1961 Burns Sonic Bass

[@dmthandmade5674]

The bridge is adjustable for height, intonation, and tetanus.

[@dickranmarsupialmusic3184]

Haha!

[@fmunson]

Nailed it!

[@rudybigboote3883]

Yeah but can you adjust the ugly on it?

[@Riccardo_Silva]

🤣😂🤣! Reminds me of that unplayable, toneless Maya i began with!!!

[@Riccardo_Silva]

Well, after all, not actually: my Maya had at least some sort of Truss (ish) rod (ish) thingy under the fretboard. It was better than this abomination!

[@joelfildes5544]

Great English accent impression Ted,you went from posh southerner (London) to Scouser (Liverpool) Manc (Manchester) and finished off with Brummie (Birmingham) pretty much where EVERYTHING happened that lot !

[@emailandydean]

And he still can't sat solder properly.

[@StringTechWorkstations]

Thanks Ted. It's always a pleasure. I've worked on quite a few of those Burns guitars over the years. Nice to get those thorough historical background facts that you present so well. Gratefully, Michael

[@KBorham]

Excellent episode as always. At least the bridge looks less like a piece of “farm equipment” now- well done Ted

[@larrynoe6162]

That bridge reminds me of the old ice trays.

[@smeagle3295]

You’re kind. It reminds me of the Saw movies.

[@grandpaduncan]

Oh yeah! Mechanical with a lever...

[@tiddlywinks497]

One of the bridge designs of all time

[@jonathanlonie3065]

Thruppence a night and a fish paste sandwich ! Love it 😂

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

You forgot the packet of crisps and the promise of Skegness.

[@walkamongtheignorant4912]

o'rate!

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

I wonder if those screws were Whitworth threads.

[@jonathanlonie3065]

I know it was pure gold!

[@boboala1]

Yeah, I'm curious about the fish paste 'sammitch'. I just had a puff of some muggles while enjoying this brilliant luthier's work (well, two puffs actually) and now am hungry for some strengthening food! ;-)

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

Our bass player turned up with one of these recently, having just bought it. It looked like a toy, and an old one, at that. The sound, however, was surprisingly good, and that bass has been used at our gigs since then. Regarding British access to US guitars: there was either an embargo, or prohibitive import duties in the post-war years, which was why we didn't see Fender guitars at that time. Hank's red 1958 Strat was the first one ever imported to the UK.

[@beenaplumber8379]

That bass grew on me. It looked goofy and kinda sad at first. By the end of the episode I was thinking it looked absolutely far out! Brits seemed to use Rickenbackers a lot in the 60s. Were they just more desired, or do you know if there was something in the UK import laws that favored them?

[@1man1guitarletsgo]

@@beenaplumber8379 I believe the Beatles used Rickenbackers before they became famous (i.e., no sponsorship deals), and then I suppose other guitarists wanted to emulate them. Apparently John bought his first one in Hamburg. At that time there would have been a lot of US servicemen in Germany, so maybe one of them had brought it with him.

[@davidjohnson00001]

On the Beatles first American tour in 1964 Rickenbacker gifted them the guitars as an endorsement. I think that Paul got his Rickenbacker bass slightly later.

[@jensenhealey08]

@@beenaplumber8379 Rose Morris a big London Shop in those days and still going imported Rickenbackers on a sort of co-branding basis from about 1964

[@beenaplumber8379]

@@davidjohnson00001 Did RIC do that for a lot of UK musicians in the 60s? The Beatles weren't the only ones who used them. Or maybe they just bought them in the US while touring during the British Invasion?

[@hpblack1953]

I visit Ted's channel not only to pick up tips for repair, to be introduced to versatile products I need on my work bench. This man is amazing.

[@Rangotz]

this channel is pure gold. im by no means a craftsman of any kind, my hands are growing out of my ass pretty much, but this is extremely interesting and informative to watch.

[@JohnMacFergus-oz5cp]

A bridge like that needs a cover. Cool guitar. Thanks for the show!

[@gryzew]

Discrepancy between bridge and neck pickup output is probably because it's the same exact pickup (in terms of how they were wound) with an extreme difference in position (and thus string vibration amplitude) betwen the two.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I reckon you could be right. I have a Watkins bass from the same era and the bridge pickup is very weak, though it seems to be identical to the neck pickup which is fine. If I raise the bridge pickup to get more volume from it, I start to get wolf tones.

