The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Grog on August 31, 2017, 01:47:55 PM
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I tried not to buy it, but when a reduced floor model added a 15% discount, I caved. I'd been eyeballing a blemished gold one at MF for a while, but I really wanted a sunburst. Chicago Music Exchange had one marked down, I called to get a better description this morning. Told him to box it up............. This is the first short scale Les Paul Bass that Gibson has produced since the Hobit was discontinued. Plus it is light! I hope it balances well. Has anybody test driven one of these? I should have it possibly Tuesday. I bought this one for $2,035.00.
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-faded-dark-serial-13226722-floor-model
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/Memphis/ES-Les-Paul-Bass.aspx
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What a beauty. I really love to try one of these but never found one
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I've never tried one either, taking a gamble.............
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Hope it works great for you! Too pricey for me.
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I thought it would be too pricey for me also. I retired last January an assumed I'd have to find a cure to my GAS problem. Looks like I had a relapse. The main thought is having a light short scale Les Paul bass that I should be able to play for years to come. Also, not many Gibson basses have all of the features that their six string brothers have. Not that it will make it play any better. It might be a Hobit II.
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Im still in love with the gold top version, But both are pretty-congrats!
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Looks very good! Let us know how it sounds.
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That's a nice 'burst. Congrats.
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Those are nice. About as high quality as you can get with a short scale.
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Congrats and enjoy it, just please don't play any Britney Spears songs on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgJO1vGdizU
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Cool and beautiful bass. Congrats!
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Thanks, I'm anxious to get my hands on it. It arrived in Minneapolis at 9:19 this morning, likely about 15 miles from my house. I'll have to wait until around 5:00 on Tuesday afternoon before it gets delivered. Torture! Be patient old man!
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Reminds me of the Jack Bruce & Robin Trower "Seven Moons" concert when Jack concludes by saying "thanks for putting up with us old men."
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Conratulations, the burst is beautiful.
Look forward to pics of your bass when it arrives.
I understand, I made a snap purchase last week and bought this.
I couldn't resist. It is mint, local and well priced. I gigged it last night and it is very nice (in a steam roller sort of a way).
2012 LP OSB.
(https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/21167593_1451212731583263_1882730978043610184_o.jpg?oh=256787ba84bc9e5cbc51da443783c4bf&oe=5A5BFA13)
It changes colour under stage lights- it shocked our singer so much she took her phone out and snapped a few pics mid song!
(https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21151707_1649611101735878_8785945806157086044_n.jpg?oh=c5d716136b1bc4dde2df7a7e60ace156&oe=5A5D1CD5)
(https://scontent-syd2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21231609_1649609388402716_7169519105345516551_n.jpg?oh=ef817b9e1f3220390b8500c079ab5ccd&oe=5A1AE4C2)
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Congrats on your bass! Great find! I bought the exact same bass when it first came out, mine is a 2011. They only produced 400 of the first batch with the smaller headstock & only one third of them were gold. Its a bit heavy, but a great bass. Owning that bass is why I opted to buy the sunburst this time around, or I would have bought the gold version of the ES Les Paul most likely. The hardware on these two basses look pretty much identical. The pickups look the same but are said to be different on the Memphis version. Time will tell. Enjoy your new bass!
Mine is pictured next to my '69 LP Deluxe I bought 44 years ago.
(https://i.imgur.com/ErIUJwg.jpg)
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That's a beautiful bass.
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Thanks!
The bass wasn't suppose to be delivered until Tuesday Sept 5th. My wife & I went up north for two days. Just got home, a note from UPS was on the door, they tried to deliver it Saturday but no one was home........................... BUMMER!!! I didn't think they would try or I would have stayed home! They usually don't deliver on Saturdays, must have been because of the holiday weekend. Who woulda thought?
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So........ has it arrived?
