Burns Bison Basses

[Sagawa]

[color="#000080"][b]What's the general consensus in Basschatland on Bisons? I've never played one but rather like the thought of them. Any opinions?[/b][/color]

[Bilbo]

Ugly little whatnots. They appear in Felixstowe occasionally, in a tiny little shop near the train station.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Well, [b]I[/b] like them.
So there!

[Green Alsatian]

I had one for a bit and it's a very versatile bass with its pickup configurations - I was really impressed with the sound. The neck was a little thinner than a P, but not Jazz-thin and it seemed longer than its 34" scale due to the enormous cutaways. However, I wasn't in love with the shape/size of the body - didn't feel particularly comfortable, so I let it go. I'd have loved to have transplanted its electronics into another bass!

Here's a really crap demo I knocked up for the auction - clippy and sloppy, but it gives you an idea of how each of the pickup configurations sounded. You'll hear, in order:

Wild Dog A - bridge pickup
Wild Dog B - bridge and middle pickup (Jazz Bass-ish)
Treble A - bridge pickup
Treble B - bridge and middle pickup (Precision Bass-ish)
Bass A - neck pickup (my fave)
Bass B - neck and middle pickup (another goodie)
Split A - neck and treble pickup
Split B - all three pickups

'Wild Dog' and 'Treble' sound similar in mode A, but different in mode B - I think they're a series/parallel effort.

Edited August 16, 2011 by Green Alsatian

[Pow_22]

Ive got one of the MkI reissues and abolutely love it. The mark II's are a bit poorer build quality and the more recent ones seem very flimsy. Its my main bass and is the coolest looking bass ive had (mines the all black version)

[KevB]

I had one of the reissues, don't know which Mk it was but this is going back about 7 years. It was matt black and I quickly realised it wasn't the bass for me and moved it on for a very minimal loss as it was still mint. I couldn't get to grips with the way the neck sat in relation to the body so it seemed like the headstock end was miles away compared with a jazz or a P bass. I have the same problem with Thunderbirds, I guess you get used to it but overrall I found it a disappointment and was happy to see it goe elsewhere.

[Son of the Wear]

Probably me being shallow - but I agree with Bilbo. A small part of the joy of playing bass is sitting down to play and picking up an instrument that you think looks attractive - and these just don't do it for me.

Perhaps I should get over myself and try playing one

[Bisonboy]

Well as my name suggests-it is possible that am a bit biased when it comes to Bisons - but if you don't like the shape
then that is shame! - I fell in love with the shape a long time ago and when Bertbass went to buy one for me - I didn't drive back then-from Bonners in Eastbourne way back in the mid 80's and came back empty handed because it was not in good condition- I knew I had to find a good one at all costs. It turned out that the Eastbourne one was a Baldwin Bison - with a shorter scale than the original 33 1/2" scale.

I found an original Burns Jazz Bass ( now reissues as the Marque Bass) that has a simiar 3 pickup configuration inc Wild Dog - but it was not a Bison!

Well time went by - and Burns London had not been born(born 1992), and i had no idea about Jim Burns Actualizers (1979-1983) so after contacting Paul Day - the guitar Guru - he put me in touch with Jack Golder at Shergold Guitars and afer various visits, and testing of various part finished basses, a custom proper scale length Bison was born - a handmade repro of a 1964 Bison Bass - in Black with tortoiseshell scratchplate, rezotube bridge and pick ups and big scoll headstock by the men who made them for Burns nback in the 60's!

My favourite bass that i own still to this day. - the sounds maybe not as many as the original/ new reissues Black Bisons wild dog etc. but hey a 5 way selector switch worked for Mr Fender!

Since then i have acquired many basses including an original Burns Baby Bison, and I have had and sold an early 2000's club series Bison, which is a good instrument but in Red which didn't quite cut it visually for me, and i eventually went back to my Custom Bison - well just because!

So in conclusion - if you like the shape you deserve to at least try one of the reissues, and if you come accross a Baldwin Bison, it will probably be overpriced and the scale will be shorter than the 34" reissues or the 33 1/2" originals, and if you come accross original burns bison - whichever model - just do yourself a favour and buy it - OR let me know so i can(especially if it is Black).

and finally if you come across any Shergold guitars, basses or twin neck s- then again just buy it - you will not be disappointed - [url="http://www.shergold.co.uk/"]http://www.shergold.co.uk/[/url]