The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Dave W on August 31, 2018, 08:43:17 PM
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Reverb article (https://reverb.com/news/gibson-back-to-basics-2019-model-lineup-released)
Nice selection of lower priced items, including a $799 doublecut Junior Tribute and some surprisingly low priced acoustic models.
CME bass listings on Reverb (https://reverb.com/handpicked/gibson-2019-models-back-to-basics?product_type=bass-guitars)
$100 increase in MAP street price on the basses, and the TBird description is all wrong (obviously from one of the guitar models), but assuming the photos are accurate, the TBird has the old TB+ pickups and both the TBird and SG Bass have the old three-point bridges. Neither bass is on Gibson's website yet but CME shows both as In Stock.
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Another article (https://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/bits/gibson-2019-electric-guitars-previewed-at-summer-namm-19) from MF. Scroll to the very end and you'll see that the EB 4 and 5 are back too and still have the Babicz bridge and Jim DeCola pickups. $50 price increase on these.
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Been seeing stuff come through for 2019 Gibson over the last day or two. I'm not on the market for another bass, so from that perspective it's lovely to see they're continuing to hold faith in the new EB models and have decided to look backward and reintroduce the three point bridge on Thunderbirds and whatever the SG-style basses are called nowadays.
Disappointingly (as I am on the market for a six string), if you want Les Pauls and SGs, your demand will be satiated and no doubt you'll be over them like a tramp on chips (USA; a hobo on fries), but sadly (for a company so rooted in the reissuing or reinvention of heritage models), there's still no faithful Les Paul Junior DC or Firebird with a single mini-humbucker. Nothing like not giving the masses what they want so as to ramp up demand. And don't look at the prices unless you have somewhere soft to land when you fall off your chair.
Sadly it's a meh from this side of the point. I'd rather stretch and buy a MusicMan St Vincent HH in stealthy black. Now that is a fantastic guitar.
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Lovely wine red finish on the EB and the cherry burst on the T bird looks tastefully done. I hope they do well with the new lineup. Got to figure the more proceeds they get, the more they can pay off their creditors and thus be a little more choosey about who takes the reigns in the future, right?
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The SG standard looks pretty good, and fortunately it's short scale, which IMO works best in that body style. Nice to see they haven't forgotten it.
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Been seeing stuff come through for 2019 Gibson over the last day or two. I'm not on the market for another bass, so from that perspective it's lovely to see they're continuing to hold faith in the new EB models and have decided to look backward and reintroduce the three point bridge on Thunderbirds and whatever the SG-style basses are called nowadays.
Disappointingly (as I am on the market for a six string), if you want Les Pauls and SGs, your demand will be satiated and no doubt you'll be over them like a tramp on chips (USA; a hobo on fries), but sadly (for a company so rooted in the reissuing or reinvention of heritage models), there's still no faithful Les Paul Junior DC or Firebird with a single mini-humbucker. Nothing like not giving the masses what they want so as to ramp up demand. And don't look at the prices unless you have somewhere soft to land when you fall off your chair.
Sadly it's a meh from this side of the point. I'd rather stretch and buy a MusicMan St Vincent HH in stealthy black. Now that is a fantastic guitar.
Keep in mid that this is a transitional lineup. No doubt it was in the works before the bankruptcy filing. When the Chapter 11 is complete and new management is in charge, there will be more changes. More faithful reissues? Hard to say. I hope so.
Lovely wine red finish on the EB and the cherry burst on the T bird looks tastefully done. I hope they do well with the new lineup. Got to figure the more proceeds they get, the more they can pay off their creditors and thus be a little more choosey about who takes the reigns in the future, right?
The payoff for the secured creditors will be ownership of the company. The guitar side of Gibson Brands has been profitable but there would never have been enough proceeds from the guitar business in time to pay off the debt Henry took on buying the electronics businesses.
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This is the first time I see a Cherry Sunburst Thunderbird made by Gibson.
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The Reverb page seem to be offline
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This is the first time I see a Cherry Sunburst Thunderbird made by Gibson.
...and the last hopefully.
;D
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The Reverb page seem to be offline
Both Reverb links are working for me.
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Both Reverb links are working for me.
I have nothing either
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I have nothing either
Maybe it's because CME doesn't ship Gibsons outside the US. If you're logged in, they know your location.
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Really a swamp ash body on the TBird? That would be something new. Not that its automatically a bad idea. I could see it working, the swamp ash sounds nice on the EB-4 and EB-5.
Gibson Thunderbird Bass 2019
If you’re looking for something a little different, you may want to consider the offset 2019 Gibson Thunderbird Bass. The Thunderbird Bass has a 34” scale. It features a Swamp Ash body, black chrome-plated hardware and a 3-point adjustable bridge. The neck pickup is a Rhythm T-Bird while the bridge pickup is a Lead T-Bird. Black top hat knobs (with silver inserts) offer you access to two volume controls and one master tone control.
Going back to the old three point (I have no issues with, but many people do) and the old pups (ditto) is retrogressive though. Are you sure you saw the 2019 (and not the 2018) TB offered in cardinal red, Doomie?