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It showed up a little after 2:00, right in the middle of a practice. I gave it about a three hour workout & am quite impressed. It's super light, (at least compared to what I am used to). The neck is chunkier than the Hobits but comfortable to play. It's been years since I played a bass with flat wounds, but they really work on this bass. I put Schaller Strap Locks on all of my guitars, so I didn't have a strap to try it with, that's coming tomorrow. I'll get a better idea how well it balances out then. It was a bit more spendy than most basses I've bought, but the quality really seems to be there. Worth every penny! (even though it was discounted over 30%). It was even easy to get that good Gibson Bass thump!
Here is the official Leg Lamp pic................
(https://i.imgur.com/KytKO68.jpg)
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Nice. And the bass ain't bad either. :mrgreen:
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Beutiful!
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This seems appropriate...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gId6nrMDmUU
Those have to be so light I feel like I would forget the bass was there! Bet it would be great for one of those 3 set nights.
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That burst is very attractive. After your initial impressions would you say those pickups are distinctly different from the ones in your Les Paul oversize gold top? Perhaps more articulate without getting as overdriven at high volume?
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The bass feels featherweight. It is listed as being 6lbs 14ozs. It feels lighter than that. It balances perfectly with a strap. The Hipshot Ultralight tuners are apparently the reason why. I was wondering what the center block was made of. The ES-335 & the Les Paul Signature look to have a maple center block, or at least a white colored wood. This one is mahogany like a Les Paul body. The pickups seem smoother & a bit lower than the pickups on the Les Paul Oversized Bass. I'm sure that the short scale is a factor in the sound also. I'm liking the flat wounds better than I thought I would. Lastly & most important, the sunburst color matches the Leg Lamp perfectly! :mrgreen:
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Fra-JEE-lay? Must be Italian.
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If the center block looks like mahogany, it could be Spanish cedar.
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The color reminds me of a sixties Vox bass I recall, I believe that was Italian also............
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vox-Vintage-V272-Sidewinder-VI-4-String-Bass-Electric-Guitar-All-Original-w-Case-/201871848356?epid=715183095&hash=item2f007ff3a4:g:rh0AAOSwLsBZSpyW
A Spanish cedar block could be lighter, but I think it's mahogany.......
"21. New for 2014 is the Gibson ES-Les Paul, a unique hybrid of two classic Gibson designs. Just a few features include ES-style laminated maple tops, semi-acoustic construction (including a mahogany central block and f-holes) with Les Paul-style shapes and appointments. Learn more about the Gibson ES-Les Paul."
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Congrats! Fits well between all the other Les Pauls :thumbsup:
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Nice to get the leg in the shot...
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The leg spends most of the year there. It goes upstairs from Black Friday till shortly after New Years Day. By Feb 1st, I start hearing threats that it could meet the same demise as the one in the movie.
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The leg spends most of the year there. It goes upstairs from Black Friday till shortly after New Years Day. By Feb 1st, I start hearing threats that it could meet the same demise as the one in the movie.
No appreciation of artistiwockle objects, as Pogo would say. (http://www.okeswamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pogo-possum.gif)
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I'll add a comparison pic of it next to the Les Paul Oversized Bass.............
(https://i.imgur.com/dWkkFKK.jpg)
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Dr. Evil and Mini Me? ;)
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Just noticed another one that is much cheaper. If they offer 15% off like they did on mine, it would be $1,041. Great bass & even better at that price...........
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-faded-dark-floor-model
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They did have a make-an-offer-button after you posted but now it's sold.
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That was quick! They also post these on Reverb, that's where they run the 15% off specials. I always thought you could offer them 15% less on the "Make an Offer" button & it would be within their profit margin. I bought mine over the phone, they honored the 15% offered on Reverb.
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It was me. I made an offer, they emailed a counter which I accepted.
Actually, it wasn't me. They called me back and said someone on reverb.com paid before me, but he said they had more coming.
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Not that I needed another bass having recently received the Jack Casady 20th Anniversary bass. I need to start selling some I'm running out of space.