[@philgallagher1]

Hank Marvin had the very first Candy Apple Red Strat in the UK. You are right he was the MOST influential musician of the late '50s, early '60s. Everyone wanted a red Strat after seeing him playing it. There is a brilliant documentary about a guy called Mark Knopfler in which he talks about standing outside his local music shop every day on his way home from school, just staring at a red Strat in the window and daydreaming about being in a famous band and playing one! (I wonder what happened to that guy?!) BTW great accent, Ted. Kind of a mix between Scouse & Brummie with a touch of Cockney thrown in for luck!! (Birmingham, Liverpool & London for the uninitiated!)

[@TZerot0]

Very cool! I was gifted a '63 Ampeg-burns by my old manager, it's sort of a Strat like thing, a lot of fun to play, and he kept it in great condition.

[@Sparky6string]

This brand does not get much attention anywhere that I'm aware of, yet I see their design influences everywhere. Thanks

[@J.C...]

Psshhtt. Anyone who knows of Brian May should know of this brand. He's played their pickups for as long as his guitar has existed.

[@Sparky6string]

@@J.C... Coverage and being aware of their pickups are two different things.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Back in the early 70's a friend had a tri sonic 6-string that was great to play and sounded amazing, but no-one wanted British guitars at the time, mostly because of snobbishness. I wish I owned that guitar today !

[@Sparky6string]

@@Kevin-mx1vi I remember. All the cats I hung with were old school also so yeah anything other than US made wasn't even on the radar. I became that person also and the shock I had when I finally got my hands on a quality Japanese guitar around 84 or 85 was strong. I switched over to the MiJ for years because I preferred them and at that time they were cheap as chips. That changed and I went back to MIA, but now Indonesia is reminding me of MiJ from the 80s. China also. My xenophobia has left me.

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Troy Van Leeuwen from Queens of the Stone Age plays a Burns - Double Six, sometimes Josh Homme does too, but yeah, not too many cats play Burns guitars, especially these days.

[@NorthBayRepublic]

Loved the Enfield shout-out, Ted.

[@MarkCarson-e5f]

I don’t regularly respond to this video, but have to say that I love your videos!

[@bldallas]

Look what the Easter Bunny surprised us with! Very cool. Have a great holiday, Ted! Thanks.

[@dalgguitars]

Thank you for your videos!

[@JM46jm]

I received your T-shirt and sticker. The unique packaging of the sticker did not go unnoticed. Thanks Ted,

[@YellowJello57]

British engineering and design is so variable. For every spitfire, you have a Burns Sonic bass. That bridge is like something out of an MC Esher drawing. No truss rod. Eesh. Always enjoy your electric repairs a lot. Happy Easter, Ted.

[@jamesmarkham7489]

One of my favorite British quality jokes is on The IT Crowd where Moss goes to put out a fire when he notices the fire extinguisher was made in the uk. It promptly catches on fire itself.

[@AlbertoMuti]

Even the revered spitfire wasn't without issues; among others, the fuel tank was placed in such a way that if it was hit and the fuel caught on fire, the fire would be aspirated directly in the cabin and hit the pilot first. The UK pioneered reconstruction surgery techniques for extreme burns during WWII, and it was all thanks to the Spitfire.

[@dokterzorro]

Reminds me of Italian made guitars from that era. They really had to come up with all kinds of weird stuff to get past copyrights and most of those "solutions" were totally impractical because Fender & Gibson got it mostly right first time. Usually you can't play them anymore, bent, warped, bad pickups, everything we see here with the Burns applies to them as well. Too bad because they usually look great, unusual shapes, extreme finishes, stuff they took from furnishing, rubber strips as binding, pretty wild compared to what we're used to now. They do make for great wallhangers, decoration in pubs etc...

[@johnnyrandom100]

if you read this Ted here's a tip. You can use citric acid in the powder form and warm water to remove rust. about a teaspoon to a liter works fine. Leave the parts in for about an hour or two and all is good.

[@R3TR0R4V3]

AKA, OA bath (wood bleach).

[@honkytonkinson9787]

That bridge looks a lot less comical when it’s clean and straightened out!

[@fulci6734]

Thank you Ted 👍👍👍🎸

[@paulgartner4619]

I get up at 6 am. Love the commentary. Informative and very funny. Great way to start the day.

