Some Day They'll All Be In Germany

[OldManC]

After an extended stay at Casa C, this beautiful specimen is winging its way to Germany as I type. Uwe found this way earlier in the year and had it shipped to me as his middle man. Life got in the way though and I didn't do anything with it until this week. He can fill in the details, but I think this is a prototype bird made before they reintroduced the line in 1987. Check out that beauty of a headstock, it looks HUGE. This is the first time I've seen this Hipshot in person and I must say it looks right at home (the original parts are in the case, BTW). All in all, I'm sure this will be a worth addition to ze collection.



 

 

 

 

[Barklessdog]

Looks mint. Nice bass. The headstock does look huge. I dont care for the tuners though.

[maxschrek]

 

Looks like a Victory headstock with those tuners. God I'll bet they're heavy!



T

[dadagoboi]

Looks like a Victory headstock with those tuners. God I'll bet they're heavy!

The tuners are what make the headstock look so big, they increase its visual mass.  The original reverse Klusons don't.  The G tuner almost looks like it can't be turned, optical illusion I guess.
 

[OldManC]

I guess I'm used to them because I don't mind them at all. It seems they were Gibson's tuner of choice back then:

[uwe]

Yeah, it's a real transition thing with still the large headstock and the front jack, but already black hardware and the TB Plus pups. This pre-series came from the custom shop. Where the one-pup Japan run they built in 1986 was still very much a nod to the past and towards the Bicentennial, this TBird was looking forward. Between this and the 87 series model they must have decided on the side jack and the smaller headstock (which necessitated smaller tuners too), both changes probably stability-induced.

The smaller headstock on modern TBirds has never bothered me. It certainly helps stability (you almost never see a modern TBird with a broken neck) and it does look more modern/natural in scale though it does of course take away some of the vintage vibe. And I do prefer a side jack to a front jacks. Front jacks are accidents waiting to happen.

[OldManC]

 

These shots next to each other also show how different a basically hand made guitar can be from one to the next even when they represent the same model. Look at the difference in headstock shape on the outside of the overlay. The 60's model is a lot more sleek and sharp.

[Bionic-Joe]

You should sell it and Buy a Warwick!!!

[Bionic-Joe]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

[Bionic-Joe]

You should Buy those BIG Old style Kluson's in Black....I think Hipshot makes those...and a black 3 point bridge. I personally would put all chrome on it.

[mc2NY]

I almost bought that bass. The guy had it on Craigs List in Florida for over a month and we'd kicked a deal around. Those are great basses but I've been holding out for another '86 TBird II.

I don't think it is a prototype though. I've seen at least four others exactly like it. I think it was a small 2 PUP run by the Gib Custom Shop in 1986-87 after the  small TBird II '86 run for Japan.

I'll look thru my photo files. I'm sure I have pics of some of the others like this one.

***
OK....found one (below.) I know the guy in LA Guns had one of them. Chip from EnuffZnuff also had one but he swapped out the PUPs to chrome ones and put a Badass bridge on it but you could still see the 3-point studs, plus his was TransCherry. There was another near me on Long Island for sale around 5 years back. There was one in the UK with a headstock repair a few years back...but not sure if it had the top jack...but was an 86-87 Gib Custom Shop one.

But they ARE about as scarce as the 1986 Tbird II ones, so there can't be many.

[TBird1958]

 

 Note the straight script (vs the usual angled) Gibson logo on the TRC, unusual (I think) same as on my '77..........Hmmmmmm it came from George too!
Not a great shot, but if you look......

 

[OldManC]

 Note the straight script (vs the usual angled) Gibson logo on the TRC, unusual (I think) same as on my '77..........Hmmmmmm it came from George too!

Shhhh! Let's keep that our secret... 

I've always liked the while lettering on those (as opposed to gold). And I like the straight script as well. And as Uwe has said many times, this place is stacked with trainspotters! 

[uwe]

When I said Custom Shop, I didn't wish to insinuate it was one off at all, I knew these things were a small pre-regular release CS series. Somewhere in my mind I have a total production no of no less than 30 but definitely under a 100 scurrying around, but I can't remember where I got it from.

The mention of the one with a broken headstock is interesting and confirms why the move to the smaller headstock was a semsible one. Not that a modern TBird headstock can be regarded small in any way, it's just not as friggin' huge/outsize as it used to be.

[TBird1958]

Shhhh! Let's keep that our secret... 

I've always liked the while lettering on those (as opposed to gold). And I like the straight script as well. And as Uwe has said many times, this place is stacked with trainspotters! 

 That's the only other 'Bird I've ever seen with that TRC............. odd.