The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Barklessdog on January 18, 2008, 12:08:53 PM
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Hello, I am a Gibson Bass addict and I'm not sure why, but since high school in the mid 70's, I bought my first bass, an alder Gibson grabber, which was fine till I traded in to order a new Gibson RD that just came out ( I still own) . I'm not sure why only Gibson, but it was re-enforced by an awful Guild B302 experience and never looked back.
Later I bought a Carvin 6 String which was nice but not great, a 6 string bass is just not like playing a 4 string, it's more methodical & finesse.
Then along came the internet, the Dude Pit and Gibson bass forums. Now I have 5 Gibson basses all of a sudden and still want more.
Yes, I am a confessed Gibsonhollic and I need help.....
Now confess your sins, acceptance is the first step, or was it anger or denial
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Thanks for sharing John. Hello all. I'm a Gibson Bass addict. It all started after about a year of playing bass. I had borrowed a Ric 4001 and my brother and guitarplayer of the band bought me an Alder bodied walnut Grabber. 2 years later I was seduced by the Leo created P-bass and I got stuck subconsciously dissatisfied for eight years until I bought a Gibson EB-3, started searching for details and stumbled across Dudepit. Six years later I have eight Gibson basses. I don't know what struck me.
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When I was a teenager learning guitar my father would talk about Gibsons as the Rolls Royce of guitars. I don't know where he got this idea from, as the nearest he got to playing was a ukelele. Possibly from dance band guitarists he'd seen with ES355s. Anyway, when I was 21 he bought me a J50, which was way out of proportion to my playing ability, and although I still have it, it rarely gets used now. He died a few years back and somehow I felt driven to have one Gibson bass to take out with me, like its a connection to him. So it will probably stay as one Gibson, though in time it might be a different one, who knows.
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Six years later I have eight Gibson basses.
Very impressive Daniel, wow, I was wondering how many you owned.
With each Gibson bass comes new sonic colors, every model is a new adventure.
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With each Gibson bass comes new sonic colors, every model is a new adventure.
That's a large part of the addiction. Same brand. Different sounds and shapes. Guess that's why we're so open minded here.
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I play Gibsons because alot of the bass players I first listened to did. My first bass was a Japanese EB copy, from about '72. My first real Gibson was a '76 'Bird that I got for all of $350 around '78. That one got away from me :'( truly one I wish I'd never let go. I went until 1989 without a Gibson, )tho there were many other basses in that time) an add for a local shop said they had an '88 re-issue 'Bird, I was there the next day I wanted it SO bad. I gave them some money as a down payment and proceeded to hawk everything I didn't need to pay that bass off. It is of course my White one, for 19 years now my steady player with the black hardware....Now it's my chromey lover! From there, many other basses have crossed my path, Rick's Rich's, Musicman, Kramer, F****r, Epi, truth is: When a Thunderbird was found, I usually bought it at the expense of anything else. Today there are only 'Birds roosting at my house with the sole exception being a Washburn AB20 ABG........If Gibson ever made an acoustic 'Bird I have one of those too ;D
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Hi, I am a Gibson bass addict. Aside from from Paul most of my favorite bassist used Gibson. Jim Lea, John Entwhistle, Overend Watts, Dennis Dunaway. Gibsons just had the sound to me and they always seemed to have guitar like action, so easy to play. Fenders and the like seemed so pedestrian, Gibsons wild and exotic.
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I don't really have a problem, since mine are only used recreationally :)
One of my first LPs as a kid was Tull's Benefit, and I really dug the look and sound of Cornick's bass. Of course now twenty years later, I find out that Cornick hated his EB-2D, and only used it on one song ever. Thanks, Jules. :-\ ;D
I had played as a kid, but had taken about ten years away from music due to burnout (several bands and school at the same time; bands lost). I guess it made more sense back then, but I had been conditioned by teachers and other musicians to think that I needed "versatile" basses (main basses were the old white Stingray fretless, and a beat up, modded Aria SB-Elite).
When I started playing again, I reflected on the err of my childhood ways, and went and bought my '66 EB-2D. Now three EBs and a Japan Epi later, I couldn't be happier! Plan to add a Triumph someday as well, and something of the 6-string variety (looking at the Les Paul Specials, ES-333, 335-S, and "The Paul").
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i am also an addict,started playing in '89 on a Squier P-bass than an Ibanez which sucked and then a '75 P-bass,got my first Gibson in '99 a sunburst G3.now i have 5 gibsons and a fake Ripper.i still have my Squier and Fender but they don't get much use.i stick to my Ripper and LPB-1 for the most part.while there are a few more Gibbies i want...NR BIRD,EB-4L,Grabber,LPB-3,another ebony board Ripper.what i really want is a Ric.sorry.
