Haha, Lee always goes on about me having bought a Hondo bass in my yoof. I still have it and, despite the fact I know what to do, I cannot get it intonated unless the action is like an egg-slicer. Really terrible guitars, the Hondoes. Modern, cheap guitars, like the Stagg, are much better beginner’s instruments than the Honoes were. Try out the cheapies in your local guitar shop and you’ll see what I mean. They don’t have the best pickups, or the nicest woods, but at least they don’t take your fingerprints off when you’re doing Amaj.

There are some 2nd hand instruments that are better than their price-tag suggests, but it’s a tricky game. If your budget is £90 or less I’d try the better beginners like Stagg, OLP, that sort of thing. If you want to spend a little more, then a used Squier from the right country (the current Indonesian and Chinese ones are nothing great) is worth looking out for.

Guraq, you’re very welcome. But, if you want my opinion, sell it if it’s unplayed and you’ve not learned to play yourself. Now is about the time for the best price on a Burns, especially a mint one.

Buy a good starter guitar, scratch it as you learn, and keep the difference. A lot of good starters are nicer than the Burns, anyway. The Burns has a distinctive sound, and looks, that people will pay for. I don’t think it’s the best choice to start on. Other ops?

SB has a better idea of the likely price than I. My “$1500” was probably optimistic-side, and $1000 or £500 is a more likely top-end. IMO, they’re not worth that much but they are very sellable right now, Burns more so than Baldwin.

If you want to offload, now is the peak time to do it, I think.

Hi GURAQTINVU,

The 2005 Vintage Guitar Price Guide values the guitar between $700 – $950 USD. They’ve got the same value on the Baldwin version of the guitar. In my opinion the Burns should bring more money than the Baldwin just on name appeal. If the Burns were mine I’d want $1,000-1,200 USD for it. It may be worth more in the U.K. given that the vintage market associates Burns guitars with more 60’s rockers than U.S. buyers do. That’s my opinion. SB

Just to help us along, does your guitar look anything like this?
http://www.vintage-guitars.se/1963_Burns_Jazz_Split_Sound_3410.htm

or the one here?
http://www.glyphmedia.com/vintage_silvertones/forsale_gtr-burns.html

Burns guitars are very fashionable at the moment, and a good one should collect decent money. Reckon on $1000-$1500, depending on how and to whom you sell it. Our regular poster SB of http://www.vintaxe.com will have a good opinion when he looks in.