Burns Artist - going back

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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby RayL » Mon Sep 05, 2016 7:19 am

Paul,
Thanks for the suggestion of Alan Exley. I'll check out his website.
Ray
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby Billyboygretsch » Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:56 am

I tried Alan Exley and if after the ribbed ones they are not quite the same - I seem to recall they were as early Vox ones. I wanted it to look aesthetically as close as possible that's why I moulded including the tapped screw. Regarding the cover fillers might be a good option - I did make a mould and have successfully moulded in the past.
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby dusty fretz » Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:56 pm

Bill,
As I indicated in my previous posting, I was referring to the switch knob, NOT the control knobs. Alan offers an accurate version of the former, as he took the mould from an original example and has included the correct off-centre fixing slot.
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby Billyboygretsch » Fri Sep 09, 2016 10:20 pm

Sorry Paul I had misread what you stated. I think the only way to make the selector switch housing successfully is to mould them. I know EC has used Perspex heated in the oven then formed them - I think that's a bit hit and miss though. The moulding I made came out well but was a bit tricky getting it dead right. I used black onyx moulding compound as painting can be difficult to get adhesion
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby Billyboygretsch » Fri Nov 11, 2016 3:44 pm

Any news on your Artist Ray EC told me you have your Scratchplate - any news on the spraying yet ?
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby RayL » Sat Nov 12, 2016 8:47 am

Bill,

When I got the panel back I asked for an update on the respraying. This was the reply:-
"we've stripped the front and back to reveal some quite big cracks under the bridge and around the neck joint , so we have repaired the cracks but leaving it to settle before we paint it just in case the cracks open up , we will be back on the guitar next week so it will start to move more quickly now"

I don't want to load the plate with any hardware until I've made sure it fits the body (the slot for the 'toe' of the Bigsby may need easing) so nothing to report at present.
Ray
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby RayL » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:21 am

The Artist body has (at last) returned from being resprayed back to the original cherry red. If the routing of the body seems a bit crude in places, it was done back in the sixties when I was experimenting with phase reversed pickups and I needed space for extra switches.
Artist respray face 31 July 2017 .JPG
Artist respray face 31 July 2017 .JPG (63.55 KiB) Viewed 15907 times


Eddie Cross Jnr. has made me a new control panel. This picture shows the underside, with copper foil added to shield the electronics. The blobs of araldite with a nut in the middle are for the pickup mounting bolts. This is the same method that was used by Jim Burns on the original panel
Burns Artist panel + copper foil.JPG
Burns Artist panel + copper foil.JPG (150.63 KiB) Viewed 15907 times


The body cavity has also been lined with copper foil. The pic was taken when the bridge position was being finalised, hence the Bigsby and the two machine heads which were fitted on a temporary basis.
Burns Artist body + copper foil.JPG
Burns Artist body + copper foil.JPG (68.36 KiB) Viewed 15907 times
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby Billyboygretsch » Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:46 pm

Getting there Ray - taking no chances with all that lining
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby RayL » Sat Sep 23, 2017 4:28 pm

Here's my Burns Artist, returned as close as possible to the condition when I bought it for £40.00 in Potter's Music Shop, South Croydon, on Saturday 2nd November 1963.
The offset contour neck, 3/16" jack socket and creamy-white control plate proclaim it to be one of the earliest Artist models ever made. The Bigsby was a factory fit (presumably as a special order) since these early Artist models had no Burns tremolo.
Burns Artist complete 400pixel.JPG
Burns Artist complete 400pixel.JPG (68.91 KiB) Viewed 15759 times

The most essential parts (the Trisonic pickups that give that 'Burns' sound) are original, though the one disappointment has been that the middle pickup has gone open-circuit. Not a lot can be done about that since the coil is sealed in wax that has gone rock-hard over the years.

The only non-original parts are:
1. The control plate (the old one was too badly damaged). The new one was made for me by Eddy Cross, so a direct link to the original.
2. The bridge (the original is lurking somewhere - if I find it I'll put it back).
3. The pots (long gone in one of the many rebuilds).
4. The knobs (also long gone in one of the many rebuilds - thank you to Bill Lovegrove for some very suitable replacements).
5. The cream knob on the pickup selector switch (probably lost on stage somewhere - replacement from Alan Exley).

What do the pickups sound like after nearly sixty years? Excellent. Still powerful and as loud as the Rez-o-matics on my 2006 Burns Batwing. Where the Batwing's Rez-o-matics are very toppy, almost brittle, the Trisonics have a balanced sound between their treble and bass. Compared to a Strat (which is closer in sound to the Batwing though not quite as edgy) again the more balanced sound of the Trisonics is noticeable even though they are also single coil.

What is it like to play? Well, the offset contour neck takes a bit of getting used to after 'ordinary' guitars and the very short scale (23 3/8") means the left elbow is tucked right into the waist. The very flat frets (never changed) make for easy finger movements.

A guitar with 'character'.

Next up for a refurb is the case (made for the guitar. Its unusual design is also no doubt by Jim Burns). It balances well.
Burns Artist case 400pixel.JPG
Burns Artist case 400pixel.JPG (73.64 KiB) Viewed 15759 times

Ray
p.s. I've updated my avatar!
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Re: Burns Artist - going back

Postby Billyboygretsch » Sat Sep 23, 2017 7:32 pm

Great job Ray - that's close to how it would have come out the factory. Night of the Vampire now
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