A combination glide test/burnishing head can be utilized in a glide test/burnishing system. The combination glide test/burnishing head includes two piezo-electric elements, which can be utilized in a passive mode as sensors for detecting contacts between the glide test/burnishing head and asperities on the surface of a magnetic recording disc. Contact between the glide test/burnishing head and disc asperities results in generation of a defect detection signal, which can be utilized by associated test logic to define the location of the detected asperities on the disc surface. The piezo-electric elements of the glide test/burnishing head can also be utilized in an active mode to cause yaw variation in the flight attitude of the glide test/burnishing head, in turn causing a burnishing pad on the glide test/burnishing head to be moved radially into contact with a detected disc asperity. Once an active, burnishing operation has been performed, the piezo-electric elements of the glide test/burnishing head are returned to passive mode, to determine if the burnishing operation was successful in removing the asperity on the disc surface. Combining the glide test and burnishing functions in a common head assembly allows the glide test and burnishing functions to be performed using a single actuator for the glide test/burnishing head, simplifying and reducing the cost of a glide test/burnishing system.