The Last Bass Outpost

Hi folks

I don't know why or how it happened, but I haven't been here in over 4 years.  It wasn't a conscious decision!

How are you all?  What have I missed?

I realise they haven't thought of us bassists as particularly important (profitable) at the best of times, but is that it?  Game over?  It bothers me.

I know this has been brought up in a previous thread, I just felt like having a gripe about it

I probably have been quite scathing of Gibson's CS in the past, and with good reason, ranging from them knowing diddly squat about things they don't manufacture any more to being outright ignored.

Anyway, scroll forward to recent times - my EB suddenly became unwell at band rehearsal with a big volume drop.  After erroneously blaming the amp and fiddling with it and cursing at it, I finally worked out that the volume returned if the bridge pickup was soloed.

Only a couple of months of warranty left, and figuring it was a wiring oops I took matters into my own hands and took it to my own tech.  Unfortunately, he informed me that it would seem the neck pickup had gone bad.  Oops.

Was going to get it rewound (seeing as the bobbins are only glue gunned in place, not entombed in epoxy), but I got in touch with Gibson anyway and told them my warranty voiding tale of woe.  To my astonishment, a very friendly chap called Boris offered to send me a replacement pickup "as a courtesy" (which I think is code for "don't void your warranty again, you silly boy" ).  A week later, it arrived.  I fitted it and everything's back to normal (or it will be when I replace an earth wire I forgot about!)

Anyway, just wanted to say it's not all doom and gloom, I'm very grateful to Gibson for digging me out of a hole and I hope to have more of these positive experiences in the future.

Hi guys

I'm not a lover of vast swathes of chrome (control plates and the like say on a Jazz, Stingray or '51 P - so industrial looking) but I never really got on with the black hardware on my NR Thunderbird - just didn't suit.  So I've changed my tuners and bridge to chrome.  Just got the strap buttons to go, but already I think it looks way better.

On a side note, the bridge is actually off an Epi JC and it fit perfectly - metric bolts and everything.  When did Gibson go metric?





Yes, much better.  That's enough though - quite happy to leave the pickups as is.  To my eyes, the chrome/black is balanced out by the knobs being both.

Also, I have absolutely no intention of swapping the tone pot with the jack socket so don't even suggest it

Dear Thomann

Please stop selling new Gibson basses at second hand prices.

Thanks,

My credit card

Despite having less than the best of luck in recent years with new Gibson basses, I took delivery of a new Pelham Blue Non Reverse Thunderbird yesterday which was sold to me at a most agreeable price.  I am pleased to report that everything is peachy - the fit, the finish, the electronics, the frets, everything in its right place.  Had a blast of it at band practice last night and I was pleased with what I heard and felt.  My faith in Gibson has been restored - not that it totally went away, just became a wee bit diminished.

Pics or it never happened, right?







I find the finish intriguing - you can see the mahogany grain in the Pelham Blue, but the top coat is filled and buffed flat.  I find that odd but not objectionable:



The only issue that springs to mind is just how LONG from end to end this bass is.  Sitting in the rack, it protrudes slightly higher than my RD Artist.  I know I have been provided with a hard case, but I'm really a gig bag guy, I tend to take my own transport to and do my own loading/setting up at rehearsals/gigs and I find a gig bag much more convenient.  The only gig bag I could fit this bass in was the rather oversized Dean one which I use for my Epi JC and my Fender Starcaster.  Brainwave though - how about loading it in flipped round to my Ritter Thunderbird/RD bag?  Might work, must try that.

Please, no comments about chrome, or swapping the jack socket with the tone pot, it's been done to death   I'm looking forward to being a timid mouse of a bassist playing a sexy beast of a bass at a gig soon

Damnit, this siren's song just won't stop.  I know I said that I thought the idea of unfilled ash turned me off, but why have so many videos popped up with it looking really nice and smooth lately?




No doubt if I was to order one, I'd get one with more grain than Keith Richards' face

But gold and black has always gone together:



Could I rationalise it to myself as wood being coated with molten gold?

Does anyone have any pics of a real one out in the wild?

I have read (through some searching on here, oh yes!) that the main difference between the original LP Doublecut and the GoW Money bass is that there's a wadge of walnut between the maple top and the mahogany in the case of the Money, where as the DC is a straight Maple/hog sandwich.

Thing is, I've seen this red DC with what appears to be a dark stripe between the maple and the mahogany.  It's also a flame maple top, not quilt.  What gives?  Refin?  Gibson being weird (like that would ever happen)?  Did any Money basses get done red by mistake?  Is it a transitional model?

Regular DC:



Red DC with suspicious stripe:



Me == confused.