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Burns Owners Club

#105
Thanks for linking to the Black Guitars website, I had not seen it before, and if the serial numbers are issued chronologically it gives me a better idea of when my instruments were built. I always assumed the Ampeg/Burns Vista Sonic Bass was made in '63, but if the list is an indication of date it's more likely March-April '64. My Ampeg/Burns Jazz Split Sound Guitar has a number that isn't very close to anything on the list, but would indicate later in '64, up to about August.
 
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#106
farace said:
Thanks for linking to the Black Guitars website, I had not seen it before, and if the serial numbers are issued chronologically it gives me a better idea of when my instruments were built. I always assumed the Ampeg/Burns Vista Sonic Bass was made in '63, but if the list is an indication of date it's more likely March-April '64. My Ampeg/Burns Jazz Split Sound Guitar has a number that isn't very close to anything on the list, but would indicate later in '64, up to about August.
Click to expand...
Maybe you'll find this information here :
Link Removed
 
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#107
Interesting, in the list that's linked at the bottom of that page there is an entry for my Jazz Split Sound guitar. Makes me wonder whether I sent in the info and completely forgot, or if a prior owner did. I've had the guitar since the late '90s, the bass not quite as long.
 
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#109
Hi, here's my 63 or 64 Burns Bison. Finally got it in 2020 after many years searching for one. It had been restored a long time ago for a Burns collector and then cased and not used. It's like a brand new instrument. The best thing is it sounds great and is a joy to play with a great neck. It has the original mute assembly [ albeit re-chromed ] which you don't see very often on these basses as they are usually missing.
Bison .jpeg
Bison body.jpeg
Bison knobs.jpg
Bison mute.jpg
Bison wiring.jpg
Bison serial.jpg
Bison & Rick.jpg
 
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#110
This thread begins to look like a natural reserve of bisons !

Thanks for the pictures, it's the first time i see so precisely the mute system. Is the metal bar in direct contact with the strings ?
Also, is the number 5974 in the neck pocket the same as the serial on the plate ?

I remember seeing this one on Reverb if i'm not wrong.
 
#112
Muck Luto said:
This thread begins to look like a natural reserve of bisons !

Thanks for the pictures, it's the first time i see so precisely the mute system. Is the metal bar in direct contact with the strings ?
Also, is the number 5974 in the neck pocket the same as the serial on the plate ?

I remember seeing this one on Reverb if i'm not wrong.
Click to expand...

Hi, the top part of the mute has a rubber piece on it that touches the top of the strings. The body number doesn't correspond to the plate, as with most Burns guitars. Yes, you're right it was on reverb and happened to be 5 mins from my house so I could try it out first and haggle the price. I've since seen 2 others for sale and both were less than 20 mins from me! I tried one out of curiosity and whilst it sounded good, it was not great to play and in terrible condition.
I believe the other is still on eBay.
 
#113
yberwaffe said:
I have those two, bought in the early eighties.

View attachment 5134036

NO, I don't want a number in the club, I just keep them in case I'll make stupid music video when I set then on fire.

In the guitars neck pocket is the number 245 stamped (if my memory doesn't fail me)
Click to expand...
They look like you bought them yesterday, too.
I can't believe this shape ... I think i saw Marc Bolan playing the guitar model.
 
#116
Gary Crockett said:
Hi, the top part of the mute has a rubber piece on it that touches the top of the strings. The body number doesn't correspond to the plate, as with most Burns guitars. Yes, you're right it was on reverb and happened to be 5 mins from my house so I could try it out first and haggle the price. I've since seen 2 others for sale and both were less than 20 mins from me! I tried one out of curiosity and whilst it sounded good, it was not great to play and in terrible condition.
I believe the other is still on eBay.
Click to expand...
You're a lucky guy : They were never imported in France and i had to chase mine in Switzerland ! Nevertheless it was in my best friend's high school town, the guy i use to bother with the mysterious bass player on Melody Nelson.
Was the one you tried painted with red and green ? It's been a while since I've seen one to sell.
 
#118
Muck Luto said:
You're a lucky guy : They were never imported in France and i had to chase mine in Switzerland ! Nevertheless it was in my best friend's high school town, the guy i use to bother with the mysterious bass player on Melody Nelson.
Was the one you tried painted with red and green ? It's been a while since I've seen one to sell.
Click to expand...

Yes, the one I tried was painted red and green in places.
Burns Black Bison Bass Circa1964
It was this one. Sounded good but missing the pickup cover and the action wasn't great. It sold fairly quickly though.

Congratulations on your Melody Nelson bass cover by the way. Excellent playing!
 
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#119
Gary Crockett said:
Yes, the one I tried was painted red and green in places.
Burns Black Bison Bass Circa1964
It was this one. Sounded good but missing the pickup cover and the action wasn't great. It sold fairly quickly though.

Congratulations on your Melody Nelson bass cover by the way. Excellent playing!
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the one i saw. This price seemed excessive to me in view of its general state.

Thanks for your kind comments. I'm uploading "The old man's back again" right now.
 
#120
I've never seen that good a photo of the mute before. I kind of want one for my Vista Sonic solely for the sake of completeness, but I can see why almost all of them are missing, it seems it can't be turned on or off, just on or removed? I'm thinking that if there were springs under the bar around the screws, and the screws were replaced with thumbscrews similar to the Rickenbacker mute it might be more useable.
 

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