The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: neepheid on November 10, 2014, 03:16:39 AM

Title: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: neepheid on November 10, 2014, 03:16:39 AM
I was tinkering around with my NR Thunderbird at the weekend and I removed the control cavity cover.  One of the screws seemed real easy to remove, like it wasn't screwed into much.  That's because it's screwed into next to naff all.  That's because it's in completely the wrong place.  I mean not off by a little and it's blowing past the bit of wood it's supposed to be in.  The wooden sticky out bit where the screw was supposed to go has not even been drilled.

Stock shot, with correct cover

(http://images.gibson.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/USA/Thunderbird-Studio-Non-Reverse-Bass/Gallery-Images/BANTPBCH1-Finish-Shot-Back.jpg)

Mine, spot the difference?

(http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/nonrevtbird/08_body_back.jpg)

That top screw should be a couple of inches to the left.  Gibson, I love you, but why for the love of all that's accurate can't you spot these things?  Someone has made the cover wrong, and either no-one spotted it (I doubt it, I spotted it in seconds and I'm no expert) or more likely no-one gave enough of a damn to send it back down the line to get redone.

FFS Gibson!  Get your head in the game!
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: drbassman on November 10, 2014, 06:33:32 AM
Not surprising............I guess it's to be expected.  Like the poor installation of the big old mud bucker style pups with insufficient foam padding underneath, making them crooked in their mounts and uneven in their operation.  Minor detail that never should have happened.
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: TBird1958 on November 10, 2014, 12:38:29 PM


 Gibson, you make loving you so hard  :sad:



Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: 66Atlas on November 10, 2014, 02:03:13 PM
Considering they shipped some of these with the TRCs printed upside down I'm not surprised a all. When things are so obviously wrong it seems like they just don't care about some of the details.  "do the strings tune and noise comes out?... if yes, ship it."

Still...I keep buying...
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: Bionic-Joe on November 10, 2014, 08:30:08 PM
I like the old ones...
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: Dave W on November 10, 2014, 09:26:51 PM
I like the old ones...

Gibson's occasional sloppiness goes way back. There were late 50s Juniors and Specials with the tune-o-matic posts in the wrong place. Then there were engineering mistakes like the T-Bird bridge with not enough travel. Not to mention another certain bass bridge that has the unfair nickname of Evertilt.

Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: uwe on November 11, 2014, 04:42:30 AM
And really is a perfect bridge if it had an additional string holder!

(http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/2083580/175418267/stock-photo-woman-holding-red-g-string-175418267.jpg)
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: TBird1958 on November 11, 2014, 07:26:15 AM
And really is a perfect bridge if it had an additional string holder!

(http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/2083580/175418267/stock-photo-woman-holding-red-g-string-175418267.jpg)


 Not a lot of support there  ;D
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: gearHed289 on November 11, 2014, 09:34:53 AM
"do the strings tune and noise comes out?... if yes, ship it."

LOL!
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: uwe on November 11, 2014, 01:58:12 PM

 Not a lot of support there  ;D

You mean string to saddle pressure? That is of course key.
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: dadagoboi on November 11, 2014, 02:47:42 PM
Gibson's occasional sloppiness goes way back. There were late 50s Juniors and Specials with the tune-o-matic posts in the wrong place. Then there were engineering mistakes like the T-Bird bridge with not enough travel. Not to mention another certain bass bridge that has the unfair nickname of Evertilt.

Not to mention that they didn't use counters on their winding machines resulting in pickups that were inconsistent from one to another.   One more reason ThunderBucker and I refer to them like this:

(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/ME/GisbonQuality_zps8b074e35.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/ME/GisbonQuality_zps8b074e35.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: 66Atlas on November 11, 2014, 06:00:50 PM
I guess they could just go back to stamping every third one produced with "Second".

Or the good ol days when the flawed cherry finishes just got a coat of metallic and where called Burgundy Mist.

Still...I keep buying.

I guess I just like the sound better  :-\
Title: Re: Gibson - please pay attention to what you're doing
Post by: westen44 on November 11, 2014, 07:54:08 PM
I guess they could just go back to stamping every third one produced with "Second".

Or the good ol days when the flawed cherry finishes just got a coat of metallic and where called Burgundy Mist.

Still...I keep buying.

I guess I just like the sound better  :-\

If it's the way it should be, the sound is going to be unique, the unmistakable deep tone maybe being the most noticeable thing.  That's what I like about bass.  I don't want a clanky, shrill, "modern" sound.  Frankly, I hate that.  Gibson does deep better than most.  Of course, there are plenty of really good brands out there--no doubt.