The original Burns flight which was made in a little back lane factory in a place called Robert Street, South Shields in the NE UK is a much better guitar and all hand made, one was specially made for Mark Bolan from T Rex and presented to him at the factory, I had one lying about in the house when I was a kid made from the reject parts as my late father did a lot of the soldering for them before they had their own soldering station, I have fond memories of playing in the factory and watching the guitars get sprayed and made up before the company and name was sold. Great work Dave you inspire us all. Phil
Hey Dave, I had a sloppy worn out bar thread on a strat, took it to a local engineering place , they screwed in a spring that contoured the thread. Screwed the bar in and it locked where I wanted. Had it for near 20yrs and still the same, didn't wear much but love it. Actually improved with time. Cheers Dave love the vids.The 1st band I ever saw in NZ were playing Burns guitars..they were called Shriek Machine, around 50 yrs ago.
Check this out! "Cliff Richard Jr. Sings Shooting Star" (punch that in on you tube) This clip is from the Thunderbird's Are Go movie, 1966! They have Burns guitars and if you see the whole thing, they even made little Vox Ac-30's for them.Groovy!
Hello Dave, about 1975 I had a Burns Trisonic . Slightly scaled-down version of an S.G. , 24-fret neck if I remember right, and the same Tri-sonic pick-ups as the one you have here . Brian May took those Pick-ups and completely rewound them for his guitar . A British instrumental band called The Shadows started out with all Fender guitars ( a Strat for lead , Tele rhythm , and Jazz or Precision bass ) . All with Vox AC30s , the lead through a Binson Echorec . Then they did a deal with Burns who made Shadows Special models for all 3 , plus a 12-string version of the Strat-type one they used for some records . I can't for the life of me remember what happened to it , but me and my pals were always borrowing , swapping , and trading guitars and amps with each other . Wish I'd kept everything now I see the prices people ask !!
There are several versions of the modern day Burns Bison. Mine has the "Marvin" tremolo which was developed for the Burns Hank Marvin guitar, it also has "Reso-Matic " pickups which look more like Stratocaster pickups, (I've got a Burns Cobra with those metal pickups on it). On most Bisons the body is sculpted so that the horns lean slightly forward, pretty cool I think. PTFE tape wrapped round the thread on the tremolo arm would probably stop the rattle. The Marvin tremolo arm has a completely different way of fixing so there is not a problem with rattling.
Ps. I think that the metal pickups are called Tri Sonics, they are a little smaller than the original 60s ones which Brian May rewound and put on his homemade guitar.
Dave, on the Burns tremolos, right behind the arm in the back, there's an allen/hex screw that goes thru the block area you can tighten so the arm is either floppy loose or tight. You can adjust it so its not wobbling around. I own a new Burns as well as several 60's Burns/Baldwin guitars/Basses and BTW if you got $20 go on ebay and Get THE BURNS BOOK by Paul Day, it will come in handy if someone delivers a 60s Burns instrument that needs fixing, they are nothing like Gibsons or Fenders.
Burns London guitars rock! I have a Burns Shadow to play metal in my band The Creptter Children and it kicks freakin' ass. No other "Metal" guitar can come close to the tones of the Shadow.
my uncle got an original 60's one of these for free while remodeling someone's basement. its missing some bits and pieces and the finish was a spray can camo job...lol. its mid resto now, its going to be a nice guitar.
Loved the look and the sound of the Bison - but watch out for that lower horn. If you're doing a quick barre chord shift up the top there, it can get you in the nerve centre just below your pinkey and leave your hand paralysed for about half an hour. Oh how we larf'd.
You should have tried all the different switches on this guitar. It has quite a few different settings. Also, it has the same pickups and The Brian May guitar so with a little experimenting, you may get a bit of the Red Special sound from this one.
