Ormston Burns upright - help with value

[Burns-bass]

Hi all, I have an Ormston Burns upright bass which I'm looking to get rid of, and will inevitably advertise on this forum when I finally get my camera sorted and it's not raining and dark.

Anyway, it's all original aside from the endpin I had custom made. All seems to work, although the pickup hasn't been tested for very long. There are some marks on the fingerboard where the finish has worn away, been chipped etc.

The previous owner touched up a bit of paint with some Umbro paint (not a vintage fan). But aside from that is all good, apart from being a little dusty.

Anyway, I have no idea what this might be worth. I paid a few hundred for it many moons ago I think.

Any help in valuing this beast gratefully appreciated, I have no frame of reference.

I need to seek because of a combination of a new baby and a new upright on the way.

[JoeEvans]

Photos would probably help... A quick google suggests that we're talking about an upright semi-acoustic with strong bass guitar DNA, is that the kind of thing?

[Burns-bass]

Will do the bass is in my music room at the moment and it's very dark!

It's this one: http://www.daydreamguitars.com/enlarge.asp?ref=012_1_.jpg&title=ORMSTON+BURNS+UPRIGHT+BASS

It's a solid body bass, the f holes are black plastic. It's a quirky instrument!

[JoeEvans]

If the pickup works (i.e. a decent sound to the output socket) then maybe £450? I can see it appealing to someone in the rockabilly world.

[Burns-bass]

It all seems to work! I'd love it to go to someone who would use it. It's just sat here annoying the cat (and my wife!).

I have a whole room full of vintage gear and this one I've never bothered to mess with. I'd suggest it needs to be rewired but the circuit is incredibly simple.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Burns-bass

[alyctes]

I have the ruin of another O-B. It does play, and is about 35% complete.

They're really not all that related to bass guitars IIUC - bass guitars were themselves a bit of a rarity when the O-B was built (1959 in London, I think).

They are quite rare - nobody seems to know how many were made, but the best guess I'm aware of is maybe six or seven.

Edited February 4, 2017 by alyctes

[PaulKing]

Alyctes - maybe I'd recognise that ruin!?

I owned one for many years without any idea what it was. Stumbled into that one pictured by the OP years back, and was surprised by the heritage and collectability. The remnant / ruin was a curiosity, nothing more ... but legend has it that mint one pictured sold for 4 figures.

You'd have to be a Burns nut to want one that much, and there are far more playable and nice sounding electric uprights out there.

But it is without doubt very collectable and very rare - possibly single figures or a few more made, plus I think there was a later re-issue but equally few made.

There' a text about them knocking around on the net somewhere. On this forum too...

[PaulKing]

Ah yes, the very same!


[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/131112-sold-rare-vintage-eub-collectors-curio/page__hl__ormston+burns__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/131112-sold-rare-vintage-eub-collectors-curio/page__hl__ormston+burns__fromsearch__1[/url]

[PaulKing]

PS Alyctes ... whats with the Cassini / Saturn images?
My day job ... I make Stargazing Live for BBC2 with Prof Cox.
You interested in that stuff?

[Burns-bass]

Cheers bass playing friends! I will get some pictures and get her up for sale. The issue has just got a little more pressing today.

[Burns-bass]

Had a few PMs about the bass, and I've uploaded images and advertised for sale at £650. Take a look, see what you think and let me know if I"m being bonkers about the value...