[@gordonholland3406]

Hi Ted! I just received my Woodford hoodie! It looks fantastic! Great logo design! Thanks for everything you do. Your channel is my favourite of all time! -Gord

[@pamartin]

Not once, not twice, but thrice...😂😂😂 You are a gas! I never stop learning from you or being entertained by you! Thank you. Soon as I saw the pickups I remembered the term "microphonic"!😅 Thanks for all you do!👍

[@audiotechlabs4650]

Reminds me of my Kent P bass style bass I had in the 60s. No truss rod in the bolt on neck with the same bow that this one has. A mahogany body(very heavy) and it was played for countless gigs! Those pickups, although the bridge needs rewound, are worth more than the whole bass! Thanxz

[@beenaplumber8379]

I would fight with that bass through a gig! The music would have to be very groovy though. Like, I couldn't cover Boston with that bass (I love Boston!), but certainly anything from the 60s, ska, punk, indy/edgy, music for the fun part of life, not serious and thoughtful music (which I also love). Stay groovy!

[@The_Walrus_Was_Paul_1984]

Nice Saturday surprise! 👌🏻

[@davidjohnstone4362]

Another great history lesson! Received my sticker this week love the card thanks Ted!

[@tarnishedknite]

Another fascinating history lesson. Appreciate learning about the early days of modern instruments!

[@muddynyc]

I think you did waaaaay better than you say you did! excellent work as always

[@TeleCustom72]

My old science teacher worked at Burns back in the day (we're based in Newcastle). He would recall the 'Concorde' guitar long before I saw a photo of one on the internet.

[@nickfelicione6300]

I've watched your videos for years. I appreciate your knowledge and skills, mostly your patience and determination to do all things correctly. I really enjoy the research and history of the guitars. Thank you for what you do. You are the only you tube videos that I anticipate every week. Please continue the good work! Rock on Tim!

[@nickdray5072]

What's the DC resistance of the pickups? That would confirm the weak bridge pickup theory. Btw the story I heard about the Shads move to Burns was tuning issues with Fenders. Both Hanks Strat with trem but also the Strat and Jazzmaster Bruce used. It had got to the point where Bruce Welch almost had a nervous breakdown and would tune his guitar for an hour before every gig.

[@ambiention]

The vids working on quirky odd stuff like this are my favorite ones. Hopefully one day the KZbin video helps it make sense to restore these instruments that would otherwise hardly get played again

[@robertsharpe3890]

As a Brit, I have to say that you’ve got us pretty much pegged! Impressed with your knowledge and techniques as always. Keep up the great work.

[@loki3292]

I dig Burns' body styles, and use of plastic on the face- pretty iconic. Never seen an original Burns ANYTHING in even close to playable condition. I dig some of their more crazy designs.

[@akc5150]

Thank you sooooo much for the impression!!! I'm from Nottingham in England where the M1 passes through and the "local" holiday place has ALWAYS been Skegness (Known as SkegVegas here).

[@andywason3414]

Is Butlins still there?😁

[@beaujohnstone]

⁠ploot tootin’!

[@fritzthedog007]

Skeggeh

[@adammono1839]

So nice to see one of the rare British guitars. Thanks Ted! 👍

[@tincansailor9437]

Sitting here in my brand new Woodford Instruments t-shirt (green option) settling in for another enjoyable session of Ted’s wit and skill.

[@peterespada6226]

You did what you could do with the limitations of age and construction. I like it. Thanks!

[@joelonsdale]

It has a nice character both visually and sonically. Nice job and interesting video :)

[@shadowofaman69]

I love the history lessons just as much as the Luthery. Some super cool instruments run though Ted's shop.

[@localcrew]

If you’ve ever seen the David Cronenberg film “Dead Ringers” - well the bridge on this bass reminds me of the obstetrical instruments used by the twisted twins played by Jeremy Irons.

[@fritzthedog007]

3:06 Where does his insight come from, this is a very, um, real reflection of cheerful British-ness. Oh aye, we love our fish paste sarnies.

[@TheBuzzCatt]

New t-shirt, cool sticker, turn on to the punk poddie. thanks so much ak .✌.

[@zubeystinzen540]

😂 ted you made me chuckle with that Skegness reference 😂 brilliant imitation ❤it

[@brianogrady7900]

Love your knowledge of the UK Ted

[@joebloggs4369]

Jelutong was a common timber in UK for pattern making in the post war years and some Burns guitars are known to have used it as its easy to machine and gives a very good finish. It's similar to basswood.

[@phil36135]

Very cool and an incredible history story. Such a nice surprise to see you on a Saturday evening. Thanks and happy Easter weekend.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

IIRC the necks and fretboards they used were either sycamore or beech. There is/was a British Pathe video from the mid-late 60’s here on KZbin showing some footage from the factory showing the use of a big pin router to hog out the swimming pool underneath the pick guards.

[@JimChamp]

Mine has mahogany body and neck.

