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
VIBRASLIM MODELS (1964-67)
VIBRASLIM GUITAR & VIBRASLIM BASS
Introduced in the September 1964 catalogue, the Vibraslim was visually very similar to the preceeding TR-2 models, but instead of the latter's carved solid construction, was a pressed laminated-wood thinline archtop, which made for a much lighter and more responsive instrument, despite having a solidly-braced top.
Early examples feature bound sound-holes, and a pickguard extension between the two pickups, purpose unknown. The prototype pictured in the catalogue features non-standard pickups, but production models typically featured un-bound f-holes and a revised design of Ultra-Sonics with exposed polepieces, wound hotter for a high impedence output.
Around mid-1966 the Ultra-Sonic pickups were changed to Bar-O-Matiks, and by 1967 the guitar was completely re-designed; the body shape and pickguard changed, the neck joint changed to a bolt-on style topped with the now-standard Baldwin flattened scroll head, and a short Rezotube vibrato unit was used.
The Vibraslim was discontinued by the time of the 1968 Baldwin Catalogue.
1964 Vibraslim prototype
original shot used for brochure, circa Aug 1964
1964 Burns Vibraslim Guitar (Peter Farrell's prototype)
Serial No. 5785
2 screw-mounted pickups
c. 1965 Burns Vibraslim
c.1965 Burns Vibraslim
1965 Burns Vibraslim
Serial No. 9642
1965 BALDWIN-Burns Vibraslim
Serial No. 10066
1965 Burns Vibraslim
Serial No. 10140
late 1965 BALDWIN Vibraslim
Excised Burns logo
early 1966 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 14380
1966 Baldwin Vibraslim Bass
Serial No. 14395
1966 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 14434
1966 Vibraslim Bass
Serial No. 14449
1966 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 15066
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 15489
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 17?44
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim Bass
Serial No. 17505
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 18045
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 18199
1967 Baldwin Vibraslim
Serial No. 18583