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It's a great bass, I paid just over $2,000.00 for mine & thought I got a great deal. MF & most other places sell it for at or above $3,000.00. I don't see how they can sell it for around $1,200.00, it looks to be the same bass. The only thing I don't see listed in the spec is the Adirondack Spruce Bracing. I would have taken one with normal bracing for an $800.00 discount!
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Here's why the one at CME is such a good deal: it has to do with the "floor model" designation. Gibson overproduces, CME goes to Nashville with checkbook ready and buys a shitload of guitars at much lower than the usual wholesale. The catch is that they can't sell them as new, and there's no factory warranty (CME warrants them for one year).
I found this out when a friend asked me what I thought of a particular 2016 LP variant they had listed as a floor model. Gibson's site had the street price at about twice CME's price, so I called to ask how damaged it was to be priced so low. Turns out that they had never actually had this model on their floor, they had six in stock at the time, all new in box, all bought at a deep discount from Gibson. The salesman said about 90% of what they list as floor models are actually new.
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A new one sold for $2,867.00. Mine was listed at $2,395.00, I bought it at $2,035.00. They apparently sold a couple at $1,225.00 or less. That's quite a difference in price. All of the floor models have a "Make an Offer" option, the new ones do not. Mine had a small mark on it, described by them as the size of a small fingernail. It took me a long time to even find it. I've bought 2 near new guitars from CME since the new owners took over, (my Firebird & this one), They've been great to work with. They have sold a pile of these since I've been watching, the other venders still seem to have most of their stock that they listed a month ago. They are 2015 & 2016 models, the 2018's are being rolled out. The list price for the bass is $4,704.00. The price has been dropped recently to $2,999.00 by most venders. They are slow sellers. Like Uwe said, I think it's one of the highest quality short scale basses I've ever played or owned. I was thrilled to get one at just over $2,000.00. I might of had to change my shorts if I had gotten one for just over a grand.................
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My guess is that they got a few more at an even lower price from Gibson after you bought yours.
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Another great deal..................
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-Gibson-Memphis-ES-Les-Paul-Bass-Faded-Dark-Burst-Unplayed-/282683901255?hash=item41d1460547:g:lN0AAOSwsm1Z18F3
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Looks like they did get another reduced one in............... Great price & "Make an offer" option!
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-faded-dark-floor-model
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They got at least two. I paid for mine yesterday.
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They got at least two. I paid for mine yesterday.
Congrats!! I think you'll dig it!
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Looks like CME bought more Gibson excess inventory.
Congrats on the bass, John. Can't beat that deal.
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I see they've added a gold top to pile also...................
https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-gold-top-floor-model
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I notice they also have the 2017 EB basses as "floor models" at $695 for the 4 and $750 for the 5er, with Make Offer available. Wow.
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How do those newer EB basses sound? They've kinda grown on me and I find myself sorely tempted...
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I have the first version, 2014's. I think they sound great & have a very versatile sound. This is the first bass my wife had ever heard me play that she commented that it sounded like a piano. The body may not be solid mahogany, (swamp ash?) but the pickups & bridge really make the bass talk. I bought the 5 string first, it made me want the 4 string version. I rarely use the 5er, but at the price I'm not out much if it sits around more than the others. A lot of used 5er's have been for sale for a long time, the four bangers seem to sell a lot quicker. As mentioned before, the 2017's come with a gig bag, the older version had a rectangular hard-shell case.
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I second! I'm still not over the moon with the visuals, in fact the older version is butt-ugly (I never liked Mosrites either) to my eyes still (the newer version looks like an anodyne "modern bass design" from the new intern at the marketing department, but I find there is more harmony in its design plus it has a double-octave neck), but the sound of both (and the options you have) is beyond reprimand. I'd describe that sound as "modern classic", plenty assertive. I remember playing one immediately after having played my Ric 4001 (itself anything but an unassertive bass) at a rehearsal and the sound was like you had drawn away the curtains (same amp setting)! The swamp ash body wood is all fuzzy and warm and even a bit more lively than a maho body would be (don't dare ever quote me!).
