I've got to run up to the hospital (she's still there, but they're making progress). I'll try to copy the image when I get back and post it.
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Project Vista Sonic (rut row, JIO's at it again!)
- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
Here ya go, looks like it sold for $70 + shipping
Vintage 60s-70s Gretsch/Burns Truss Rod Adjuster/Wrench Gearbox Key Guitar tool | eBay
Vintage 60s-70s Gretsch/Burns Truss Rod Adjuster/Wrench Gearbox Key Guitar tool | eBay
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
For sure, there are tons of inexpensive T-handle tools you could modify. Maybe even a vintage drum key for a little old-school mojo. I did a quick search and found this (not the kind of "drum" key I was thinking of).
Vintage Old Slotted Shutoff Valve Gas Water Furnace Drum Key # 169 -lot1074 | eBay
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Very cool key - I'd have to ask the seller for some measurements.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
It arrived mid day Saturday (yesterday now) - wasn't expecting it this soon! Only had time to unpack it, takes some pics and weight it - details follow...
First off - it arrived in this cardboard & tape cocoon. From the UK. Intact.
I screwed the neck on to weigh it - it felt HEAVY... ended up being not so bad. (9lbs/5oz) Not sure the body wood but I'm guessing maple with a maple/rosewood neck.
Some redundant pics - same bass, sitting on a different 'base'.
Such tiny tuner posts - I get the feeling this bass had light-gauge strings on it.
Judging by this closeup - white was a bad DIY finish layer. Cool tuners though.
Here's the real original colour - red!
No 'tilt-neck' bolt.. maybe that came later. Red ghosting through crappy DIY white. Reminds me of the Silvertone Hornet.
More indication of it being red - the tr male shaft is kinda mangled but at least not a stump like others I've seen pics of. I have some ideas how to make this better...
Looking a bit cadaver-ish... looks like it was red. I think a pet was involved as it has what looks like white dog/cat hairs...
I see routing potential under the scratch-plate. It's a thick body. 1-5/8" - nearly 1-3/4" and the main cavity is only 1-1/8" deep. Some wood will be removed! I may be able to get it down to under 9lbs.
Not sure where the serial number is - I've been told it was under the scratch-plate. (?) All screws are mismatched - need to start from scratch there.
Check this harness out! Looks pretty steam-punk to me. British-style jack is actually still attached - just missing the attachment nut. It all looks ancient but solid.
Whole harness is mounted on a plastic base and coupled to the pg from the top pot bolts. (which are missing) Green mini-toggle an add-on... not sure what it does but my guess is it's a kill switch.
View from the top - "producer switch"?
First off - it arrived in this cardboard & tape cocoon. From the UK. Intact.
I screwed the neck on to weigh it - it felt HEAVY... ended up being not so bad. (9lbs/5oz) Not sure the body wood but I'm guessing maple with a maple/rosewood neck.
Some redundant pics - same bass, sitting on a different 'base'.
Such tiny tuner posts - I get the feeling this bass had light-gauge strings on it.
Judging by this closeup - white was a bad DIY finish layer. Cool tuners though.
Here's the real original colour - red!
No 'tilt-neck' bolt.. maybe that came later. Red ghosting through crappy DIY white. Reminds me of the Silvertone Hornet.
More indication of it being red - the tr male shaft is kinda mangled but at least not a stump like others I've seen pics of. I have some ideas how to make this better...
Looking a bit cadaver-ish... looks like it was red. I think a pet was involved as it has what looks like white dog/cat hairs...
I see routing potential under the scratch-plate. It's a thick body. 1-5/8" - nearly 1-3/4" and the main cavity is only 1-1/8" deep. Some wood will be removed! I may be able to get it down to under 9lbs.
Not sure where the serial number is - I've been told it was under the scratch-plate. (?) All screws are mismatched - need to start from scratch there.
Check this harness out! Looks pretty steam-punk to me. British-style jack is actually still attached - just missing the attachment nut. It all looks ancient but solid.
Whole harness is mounted on a plastic base and coupled to the pg from the top pot bolts. (which are missing) Green mini-toggle an add-on... not sure what it does but my guess is it's a kill switch.
View from the top - "producer switch"?
I'm fascinated by that wiring harness. The two transformers are probably being used as inductors for tone shaping; can't quite tell if there are any capacitors in there; if so, maybe a couple of RLC resonant circuits?
