The ShadowMusic Web Community

Hello everyone!

I'm through nearly all of the threads of this forum, searched the whole web about Burns Guitars and got (and read) the 2 books from Per Gjörde...
Now i registered here to say hi, present my guitar(s) and ask a few humble questions

I acquired a Korean Burns Bison (2008) and because i loved that guitar (concept, design, sound) so much that i wanted to have "a really good one" (Made in England).

Now i bought this one:

Burns Bison Custom Shop (built September 2000 according to certificate).

It is an amazing instrument and i love each and every aspect of it!
It's in mint condition (a collector bought it in the UK 20 years ago and i think it was never played (for more than a dozen notes at least...)
The pickguard is warped but i'm quite sure i'll leave it as it is.
It plays like a dream. It is the guitar of my dreams.

Now i've got a question:
I wonder about the 2 PU-Selectors (5-way & 3-way, no Push/Pull).
They behave like this:

Switch A is classic Strat 5-way Switch
Switch B is 3-way Switch (Neck, middle, bridge)

A B
1-1 Neck
1-2 Neck & Middle
1-3 Neck & Bridge
2-1 Neck & Middle
2-2 Neck & Middle
2-3 Neck & Middle & Bridge
3-1 Neck & Middle
3-2 Middle
3-3 Middle & Bridge
4-1 Neck & Middle & Bridge
4-2 Middle & Bridge
4-3 Middle & Bridge
5-1 Neck & Bridge
5-2 Middle & Bridge
5-3 Bridge

That looks like a lot of combinations, but in the end it's the same as a 5-Way-Switch combination + an "All PUs" setting.
So there is lots of redundant combinations. The redundant combination are also identical in tone.

Additionally the controls: 1xVolume-pot / 1xTone-pot Neck / 1xTone-pot Middle
There is no way to alter tone of the bridge pickup (just a fact. not a problem ).
When tone-pot is turned down for Neck-PU it is affecting all PU-combinations. Same for Middle-Pickup.

I can handle all that. I just wonder if there is a concept/philosophy behind that?
I also wonder if Barry Gibson built it (probably...). Seems like Dan MacPherson did do the finishing.
There is barely any info about Burns Custom Shop Instruments (Bisons at least...).
(Now to the pictures of the guitar and also pictures of the wiring).

I'll be super happy about any information so thank you all in advance!

Yours
Martin

Can't help with info on your Bison I'm afraid, but I'm happy to chip in with praise for Burns Guitars .

I acquired an Apache Anniversary edition last summer and love it. Like you, I decided to seek out a UK built version, and earlier this year, I took possession of a very nice Fiesta Red Burns Legend Custom delux. The guitar was built in '96 and was loaned to Guitar magazine for review purposes. It came complete with a copy of Guitar Magazine featuring the review and as a bonus, one part of the scratch plate was signed by both Hank & Ben Marvin .

I subsequently purchased a new case for the guitar, and went along to Barry Gibsons home to collect it, taking the guitar with me to ensure it was a proper fit. Barry recognised the guitar as one that he had built which was the icing on the cake for me.

I have to say I found Barry to be a most friendly and helpful chap, and he seemed genuinely pleased to see one of his creations back. It may be worth your while giving him a quick call ( http://www.burnsguitars.com/contact.php ) to see if there's anything he can tell you regarding the history of your Bison.

Cliff

I had a Burns Ultrasound with the two switches described here and there was a good selection of tones using both and it had the push-pull pot too.

nosiB wrote:I wonder about the 2 PU-Selectors (5-way & 3-way, no Push/Pull).
They behave like this:

Switch A is classic Strat 5-way Switch
Switch B is 3-way Switch (Neck, middle, bridge)

Are you sure the rear pot is not a push-pull? AFAIK every Bison has one to switch the neck-pu separately. This enables all 7 pickup combinations. The 3-way-switch on the Bison 64 usually is not a pickup selector, but a tone switch (filter).

With two 5-way switches wired in parallel, every pickup selection and combination is available without the need for any push-pull pots.

To get all three pickups on together, you put switch A in the "neck + middle" position and switch B in the bridge position. All three pickups are then in circuit, in parallel, just as they would be with a single blade switch and a push-pull pot.

The same combination can be achieved by putting switch A in the bridge position and switch B in the neck and middle position.

Bridge / neck (another popular "missing" combination) is selected by putting either switch in the bridge position and the other one in the neck position.

Parallel Strat switching is very useful. Hank had something like it on the black Strat he was using in the second half of the 1970s.

Thank you all for your feedback!

Especially Jim: Your post described it right and i think i somehow "got it" . Thank you very much!
i missed the point that it is two additional combinations than a standard 5-way. ("all 3" and "neck & bridge").
On my Korean Bison the push/pull gives the same result but the handling with 2 blade switches is probably more flexible.

My understanding would be that for example the upper 3 way could select which PU to turn on permanently (for example. Bridge).
Then the 5 way optionally adds: middle, middle-neck, neck.
And with the tone controls for middle and neck i could darken those combinations. Other strategies are possible and that's what it's probably all about.

Will take a picture of my Korean Bison later.

Would it be ok try making this thread a "Show your Bison"-Thread?
Who would like to show his/hers?

No Bisons I'm afraid, but I'm happy to share a pic of my small collection of Burns. The red one is UK built (1996) and the other 2 Chinese, but still excellent instruments nonetheless. No idea where the little one was made

Cliff

@Teflon: Nice! I like the Apache a lot but the red one is really great!

Here's my Korean Bison ("Bison Series", built in 2008):

Two lovely instruments there. Do you notice much difference in the way they play?

Cliff

Teflon wrote:Two lovely instruments there. Do you notice much difference in the way they play?
Cliff

Not much but little things often make a big difference
Both weigh exactly the same (quite exactly 4055g). The Korean seems to have a bit more weight on head and neck than the Custom so it balances not as good. Both can be setup perfectly.
The Korean has a thicker neck and where the neck joins the headstock it is much thicker. I immediately noticed that when holding the Custom for the first time.
Overall the body of the Custom is much better "contoured". Bigger/softer radiuses everywhere and it has significant better haptics so it's more enjoyable playing it. Because of that i would say it is a better player because it's more enjoyable to hold and play.

One thing about the sound:
I'd say that the Korean sounds different (because of pickups). It seems that the "korean" Rezomatiks are more like standard strat single coils (not in a bad way). Another thread here in the forum mentions Alan Entwistles comments about those. They have a quality in sound but it's not the sound of "real" burns rezomatiks i'd say. The Rezomatiks on the Custom look different (from the bottom), are properly engraved (not printed as on the korean) and i'd say they sound "thicker" (more mids, bit less trebly?).