They are a bit like what Gibson IV and V were in the 80ies - visually misjudged, but hidden sonic qualities.
(https://ppgzone-39u4nsxgmu93y.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/clark-kent-superman-620x445.jpg)
All that said, Herr Carlston, I personally don't think you deserve another bass until you have gotten that SB of yours repaired!!!
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Oh come on, mein Fuhrer, can anyone here be worse than my rep for completion of projects...? ;)
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I also own a 4 and 5 string 2014 EB bass. The red one I bought new, the gold 5 string I found on TB and my offer was accepted. If I didn't have these I would have bought one of the newer ones, I like it's features a lot.
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Does anybody here, (possibly of German descent) collect for upper horns??
(https://i.imgur.com/lUBrPMc.jpg)
This one has been on the Minneapolis Craigslist for a while. The owner is interested in trading even up for a Fender.............
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/msg/d/trade-gibson-eb-2014-wtt/6340365191.html
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I think he would have more luck if he sweetens the deal by $100. P basses are a bit more in demand than EBs.
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Looks like CME bought more Gibson excess inventory.
Congrats on the bass, John. Can't beat that deal.
That deal can be beat by at least 10%. :mrgreen:
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Reverb was offering 15% off of all of the "Floor Models" at CME when I bought mine. I still paid way more then they are asking now. Going forward, I would try to make an offer of 15% less than the asking price on one of their so called Floor Models.
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That deal can be beat by at least 10%. :mrgreen:
I was assuming that you made an offer. :) Still, it's a great deal at the listed price.
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This one has been on the Minneapolis Craigslist for a while. The owner is interested in trading even up for a Fender.............
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/msg/d/trade-gibson-eb-2014-wtt/6340365191.html
I think he would have more luck if he sweetens the deal by $100. P basses are a bit more in demand than EBs.
At least that much. Hard to find an American Standard in similar excellent condition for under $900, and I've seen 2014 EB 4s go for as little as $600.
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It looks like Olivia's Vintage is going down to Memphis & doing a similar deal as CME. They are a bit more expensive, $1,590 + $60.00 shipping. At $2,999 +, MF, GC etc... are going to be storing their stock for a long time.
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They got at least two. I paid for mine yesterday.
Now that you have it, how do you like it???
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CME has another/more https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/collections/gibson/products/gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-faded-dark-floor-model
I read elsewhere that CME has more of certain ES series guitars on order to be sold as "floor models" at a huge discount, and are allowing pre-orders. Either Gibson is still overproducing and can afford to wholesale these at vastly reduced prices, or they already had a bigger overstock than CME first bought.
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I don't know about the ES-335 type models, but all of the ES Les Pauls have been 2015 & 2016's............... I haven't seen any 2017's.
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I don't know about the ES-335 type models, but all of the ES Les Pauls have been 2015 & 2016's............... I haven't seen any 2017's.
They did have 2017 EB 4 floor models and they still have a natural EB 5er at $699.
The ES-LP bass I posted yesterday is gone now.
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When I was talking 2015 & 2016 models, I meant to say from the Memphis factory. I've read (maybe here) that Gibson has cut their work week down to three days a week. Bummer for their employees..............
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When I was talking 2015 & 2016 models, I meant to say from the Memphis factory. I've read (maybe here) that Gibson has cut their work week down to three days a week. Bummer for their employees..............
I hadn't heard that. Wildwood Guitars sure has a full inventory of 2018 Gibson Memphis guitars. OTOH they do have plenty of 2016s left.
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Stopped by Twin Town Guitars yesterday to buy strings, they had a goldtop ES-LP bass with a $3K price tag. Maybe it's because it was high up on the wall, but the body sure looks smaller than I imagined from the photos I've seen, even compared to Grog's photo next to his leg lamp.
I also found out yesterday that the Faded guitar series (LP and SG) now come with maple necks instead of mahogany. I didn't plug in but there was a noticeable difference in unplugged tone between the maple neck and mahogany neck SGs I strummed.
