Burns Steve Howe Custom.
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Burns Steve Howe Custom.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.
- timhulio
- Redheaded Stepchild
- Posts: 4693
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:06 am
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I was seriously looking into a modern Burns Sonic a while ago, but I just couldn't see where the £800 store price came from. The guitar is made in China, uses Wilkinson tuners ('orrible plastic things) and the same pickups as the Burns something-Sonic that costs £200. In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
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This. Very much so. I know that the early Marquees were the better ones, since they had the proper knife-edge trem system rather than a knock-off version. I just wish they didn't all have gold hardware. My old one sounded just like the guitar from the first Breeders album, much to my joy.timhulio wrote: In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
I think the proper Sonics are made in China and assembled in the UK.timhulio wrote:I was seriously looking into a modern Burns Sonic a while ago, but I just couldn't see where the £800 store price came from. The guitar is made in China, uses Wilkinson tuners ('orrible plastic things) and the same pickups as the Burns something-Sonic that costs £200. In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
I've always found Wilkinson stuff to be great.
The pickups are the same as the £200 Nu-Sonic that I own because... well, because they're the same. Burns don't make cheap Trisonics. It's the proper shit or nothing. So I don't see why that's a problem. They're fucking ace pickups.
The range is split into around three different divisions. There's the budget range called The Club range, which also includes The Player range as like a sub-division, which is the range that the £200 Nu-Sonic comes from (sort of like the budget range of the budget range because Player guitars are made in China, unlike the rest of the Club range which is made in Korea. Not as though it matters). Then you have the Custom range, and the Custom Elite range. It's the Custom Elite range that the Sonic is in, and those guitars are made in China and then assembled over here. The £800 store price (and I've seen it lower) is what I'd expect of a guitar of that kind of quality, from any manufacturer.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.
The old Burns trems were shiiiit. I had one on the Marquee I had and I hated it. The new fulcrum trems are fucking brilliant. Full contact, chunky and reassuring. Also, the newer tuners are much better than the older ones with the stupid molded "B" logo ones. As of 2007, Burns had upgraded all of the Club series to the new hardware, and it really made a difference. The old trem and tuners actually stopped me buying an older Bison model for £150 a while back.benecol wrote:This. Very much so. I know that the early Marquees were the better ones, since they had the proper knife-edge trem system rather than a knock-off version. I just wish they didn't all have gold hardware. My old one sounded just like the guitar from the first Breeders album, much to my joy.timhulio wrote: In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
Also, not all the Marquee colours have gold hardware. Just the greenburst and white colours, I think.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.
- timhulio
- Redheaded Stepchild
- Posts: 4693
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:06 am
- Location: London, UK
- Contact:
It's a good guitar, honestly. Like MIJ Fender good. I'd pay £400-500 for one without quibble. But your guitar- the Nu-Sonic- has the same body, tuners, pickups (and you also get a funny-looking Burns humbucker thrown in) and you've only paid £200-odd. It just doesn't add-up. Those Wilkinson tuners are chunky plastic ones that can be had at £20 a set. If the Sonic really was in the 'upper range' they should used those Van Ghent jobs like the Steve Howe model (are these NOS from the 60s? No one makes these anymore, right?) or some decent Gotohs or Schallers.ekwatts wrote:I think the proper Sonics are made in China and assembled in the UK.timhulio wrote:I was seriously looking into a modern Burns Sonic a while ago, but I just couldn't see where the £800 store price came from. The guitar is made in China, uses Wilkinson tuners ('orrible plastic things) and the same pickups as the Burns something-Sonic that costs £200. In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
I've always found Wilkinson stuff to be great.
The pickups are the same as the £200 Nu-Sonic that I own because... well, because they're the same. Burns don't make cheap Trisonics. It's the proper shit or nothing. So I don't see why that's a problem. They're fucking ace pickups.
The range is split into around three different divisions. There's the budget range called The Club range, which also includes The Player range as like a sub-division, which is the range that the £200 Nu-Sonic comes from (sort of like the budget range of the budget range because Player guitars are made in China, unlike the rest of the Club range which is made in Korea. Not as though it matters). Then you have the Custom range, and the Custom Elite range. It's the Custom Elite range that the Sonic is in, and those guitars are made in China and then assembled over here. The £800 store price (and I've seen it lower) is what I'd expect of a guitar of that kind of quality, from any manufacturer.
The pre-production or early Sonics had neck binding, with adds a bit of value I guess, but not the ones I've seen in shops.
It does seem that the Burns range has a fairly unjustifiable jump in price from the Club range up the Custom Elite range, to be honest. It can only be half-explained by just how amazingly good the Club range are for the money, but you do have a point. Which is why I stick to the Club range!timhulio wrote:It's a good guitar, honestly. Like MIJ Fender good. I'd pay £400-500 for one without quibble. But your guitar- the Nu-Sonic- has the same body, tuners, pickups (and you also get a funny-looking Burns humbucker thrown in) and you've only paid £200-odd. It just doesn't add-up. Those Wilkinson tuners are chunky plastic ones that can be had at £20 a set. If the Sonic really was in the 'upper range' they should used those Van Ghent jobs like the Steve Howe model (are these NOS from the 60s? No one makes these anymore, right?) or some decent Gotohs or Schallers.ekwatts wrote:I think the proper Sonics are made in China and assembled in the UK.timhulio wrote:I was seriously looking into a modern Burns Sonic a while ago, but I just couldn't see where the £800 store price came from. The guitar is made in China, uses Wilkinson tuners ('orrible plastic things) and the same pickups as the Burns something-Sonic that costs £200. In short, the range is confusing and their shit website does nothing to enlighten you.
I've always found Wilkinson stuff to be great.
The pickups are the same as the £200 Nu-Sonic that I own because... well, because they're the same. Burns don't make cheap Trisonics. It's the proper shit or nothing. So I don't see why that's a problem. They're fucking ace pickups.
The range is split into around three different divisions. There's the budget range called The Club range, which also includes The Player range as like a sub-division, which is the range that the £200 Nu-Sonic comes from (sort of like the budget range of the budget range because Player guitars are made in China, unlike the rest of the Club range which is made in Korea. Not as though it matters). Then you have the Custom range, and the Custom Elite range. It's the Custom Elite range that the Sonic is in, and those guitars are made in China and then assembled over here. The £800 store price (and I've seen it lower) is what I'd expect of a guitar of that kind of quality, from any manufacturer.
The pre-production or early Sonics had neck binding, with adds a bit of value I guess, but not the ones I've seen in shops.
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My Batwing could easily go for £500, in my opinion. Mine could just be a particularly fantastic example, but it really is a fine guitar. The Nu-Sonic could fetch £300 without a problem, too, on the strength of the pickups alone. Anything above the Club range and you really are into semi-collector stuff. They're great guitars, but I think they're aimed more for people that just like Burns guitars, rather than people that need giggable equipment, hence the slightly Harley Davidson'ed prices (as with Fenders and Gibsons). It's pretty obvious when you look at the hundreds of different "Marvin" models which ALL have Hank Marvins name on them. I don't fucking want Hank Marvins name on my fucking guitar. Fucksake.
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Brandon W wrote:you elites.