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No sorries I like Rics me self ;D
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BOLLOCKS!! I don't have a stinkin' problem, no problem at all, I could stop at any point in time. I mean, my Gibson thing is just recreational ;D
Actually - I blame Gene Simmons. I wore out a copy of Alive and leaned how to play most of that album on my 6th hand Tiesco. But looking at all of the shots of those Grabbers got to me and I got natural alder Ripper for Chrsitmas when I was 14. I, in a moment of early mahogany lost, sold it to buy a Magnum, which was sold to by a pristine 62 Pbass...... a brief trifling with an early 70's EB0.
Three years ago after about a twenty year hiatus - work, family, bills - I came back to lusting for Gibson. I have just one real Gibson, Studio 4, and my Fbird. Still, I'm looking for good deals, Yes - I am a cheap Bastid! When somehing pops up that works I'll pounce.
I also have a NOS Ripper/RD neck that will become my hog/maple RD.
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I'm not sure that I'm an addict yet, but as of this week I have 2 Gibsons. I have my beloved 01 ebony T-bird and my wife shocked the Hell out of me a couple of nights ago when she came home with my LP Standard bass! :o (I was going to pick it up next week but she wanted to suprise me!)
In the past I've owned a 76 ebony T-bird (that I have kicked myself in the ass contiuously since trading it) and just a couple of months ago I bought & sold 2 Epi NR T-birds. Maybe I have more of a "problem" than I thought!
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My addiction has crested and subsided. I originally wanted a Rivoli as I dug the blubbery mess of Paul Samwell Smith on the Rave Up album. I always thought the ES looked fairly rock n roll cool, and complimented my greaser ethic already in place with my Tele-bass. So I did some asking around, got laughed and jeered at, and found that the EB2 was more common. I bought my first - a minty cherry red stock 68 with the original case - for $150. At the time a boat anchor used 70s P would run $300 to 400, so this was amazing. Over the years I have owned and abused so many that I am not sure anymore, but I have solid memories of 3 1958 EB2s, a 60, a 64, a 68, a 59 EB0, a 61 EB0 LPjr, a 61 EB0 SG, a 65 EB0, a 69 EB0, a 69 EB3, a 56 eb, one of those things with plastic pups and a metal control plate (450?), and probably somethings I am forgetting. I also turned one of the 58 EB2s into an Explorer bass using an 80s Korina Explorer. Oddly enough I never did get an Epi Rivoli. I now only have two. With the exception of the Explorer recreation, I never paid more than $250 for a Gibson bass, and the number of old EBs, Tbirds, LP sigs and recording, Ripper/grabber/g3 and Epis that I passed on because they were more than that but less than $350, is staggering today. I am happy living vicariously through the rest of you. All is back to normal.
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I started with the typical gateway drug, an Epi EB-0. It was innocent enough, but I got hooked quickly and advanced soon into an Epi EB-3. I was attracted to hollow bodies next and bought my first Gibson, the EB-650. After that, I spun out of control and have been on a Gibson binge ever since. I'm not cured, nor do I want to be. I've come to grips with my addition by getting my wife hooked on collecting too and now it's really not so bad! Having a partner in crime is way more fun than trying to hide your disease all of the time! :P
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When I was a teenager learning guitar my father would talk about Gibsons as the Rolls Royce of guitars. I don't know where he got this idea from, as the nearest he got to playing was a ukelele. Possibly from dance band guitarists he'd seen with ES355s. Anyway, when I was 21 he bought me a J50, which was way out of proportion to my playing ability, and although I still have it, it rarely gets used now. He died a few years back and somehow I felt driven to have one Gibson bass to take out with me, like its a connection to him. So it will probably stay as one Gibson, though in time it might be a different one, who knows.
I can completely identify with your experience since my father also regarded Gibson as being the Rolls Royce of guitars. As a teenager with a Teisco which was falling apart, I was extremely pleased to receive an EB-O which he bought for me and which I still have to this day.
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I can completely identify with your experience since my father also regarded Gibson as being the Rolls Royce of guitars. As a teenager with a Teisco which was falling apart, I was extremely pleased to receive an EB-O which he bought for me and which I still have to this day.
I wish I still had my first bass my Dad bought me. He got me a 63 Fender CAR j bass that I kept until 1975 and the I sold it after I got married!!! What a dumb ass I was! :'( The wife is long gone and I really miss my bass!
