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
Mid-late1962 Bison Bass in Greenburst:
Serial No.308
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
1962/3 Black Bison
Serial No. 946
1962/63 Black Bison
Serial No. 97X
1962/3 BURNS 'Black Bison'
Serial number 1022
From the personal collection of Paul Day, author of The Burns Book (1979)
Photos by Paul Day
This famous guitar has been photographed for many publications, including this 1992 double-page spread in The 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
1963 BURNS Black Bison
Serial No. 1952
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
1964 Burns Black Bison, Left-handed
Serial No. 4185
1964 Burns Black Bison
Serial No. 4354
1964 Burns Black Bison
Serial No. 4990, dated 12th March 1964
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