[@dale1956ties]

Great info as usual. Thanks Ted. Oh, BTW I loved the card that came with my sticker.

[@ted149]

Oh man the English accent bit was hilarious - and to finish off with a reference to Skeggy - perfect!

[@monkofwar]

This is why I will always prefer bolt on necks all day, every day. Thanks Leo Fender!

[@JonManProductions]

The thing about the old Burns Trisonic pickups is that they are literally copper coils wrapped around a bare bar magnet and stuffed into a cover. No plastic bobbin, literally wire and magnet. XD they changed alot, but the modern pickups are spiritually similar nowadays.

[@dimorphodons5281]

The coils were wound on a removable former then wrapped in cloth tape, seems bizarre but for some reason most UK made pickups were done like that in the early days.

[@bigbasil1908]

I have a boosey and hawks flute that I got from a charity shop a few months back here in England (for £40 = $50). I have a bunch of replacement pads to put in it as a couple are missing and others are reasonably worn, but I should be able to get it in good working order. I've never played a flute before but I'm pretty ok with playing new instruments. 'ARC cooper pattern B&H Emperor E Boosey & Hawkes London' is what is on the flute body.

[@stewsim]

This is just wonderful! I’ve run into some “interesting” Burns guitars over the years. Usually requires some head scratching and wondering what they were smoking at the time…😂 Thanks Ted, very entertaining video for my Saturday night…!!!

[@peterbury691]

Love these video, they are terrific. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

[@nasticanasta]

Wow that bridge...never seen anything like it.

[@theshapeexists]

I saw one of these at Rockleys music in Denver years ago and now i wished i tried it. I ended up buying a Warwick Corvette standard that day

[@wbfaulk]

In reference to guitars that were available in England in the post-war period, it's important to note that the British government had made it illegal to commercially import musical instruments from the United States. That means that you couldn't buy a Fender or a Gibson from the store, but if you went to the US, you could buy one and bring it back. I'm still a little unclear on this, as imports from elsewhere weren't restricted. I guess there was some level of European solidarity in post-war rebuilding, even if many of the imported instruments came from the former Axis communities.

[@gcatwyo]

Just want you to know that I absolutely appreciated the Jaguar analogy. Cheers Ted!

[@chiefbloodygrass]

Sorry, it was something I thought you would like... I love your videos... I hope we are cool...

[@buzzawuzza3743]

I dig how light it is. My days of holding up a Fender P all night are over. If it was mine I would search out a hardshell case for it and spend some time making it sound good with my amp and pedals. A nice bass for an interesting video. Thank you

[@ian-c.01]

When I saw the pic of that exotic bridge a phrase from the Led Zeppelin song Houses of the Holy popped into my head, "Oh my Jesus" !

[@thosewhowish2b693]

Not Physical Graffiti though?

[@rossforrest]

That’s from the song: In my time of dying

[@ian-c.01]

@@rossforrest That's right, I couldn't remember off the top of my head and wanted to post the comment while I had time.

[@PageMarker1]

A far more interesting video & history lesson than I expected! Thought it was Davey504 playing at the end there...) Happy Easter, Ted!

[@matthewmincer4124]

I've owned a Baldwin Baby Bison for years. I knew that Baldwin bought a British brand but nothing other than that. Thanks for making this vid.

[@willhouse]

YESSSSS saw the post about this on insta & I am *stoked* Thanks, Ted!

[@zacharykim295]

Wow that bass sounds really good!

[@petedazer3381]

Great video Ted, I really enjoy watching you do your thing, and of course, the history lesson…..Happy Easter, if that’s on your radar!

[@SBZ5809]

From a Burns fan: excellent stuff. Just FYI, the absence of US guitars in UK in the fifties and sixties wasn't just cost; it was virtually illegal to import stuff from US at that time, which is why most UK players used Hofner.

[@philgallagher1]

Not just "virtually" illegal, but ACTUALLY illegal. It was a tax thing imposed by the UK Govt in an attempt to encourage us to "Buy British". It extended to amps as well which is why we now have Marshall and Vox!

[@will2741]

That factoid gets repeated a lot, but the import ban was ended sometimes in 58 or 59. I've been researching this stuff for a book. Circa 1959/60 you see Les Pauls and Strats listed alongside Burns Weill, Hofner etc

[@JimChamp]

I have a December 1963 one of these and its significantly different.The bridge in particular is a lot more conventional. The original jack socket on mine is a plastic one, not metal. neck and body are both a mahogany type timber, I think probably sapele by the ribbon striping. Fingerboard is rosewood.

