The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Freuds_Cat on June 01, 2011, 08:36:46 PM

Title: 82 Victory
Post by: Freuds_Cat on June 01, 2011, 08:36:46 PM
Victory lovers untie  :mrgreen:

Love the description:

Direct from the "What were they thinking" dept. at Gibson, comes the Victory Bass. Some say ugly, some say cool, some say nothing. You decide. Hard case included.

http://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-victory-bass-1982-black# (http://www.gbase.com/gear/gibson-victory-bass-1982-black#)

(http://liveassets.rationalpathinc.netdna-cdn.com/usercontent/gear/2600011/p1_uec0kfo2k_so.jpg)
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Dave W on June 02, 2011, 07:34:06 AM
I never thought they were ugly. Just too heavy.
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Nocturnal on June 02, 2011, 07:59:09 AM
I like how the black ones look. Makes them look meaner to my eyes.
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: jumbodbassman on June 02, 2011, 08:02:13 AM
I never thought they were ugly. Just too heavy.

mine weighs a ton....  pretty good bass otherwise
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Denis on June 02, 2011, 08:17:44 AM
I like mine and it only weighs .1 lbs more than my '80 Ripper. In my opinion they are neat looking basses.

(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l111/bigtreebluesea/DSC05398a.jpg)
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: EvilLordJuju on June 02, 2011, 12:59:18 PM
Yeah I like description. It's good to see people not taking things too seriously.

I must admit the looks of the Victory series have grown on me over the years - as the early eighties seem more and more of a distant memory, maybe?

I should be loving my 20/20 in roughly 6 years time  ;)
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: uwe on June 02, 2011, 02:27:37 PM
They did a good job at modernizing a Fender shape without getting too carried away. And with the headstock included a nice nod to Gibson's past.
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Freuds_Cat on June 02, 2011, 11:10:21 PM
yes but did it have to be THAT heavy?
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: uwe on June 03, 2011, 04:26:29 AM
From the Grabber/G-3 experience, some of which suffered from less than stable necks, they wanted to make the neck super-sturdy and stuck in those additional steel rods. That can't have helped with the weight. And they probably were happier for a heavier body to prevent the bass from becoming neck-heavy due to the additional reinforcement. Plus in the early eighties, heavy basses were en vogue.

If I'm honest, I have to say that I prefer a too heavy bass to a too light one - there is something in heaviness that I find reassuring of quality. Silly, I know, but I identify light with cheap, but I'm probably not the only one since most boutique basses end up being heavy (probably due to exotic woods and heavy, up-market hardware).
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Barklessdog on June 03, 2011, 06:02:54 AM
I always had trouble getting past the name. Victory over what?

Your back?
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: uwe on June 03, 2011, 06:31:42 AM
Endsieg over Fender of course!!! Or not.

I think the Victory was Gibson's last earnest attempt of cutting a slice away from Fender as the leading big brand bass maker. Ever since the Victory failed, they have resigned themselves to their fate of being a niche bass producer. Of course, the Victory was in look, structure and material already too close for comfort to a Fender to actually be attractive to Fender players. Why play something similar to a Fender without the brand heritage to it?

Uwe
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: PhilT on June 04, 2011, 03:50:19 PM
They get their share of abuse. Since this ebay auction picture (http://"http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/120731296319") is too dark to see much, I lightened it.

(http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff24/philtrory/victory.jpg)
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: neepheid on June 28, 2011, 05:13:10 AM
With a decent strap I don't find my Victory too bad.  I've tried a few (Mono, Planet Waves pad on regular strap) and found the Neotech Mega strap to be the best at making the load bearable.

http://neotechstraps.com/mega-strap.html

Oh and because I never get tired of plastering a picture of my restored 1981 Victory on any relevant thread -

(http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/victory/restore/20110120/02_all_800.jpg)
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: jumbodbassman on June 28, 2011, 05:51:51 AM
a real looker....  mine is pretty beat up
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: Droombolus on June 28, 2011, 07:49:10 AM
Silly, I know, but I identify light with cheap.

Me too, but I guess my mind is sorta conditioned because I grew up with light, cheap-ass Japanese copies and the instruments I couldn't pay and was drooling over were heavier as a rule ....... Still in the back of my mind I still have a weight issue with my SG basses, even though I've often wished that the ol' 70s EB-3 was lighter in the bad ol' days ...... Guess I'll need a shrink sometime soon .....  :-\
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: TBird1958 on June 28, 2011, 10:11:39 AM


 Love that beautiful Victory Matthew!
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: uwe on June 28, 2011, 10:14:48 AM
Me too, but I guess my mind is sorta conditioned because I grew up with light, cheap-ass Japanese copies and the instruments I couldn't pay and was drooling over were heavier as a rule ....... Still in the back of my mind I still have a weight issue with my SG basses, even though I've often wished that the ol' 70s EB-3 was lighter in the bad ol' days ...... Guess I'll need a shrink sometime soon .....  :-\

I am exactly the same. Something deep inside of me identifies weight with quality and reliability on a bass. Anything lighter than a TBird feels funny and a Victory is soooooo nicely reassuringly heavy.
Title: Re: 82 Victory
Post by: godofthunder on June 28, 2011, 12:38:53 PM
 Yeah I like it in black :o I have never owned one  (I think) but I have had numerous chances to buy one. I do like them though, certainly a usable format.