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Cool 1966 Baldwin Bison.

Acoop

Acoop

Feb 21, 2012
2,679
2,515
#1
I saw this in my local FB Marketplace. ... They're asking $3000 CDN, about $2350. US. ... One of a kind. ... If we weren't in the middle of Covid I'd go around to check her out. Complete with a Rizo-tube bridge? I hope that bridge comes with instructions. ... You can read the Patent dates on the back plate. ... If I was in collecting, more than I already have, I'd consider this one.

Specs:
Bolt-on neck, dot inlays, two single-coil Burns pickups, three controls knobs Double cutaway maple body (weight 4,49 Kg) (9 lbs), Bolt-on maple neck Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays 1 3/4" nut width Zero fret 22 frets 30" scale length 2 x Burns single pole pickups Rezo-Tube bridge
 

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#4
dalkowski said:
"Cesta." C'mon man -- as a CT guy you gotta know the proper jai alai lingo... (Either that or I'm showing my age.)

And yeah, that IS a way cool bass.
Click to expand...

:D
It stopped being a thing when I was pretty young- I just remember being inundated with the commercials when I was a kid and that apparently it was one of the most corrupt betting events ever.
 
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#5
Bryan R. Tyler said:
:D
It stopped being a thing when I was pretty young- I just remember being inundated with the commercials when I was a kid and that apparently it was one of the most corrupt betting events ever.
Click to expand...

Ya think? Only time I ever went was to see Elvis Costello @ the Bridgeport fronton in '83.

Until the casinos landed in our neck o'the woods (literally), the sportin' life types played the puppies in Plainfield.

But hey that bass -- now I want to know more about the Rezo-Tube...
 
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#7
dalkowski said:
now I want to know more about the Rezo-Tube
Click to expand...
Picture 7 here:
https://images.thomann.de/pics/atg/...lation/318517_burns_custom_elite_inner_hq.pdf
Fully adjustable, strings are fed from the back through metal tubes which are as long as the body is thick, and the bridge plate is pivoting at the front edge but floats at the rear one, held by springs. No vibrato lever and function, though. Basically the bridge is decoupled from the body. For, uh, reasons. More sustain? I'm sure more info is out there. Maybe here?
Burns Owners Club
 
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#9
Old thread, but here is a little more information.

Baldwin Baby Bison bass guitars are quite good. The Bar-O-Matic pickups are really punchy and sit very nicely in the mix.

All of the final series Baldwin bass guitars had Bar-O-Matic pickups. This included the Baby Bison, Vibraslim, Shadows and Bison bass guitars. The Bar-O-Matics began production in 1966, but the changeover and phase-out from the previous pickup versions of these guitars was gradual. I have a V1 Bison bass but it was likely that the V2 Bison bass was already in production when mine was made.

Bisons: Baby Bison and Bison Bass

While there was only one version of the Baby Bison guitar and bass, both with Bar-O-Matic (Matik) pickups, but there were 3 different versions of the Burns Bison. Baby Bisons are heavier than the Baldwin v3 Bison bass guitars. Different wood. The Baby Bison is more similar in weight to the first Burns v1 Bison bass.

The full Burns Bison bass V1 62-64 had Ultrasonic pickups and was famously used on Serge Gainsbourg records by Dave Richmond.

The full Burns Bison V2 had Rez-O-Matic pickups, which were essentially the same as Nu-Sonic pickups and the same electronics as the Shadows bass .

The final Post-Burns Baldwin full Bison V3 had Bar-O-Matic pickups and Shadows bass electronics.

Bison with Bar-O-Matic pickups


Vibraslim with Bar-O-Matic pickups


Bison v1 with Ultrasonic pickups


Baldwin Bison Models 5.jpg_1.jpeg
 
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#12
Last year I bought a modified 68 Tele bass from a Canadian musician that has real celebrity provenance. The bass has two original ‘60’s Burns Rez-O-Matik pickups installed. They work fine but I’d like to restore the bass to original-style specs. If anybody has a need for these and wants to buy them, please pm me.
 
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#13
Hidesert said:
Last year I bought a modified 68 Tele bass from a Canadian musician that has real celebrity provenance. The bass has two original ‘60’s Burns Rez-O-Matik pickups installed. They work fine but I’d like to restore the bass to original-style specs. If anybody has a need for these and wants to buy them, please pm me.
Click to expand...
@Muck Luto shared this video with me on a rewind of these pickups. It seems possible, but a delicate process.

 
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