[@peterjones3100]

A mention of Skeggy on a sunday afternoon wasn't what I expect from Ted, still laughing and slightly impressed with the impressions 😅

[@david25876]

Love the history in the vids. ❤

[@laurencehastings7473]

I loved the faux English, English and respect your attempts to make this bass somewhat playable but I guess it's a family heirloom and has more sentimental value than just a vintage British bass. I didn't know that Burns were based in Washington near to my birthplace of Newcastle upon Tyne. You learn something new every day even at my age.

[@nj1255]

That's a really cool looking bass! The bridge looks like it could give you tetanus, and the action is ridiculous, but aside from those things it's a really cool instrument. Edit: I wrote that tetanus comment before watching the whole video 😅

[@1-eye-willy]

that bridge desighn is a crime against humanity

[@JiveDadson]

A bridge too far out.

[@bigbasil1908]

@@JiveDadson I think bridges are a bit of a sore talking point at the moment lol

[@ryanpullin]

@@bigbasil1908you win

[@tetedur377]

It's the Bridge of the River Why?

[@mbenn8168]

It looks like a torture device out of Saw. Probably feels like it as well.

[@andywason3414]

I spent my vacation in Skegness in the early 70's- ,and I did see some choice acts!

[@troyclayton]

Gotta love basswood. My introduction was decades ago pruning Linden/Tilia trees (among the others). The branches were so soft we called them butterwood. edit:spelling #2 this wood, green, is softer than any 'hardwood' I know (balsa doesn't grow in Maine- never seen it green). It's easier to cut than white pine, green.

[@JosephArata]

Looking at that bridge, I'm wondering if you can straighten the metal, clean it and then harden it to make it closer to tool steel so it won't bend like that again under tension.

[@Theonixco]

One of those few episodes you do more metal working than woodworking it feels like.

[@wisecracker2452]

Dave always says to use the heat press on a neck you must turn the guitar upside down because heat rises. Not sure if you did that. He said right side up is ineffective.

[@mattliebenau9083]

Great work Ted. I’m going to disagree with others and say that the bridge could obviously function better but it’s still fascinating and if it was reengineered to make string changes easier could still work today. It’s too bad you couldn’t do more but “plunk away up to the 12th fret is all that was expected of bass players back then anyway.

[@terryeaster1]

That's a big tackle, good work Ted

[@souperdave2009]

I already thumbs upped 👍 so this better be good ..Happy Easter 🐰

[@FangPaw]

At the time, effectively, there was a ban on the import of US-made guitars to the UK. Hank Marvin reputedly had the very first Strat in the UK after the ban was lifted. It's moot whether Burns or Watkins made the first electrics in the UK. I once had the (dubious) pleasure of owning a Watkins Rapier, complete with balsa wood body. If it was good enough for Tony Iommi... I have a modern Burns Double Six (ie 12-string), but it's made in China. Unlike most 12-strings, it has a nice, wide neck (around 50mm wide at the nut). The Trisonics really suit the guitar.

[@dannork1240]

So what you’re saying is, I only want a Burns or a Rapier because there just aren’t any where I live…😁

[@JFrit67]

Week-end. Nice touch.

[@jeremyjames8678]

Sorry chaps broke a string, be back in an hour

[@ssrattus]

Thanks Ted.

[@martindl9897]

As a bass player... MELT THAT BRIDGE!!!

[@vladi7441]

ahaha, the british geezer impression 3:06 had me on the floor mate!

[@stevepirtle588]

An old trick with Telecaster pickups was to give them a dip in warm bee wax. Sometimes it is a great quick fix for shorted windings.

[@stuartkynoch7289]

Being I am from Newcastle upon Tyne originally it was great to hear of the marques history. (Although Washington is actually in County Durham). Coincidentally Hank Marvin is from my hometown too. Cheers!

[@Bcarn1998]

Hooray for a Saturday episode!

[@ngiles1000]

Yeah bit of a mish mash of accents, but you pretty much nailed the mentality. It’s always enjoyable hearing folks from your side of the globe doing Brit accents, I still imitate Dick van Dike from 50 years ago and have been doing it that long. Dad joke don’t get any better in my house

[@petejandrell4512]

I've got an early model Sonic bass guitar, best sounding bass I have ever had I use it for live and recording. If you get the chance to buy one do not hesitate, they are brilliant.

[@drummerboy1390]

No they’re not. They’re hateful junk.

[@hotdogpilot6319]

Coming from the UK, that was bloody funny... Cheers.

[@Tuckermoore]

this was a tough watch. confounded at every turn