Scandinavians have this thing with cardinals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScRaK73VU2E
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I could find basses on other sites, but just black and red SG's, sunburst Birds and a lefty and the EB's.
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And you didn't just look on the Wärwick site?
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No, the TBird isn't swamp ash, and it doesn't have a figured maple top (which the CME listing showed). You can tell from the pics that it's the usual mahogany.
Sweetwater's listing has the right description. Heritage cherry sunburst TBird (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BAT419HSBC--gibson-thunderbird-bass-2019-heritage-cherry-sunburst)
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Are you sure you saw the 2019 (and not the 2018) TB offered in cardinal red, Doomie?
Yes, I saw the 2019 Cherry Sunburst Thunderbird. ;)
This is the first time I see a Cherry Sunburst Thunderbird made by Gibson.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--VGkRLW7M--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_1600,q_80,w_1600/v1535560457/lx8dqxeo2eiviixaykvu.jpg)
And to Chris, I did'nt see the proper Reverb page until I chose shipping to United States instead of Sweden on the left side menu (kind of like Dave said).
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You mean Warwick as in the supplier of the best Gibson bridge? That Warwick?
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That Jr Tribute is nice, especially in brown, but I am not a fan of the new pickguard shape. I get that it's cheaper due to 1 large front route vs routes front and back, but they could have kept it closer.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2YZsX_Cd--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1535559371/uiwsmfy9qo0q5dfkwupj.jpg)
... looks like Ttribute' is the new 'Studio' judging by the new Firebird Tribute. Only bass I see is the TBird. ..ah there they are; so the EB-4/5 are basically updated Victories / Q series with an extended upper horn.
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That Jr Tribute is nice, especially in brown, but I am not a fan of the new pickguard shape. I get that it's cheaper due to 1 large front route vs routes front and back, but they could have kept it closer.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2YZsX_Cd--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1535559371/uiwsmfy9qo0q5dfkwupj.jpg)
... looks like Ttribute' is the new 'Studio' judging by the new Firebird Tribute. Only bass I see is the TBird. ..ah there they are; so the EB-4/5 are basically updated Victories / Q series with an extended upper horn.
This is the third year for the current EB-4/5, haven't you noticed them before?
Agreed, cost must be the reason for the Jr. Tribute pickguard shape. At least the way it ends below the jack should reduce pickguard cracking there. They should sell a ton of them.
The Les Paul Tribute line started in 2013, the whole idea was to have stripped down versions to keep costs down, especially finishing cost. Prices on Studios have really gone up, and I'm sure the full gloss finishes are a major reason. For 2019, the "regular" LP Tribute is $1199 and the Studio is $1699.
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You mean Warwick as in the supplier of the best Gibson bridge? That Warwick?
These Dutch jesters ...
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This is the third year for the current EB-4/5, haven't you noticed them before?
Busted :-[ I just assumed they were like the EBs just before that (the ones everyone liked). I try not to look much to avoid the GAS pains... also long scale so ... mostly the GAS pains.
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That Jr Tribute is nice, especially in brown, but I am not a fan of the new pickguard shape. I get that it's cheaper due to 1 large front route vs routes front and back, but they could have kept it closer.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2YZsX_Cd--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1535559371/uiwsmfy9qo0q5dfkwupj.jpg)
This is nasty.
How difficult, honestly now, would it have been to program a CNC machine to cut a damn hole for a P90, a few holes for the bridge, pots and output jack, then flip it over and rout out a control cavity? While it shouldn't upset me, it just does. With the vintage market going crazy, the wait for an affordable Junior DC goes on. Sigh.
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This is nasty.
How difficult, honestly now, would it have been to program a CNC machine to cut a damn hole for a P90, a few holes for the bridge, pots and output jack, then flip it over and rout out a control cavity? While it shouldn't upset me, it just does. With the vintage market going crazy, the wait for an affordable Junior DC goes on. Sigh.
Yeah, I don't get it. I run a high end flight case company and we have a CNC router, and more recently a laser (mostly for cutting foam). Our competitor across town also has a CNC or two. According to MANY people I've talked to, those guys won't make certain changes to a design, and basically tell customers "no, you want it THIS way". It's NOT that hard to change a CAD file! I get that Gibson guitars are more of a mass-produced product than what we do, and flipping the wood can become time consuming over a large run, but still...
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That Jr Tribute is nice, especially in brown, but I am not a fan of the new pickguard shape. I get that it's cheaper due to 1 large front route vs routes front and back, but they could have kept it closer.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2YZsX_Cd--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1535559371/uiwsmfy9qo0q5dfkwupj.jpg)
... looks like Ttribute' is the new 'Studio' judging by the new Firebird Tribute. Only bass I see is the TBird. ..ah there they are; so the EB-4/5 are basically updated Victories / Q series with an extended upper horn.
To be frank, it looks like crap to me. What is it exactly a tribute to? There has been no LP Jr. in Gibson's history like this one. It reminds me a lot of some of their short-lived models of the late '70s/early '80s. We all know how successful those were, some of the only vintage Gibson guitars you can still easily buy for under a grand.