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The bass is standard Les Paul size, which is sort of small for a bass. Next to a full size Leg Lamp, it magically looks larger............. :P
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The bass is standard Les Paul size, which is sort of small for a bass. Next to a full size Leg Lamp, it magically looks larger............. :P
Then it must have been my imagination. It looked smaller. LP-bodied basses aren't really that small, despite Uwe calling the short scale ones hobbits.
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It has nothing to do with the bodies, they are as large as on long scale LPs. It's the necks, Dave, or rather the (partial) lack of them!
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It has nothing to do with the bodies, they are as large as on long scale LPs. It's the necks, Dave, or rather the (partial) lack of them!
The actual difference is only 2.6 inches. Not all of the difference in scale length is in the neck.
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My wife says 2.6 inches less or more can be a lot.
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I think I posted this comparison shot before Photobucket stuck it to us to show pickup locations. Girth and length differences are also obvious. The weight factor has to be less than half, a huge difference! I think the neck is actually thinner at the nut on the big fella. Also, a photo next to a six string.
(https://i.imgur.com/mK6BUek.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/ErIUJwg.jpg)
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It does look small compared to the Oversize LP Bass. Most long scale LP basses in existence have the guitar size body though.
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Since we're on the subject, how does a Hobbit body compare to a normal LP?
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The first version of the Hobbit is the largest. It might be similar to the Les Paul Standard Oversized Bass. They shrunk it down a bit for the Les Paul Triumph Bass, but still larger than a normal Les Paul body.
(https://i.imgur.com/jAt8NfAl.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/ZRY7Sm9l.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/z0lviUvl.jpg)
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The modern day oversize LPs are even a bit larger than the first Hobbits. IMHO, the "Les Paul flair" doesn't exactly benefit from a larger (body) scale. Les Pauls belong in your crotch, nuff said, don't make them look like Rippers. ;D
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I finally plugged in mine today. I really like having two tone controls. Can't wait to hear it in my gig rig, but with festival season over we have nothing lined up until next summer.
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Mojohobo- I've always wondered about that - never had a bass w/ 2 tone controls. How do you like to use them?
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The modern day oversize LPs are even a bit larger than the first Hobbits. IMHO, the "Les Paul flair" doesn't exactly benefit from a larger (body) scale. Les Pauls belong in your crotch, nuff said, don't make them look like Rippers. ;D
They for sure look different in the cutaway. The old bodies look like they added X-amount of material around the entire body, making the cutaway (horn) look a lot thicker proportionally. The Oversized Bass was more likely done with CAD software & looks more normal, at least in the horn area. I once heard a saying; "Men are like Rhinoceros's, it's all about the horn!" That might be true here.
(https://i.imgur.com/jAt8NfAl.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/LLEl1ssl.jpg)
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Mojohobo- I've always wondered about that - never had a bass w/ 2 tone controls. How do you like to use them?
Cut the highs on the bridge pickup and cut the volume slightly on the neck pickup.
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The first version of the Hobbit is the largest. It might be similar to the Les Paul Standard Oversized Bass. They shrunk it down a bit for the Les Paul Triumph Bass, but still larger than a normal Les Paul body.
It looks like the difference is huge, but then I see that the 'scale' is shorter on the triumph :)
Don't know if it's my computer or the pics but the difference between nut and bridge is notable between the old les paul and the triumph.
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It looks like the difference is huge, but then I see that the 'scale' is shorter on the triumph :)
Don't know if it's my computer or the pics but the difference between nut and bridge is notable between the old les paul and the triumph.
The scale should be identical. My photos were taken at different times, with the tripod just randomly positioned.
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Mojohobo- I've always wondered about that - never had a bass w/ 2 tone controls. How do you like to use them?
I really like having a V-T for each pickup. Besides my LP I have several stack knob J basses, one of which my tech wired as a stack knob with a master volume that pulls up for series.