The toggle looks like a kill switch to me as well, I'd replace that too modern looking straight toggle with a more 'old fashioned' club shaped one
The toggle looks like a kill switch to me as well, I'd replace that too modern looking straight toggle with a more 'old fashioned' club shaped one
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Made a connection with one of the founding members (?) of the Burns Guitars and Amplifiers group on fb who clued me on what is available through Burns. Apparently the Brand is back in operation once again (think, EverReady bunny) in Denmark! The company that won't die! Anyway, I bought 3 replica knobs as I needed to drill out the set-screw on the only one on it because it was stripped. Most likely why it was still on the bass - someone couldn't get it off. Removed the harness/pu's from the scratch-plate and it cleaned up nicely. Reinstalled it with new washers/nuts and plugged it in - everything works as it should! (pretty remarkable)
Ok, so these settings on the rotary switch are not so mysterious. CONTRA BASS is only the neck-hugger pu, BASS is the neck-hugger pu and the middle pu, TREBLE is only the bridge pu, and WILD DOG is the neck-hugger pu and the bridge pu. So to Jim Burns, a north-south pu sound (very scooped) is "wild" (dog). Hoftner basses (and a few others) came with such north-sound pu positioning but never heard them referred to as a Wild Dog sound. Oh, and I was correct about the mini-toggle - kill switch. Not a bad mod really and it's very small - so it stays. You want to be able to 'kill' the Wild Dog when needed.
That doesn't look very nice... but a bit of TLC and back to normal. You never know what lurks behind jammed knobs...
Not sure what it's made of, but it's brittle. Like an Oreo cookie - thin black layer on front & back with a thicker white center. Could be bakelite.
Clean and mean (when in Wild Dog setting) Really happy the electronics are in working order - one less thing to work on. Note poles are height adjustable like later Dimarzio's
Ok, so these settings on the rotary switch are not so mysterious. CONTRA BASS is only the neck-hugger pu, BASS is the neck-hugger pu and the middle pu, TREBLE is only the bridge pu, and WILD DOG is the neck-hugger pu and the bridge pu. So to Jim Burns, a north-south pu sound (very scooped) is "wild" (dog). Hoftner basses (and a few others) came with such north-sound pu positioning but never heard them referred to as a Wild Dog sound. Oh, and I was correct about the mini-toggle - kill switch. Not a bad mod really and it's very small - so it stays. You want to be able to 'kill' the Wild Dog when needed.
That doesn't look very nice... but a bit of TLC and back to normal. You never know what lurks behind jammed knobs...
Not sure what it's made of, but it's brittle. Like an Oreo cookie - thin black layer on front & back with a thicker white center. Could be bakelite.
Clean and mean (when in Wild Dog setting) Really happy the electronics are in working order - one less thing to work on. Note poles are height adjustable like later Dimarzio's
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Isn't it something? The cap is the tan sausage-looking thing > [SHC 0.02 + 20% 126V] and the other tan thin thing is a resistor > looks to be [wht/wht/blue/red/wht]. Pots are both MORGANITE 500K and the transformers have hand writing on them > D3206K
I don't mind the simple mini-toggle - it stays.
I bet some plastic polish would do wonders on the black face of the guard. I would recommend you do that with it flat on a table, as you said it seems brittle. I have no experience with those pups, but as far as I remember of Burns reviews they have a reputation for having some cajones (even though they don’t look like much).
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Well, lipstick's don't look like much either!
That's where I'm on the fence resurrecting a vintage gem. I mean, I like the wear, the scratch marks and dulled areas because it's been played! It's a visual record of its history and one of the (many) reasons I love distressed/player-worn basses. Much more valuable in my way of looking at it as you then have the responsibility to keep it being played! No pristine/barely played museum-piece. It's an instrument - not an investment, at least not to me regardless of "vintage worth". I mean, I wouldn't play Overland Watts white '64 T-bird IV if I owned it - that would be a collectors piece.I may not hear it for awhile but am really looking forward to hearing it eventually. I have to deal with that missing saddle. Anyway, I won't string light-gauge strings - I don't want a guitar. I'll push the limitations at least to medium-light and might consider black tape wounds...
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
There's something special about turning around such an iconic bass. Just looking at that harness and it translates to sound! Amazing!
Gingerly removed the (clear) plastic JIM BURNS hs badge. Some wiseacre thought it was a swell idea to paint the base black. Scraped that off and am in progress of buffing - still a ways to go but it'll look brand new when it gets remounted against a rockin' red background.
1964 - oh, and frets are in good condition. A bit of wear in the cash register - it's been played... but it's not bad and after a little fretwork it'll be fine.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
BINGO! Looks like I found the serial # - it is in the neck-hugging pu cavity centered at the top. Can't tell but it looks like a tab of old dried masking tape with the number 1173 stamped on it. What else could it be? At least that's the number that is going on the engraved neck-plate.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,966
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Thanks for that info - more that makes Burns unique. How's your partner? Better I hope.
