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
ADVERTS & PUBLICITY MATERIAL
Melody Maker 19th December 1959
Melody Maker 17th Dec 1960
BELL catalogue Vibra-'Artist Model' advert, c.1961
Melody Maker 8th July 1961
Melody Maker 28th Oct 1961
Melody Maker 2nd Dec 1961
Melody Maker 9th Dec 1961
Melody Maker 16th Dec 1961
Bell Music Catalogue March 1962
Black Bison Leaflet April 1962
" This is a repro of an actual two-sided, single page leaflet dated April 1962, which also includes the Vibra Artist Deluxe and other models. I used to also own an earlier different edition (unfortunately long gone and I’ve never seen another) showing the Bison backed by a black-finished, three-pickup thinline semi, the latter being the first in a series of prototype designs that culminated with the TR2 and Vibraslim. The earlier brochure was exactly the same as the second in terms of the Bison page, just the reverse side was different. The black thinline pictured had the same styling as subsequent prototype variations, i.e. as used on the TR2 and Vibraslim, whereas the thinline semi shown in the various MM ads for the Burns vibrato was that sunburst finish, twin-cutaway three-pickup example handbuilt by Jim. Note that the first ad was in the June 10 1961 issue and this new vibrato was called just the Master; the July 8 advert then added the Mk.VII suffix, while the Oct 28 ad called it the Master Mk.III, available at a reduced price. Finally, the Burns ad in the Dec 2 1961 issue was the first to mention the “new” Mk.9 version. There you are, a potted but date accurate history of Burns vibrato unit development, all thanks to those wonderful old Melody Makers!" - Paul Day
Melody Maker 28th April 1962
"This is indeed the first (and only) press advert for the Vibra Artiste Deluxe, appearing in the April 28th 1962 Melody Maker, and the corresponding publicity leaflet was also dated April 1962. The latter delved into greater detail, although as you say, the company didn't exactly go overboard promotion-wise, but remember that by this time Jim was already developing the 'next generation' of models, incorporating some of the ideas formulated on the Deluxe. The prototype Vista Sonic was accordingly first advertised a mere two months later, so the writing was very much on the wall for the former flagship Vibra Artiste and its ilk. There never was a proper production run as such for the Deluxe six-string or four-string versions; Jim told me that standard examples were simply modified as necessary by hand whenever an appropriate order for a Deluxe was received. This means they stopped offering/making them when the Vibra Artiste and Artiste bass officially disappeared from the range, i.e. by 1963." - Paul Day
Melody Maker 28th April 1962
Melody Maker 30th June 1962
Crescendo August 1962
Melody Maker 21st Sept 1962
Melody Maker December 1962
Crescendo December 1962
Brochure, undated. Presumed 1962-63?
Crescendo January 1963 Besson advert offering Twinmaster, Triplemaster and 4-pickup-Twister Guitar(!)
B&M Trade Catalogue, presumed early 1963
Inner pages:
Melody Maker 5th Jan 1963
Melody Maker 9th Feb 1963
Melody Maker 23rd Feb 1963
Crescendo April 1963
circa 1963 BURNS GUITARS TRADE SHOW
Melody Maker 22nd June 1963
New Musical Express 9th August 1963
New Musical Express 23rd August 1963
Melody Maker 24th August 1963
New Musical Express 6th September 1963
Melody Maker 14th September 1963
New Musical Express 13th September 1963
Melody Maker 14th September 1963
Crescendo September 1963
Mwlody Maker 5th October 1963
New Musical Express 25th October 1963
New Musical Express 8th October 1963
Melody Maker 9th October 1963
New Musical Express 15th November 1963
Melody Maker 16th November 1963
circa Oct 1963-April 64 Norwegian Brochure Cover
circa Oct 1963-April 64 Swedish Advert
New Musical Express 20th December 1963
Crescendo December 1963
New Musical Express 24th January 1964
Feb 1964 Crescendo Magazine Article
New Musical Express 20th Mar 1964
New Musical Express 27th March 1964
New Musical Express 3rd April 1964
April 1964 Orbit 'Double 12' advert
New Musical Express 15th May 1964
c.1964 advert, source unknown
c.1964 advert, source unknown
c.1964 publicity, source unknown
New Musical Express 22nd May 1964
New Musical Express 29th May 1964
Honeycombs Advert, sometime soon after "Have I The Right?" was released, June 1964
Beat Monthly July 1964
New Musical Express 21st August 1964
New Musical Express 28th August 1964
New Musical Express 28th August 1964
New Musical Express circa Sept 1964
BURNS CATALOGUE
September 1964
New Musical Express circa Oct 1964
New Musical Express circa November 1964
New Musical Express circa November 1964
New Musical Express 4th December 1964
The Burns Shop, Centre Point December 1964
Beat Instrumental January 1965
Crescendo February 1965
February 1965 Burns Trade Catalogue
March 1965 Frankfurt Trade Fair
April 1965 Crescendo Frankfurt Fair report
March 1965 Burns Bulletin
March 1965 Beat Instrumental
Crescendo April 1965
1965 Centre Point Shopfront
Crescendo October 1965 - British Musical Instrument Trade Fair feature
source and date unknown
Crescendo September 1966 - British Musical Instrument Trade Fair feature