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Burns Owners Club
- Thread starter Steamtronic
- Start date
Sorry about the family emergency (always bad when those two two words are used together), but welcome back.
I hoping to add a Burns Marquee bass to my collection next week. I will post some pics when I (hopefully) have it in my hands
Any advice from owners to a buyer?
Any advice from owners to a buyer?
Hi Brian!
Make sure you check out everything thoroughly. I own a Marquee reissue that had the bridge factory installed too high up the body, necessitating corrective surgery to lower it 3/4 inch. It was second hand so don't know what the original owner was thinking or why he/she didn't get Burns to fix it when they bought it. Unlikeley you wil experience the same issue but if you're interested the thread on the repair is here I need to move my bridge - what option should I choose? | Page 2 | TalkBass.com
(Burns are a useless shower of c***s, they don't bother replying to emails or phone messages unless you want to buy something, so unfortunately you can expect zero care factor from them if something is wrong. Might be different if you buy new off them directly, but for a small manufacturer I was very disappointed to find they have no apparent pride in their brand to even acknowledge a request on how to address a manufacturing error.)
Be mindful of pickup / string height - those tri-sonic pickups are extremely strong and if your strings are too close you get some nasty de-tuning. Took me a while to figure that one out! Fiddle with it the right way however and you can get some very nice chorus effects, especially with the push/pull.
Also put on straplocks /washers. Due to the post position on the back of the body, I've had unsecured straps pop off very easily (fortunately saved it before it hit the floor). Alternatively consider putting a strap post on the point of the horn. Plus, make sure you use a good wide strap They are heavy buggers and the top strap post is positioned a bit too far back to distribute weight evenly over your shoulders without a good wide piece of leather - I used a lot of heat rub after playing until I got a good strap.
Having said that, they are magnificent sounding instruments - 3 meaty pickups, 7 potential combinations, big heavy body that reverberates nicely. Plenty of nice BOOM here coupled with single-coil definition, and very different to a P, J or Ray style. Post a pic when you get her!!!
Hi all
Just acquired a Burns Vibraslim Bass and I just love it.
Does anyone know anything about the wiring in these basses. Mine has been messed with a bit and I'd like to know what it was originally.
This has a tone pot for each pickup and a presence pot besides a volume pot.
Just acquired a Burns Vibraslim Bass and I just love it.
Does anyone know anything about the wiring in these basses. Mine has been messed with a bit and I'd like to know what it was originally.
This has a tone pot for each pickup and a presence pot besides a volume pot.
- Jul 30, 2006
- 2,315
- 453
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist:Regenerate Guitar Works Carvin, Micheal Kelly Guitars
When I was about 13 (in 1964) I played in a band in Tokyo. I was the singer but I wanted to start playing bass. We used to ride the train into downtown to go to Nippon Gakki, a giant music store. They had every Japanese guitar brand but they also had Burns and Fender products. I always admired those Bison basses and wanted one. After I moved to the USA I never saw another one until years later.
Hi Joffers! Member #6 of the Tré Exclusive Burns club.
This guy might be able to help with the wiring: Burns Guitars Since 1992
You could also try contacting Burns via their website but my personal experience with them has been they ignore you unless you want to buy their website.
Good luck!
Is it just me? I can't see the attached pic. When I click on the link, I get a TalkBass error "Cannot find attachment", or some such thing.
But if it is the same as my black one posted above, I may be convinced to open her up this summer and sketch up a wiring diagram for you. No promises, but I'll try and squeeze it in.
-Alex
This is my '66 Baldwin Baby Bison. I originally tried this bass back in 1989 but went with a '66 Mosrite Ventures instead (both had the same price : $295). Went back to get it later and it was gone. About 4 years ago my buddy shows up at my door with it, having taken it in trade for an Epiphone Newport. Again, I wanted to buy it but funds were lacking. He sold or traded it to another guy who used it in his band. Apparently it fell out of the back of the truck one night and he never found it and didn't seem to care. A couple of years ago I walked into the pawnshop and there it was. Now it's mine.
I know it's the same bass because it was always missing the bridge pickup. Sometime between my friend and the pawnshop it also acquired new tuners which I had replaced with the correct ones.