I like to use the neck pickup V-T dimed, bridge rolled off slightly with tone at around 50%, depending on strings.
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Merry Christmas! Now CME is letting these go for $1100.75 taking 15% off $1295 at checkout. It is a remarkable price for a remarkable bass.
https://reverb.com/item/6734525-gibson-memphis-es-les-paul-bass-faded-dark-floor-model
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You can't beat that deal if you're looking for one. Local store still has a goldtop on the wall at $3K and that's $400-600 off the original street price. I wonder if there are any left in Memphis, this is at least the second shipment that CME has received.
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If I would have waited, I could have had two for the price of one............
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It could have gone the other way instead. Often when shopping with my wife she will like something but not buy it saying "I'll wait until it goes on sale", but when we go back it's already been sold.
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I'm so glad it's short scale- keeps me from buying one LOL. :mrgreen:
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The Darkburst was sold, but CME now has the Goldtop back in stock on their website at $1295 with a Make Offer button.
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They also have yet another Goldtop in used condition for 1245$. Maybe a customer return of one of the earlier floor models?
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They also have yet another Goldtop in used condition for 1245$. Maybe a customer return of one of the earlier floor models?
That one is now sold, just one Goldtop left............
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That one is now sold, just one Goldtop left............
Except that there may be more than one. When I called them in September about a particular LP guitar floor model, they had one listed but actually had 6 in stock. Also, the "floor models" are still coming in, at least from Memphis if not Nashville. A guy on another forum just showed off the ES-330 floor model he just received (it was brand new), and he could see from the labels on the shipping box that CME had just received it on December 15th.
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I was playing my ES Les Paul bass today and noticed a bit of weirdness. When I turn the volume down on either pickup when it gets down to about 2 both pickups go quiet. Why would this happen? Does it have something to do with the pickup selector switch, or is it something else?
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Mine does it right at "1"................
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There are several ways to wire up two volume knobs. Some of them have the volumes behaving more independently, some of them have the behavior you describe. Some googling led me here - these are diagrams for les paul guitars with a 3-way selector. Don't know how the ES LP bass is wired, but you might be able to figure out if your ES is wired similar to one of these ways and then see if you can rewire it for one of the independent volume options:
https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?88796-Wiring-Library
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Thanks for that link! What I found most useful is: "what does it mean independent volume controls? In simple terms, you have a series resistor, (aka rheostat ) limiting the current out of each pickup, instead of a potentiometer voltage divider." and "I truly love the independent volume controls, but I definitely lost some "Tone" or "bandwidth" as stated above. It lost "SOME"warmth and "les Paul" tone that I loved."
So, no, I am not going to change anything. They must wire it that way for a reason, I just thought it odd that of all the Rickenbacker basses that have passed through my hands I never experienced this. After looking up the Rickenbacker wiring diagram, it is completely different than a Les Paul. The pickups go to the pickup selector switch first then to the volume pot. The Les Paul is wired like the first picture in the linked post and the Rickenbacker is wired like the second picture.
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That's typical Les Paul wiring for you. My 2005 LP Standard bass also had that type of wiring. Instead of attaching the pickup leads from the selector switch to the mid lugs of the volume controls they attach´them to one of the outer and the mid lugs go to the jack. What happens is when you run both pickups both volume controls in reality do the same thing. They run the mixed signal to ground so both volume controls act like master volume controls.
I did'nt particularly like this so I reversed the wires on both volume controls so they act like any regular Jazz Bass ie they always only control the volume of the pickup that is connected to it.
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Did you notice any change in tone after reversing the wires?
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I would'nt say it effected the overall tone, but to be able to roll off some bridge pickup volume sometimes is nice. I found the thread from when I got my LP and wondered what was up with those controls: http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=2259.15 (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=2259.15)
The pics are unfortunately Photobucket so here's the same pic of the rewiring from Imgur instead:
(https://i.imgur.com/pOV9rmQ.jpg)