The second time you've used the words "tone monster". In neither case were they Fender anything. Does that make you think? I remember this used by Hank Marvin of the Shadows. It sounds good to me too. Ah - just remembered the other was a Jaguar Bass (with noise problems). So I'm a liar. That had the best bass sound I've ever heard. Your ear is good. Or at least it agrees with mine. :)
Tri Sonic pickups are a personal favotite of mine. Play some slide on it Dave. You can get the David Lindley "whipping a baby seal" tone from them. Cheers--Duke
They have been doing the same here in the UK too Dave, Christmas and Easter are still paid holidays for most, but the work situation is so dire after the 2008 crash that a lot of folk don't even get paid double if they work them, but the other holidays (bank holidays they call them in England) forget it. By law we get 8 public holidays a year but they don't need to give you them on the day of the public holiday so most employers just add them to ppl annual leave, so they don't have to pay overtime, cheap bastards.
I played a Burns one time and the sound from their noiseless super singles (or whatever whack name they gave them) was phenomenal... on the other hand, I thought it was ugly as sin and I got a MIJ Rg instead :>... good times.
Hey davey. i'm a new sub so i have'nt seen all your videos yet, so i dont know if you've done a video on truss rod replacement or even if it's worthwhile doing [replaceing the truss rod i mean] i don't have an issue i would just like to see it done. cheers from the east coast.
+Ian Clarke at 9:45 it sounds like Wild Dog B, really trebly but with mids. Wild Dog A sounds like a Telecaster played through a transistor radio at 100Db.
i have the bass version of this. its not to bad, but alotho i has like 8 different tone settings, they arent anything to exciting. you get what ya pay for
I bought a new Steer and a new Batwing a few years ago, total £900. Then I had to spend another £200 getting them fixed, coz the construction quality and set up were appalling. Brilliant pickups - tone monster, indeed - but they both had crappy 10 cent plastic nuts that lasted about a week. Then there's all the trouble with the wiring crackling at random, string buzz that we can't seem to get rid of, the replacement string trees we had to put in coz the originals stuck. Buyer beware!
"Every time I'm at work....ah cut"!............Hmmmmmmmmm. Changing the subject a bit.... I know you're gettin' rich doin' expert guitar repair! You don't need no stinkin' regula job.... Cheers BoBo. Yer North Carolina counterpart
Dave, they crucified Jesus once. Was that not enough for you? I love your channel and videos but your mocking Jesus makes you look like the mayor Gooch St.
The original Burns flight which was made in a little back lane factory in a place called Robert Street, South Shields in the NE UK is a much better guitar and all hand made, one was specially made for Mark Bolan from T Rex and presented to him at the factory, I had one lying about in the house when I was a kid made from the reject parts as my late father did a lot of the soldering for them before they had their own soldering station, I have fond memories of playing in the factory and watching the guitars get sprayed and made up before the company and name was sold.
Great work Dave you inspire us all.
Phil
Hey Dave, I had a sloppy worn out bar thread on a strat, took it to a local engineering place , they screwed in a spring that contoured the thread. Screwed the bar in and it locked where I wanted. Had it for near 20yrs and still the same, didn't wear much but love it. Actually improved with time. Cheers Dave love the vids.The 1st band I ever saw in NZ were playing Burns guitars..they were called Shriek Machine, around 50 yrs ago.
Check this out!
"Cliff Richard Jr. Sings Shooting Star" (punch that in on you tube)
This clip is from the Thunderbird's Are Go movie, 1966! They have Burns guitars and if you see the whole thing, they even made little Vox Ac-30's for them.Groovy!
Hello Dave, about 1975 I had a Burns Trisonic . Slightly scaled-down version of an S.G. , 24-fret neck if I remember right, and the same Tri-sonic pick-ups as the one you have here . Brian May took those Pick-ups and completely rewound them for his guitar .
A British instrumental band called The Shadows started out with all Fender guitars ( a Strat for lead , Tele rhythm , and Jazz or Precision bass ) . All with Vox AC30s , the lead through a Binson Echorec .
Then they did a deal with Burns who made Shadows Special models for all 3 , plus a 12-string version of the Strat-type one they used for some records .
I can't for the life of me remember what happened to it , but me and my pals were always borrowing , swapping , and trading guitars and amps with each other .
