The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: pjm on October 28, 2013, 04:20:14 PM

Title: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: pjm on October 28, 2013, 04:20:14 PM
Hi Guys,
Need some help in identifying this LP Gibby neck and body. Cheers
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Gibson-bass-body-and-neck-/261317251795?pt=AU_Musical_Instruments_Instruments&hash=item3cd7b8d2d3&_uhb=1
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Highlander on October 28, 2013, 04:29:27 PM
Serial number is rather shoddy looking and the logo looks rather odd...
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Granny Gremlin on October 28, 2013, 06:57:54 PM
I just think it's had all the holes plugged and been refinned a couple times is all.  Could be legit.

It's worth the opening bid, but without seeing it in person I dunno if I'd risk any more.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: uwe on October 29, 2013, 07:26:27 AM
Neck certainly looks legit. All in all, it could be an LP DeLuxe (not a Special due to the inlays, not a Standard due to the uncarved top) with the front pup plugged and the rear pup cavity enlarged to accomodate a wider pup.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Dave W on October 29, 2013, 08:16:30 AM
Could be real but obviously altered if it is. Too many unknowns for me at any price.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: uwe on October 29, 2013, 08:36:01 AM
The frets are worn - whatever this was, it has been played quite a bit and not lightly either. Who knows, someone might have even - yeeeeeeks! - slapped with it.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Struwwelpeter.png)

Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: OldManC on October 29, 2013, 08:49:58 AM
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/Xc0AAOxyx9VSU8cy/$(KGrHqF,!n0FJLrZGF(TBSU8c)rT,!~~60_58.JPG)

(http://images.epiphone.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Products/Bass/Les-Paul-Special%20Bass/Features/LPSecBassBody.jpg)
Epi LP Special

(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/Q90AAOxyA9dSU8f6/$(KGrHqV,!rUFJ!LBWuIdBSU8f525iQ~~60_58.JPG)


(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/VVMAAOxyGqZSU8cE/$(KGrHqR,!nYFJPFq3okfBSU8cEQwL!~~60_58.JPG)

(http://www.bass-guitar-museum.com/uploads/bass/14/110272519529-2.jpg)

(http://www.buzzardsbass.com/bass-guitars/gibson/les-paul-std-headstock.jpg)

That pickup cavity doesn't look like any Gibson I know of but it does look like an Epi and various Chinese copies I've seen.

The pickup cavity looks original to me (meaning it doesn't look like two holes were filled to make it a single pickup bass).

Didn't Gibson only recently start using that headstock shape on LP basses again? The 90s models were thinner and the 00s were even thinner than those. That headstock looks like my 70s era EB basses.

Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: uwe on October 29, 2013, 08:59:00 AM
Might have been an Epi body indeed, the cavity seems to indicate it.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Granny Gremlin on October 29, 2013, 09:38:54 AM
I don't think you can judge by the pup route - the holes/routes in the body easily be  filled/changed and hidden under a refin.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: OldManC on October 29, 2013, 10:45:55 AM
I don't think you can judge by the pup route - the holes/routes in the body easily be  filled/changed and hidden under a refin.

From the front maybe, but inside the cavity? Who would go to the trouble of masking it from the inside? That photo doesn't look like anything's been modified in there.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Granny Gremlin on October 29, 2013, 11:38:33 AM
multiple refins maybe (most recent masked the cavities, earlier ones didn't); that puke green doesn't look original to me.  It's also the same colour as the inside of the pup route.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: pjm on October 29, 2013, 04:24:46 PM
Here's a reply from the seller to my questions.

"I bought this bass few years ago from friend in sydney.
I play short scale bass these days, I took parts of this bass to put on my other bass project.
its nice bass, straight maple and rosewood neck with mahogany body."

Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Daniel_J on October 29, 2013, 04:40:46 PM
I can't say what it is, but I don't think is a real Gibson. Black plastic nut and generic TRC gives it away. A shot of the truss rod's nut would probably end all discussions.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Dave W on October 29, 2013, 08:06:37 PM
Here's a reply from the seller to my questions.

"I bought this bass few years ago from friend in sydney.
I play short scale bass these days, I took parts of this bass to put on my other bass project.
its nice bass, straight maple and rosewood neck with mahogany body."



Definitely not a Gibson, then. A real Gibson LP Deluxe or Special would have a mahogany neck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAp9sFVdERQ
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Highlander on October 30, 2013, 12:52:43 AM
There looks like the body had a forward route for a cable drilled out before the neck was fitted which does lead to a potential conclusion that a neck pup rout may have been filled in prior to a refin... otherwise, what would be the point of it...?
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: amptech on October 30, 2013, 01:56:07 AM
Gentlemen, let this one go... Place a bid on the nice sunburst '74 Les paul signature bass instead :mrgreen:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Gibson-Les-Paul-Signature-Bass-w-OHSC-/151154620685?pt=Guitar&hash=item233184790d
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: Granny Gremlin on October 30, 2013, 06:15:32 AM
I can't say what it is, but I don't think is a real Gibson. Black plastic nut and generic TRC gives it away. A shot of the truss rod's nut would probably end all discussions.

Easily explained as aftermarket parts (I have real Gibsons with replaced nuts - not uncommon and hardly affects value.

As for Maple neck, I don't know if we can trust the seller to be knowledgeable enough to say, but Gibson did use maple long scale necks with 4x4 headstock for a time, even if not on LPs.  A third option presents itself; this could be real and highly modified, complete fake, or a bit of both (either genuine neck, as genuine Gibson maple bass necks were easily found on ebay for a while, with a random body or vice versa).

I suppose Sir Arthur is correct in any case, though I'd still say that knowing all this, it's worth the opening bid if you're into a project and live in Oz.
Title: Re: Ebay Gibson, fake???
Post by: uwe on October 30, 2013, 06:41:04 AM
Maple does turn it into an Epi me thinks. No that a maple LP is per se bad, I have a maple neck thru Epi prototype LP and it sounds like a Ric, definitely gets itself heard.