Vibra Artistes in varying guises

[Billyboygretsch]

Thought these might be of interest to some



These are almost finished just some final touches on some.
Vibra Artiste de luxe original
Vibra Artiste de luxe restored neck binding removed.
1962 Vibra Artiste Original
1960 Vibra Artiste black finish wired like Brian May with mini toggles as opposed to sliders
1960 Vibra Artiste original

The colour variations is really very wide. The later ones have a much lighter red

[dusty fretz]

A very nice selection of varied Vibra Artists, Bill, but I didn't know you'd moved to Australia! Joking aside, seeing this completed quintet makes me feel even more guilty that I still haven't managed to make much headway into restoring 'Old Whitey', purchased from you almost six years ago! In my defence I'll say that, having waited over 43 years for this, my original Vibra Artist to finally return home, I thought the need to do the necessary work wasn't exactly urgent, but you've now stung me into renewed activity, so it WILL happen, and soon, honest!

[Billyboygretsch]

Paul I look forward to seeing it I am sure you will do a marvellous job. Difficult to believe that was six years. By the way did you get my mail about the Orbit 6 ? I have thought of putting it on here

[anniv 63]

The Vibra Artise on the extreme left looks to be the same model as used in the early days of the Searchers
and used by Mike Pender, as seen on a colour photo EP of Sweets for my Sweet issued in 1963.
This instrument together with the Hofner Club 40 that John McNally used at the time, undoubtedly gave
that early trademark Searchers clanky guitar sound, best illustrated on their 1st and second albums.
After that it was the smoother Gibson and Burns 12 string combinations , i.e. Needles and Pins and
When You Walk in the Room as examples of sound direction changed.

Mike

[Billyboygretsch]

Hi Mike is this the pic you are referring to. Not very good quality but from what I can see it is a Vibra Artiste and not a de luxe. More likely to be like the one on the right in my pic
Cheers
Bill

[anniv 63]

Hi Bill
Yes indeed the actual EP picture.
I was going more on the colour shade on the sleeve itself , hence I guessed the
left one, but you are probably right about the actual model.
Think Mike Pender would have bought this new maybe around the time of the Hambourg Star Club
appearances and before they had a Pye recording contract?

Mike

[cockroach]

At last, a pic of my old Vibra Artiste! I had one the same as the model on the far left(dark red, no binding, 1960-with blade type switch)

I had seen a close up of Mike Pender's similar guitar in Beat Instrumental when the Searchers first got into the charts- 1963 I think.

I bought mine in a local pawnshop here in Adelaide, South Australia in 1967- they actually had two of them, the other one had a normal toggle switch, but I bought the one with the blade switch (Fender type)
The switch tip was missing, and the switch was stiff and rusty- changing pickups was life threatening- you not only slashed your finger but could also get tetanus or hepatitis or summat! But it had a vast range of confusing settings with two switches and six knobs...aaarrrgghh!

After a few semi-acoustic type guitars (Hofner, Elite) I wanted a Strat type guitar to play Hendrix type stuff but couldn't afford a Fender- so the Burns had to do...

[RayL]

Bill,
Do any of your Vibra Artistes show a 'crazing' of the cherry paint finish - a random pattern of fine cracks in the surface?

That was already a problem when I bought my Artist in 1963. It didn't get any worse so I imagine that the spraying may have been less than perfect - not enough undercoats, perhaps? In the end I got fed up with it and had it resprayed black. Now I'm thinking about having it restored to cherry again.

Perhaps Paul can tell us if any other early Artists had this 'crazed' effect?
Ray

[BrianD]

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I bought my Artiste in '67. At the time the cherry finish was chipped and cracked so I had it refinished and, for my sins, had it done in white (my tribute to the white Marvins which, as a schoolboy, I never thought I would ever aspire to. Now, almost fifty years on I wish I had left well alone and kept that guitar as a long term investment - after all, it only cost me around £40 back then!!! But then at around the same time my father sold my mother's 1938 Morris 8 for just £5. Oh for a time machine and some foresight!

Attached is the only photo I have of me playing my Burns Artiste. Taken post-respray at Eastbourne College in 1968.

[Billyboygretsch]

Hi Ray
Everyone of my Artistes / Sonics exhibit some form of crazing particularly on the red. Albeit some is quite minor and you can only see it certain angles. I think it must be something to do with the red sinking into the mahogany then when the lacquer is applied it sinks into a semi porous body. I have done two resprays on these mahogany bodies where I have had some crazing. I have tried the same paint lacquer on other woods and it does not occur so I put it down to the mahogany. I have since used grain filler and sanded back and not had the problem. Using car paint is much easier and will not craze however you do not achieve the gloss of the lacquer.
When I look at the colour changes during the years of production the earlier ones were semi transparent the latter ones including the deluxe were lighter colour and probably had a degree of white in them which would have reduced the crazing effect.
Good luck if you decide to go back to original colour. I note you have your own electronics on yours. I have kept the original plate and electronics for my black one but I really prefer the ease of use with my current electronics.
I have a spare body and quite fancy a white one. I am considering doing a 3 pick up Sonic with BM switching. I shall name it Supersonic