Wish I'd kept everything now I see the prices people ask !!
Gosh I want one now, These are beasts tone wise.
There are several versions of the modern day Burns Bison. Mine has the "Marvin" tremolo which was developed for the Burns Hank Marvin guitar, it also has "Reso-Matic " pickups which look more like Stratocaster pickups, (I've got a Burns Cobra with those metal pickups on it). On most Bisons the body is sculpted so that the horns lean slightly forward, pretty cool I think. PTFE tape wrapped round the thread on the tremolo arm would probably stop the rattle. The Marvin tremolo arm has a completely different way of fixing so there is not a problem with rattling.
Ps. I think that the metal pickups are called Tri Sonics, they are a little smaller than the original 60s ones which Brian May rewound and put on his homemade guitar.
Dave, on the Burns tremolos, right behind the arm in the back, there's an allen/hex screw that goes thru the block area you can tighten so the arm is either floppy loose or tight. You can adjust it so its not wobbling around. I own a new Burns as well as several 60's Burns/Baldwin guitars/Basses and BTW if you got $20 go on ebay and Get THE BURNS BOOK by Paul Day, it will come in handy if someone delivers a 60s Burns instrument that needs fixing, they are nothing like Gibsons or Fenders.
The guitar sounds great.
That one sounds great
I like the Burns Marquee:
Burns Maquee - Guitar Sound Test
Great job. I really like this guitar.
Burns London guitars rock! I have a Burns Shadow to play metal in my band The Creptter Children and it kicks freakin' ass. No other "Metal" guitar can come close to the tones of the Shadow.
Beautiful guitar!
my uncle got an original 60's one of these for free while remodeling someone's basement. its missing some bits and pieces and the finish was a spray can camo job...lol. its mid resto now, its going to be a nice guitar.
Great sounding guitar.
8000 subscribers and over 3.5 millions views!!! Congrats and keep up the great work.
Respectfully,
Don M
East Carolina Luthiers
Loved the look and the sound of the Bison - but watch out for that lower horn. If you're doing a quick barre chord shift up the top there, it can get you in the nerve centre just below your pinkey and leave your hand paralysed for about half an hour. Oh how we larf'd.
That's a helluva nice guitar! I want...
You should have tried all the different switches on this guitar. It has quite a few different settings. Also, it has the same pickups and The Brian May guitar so with a little experimenting, you may get a bit of the Red Special sound from this one.
I like to count the turns too...but I could never do five turns. It has to be 4, 8,16... maybe 6 or 12 (".)
The second time you've used the words "tone monster".
In neither case were they Fender anything. Does that make you think?
I remember this used by Hank Marvin of the Shadows.
It sounds good to me too.
Ah - just remembered the other was a Jaguar Bass (with noise problems). So I'm a liar. That had the best bass sound I've ever heard.
Your ear is good. Or at least it agrees with mine. :)
Cool guitar.
Tri Sonic pickups are a personal favotite of mine. Play some slide on it Dave. You can get the David Lindley "whipping a baby seal" tone from them.
Cheers--Duke
Dave, It's Labor Day in the US as well, Memorial Day is the end of May.
it's like a danelectro made love with a strat
Labor Day 9/03 here in the U.S too.
Are these the same people that made the Baldwin/Burns Buzzaround? It was a really popular fuzz pedal from the late 60's.
They have been doing the same here in the UK too Dave, Christmas and Easter are still paid holidays for most, but the work situation is so dire after the 2008 crash that a lot of folk don't even get paid double if they work them, but the other holidays (bank holidays they call them in England) forget it. By law we get 8 public holidays a year but they don't need to give you them on the day of the public holiday so most employers just add them to ppl annual leave, so they don't have to pay overtime, cheap bastards.
I played a Burns one time and the sound from their noiseless super singles (or whatever whack name they gave them) was phenomenal... on the other hand, I thought it was ugly as sin and I got a MIJ Rg instead :>... good times.
Shroud Of Turin - classic!!!
@andyg3
I think the tone settings are great, wild dog b growls like an angry bear. Don't like the microphone pickups though. And its mahoosive.
