NGD: Burns Bison ?

[spaceritual]

So, an eBay-purchased Burns Bison arrived on the mat this evening - unwrapped and what a beast it seems to be...

If there's any interest then I'll sort some more pictures of it but here's an identical colour and model: 2001-2002


First impressions: it's heavy, flat fingerboard, the tone/pickup rotary selector gives some strange sounds and it sounds nothing like a Fender or a Gibson etc

In 25 years of playing I've never seen one of these other than in pictures - it's certainly very different to my JM or Strat

Any Burns owners on here?

[JagInTheBag]

These were popularized by The Shadows in the 1960's. They played Marquee's. I've seen one in person, never played it plugged in. British guitar company, very cool.

Nice acquisition!

[Embenny]

So is that the one that combined Tri-Sonics with the rotary switch that had the "Wild Dog" setting?

The rotary was originally applied to guitars with the low-impedance Nu-Sonics AFAIK, I didn't realize there was a reissue that did that with Tri's.

I love their aesthetics and I have a recent fascination I've developed with Tri-Sonics, so I totally get it. I just don't get along with those necks, so I'm hybridizing some offsets with Burns pickups.

Congrats on the NGD!

[spaceritual]

These were popularized by The Shadows in the 1960's. They played Marquee's. I've seen one in person, never played it plugged in. British guitar company, very cool.

Nice acquisition!

Cheers. It needs new strings and a set-up. But the Trisonics seem pretty hot.

So is that the one that combined Tri-Sonics with the rotary switch that had the "Wild Dog" setting?

The rotary was originally applied to guitars with the low-impedance Nu-Sonics AFAIK, I didn't realize there was a reissue that did that with Tri's.

I love their aesthetics and I have a recent fascination I've developed with Tri-Sonics, so I totally get it. I just don't get along with those necks, so I'm hybridizing some offsets with Burns pickups.

Congrats on the NGD!

Yes - Three Trisonics and the rotary selector. Some of the settings are quite like an SG imho.

The neck is a beast though.

[mgeek]

These were popularized by The Shadows in the 1960's. They played Marquee's. I've seen one in person, never played it plugged in. British guitar company, very cool.

Nah, they played 'Marvin's, the Marquee is a modern concoction that's Marvin-esque but has a strat trem.

FWIW I think being associated with The Shadows has worn pretty thin for Burns as a company that makes some interesting guitars. The Shadows have a pretty niche audience of 'old men who liked them when they were fifteen, in 1961', but they just aren't cool enough to raise an eyebrow now. Guitar instros are cool- Link Wray, Dick Dale or even Duane Eddy and The Ventures, but The Shadows were tepid and that's basically where Burns marketing dept head is at.

Anyway, Bisons are deffo amongst the cooler of their shapes imo! Great look!

[mgeek]

First impressions: it's heavy

haha- just saw this...I have a love/hate relationship with them, the hate intensifies when I think of the '67 'Double Six' I had which weighed as much as a small car. The build quality of their guitars was always impeccable, but they were very fond of the 'ridiculously skinny neck combined with ridiculously heavy body' combo...a real head scratcher.

[burntumber]

a few months ago I missed one for sale locally :/

those tri-sonics are a little wider than strat pickups,
also I'm curious how the pickup selector works and what the Wild Dog sound really is.

post a video if you can!

[Despot]

I've always thought that Burns guitars looked cool (and that one is no exception).

But as others have mentioned above, the old ones are usually boat anchors! I've actually played two vintage Bisons in recent years ... though they're rare enough in Ireland. Both were just too heavy for me - like heavy '70s Les Paul heavy and then some.

[mgeek]

I've always thought that Burns guitars looked cool (and that one is no exception).

But as others have mentioned above, the old ones are usually boat anchors! I've actually played two vintage Bisons in recent years ... though they're rare enough in Ireland. Both were just too heavy for me - like heavy '70s Les Paul heavy and then some.

It's insane isn't it...when it comes to vintage Burns, it's all about the cheaper/earlier models (sonic, vibra artiste), but even those come with the proviso that the neck profiles can be seriously odd. I've got an early Artiste and it would make an eighties shredding guitar feel like a handful by comparison, it's RIDICULOUS, has to be experienced to be believed. Very much a 'try before you buy' kind of thing, but a good one can be great. Later, rosewood board sonics are probably the best bet.

[spaceritual]

Played it a bit more today.
Will have to get a clip sorted if I can find a mic.

It's heavy.

The controls run as follows (the guitar came with a Burns padded case and instructions):
1. Master tone
2. Master volume
3. A/B selector - this changes the nature of the four-way selector
4. Four-way selector giving:
Treble: A:bridge only / B: bridge and middle in series
Wild dog: A: bridge only with low frequencies filtered out / B: bridge and middle in series with low frequencies filtered out
Bass: A: Neck only / B: Neck and middle in series
Split sound: A: Neck and bridge in parallel / B: All pickups in series!

The bridge setting is great - jangly but hot - putting it on Wild dog setting (A) and turning down the master tone gives a fab twangy percussive sound.

The "all pickups in series" is terrible - really boomy and too loud compared to every other setting.

Running it through a Fender amp you can get some good, brash 60's tones -


Tuning stability is pretty poor tbh although I am hoping that this is a combination of old strings, poorly wound onto the tuners.

The trem looks Strat 'ish but I suspect it'll make a Jazzmaster trem seem like a Floyd Rose..




Did I mention it's heavy?

[Gordon]

Used to have the exact same one picture in the first post. Heavy indeed, but the rest... One of the guitars I regret selling the most. Tri-Sonics are probably my favorite single coil pickups, and if some settings are unusable (IMHO), some are soooo good. Never had tuning issues, and I used that trem (I usually hate them, this one was the exception). Loved the neck as well. I think they tweaked a few things with the more recent reissues, though.

[spaceritual]

Yes that's the one!

I have to say it is a different beast with some new strings!

[UlricvonCatalyst]

These were popularized by The Shadows in the 1960's. They played Marquee's. I've seen one in person, never played it plugged in. British guitar company, very cool.

Nice acquisition!

Nah, it was The Searchers. The Searchers were the Bison-bothering band.

[Gordon]

And coincidently, the new owner of my Bison is actually trying to sell it (in France, preferably Paris)... If anyone is interested, I can ask for his price.

[rkharper]

had one like that, pulled out the 4 way switch and drilled 6 holes for 6 switches à la Brian May in the PG. the sound was awsome!!!! But I just coulnd not bond with the playin, the FB was so damn flat! so I sold it.