Project Vista Sonic (rut row, JIO's at it again!)

[farace]

Thanks for that info - more that makes Burns unique. How's your partner? Better I hope.

She had a rough day yesterday. They might send her home tomorrow, thank you for asking.

 

[JIO]

Not sure what's going on here - there is a hard layer of translucent red at the heal - as a spacer ? - you can see traces of a similar shape at the lower heal - now gone.

Oh, and I just leaned that my VS was made in 1963! (from the serial #) which now makes it my oldest bass! (my T-bird II is a '64) That just made my day! The Visa Sonic was made from '62-'64, so this one is right in the middle.

Tuners are cleaning up nicely - first removing white paint (another DIY hack job where they painted the bass w/o taking it apart!)

Looks like new.

And red paint in the tuner post cavity - it was red. As the standard finish was red-burst (red with lack halo/burst) I'll assume that was the finish on this bass. There are traces of black also.

 

[Slidlow]

Neck looks to be sycamore as well.

 

[farace]

If I remember right, the Ampeg literature stated sycamore as the body wood. It's probably unlikely that there were any differences between the Ampeg-branded and Burns's own instruments, other than the engraving on the pickguard.

 

[JIO]

Neck looks to be sycamore as well.

If I remember right, the Ampeg literature stated sycamore as the body wood. It's probably unlikely that there were any differences between the Ampeg-branded and Burns's own instruments, other than the engraving on the pickguard.

I have read that in the "Pearls and Crazy Diamonds" book I have. It's dense like maple and similarly heavy. Fingerboard could be Brazilian rosewood but can't confirm that. It was used on Burns guitars/basses then along with ebony on some guitars.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I have read that in the "Pearls and Crazy Diamonds" book I have. It's dense like maple and similarly heavy. Fingerboard could be Brazilian rosewood but can't confirm that. It was used on Burns guitars/basses then along with ebony on some guitars.

I was going to post that it looks like you got yourself a Brazilian board there. There’s a slight difference to the grain, compared to Indian, that’s hard to describe but I know it when I see it. About the red on the heel, the entire neck was painted red wasn’t it?.

 

[JIO]

I was going to post that it looks like you got yourself a Brazilian board there. There’s a slight difference to the grain, compared to Indian, that’s hard to describe but I know it when I see it. About the red on the heel, the entire neck was painted red wasn’t it?.

Yes, as Brazilian rw was more abundant in 1963, I think that's what it is. The red layer in the heal is something else - like a thin layer of epoxy or something flattened to a smooth finish. It's not related to the finish and possibly was applied during the DIY finish when the neck finish was stripped. I'm going to remove it (sand it flush) and if it needs spacers etc, I'll do that the standard way.

 

[Jon Clegg]

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.

View attachment 3727558

Hey if you wouldn't mind, could you either trace out or take some detailed pictures of that wiring harness that I could trace it from. It's pretty unique and not in any published drawings I've seen.

 

[JIO]

Hey if you wouldn't mind, could you either trace out or take some detailed pictures of that wiring harness that I could trace it from. It's pretty unique and not in any published drawings I've seen.

I'll do my best - it is amazing! I'll send pics to your PM.

 

[Jon Clegg]

I'll do my best - it is amazing!

Thanks!

 

[Slidlow]

Hey if you wouldn't mind, could you either trace out or take some detailed pictures of that wiring harness that I could trace it from. It's pretty unique and not in any published drawings I've seen.

Also the little transformer looking items are probably inductors. If you disconnect one end and check with an inductance meter the values may be helpful to others. They may be around 2 to 4 Henries.

 

[Dynacord]

I was going to post that it looks like you got yourself a Brazilian board there. There’s a slight difference to the grain, compared to Indian, that’s hard to describe but I know it when I see it. About the red on the heel, the entire neck was painted red wasn’t it?.

Indian tending to be comparatively lighter and often with more visible stripes. I know it's generally considered lesser than Brazilian but still find it very attractive in its own way - like here on my '66 Jazz:

 

[Jon Clegg]

Also the little transformer looking items are probably inductors. If you disconnect one end and check with an inductance meter the values may be helpful to others. They may be around 2 to 4 Henries.

I doubt @JIO has a inductance meter (fairly rare) I'm not sure he's ever found his DMM.

 

[Slidlow]

I bought a cheapo off of e-bay as I needed to wind some inductors to specific values for a tube driven graphic EQ. It does inductance and capacitance and is real handy.

 

[farace]

I could swear I'd seen a Burns wiring diagram online somewhere. I'm surprised I never posted it on my old site (I own the Unofficial Ampeg page, desperately in need of a rehab). I also think the transformers are used to change impedance; I believe I've read that the pickups are low impedance and need to be upped to properly work with standard amps. But I'm not electronics tech, and I can't even remember where I read things. :/

 

[Slidlow]

I could swear I'd seen a Burns wiring diagram online somewhere. I'm surprised I never posted it on my old site (I own the Unofficial Ampeg page, desperately in need of a rehab). I also think the transformers are used to change impedance; I believe I've read that the pickups are low impedance and need to be upped to properly work with standard amps. But I'm not electronics tech, and I can't even remember where I read things. :/

Now you mention it the transformers could be for impedance matching. I've been working on tone circuits with inductors and capacitors so just went with that.

 

[Jon Clegg]

Now you mention it the transformers could be for impedance matching. I've been working on tone circuits with inductors and capacitors so just went with that.

I thought that at first also, but 2 transformers, 3 pickups is a bit odd for impedance matching IMHO. I did look at the Cadfael's book, but none of the Burns schematics have transformers or inductors in them; that's why I'm going to trace it out from photos that JIO sent me. My specialty at work is rewriting other peoples' overly complex code, so this kind of detective work comes naturally to me.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I'm concerned that all this talk about impedance is impeding the process of this build.

How is it @Fat Freddy puts it? "Brisket, waitress.......here all week."

 

[JIO]

Also the little transformer looking items are probably inductors. If you disconnect one end and check with an inductance meter the values may be helpful to others. They may be around 2 to 4 Henries.

I doubt @JIO has a inductance meter (fairly rare) I'm not sure he's ever found his DMM.

er.., it's around somewhere - it'll turn up eventually.

 

[JIO]

Indian tending to be comparatively lighter and often with more visible stripes. I know it's generally considered lesser than Brazilian but still find it very attractive in its own way - like here on my '66 Jazz:

View attachment 3728679

Beauty - the neck I had made by Dan Ransom for my '66 J looks similar and he said it was Brazilian. I'll post pic later - my computer is at the Apple store being transfered to a new one. (old one is old)