Strange / unique guitars you own...

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Armistice

Armistice

Son of Yoda
So this was my first "real" "professional" electric guitar.

Always having being a rebel who didn't want what everyone else had, and being in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, I eschewed Fender Strats etc. (which cost less, and BTW there were only MIA strats at the time...) and frankly there really weren't many options available. So....

This local music shop decided that Burns of London was the future and imported two (only) of their guitars, AFAIK the only two of that time that were ever imported into the country - the one I bought and a "Marvin" which was black, and I think cost $50 more, which was a road too far, and besides I didn't like the scroll headstock.

Burns.webp

To this day I've never seen another one, obviously not here because it was the only one, but online either. I'm sure it's out there somewhere.

I gigged with it until the early 90s, covers mainly, and did the "custom" decorations and case lettering myself.... LOL... what was I thinking...:D

As a guitar, it would today make a great surf guitar... not such a rock instrument really, but the trem was awesome and it sustained forever.... and still has the best action of any of my axes. I love it. I just never play it any more. It'll go in my coffin... :laughings:
 
Oh, and I just took it out of the case to take the picture... not having seen it for several years... AND IT WAS STILL IN TUNE....

Not "almost"... absolutely 100% in tune. Amazing. Plus it weighs more than an old skool Les Paul. Massive...
 
Greg_L said:
It looks like the Houston Texans logo

real_logo.png
Click to expand...

Well it is a Burns Bison, so yeah, I figured the horns were a deliberate attempt to look like something bovine which is obviously what that logo is all about. I do love those horns though... very 80s..
 
Now THIS is an earwig!
I've long been a fan of Burns - my true love would be a Burns Steer as in this photograph (principally because of the noise it made for Billy Bragg). I nearly bought one 2 years ago - was in NZ and on ebay for about$300. I didn't and for my woes they're back up over a grand again...steerx.webp

The Bison from the 90s go for a grand or more these days.
 
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rayc said:
Now THIS is an earwig!
I've long been a fan of Burns - my true love would be a Burns Steer as in this photograph (principally because of the noise it made for Billy Bragg). I nearly bought one 2 years ago - was in NZ and on ebay for about$300. I didn't and for my woes they're back up over a grand again...View attachment 92672

The Bison from the 90s go for a grand or more these days.
Click to expand...



About 10 or so years ago I almost sold it... to a Burns collector... but after spending time polishing and shining it up again I decided it was part of my history and I wanted to keep it.. so I did. He was going to give me $1000 for it...
 
Martin ventured in to electric guitars briefly in the seventies and early eighties.

The Martin electric bass was my first decent, new guitar. All the ones I had before were secondhand and cheap . . . very cheap.

The Martin served me well from about 1978 to 2008 . . . something like 30 years. I had thought its rarity might make it worth a fair bit of money now. Sadly, they were not highly regarded, so even if they are unusual, they don't attract good prices.

martin-bass.webp
 
emperador bass.webp
Emperador bass from about 75 or so. With flat strings it's a room shaker - great for live work.
bruno1.webp
One of three of the same model I have owned - I only have 2 now as the original was stolen. I bought the next two so I could cobble together a complete replacement as there were bits & pieces missing/changed from each of the replacements.
guya1.webp
Guyatone Mosrite copy - confirming my fetish for MIJ late 60s early 70s.
 
Erik,
You're right. I've made a virtue of necessity or a fetish from financial fragility.
I do love that factory - my 1st instrument came from there back in 73 or 74!
Here's a snap of my 1st instrument -ethnic banana.webp a1973ish Coronet short scale bass, (another Matsumoko) played through a coronet 10w guitar amp. The SG on the right is a REAL Cherry red Gibson SG and the other guitar was a Teisco I think.
We're playing live at Armidale Teachers College in 1977. The premier of the Rock & Fruit Opera Ethnic Banana. Sadly the bass was borrowed on a permanent & unapproved basis in about 83.
White bass, all with yellow t-shirts & yellow make-up as per theme/concept!
 
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rayc said:
Erik,
You're right. I've made a virtue of necessity or a fetish from financial fragility.
I do love that factory - my 1st instrument came from there back in 73 or 74!
Here's a snap of my 1st instrument -View attachment 92694 a1973ish Coronet short scale bass, (another Matsumoko) played through a coronet 10w guitar amp. The SG on the right is a REAL Cherry red Gibson SG and the other guitar was a Teisco I think.
We're playing live at Armidale Teachers College. The premier of the Rock & Fruit Opera Ethnic Banana. Sadly the bass was borrowed on a permanent & unapproved basis in about 83.
White bass, all with yellow t-shirts & yellow make-up as per theme/concept!
Click to expand...


Yeah, my bass is a '71 Univox Hi-Flyer. Love it, though the original pickups were screechy garbage. Swapped 'em out for Schaller Bassbuckers.

But WOW, great pic Ray!
 
Erik,
I'm jealous. Univox Hi-Flyer - wow.
A cool looking bass - folk are asking a pretty penny for them these days.
 
rayc said:
Erik,
I'm jealous. Univox Hi-Flyer - wow.
A cool looking bass - folk are asking a pretty penny for them these days.
Click to expand...

It is a decent bass, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure they're worth what some people are asking.
 
I found this Ibanez a few years ago dirt cheap on the local Craigs list. I thought it was a bolt on neck with some really cheap body wood, but its a set neck with a mahogney body with a maple cap and mahogney neck-very similar to a Les Paul.
The pickups are big and loud-it really surprised me.

Its a lot like a Iceman, just scaled down and a comfortable playing instrument-the model is ADX 120BK.
 
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Erik,
You're right re the current asking price: my Bruno is occasionally on ebay for $550 +. the Mosrite copy was going for $600+ a month ago and the Emerador is such a rarity these days that it'd be similar. I paid $300 for the Bruno delivered from the US, the Emperador - I had to buy an amp to get that. the amp is a Marshall Superbass MkII which a really, really wanted the bass, which is the thing I actually went to buy, was, when I turned up offered as a freebie with the amp. the amp cost me a couple of hundred so a REAL bargain all around. The Mosrite copy - my brother-in-law bought from Japan for less than $100!!!!
Anfotan,
Looks odd without Paul Stanley wrapped around it.
having said that it look a LOT better than most metal guitars.
 
Armistice said:
So this was my first "real" "professional" electric guitar.

Always having being a rebel who didn't want what everyone else had, and being in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, I eschewed Fender Strats etc. (which cost less, and BTW there were only MIA strats at the time...) and frankly there really weren't many options available. So....

This local music shop decided that Burns of London was the future and imported two (only) of their guitars, AFAIK the only two of that time that were ever imported into the country - the one I bought and a "Marvin" which was black, and I think cost $50 more, which was a road too far, and besides I didn't like the scroll headstock.

View attachment 92665

To this day I've never seen another one, obviously not here because it was the only one, but online either. I'm sure it's out there somewhere.

I gigged with it until the early 90s, covers mainly, and did the "custom" decorations and case lettering myself.... LOL... what was I thinking...:D

As a guitar, it would today make a great surf guitar... not such a rock instrument really, but the trem was awesome and it sustained forever.... and still has the best action of any of my axes. I love it. I just never play it any more. It'll go in my coffin... :laughings:
Click to expand...

They're selling new Burns Bisons at my local geetar shop, I believe.
 
Hallmark 60 Custom - Mosrite Ventures clone. Not really "strange", but it is unique, and it's a fucking bad ass.

 
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