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My very first guitar was a Gibson, first year Melody Maker my folks bought for me new in 1959. Wish I had kept that. It was a good little guitar, too bad I just thought of it as beginner's gear.
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With age comes wisdom for sure!
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Not a Gibson I still have my first bass and count myself lucky to have it. My folks rented me a Kingston (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/100_2451.jpg) for a month or so to see if I would "stick with", the one pictured is one I bought of ebay to complete my early collection. The first bass I owned is a Klira, (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/100_1721.jpg) a Hofner like bass built just down the road from Hofner. It really is a nice bass. I still remember the day vividly when my dad and I went to the House of Guitars in Rochester NY to buy my first bass. The Beatles were in the fore front of my mind when picking a bass and the Klira seemed to fit the bill. The sales guy(as a kid he looked impossibly cool ) A-B it with the Kingston and he said you'll be much happier with the Klira. I was and I am ! I can still remember the feeling driving home with my Dad with my very own bass in the back seat of his Thunderbird. Man can it be that long ago ? At some point in the mid 70's I "improved"the bass with Gibson SB450 pups, I leave then as a monument to my foolishness. ;)
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I became a Gibson bass addict in 1979 at Killeen music in Burbank, CA. They had a white Thunderbird that had been sitting on the wall for a couple years. The first time I saw it I fell in love and that was that. Unfortunately, it sold before I could talk my parents into letting me buy it. My luck; it sits for two years or more and sells as soon as I see it!
Flash forward a few months to my very first club visit at the Ice House in Pasadena (known as a comedy club, but they had bands in the back room; I saw Armored Saint there a year or two later). Anyway, the bassist had a red 70's bird. That was strike two... Strike three happened in October, 1981 when I saw Motley Crue for the first time. Nikki's white bird sealed the deal for me and I had my first bird (a black one) a few months later At $500, it was $50 overpriced for the time, but I didn't care. I wanted that bass!. I've owned other brands over the years and still still do really like and own the two Fender icons, but my first love and emotional favorites will always be Gibsons. That started with Thunderbirds and EBLs, but over the years I've grown to love most of the basses they've sold over the years. As addictions go, I could've done a lot worse!
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I'm not an addictive personality at all, neither alcohol, nor cigarettes nor (other) drugs have ever posed a threat to me. I could probably try heroin once and walk away from it. But I'm - and always have been - an anally-retentive, obsessive-compulsive hoarder with a completist itch. Which makes Gibson my dream (or nightmare, depending on your view) brand. And the fact that they have almost always failed commercially appeals to my twisted mind. Gibson also have one of the most beautiful basses (the TBird) and one of the most idiosyncratic sounding ones (any mudbucker equipped shortscale really) to their credit.
Uwe
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Better you than I. Even if I could afford to be a completist, I'm just not moved by a few of them. But you have to admire a company that can put out basses as diverse as a Victory and an SB-300, fail at most of them, and yet continue to produce basses -- even if they won't take our advice.
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It's a history of incredibly cool (for the most part) marketplace failures.......I am hopelessly devout at this point :D
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I hate Gibson. Wrong looking, muddy sounding, poor quality basses. But I buy them because I want to be part of this message board.
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I hate Gibson. Wrong looking, muddy sounding, poor quality basses. But I buy them because I want to be part of this message board.
At least you're honest! I buy them because I actually like the way they sound and play. Yeah, I'm twisted as Uwe!
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Hi, my name is Jake and I am a Gibsonoholic.
I have not been coming to meetings lately because I've been championing Gibsons on local indie music messageboards.
I bought my first Gibson (a basket case project, you are all mostly familiar with) and it just wouldn't stop. I'm up to four of them now, but luckily have found respite.
I find getting engaged and buying a house helps. I assume that sending multiple kids to college would, similarly, be a rather benefitial treatment. These same kids graduating and/or moving out of the house seems to cause relapse according to recent studies... as does paying off your mortgage before retirement. Researchers are baffled.
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My first Gibson was a 1973 Ripper that I got from a friend. I was totally hooked at that point and regret to this day selling it in the late 80's...
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You think you guys have it bad? I'm the resident Epi freak... :-*
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Addict??? Fanatic??? Zealot???
I've even taken to making up imaginary models and variations just so I can pretend Gibson cares :'(
But I won't change my screen-name to Bass Sixx
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I'm not really an addict. You need more than one to be an addict right? I'm more of a dabbler.
Always kinda liked T-Birds, and then I saw one in real life at an Agent Orange show. Then I heard it. At the time I was saving up to get a mid '70s Ric from a local music store, but the bird kept tickling my brain a little. Then I saw the zebrawood one and within moments I was on the phone with a short term/high interest loan company.
