THE GUITARS OF JAMES ORMSTON BURNS

REFERENCE & RESOURCE PAGES:

 

SUPERSOUND (1958) - BURNS-WEILL (1959) - FENTON WEILL (1960-65)

ORMSTON BURNS (1960-1965) - AMPEG (1963-64) - BALDWIN (1965-69)

SHERGOLD WOODCRAFTS (1967-69) - ORMSTON (1968) - HAYMAN (1970-75)

BURNS UK (1973-77) - BURNS ACTUALIZERS (1979-82) - SHERGOLD (1975-92)

 

BURNS LONDON

TIMELINE - PUBLICITY - FACTORY

ARTIST - SONIC - VIBRA-ARTIST-DELUXE - BLACK BISON - VISTA-SONIC

BLACK BISON III - JAZZ - TR-2 - NU-SONIC - MARVIN - DOUBLE 6

BISON - VIBRASLIM - GB65 - GB66 - VIRGINIAN - BABY BISON

AMPLIFIERS - ACCESSORIES - PROTOTYPES

 

 

BISON RANGE (1960-68)

 

1962-64: BLACK BISON 3 GUITAR & BASS

 

Paul Day's 3-pickup Bison timeline correction:

Back when I was researching The Burns Book, I reasoned that the considerable amount of Burns material I’d already amassed would provide a consistent and cohesive time-line, with any important construction or component related alterations being duly indicated date-wise. This premise certainly seemed to pan out during the preparation stages and the various model listings were written accordingly, employing the chronology indicated by all the company literature I had to hand. However, with the benefit of hindsight provided by the following 40 years and the additional information gleaned during this time, I now know my confidence in those catalogues was misplaced and my approach therefore more than a mite naive. This means that although most of The Burns Book’s content certainly still holds up well and significant inaccuracies have thankfully proved to be few and far between, some updates are definitely necessary. Naturally enough, all these and a whole lot more would’ve been incorporated into Volume 2, but in the absence of the latter, isolated explanations will have to suffice, one such example being about amendments made to the Bison three-pickup guitar 1962-64. Thanks to all the duly cross-referenced, corroborative evidence I now possess, I’m able to arrive at the following definitive, date-related descriptions of the relevant versions:

1. 1962-63 ‘Series 1’ vibrato unit; two down/two across control configuration with large all-alloy knobs.
2. 1963 ‘Series 1’ vibrato unit; four in-line control configuration with clear plastic skirt knobs.
3. 1963-64 ‘Series 2’ vibrato unit; four in-line control configuration with clear plastic skirt knobs.

According to Burns literature, the first mention of ‘Series 2’ is December 1963, but I’m reluctant to provide more specific period dating for any of the stated specs, as the using up of existing parts stocks makes the changes difficult to pinpoint and transitional exceptions to the rule were therefore very possible. One of these can actually be seen in the shot of the Burns 1963 trade show stand, where it hangs complete with ‘Series 1’ vibrato unit, two down/two across control layout, but with clear skirted knobs. The latter were indeed very similar to the type employed on the Burns solid state combos introduced in 1963, although the orange dot indicator is in a slightly different location, while the alloy centre saw stand-alone service on the Sonic and Nu-Sonic, as well as forming part of the control knobs featured on many subsequent models, such as the Marvin and Double Six. The first catalogue to include the radically revised, scroll-head Bison is indeed dated Sept 1964, but manufacture began slightly earlier and again there was some production overlap between this six-string and its predecessor, as confirmed by their corresponding serial numbers.

Anyway, I hope this now clarifies any confusion caused by that incorrect entry in The Burns Book, for which I plead the ignorance of youth!