The bridge pickup is a Fender '51 in a homemade mounting ring.
I know it's the same bass because it was always missing the bridge pickup. Sometime between my friend and the pawnshop it also acquired new tuners which I had replaced with the correct ones.
The bridge pickup is a Fender '51 in a homemade mounting ring.
Nice.
Except for the body, pretty much all the same parts as my Vibraslim hollow-body. Even the bridge.
Thanks Ant, post a pic or two and I'll give you a number.
Nice! Welcome RonSound member #7!
This is my Scorpion that I have had for about 10 years now, had it sent from the UK to Australia & still looks like new with no marks on it at all, Don't play it much as my other guitars but when I do it sounds awesome.
No basses, but some cool footage of Burns guitars being made in 1965.
The very first real bass I ever held in my hands was a white Burns Bison. I've been lusting after one ever since but I really, really want one with the scroll headstock. I think they only came that way for a year or two.
I don't know it this will count but this '66 Bison body I picked up on eBay is as close as I've been able to come to actually owning one.
And if there's anyone with a TR2 or the Vibraslim that looks to be the same I'd be more than happy to pay for an outline of the body or send something in trade.
I don't know it this will count but this '66 Bison body I picked up on eBay is as close as I've been able to come to actually owning one.
And if there's anyone with a TR2 or the Vibraslim that looks to be the same I'd be more than happy to pay for an outline of the body or send something in trade.
Are you looking for an outline of the neck/headstock? Because a Vibraslim body is a very different shape from a Bison. Posted some pics of my Vibraslim back on post number 6.
If all you have is that unloaded body, that's quite a project you've selected! Look forward to seeing any progress. (No pressure, though.
)
Yeah I should have been way clearer. That's what I get for rushing.
I understand they're different basses. I wanted to see if the Bison carcass would get me into the club. In the time since I acquired it I started wanting something like a TR2 more, at least as a jumping off point for something I'd like to build hence the query about the outline.
I knew the Bison was a wreck but had an idea how to address the carnage. What I didn't know was that it's hollow thus rendering my imagined fix useless. I have a photo somewhere of Burn's employee building the body of a Vibraslim & that's what started me thinking about going this route instead. I have no doubt that it'd be way easier to just buy one & there's a couple around that I've been watching, but building one would either get me a unique bass or earn me a "Nailed It" meme, the latter being far more likely.
And PLEASE don't hold your breath waiting to see progress on the Bison. Definitely be bad for your health.
I understand they're different basses. I wanted to see if the Bison carcass would get me into the club. In the time since I acquired it I started wanting something like a TR2 more, at least as a jumping off point for something I'd like to build hence the query about the outline.
I knew the Bison was a wreck but had an idea how to address the carnage. What I didn't know was that it's hollow thus rendering my imagined fix useless. I have a photo somewhere of Burn's employee building the body of a Vibraslim & that's what started me thinking about going this route instead. I have no doubt that it'd be way easier to just buy one & there's a couple around that I've been watching, but building one would either get me a unique bass or earn me a "Nailed It" meme, the latter being far more likely.
And PLEASE don't hold your breath waiting to see progress on the Bison. Definitely be bad for your health.
I guess I missed this club before now. Here are my Ampeg-branded Burns instruments, a 1963 Vista Sonic Bass, and a 1964 Jazz Split Sound guitar. The only thing missing is the mute on the bass. I don't even know what it's supposed to look like, and I've not been able to find one.
Did you ever get a wiring diagram? I bought my Vibraslim in Scotland in 1967 but haven't played it for many years as I ended up with a Fender Jazz. Recently I pulled it from under the bed (brought here to Canada about 20 years ago) and tried it out. No sound. I took it to a guitar repair shop but the tech was reluctant to take apart the wiring harness as he was worried about "damage to my vintage instrument". He thinks one pickup is fine, one is very weak, but can't tell where the wiring or component failure is without a wiring diagram.
Do you have any idea where I might find one?
By the way, your post #6 shows a bass in beautiful condition. I tried to look after mine but the lacquer on the back is quite cracked; my colour is cherry red/black edge. Love it!
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