I found my bass. I almost don't even look at other basses now (well, looking isn't cheating, is it?).
Except I want a G-3. And a Blackbird. I'd like an EB-3 for this blues band a friend of mine punked me into playing with. But maybe the BaChBird will fill that need. Or a real non-reverse. I'd also like to play an RD, cause I think I want one of those too. Maybe that new red Nikki Sixx bass. A white reverse T-Bird with a black pickguard. That's all.
But not addicted. Just dabbling.
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But not addicted. Just dabbling.
acceptance is one of the steps you must take!
Denial, not so much
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Denial and loss are stages too, right? I never should have let my last TBird go...
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Hello, I am a Gibson bass addict because I believe they are the best basses in the (known) Universe.
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Oh hello,
My name is Rob.
I think I'm in the wrong session...
My shrink sent me to the Fender Haters Anonymous.
But now that I'm here I feel better already. Thanx for sharing your stories.
I recognize some of it. To be honest I even own a few Gibsons. So I can really empathize with you.
Thank you.
oh while we're at it: are these EB3's really as muddy as they say?
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Muddier, baby!
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oh while we're at it: are these EB3's really as muddy as they say?
They kinda sound like this:
(http://dailyfunnypics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/mudwrestling.jpg)
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no(t) fat at all!
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I (finally) see G strings!
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Waiddaminnit....a mud wrestling match being watched by women in office attire...from an accounting firm? That has to be a first.
Maybe it's just an employee disciplinary hearing.
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That's an Atomic Mud Wedgie in the making......Or the much dreaded Rear Admiral!
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Waiddaminnit....a mud wrestling match being watched by women in office attire...from an accounting firm? That has to be a first.
Maybe it's just an employee disciplinary hearing.
I understand you're herewith volunteering for membership in the disciplinary panel?
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No, but I'll volunteer for the cleanup squad.
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A friend from belgium offered me a Rivoli for 650 euros. That's like the normal price over here. Yesterday he tipped me a natural one on a Dutch auction site and I think I have it for 400 euros. I'll keep in touch.
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Is the Rivoli one of the reissues?
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No tight ends on the team?
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It's a nineties reissue. I have it. Haven't tried it out yet. It has a repaired neck break and the mudbucker is replaced by what seems to be a singlecoil. They put it nicely under the chrome cover. I have a spare Epiphone humbucker at home. I'll try it out first and then I'll decide what to do. It looks nice and I'll post pics soon!
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Congrats, Chris. I love the look of the RI in natural finish. If that pickup doesn't work out, that might make a good candidate for one of those Artec mud-slingers!
My latest Gibbie is an, errm..., extended range bass! Yeah that's the ticket!
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/sg-special/polished1.jpg)
SG Special... Unfaded (http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=8541#8541)
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Nice SG!
I'll try her out tonight with the singecoil. A friend of mine's building an Artec in his Rivoli, so I'll wait for his experiences. And I still have this Epi mudbucker. I was surprised the Epi EB0 pup is a real sidewinder.
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I was surprised the Epi EB0 pup is a real sidewinder.
It is a real sidewinder, but it's definitely not like the old style sidewinders.
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I didn't care for the stock pup in the reissue rivoli too much. while practicing, some days it seemed to sound alright and then others it just wasn't doing it for me. in group settings, I was always sort of surprised that it managed to hold it's own in a mix as well as it did. but I couldn't ever really embrace it's voice, so it had to go in favor of a model g. the g is better but I have a mudbucker waiting to be installed. it's a pretty low priority because the neck has some issues that limit how much I play it. maybe you'll have a different experience, though, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts.
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I've been a Gibson lover since way back when....I saw Jack Bruce with CREAM in 1968. Sad to report that I never saw Felix Pappalardi but I always loved that Gibson he played too so when I saw an IMMACULATE '53 Gibson EB with a Buy It Now button to push I tried to restrain myself by tellin' myself my 2 Fender Precisions were all I really need but couldn't resist & pushed that button! Yow~ 12k!
I know, I'm seriously addicted & I've been lookin' high & low trying to find LEFTY Gibsons but had to settle for a lefty Tokai Thunderbird & a lefty Greco EB3 & I've been playin' the HELL outa both of 'em!!
Oh~ & a Steinberger Spirit bass....nice little ax tooo
Finally next week I'll be playin' that '53 GIBSON made lefty & then I'll tell y'all how gooood it fokken feels to be a really strung out Gibson user.
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Be sure to post pics!