 

 Going by the serial number sequence on the database, I could have around 20 examples of the ‘Mk.1’ version listed, while it was pictured quite a lot in Burns and other companies’ literature. I therefore don’t think it’s REALLY rare, but obviously it wasn’t long before Burns decided to alter the control layout to instead match that used on the bass from the start. I therefore wonder why Jim initially went for the two down/two across arrangement, although this does leave the jack socket in a more logical location. Anyway, at least the amendment was comparatively easy to implement, as essentially the scratchplate holes stay pretty much the same, just the components move around a bit!

 

Mid-late 1962 Bison 3-Pickup Guitar in Greenburst:

Serial No.221

Ebay listing claims: This guitar is very very rare, and is one of only two that were made in this colour.

This was bought at the 1962 Burns Exibition by the present owner.

The Guitar features in Pearls and Crazy Diamonds by Per Gjorde.

 

 

 

 

Mid-late1962 Bison Bass:

Serial No.307

1962 Burns Bison Bass

 

1962 Burns Bison Bass

 

1962 Burns Bison Bass

 

 

 

Mid-late1962 Bison Bass in Greenburst:

Serial No.308

Burns Bison Bass Greenburst

 

Burns Bison Bass Greenburst

 

Burns Bison Bass Greenburst

 

Burns Bison Bass Greenburst

 

Burns Bison Bass Greenburst

 

 

 

January 1963 Besson

Crescendo January 1963 Bessson advert lists Sonic, Split Sonic, Vista Guitar & Bass, and 6-string Bass with tremolo, plus both 4-pickup and (earliest printed reference to) 3-pickup Bison Guitars

 

1962/3 Black Bison

Serial No. 924

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1962/3 Black Bison

Serial No. 926

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

 

 

1962/3 Black Bison

Serial No. 946

1963 burns black bison

 

 

 

1962/63 Black Bison

Serial No. 97X

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

1962 Burns Bison

 

 

 

 

 

1962/3 BURNS 'Black Bison'

Serial number 1022

 

Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

From the personal collection of Paul Day, author of The Burns Book (1979)

 

Photo by Paul Day

Photos by Paul Day

 

 

This famous guitar has been photographed for many publications, including this 1992 double-page spread in The Guitar Magazine

 

Found Sound

 

 

 

Burns Black Bison Guitar

Burns Bison Guitar 1963

1962 Burns Black Bison

1963 Burns Bison Guitar

Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

 

1963 Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

1963 Burns Black Bison Guitar

 

Burns Bison Guitar Magazine

 

1963 Black Bison

Serial No. 1396

 

 

1963 Black Bison (non-standard pickup covers)

Serial No. 1399

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963 Bison Bass (Albino)

Serial No. 1857

1962 Burns bison bass albino

 

1963 BURNS Black Bison

Serial No. 1952

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watkins Burns Black Bison advert

Melody Maker 22nd June 1963

 

 

1963 Black Bison

Serial No. 3163

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963 Bison

Serial No. 3238

Series 1 vibrato

 

 

 

 

 

1963 Bison

Serial No. 3754

Series 2 vibrato

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1963 Albino Bison

Serial No. 3787

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1964 Bison Sunburst

4 in-line alloy knobs with engraved plate, series 2 vibrato

 

1964 Black Bison

 

 

1964 Black Bison Bass

 

 

March 1964 Albino Bison Bass

Serial No. 4086

albino bison bass

 

 

 

 

1964 Burns Black Bison, Left-handed

Serial No. 4185

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

1964 Left-handed Burns Bison

 

 

1964 Burns Black Bison

Serial No. 4354

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1964 Burns Black Bison

Serial No. 4990, dated 12th March 1964

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison 4990

 

1964 Burns Bison in Trans Red

Serial No.5276

 

 

 

 

 

 

17th August 1964 Burns Bison in Red

Serial No. 5913

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn 1964 Black Bison in Transparent Red

Serial No. 6458

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And an unfaded example:

 

 

 

 

 

Late 1964 Left-handed Bison

Serial No. 10758

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

1964 Burns Bison Guitar, Lefthanded

 

 

 

 

 

Les Relax

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burns 3 pickup Bison Schematic