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It seems to me that there was no such thing as a 'standard' Burns model back then!

Every one I've ever seen is slightly different in some feature or other! Bit different today with CNC production consistency and quality control I s'pose!

(I ashamedly admit that I used my Burns Vibra Artist at high volume, playing material by Cream, Hendrix, The Who and The Byrds - which was the 'in' stuff in 1967 at the time I owned it... )

Cockroach, don't apologise for playing Hendrix and cream!. That's a GREAT thing!.

Ray, did you strip the original finish before applying the black paint ?.
If so, what did you use?.
Polyester only comes off with a red hot heat gun and a lot of scraping. If it was nitro, it would come off really easy with any bog standard paint stripper.
How does the super thin neck hold fully strung up?. Most have warped necks!.

cockroach wrote:(I ashamedly admit that I used my Burns Vibra Artist at high volume, playing material by Cream, Hendrix, The Who and The Byrds - which was the 'in' stuff in 1967 at the time I owned it... )

And that stuff still sounds great now, unlike *coughs* 'some other acts' who sound like the soundtrack to an old ladies tea dance. Twangadoodle doo!

The pick ups are pretty powerful and some great sounds come from them. I guess Brian May showed that on some of the stuff he does. Including Shadows covers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=azcZBnEwpFc

Billyboygretsch wrote:The pick ups are pretty powerful and some great sounds come from them. I guess Brian May showed that on some of the stuff he does. Including Shadows covers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=azcZBnEwpFc

ooh no...not into that.

When my artiste project is complete gonna bung it straight into my colorsound powerboost and see what they are REALLY capable of

This is more like my idea of a 'great sound' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0oTfx-Bkc ideally with additional waves of barely controllable feedback rivalling the actual notes for prominence.

burnsbonkers wrote:Ray, did you strip the original finish before applying the black paint ?. If so, what did you use?.

It was sent away to be re-sprayed, so I don't know what was done. It is possible that it went to Derek Adams.

burnsbonkers wrote:How does the super thin neck hold fully strung up?. Most have warped necks!.

The neck is in very good condition, without warp. The frets are low, very low, but they always have been.
Ray

UPDATE on my 'going back' project

The body/neckis still at the spraying company. I have asked that the frets, although somewhat worn, are left untouched to keep the original 'feel' of the fretboard.
A new control plate is being made by Eddie Cross in cream/ivory. His metal template seems to match the dimensions of my original.

One item that needs repairing is the cover for the pickup selector switch

There are fillers available that should do the trick.
Ray

Ray,

What condition is the pickup selector switch?? (Blade type 3 position)

When I got my Artist(e) secondhand from a pawnshop in 1967, the switch tip was missing, and the lever was rusty and stiff- and SHARP!- you could literally cut off yer finger changing pickups whilst playing on stage...I cut myself a lot doing that!

John,
Agreed - without a switch tip, the metal blade is sharp. The switch tip on mine is long gone, replaced with a little cylindrical knob that I found. Maybe try and replicate the original with that same filler that I'll use for the switch cover . . . .
Ray

Ray,
Regarding your knob problem (switch-wise that is), I suggest you check out Alan Exley at Project Guitar Parts, as he can supply a pretty good repro of the real thing, complete with the correct offset slot.