The 2nd last tone sounded like the teacher in those Charlie Brown tv specials
2:25 -- Ouch...Is that a crack by the neck joint on the left horn?
A little teflon tape on the threads of the trem arm?
Is this a guitar made in the UK in the 60's?
That sounds fun. I want one lol
am i the only guy who thinks the thing sounds and looks awesome?
im so happy that dave watches the simpsons..now i can put my full trust in him.
Unfortunately, they are known for going out of tune as soon as you hit the tremolo arm. Thinking of installing a different bridge altogether. 🤔
So you put the block there to stop the trem from working?
Dave could you TAB the really cool guitar riffs you was doin at the end?..........
I have a bison bass in black, its a huge monster. Can't figure out the setup numbers, got any ideas on how this should be setup?
Those horns, 😂😂idk if I’m ready for those.
Hey davey. i'm a new sub so i have'nt seen all your videos yet, so i dont know if you've done a video on truss rod replacement or even if it's worthwhile doing [replaceing the truss rod i mean] i don't have an issue i would just like to see it done. cheers from the east coast.
Iis that fourth knob pre-set tones?
What amp are you playing?
I wanted to hear the Dog Tone setting
+Ian Clarke at 9:45 it sounds like Wild Dog B, really trebly but with mids. Wild Dog A sounds like a Telecaster played through a transistor radio at 100Db.
I never played a Bison, the dream's and 12's are saweet.
Jeebus Cripes!!!
Hi Dave, I have the same problem about "sloppy" trem arm, do you know any way to fix that?
plumber's tape
man that looks nasty
i have the bass version of this.
its not to bad, but alotho i has like 8 different tone settings, they arent anything to exciting.
you get what ya pay for
Just saw this same guitar on kijiji Richmond hill, just outside of Toronto. Same one?
not the same one, still got it :)
what kind of strings did you put on this guitar?
Well they where kind of designed for these guys /watch?v=SLocafpLMi0 so tone was everything.
why do you say this guitar likes 9s or 10s? I wanted to drop it to D standard and use 11s or 12s.
Ah, I get it. Great sounding guitar.
+Shawnee Davis I use 11s on mine. 4 springs. The bridge floats disconcertingly but it stays in tune really well.
Thats not a bad little guitar
kinda like Skunk Baxter's Baby Bison.
Your gona poke your eye out
I bought a new Steer and a new Batwing a few years ago, total £900. Then I had to spend another £200 getting them fixed, coz the construction quality and set up were appalling.
Brilliant pickups - tone monster, indeed - but they both had crappy 10 cent plastic nuts that lasted about a week. Then there's all the trouble with the wiring crackling at random, string buzz that we can't seem to get rid of, the replacement string trees we had to put in coz the originals stuck.
Buyer beware!
GEEBUS
Dave's working on Labor Day. Shame on Him. Pull his Union card.
I almost like it..lol
"Every time I'm at work....ah cut"!............Hmmmmmmmmm.
Changing the subject a bit.... I know you're gettin' rich doin' expert guitar repair! You don't need no stinkin' regula job....
Cheers BoBo.
Yer North Carolina counterpart
You must charge more money than Randy does if your eating steak. He works his ass off on those flattops and has to eat peanut butter samiches.lol.
Wow, just surpassed 8,000 subs, Davey. That's a lot of gooches.
Sounds muddy with crappy zinc block
You are fucking funny 😊
+Rob Tognoni . Hi there Rob, seeing your name reminded me of the good old days on the Sunshine Coast. I hope you and your family are well.
no, you're not :)
Man... talk about taking the LONG way around. Jeez....that whole block thing was effort down the drain.
lol
I don't believe in Jebus. Lol
Man, those things are fugly.
I like the look.
Incredibly ugly, but sounds good.
Dave, they crucified Jesus once. Was that not enough for you? I love your channel and videos but your mocking Jesus makes you look like the mayor Gooch St.
That is ugly lol ...
Ugly gtr.
thats a truly ugly guitar..