325 conversion parts

CARL_RICHARDS · Post by **CARL_RICHARDS** » Fri Oct 06, 2000 3:15 pm

HI,, CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND THE PARTS TO DO A LENNON CONVERSION ON MY RICK 325V59? I NEED A BIGSBY BOWTIE BRIDGE, BURNS KNOBS, AND OF COURSE, THE LONG JACKPLATE. ALSO WHAT KIND OF TUNERS ARE CORRECT? I WANT TO CONVERT IT TO HOW IT LOOKED ON THE FIRST SULLIVAN SHOW.....MUCH THANKS CARL

Gary_Cost · Post by **Gary_Cost** » Mon Oct 09, 2000 8:29 am

Carl;

Rhodes Music in PA has some of the parts you need. I think Jim has the 'bowtie bridge', and the correct Phillips head stud for the Bigsby vibrato arm. The long jackplate, and the Burns knobs can be gotten from 'McC' in Japan.
Jim Rhoads - [email protected] (717)361-9272
Makato Tanaka - [email protected]

Good Luck in your conversion process.

jetglow · Post by **jetglow** » Sat Nov 04, 2000 6:29 pm

I have the Burns knobs for $70.00 including taxes and overnight shipping.
[email protected]

fabgear · Post by **fabgear** » Fri Jan 12, 2001 2:20 pm

I too have conversion parts for both the '58 and '64 Lennon style guitars. Please e-mail me for a list. Some things I have you will not find elsewhere to my knowledge(Wes{JetGlow}and I are offering different items)

(Especially with the new C-Series coming out, those of us that can't afford these can improve our older models this way)

JETGLOW · Post by **JETGLOW** » Sat Jan 13, 2001 11:12 pm

Actually, I have the most accurate version of the Burns knobs ever made......a consideration you might want to make.

Tim_Fletcher · Post by **Tim_Fletcher** » Sun Jan 14, 2001 5:11 pm

Jetglow, I question whether the knobs on John's 325 were actually Burns knobs or similarly styled aluminium knobs. All the Burns guitar knobs I've seen have the knurled section on the side extending halfway down the knob, whereas the ones on the 325 have it top to bottom. Tuck (or maybe Nick) told me there were different styles of Burns knobs a while ago, but since then I've looked closely at every Burns I've seen and they all have the same knobs. I wonder if people assume the knobs are Burns knobs because it is supposed that the 325 was re-finished black by Burns, which Peter hasn't yet conclusively established.

Tim_Fletcher · Post by **Tim_Fletcher** » Sun Jan 14, 2001 6:03 pm

These are the aluminium knobs I've seen on every Burns guitar I've had
the pleasure of knowing. They seem to be different to the ones John
Lennon put on his 325.

JETGLOW · Post by **JETGLOW** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 7:11 pm

The knobs I have were made from Digital photo's of John Lennons guitar, as it sits in the museum today.....I call them "Burns Knobs" because that is what everybody recognizes them as....
My knobs are a at least 99% accurate reproduction of Lennons and I want to say 100% accurate......It took many hours and the help of some very "In the Know" people to get these right. The photos were scanned and digitally scaled to the correct Lennon specs from Lennons Guitar...and you can't get a closer replica to date....
I can't express in words how accurate these are.
I want to say more, but the people who helped me make these might want to remain annonymus...I hope they reply to this thread and back up what I have just told you........I am very proud of these
and yes they are different from burns knobs. Just like on the old guitars...It depended on who built that batch.....anyone can make an exact replica of a knob....but if the knob isn't the right one.....you replicate the wrong one....garbage in = garbage out.
I wouldn't make such a boast if it weren't true and my reputation would be destroyed....thus I wouldn't sell any knobs and I would be broke and have a bunch of people ****** off at me..

JETGLOW · Post by **JETGLOW** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 8:38 pm

P.S. Check out my web site at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/cook-c for info on my knobs and general instructions for modding a 325
as well as links and cool photos....: )

Tim_Fletcher · Post by **Tim_Fletcher** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 2:04 pm

Wes, I'm not criticising the accuracy of your reproductions of the knobs which are on Lennon's 325, everybody who has bought them has raved about how good they are. I just wonder whether those knobs were actually Burns knobs or some similar ones JL might have got at a radio shop or somewhere. I've only ever seen one style of aluminium knob on Burns guitars, same as the one in the pics I posted.

JETGLOW · Post by **JETGLOW** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 3:19 pm

Hi, I didn't take anything as criticism Tim and you have a good question. What I have found is that some actual "Burns" knobs are nothing like Lennon's. That is the way I intended the reply and I hope I didn't come across as offended...I was trying to support what you were asking. I am not sure that Lennon's are actual "Burns" knobs or they were simply pulled from a shelf at Burns of London and stuck on there. What I do know is that I have seen a few "Burns Knob" versions and none were the same. Sorry if I came across that way and I was in no way offended.....I love to have an excuse to let the world know about my version and thanks for the platform to do it.

Tim_Fletcher · Post by **Tim_Fletcher** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 5:34 pm

Wes, glad to see no offence was taken or given either way - we were probably "divided by a common language" !

I'm no great expert on Burns guitars, I have a couple of old ones and I take an interest in them when I see them, but I'm pretty sure that in 1962 they were fitting aluminium knobs of the type in the pics I posted. Which means that if Derek Adams fitted new Burns knobs at the time he re-finished the guitar black, they should have been that type. That they're not gives me further cause to doubt whether the re-finish was carried out via Burns (sorry Peter, but I'm still open-minded !).

Keep up the good work with the Lennon knob repros, Wes !

admin · Post by **admin** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 5:37 pm

Tim: Thew quest is not complete until Derek Adams says he did the work.

Tim_Fletcher · Post by **Tim_Fletcher** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 6:15 pm

Peter, it's never over till the fat lady sings !

Nick_Thiel · Post by **Nick_Thiel** » Tue Jan 16, 2001 10:24 pm

The knob in the top of this pic came off of an early 60s Burns 12 string:

http://www.voxtalks.com/images/burnsk~1.jpg