been in bits since then and only just restored by Mr Guyton.

Have played the BM Super (Brian's own), the Birch guitar, the spacey BMG black with Brians face special and his scalloped Guyton as BHM sent them to a Red Special meeting in early July. I'll try to put pics up soon.

RMT wrote:

Have played the BM Super (Brian's own), the Birch guitar, the spacey BMG black with Brians face special and his scalloped Guyton as BHM sent them to a Red Special meeting in early July. I'll try to put pics up soon.

http://brian-mayniacs.com/Mark/09RSmeeting1.htmlThis event? ;)[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]I hadn't noticed the Guyton replica was scalloped until you mentioned it! Does anyone know if Brian's ever played it?





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