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I know it's not a Gibson, but Allen Eden are doing a nice looking DC...even the offset headstock looks OK really. $460 incl. a hard case.
(https://scontent.flhr2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41056750_1865022276898404_5205638884037230592_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=714717876237b3e799009eb30451fcd0&oe=5C2C0216)
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To be frank, it looks like crap to me. What is it exactly a tribute to? There has been no LP Jr. in Gibson's history like this one. It reminds me a lot of some of their short-lived models of the late '70s/early '80s. We all know how successful those were, some of the only vintage Gibson guitars you can still easily buy for under a grand.
Looks like most guitarists don't agree with the opinions here. So far, it's a hit. Sweetwater is sold out already and CME is sown to one worn black finish model in stock. Opinions at MLP are positive so far, except for one.
The Tribute series aren't reissues. They're tributes to the styles, at lower cost. This one also has a maple neck with a 60s slim taper profile, that's not historic either. It's an entry level American made guitar. You don't have to like it, but I think it will be very popular with its intended market.
I know it's not a Gibson, but Allen Eden are doing a nice looking DC...even the offset headstock looks OK really. $460 incl. a hard case.
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That looks nice. Hope they don't get sued over the body shape. Still, it's a Chinese guitar. Not Gibson's market. Might be a big seller if it were an Epi.
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It's interesting to me that Fender takes criticism for re-doing the P and the J to death, but if Gibson changes the shape of a pickguard the faithful begin lamenting how nasty the new look is and how Gibson has wandered from the path of righteousness.
Rather amusing, don'cha know? ;)
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You've got people who criticize Gibson from the inside, then others who criticize from the outside. To me there is a difference. I guess that's just another way of saying there is constructive criticism and criticism which is anything but that.
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I know that anything said here is said with lotsa Gibson love. This group is the kind of people who love and buy their instruments, so they should be listening.
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^^^
Yes, that is true.
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Looks like most guitarists don't agree with the opinions here. So far, it's a hit. Sweetwater is sold out already and CME is sown to one worn black finish model in stock. Opinions at MLP are positive so far, except for one.
I liked it too, instantly. It's Fender-y styled but in a good way. Now is as good time as any to admit that I've never liked the original Jr/Special pickguard shape, they remind me of the goofy ES120 guard shape.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d5/8b/a7/d58ba7a85163de92ecf624e896188c3b.jpg)
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That Jr Tribute is nice, especially in brown, but I am not a fan of the new pickguard shape. I get that it's cheaper due to 1 large front route vs routes front and back, but they could have kept it closer.
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--2YZsX_Cd--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1535559371/uiwsmfy9qo0q5dfkwupj.jpg)
... looks like Ttribute' is the new 'Studio' judging by the new Firebird Tribute. Only bass I see is the TBird. ..ah there they are; so the EB-4/5 are basically updated Victories / Q series with an extended upper horn.
I like it! Sort of like if they continued LP Juniors into the Norlin era. Poop brown, extensive sea of black plastic, a bit shy on aesthetics...
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It's also available in black, dark blue and cherry stain. That would have been too much for Norlin.
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To be frank, it looks like crap to me. What is it exactly a tribute to? There has been no LP Jr. in Gibson's history like this one. It reminds me a lot of some of their short-lived models of the late '70s/early '80s. We all know how successful those were, some of the only vintage Gibson guitars you can still easily buy for under a grand.
Yeah, on second thought, you're (and Planetgaffnet) are right. That pickguard is horrible (which I did mention). I guess I was excited at the prospect of a Gibby DC Jr that might be in my price range.
That Allen Eden is looking good and that price is hard to argue with. I'm not a fan of gold so hopefully other fins are available. Was that yo/u in that pic; hows the fretwork (I have learned the hard way that this is the first thing to suffer on budget instruments)?
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There is even now n importer and distributor for Australia- the prices seem to have gone up a bit. Oh well.
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No dealers in Canada (ony 3 listed; all in Cali); no product line information on their website; only J style basses in their online shop. Not a good way to sell a guitar.
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No dealers in Canada (ony 3 listed; all in Cali); no product line information on their website; only J style basses in their online shop. Not a good way to sell a guitar.
Are you talking about Allen Eden? I think veebass was talking about Gibson, since there had been no Gibson importer in Australia for a while.
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Ah, yes. That makes more sense.
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Are you talking about Allen Eden? I think veebass was talking about Gibson, since there had been no Gibson importer in Australia for a while.
Yes I was- sorry for being unclear.
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Yes, I saw the 2019 Cherry Sunburst Thunderbird. ;)
(https://images.reverb.com/image/upload/s--VGkRLW7M--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_1600,q_80,w_1600/v1535560457/lx8dqxeo2eiviixaykvu.jpg)
And to Chris, I did'nt see the proper Reverb page until I chose shipping to United States instead of Sweden on the left side menu (kind of like Dave said).
That's really nice looking!