The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: scars on November 20, 2013, 05:02:16 PM
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AMS just slashed the prices on their Gibson Thunderbirds
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Wow, it's not just the Tbirds, almost all the bass models are deeply discounted. I just impulsively snagged a Tbird and a cream EB for the same price as just a Tbird is going for everywhere else. If I had more money I would also get a cherry Midtown for $780 or a NR for $720.
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the non-reverse is so tempting...I've been drooling over that bass for over a year...
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MUST RESIST!........ 8)
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Resistance is FUTILE!
Grabbed a NR ;)
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AMS is ..... ?
Google didn't help me
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http://www.americanmusical.com/
Some great Gibson bass deals!
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Does anyone know if the EB comes with a case at that $599 price?
Edit: Yes it does
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It's not just basses, either. E.g., 2013 LP Standard, $2599 MAP, is $1699 to $1999 depending on which color. SG Standard Min-E-Tune, $1499 MAP, is $899 to $1099 except for the Classic White.
Wonder what's behind this? Sure, some 2014 models will be coming out, but the only other online stores with these prices are AMS' partners Same Day Music and Zzounds.
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Yep, somethings up. Last week I snagged an SG Standard bass from Music123 or for $895. It's the model with block markers and pearl headstock inlays. Very pretty.
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Resistance is FUTILE!
Grabbed a NR ;)
Congrats! Mine sounds really nice through a tube amp! Now if the neck were just a little slimmer. Hmmmm, a belt sander could remedy that. :o
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Must resist the RD!!!!
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Resistance is FUTILE!
Grabbed a NR ;)
I wonder if this sale is a sign of them not being available anymore.
I'd love to grab a blue one as a second. Just got the bass and drum tracks back from recording the new tunes and the tone is VERY meaty even with the lower res MP3's!
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Must resist the RD!!!!
Why? ;)
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Why? ;)
Yeah, what he said! Why?
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You guys are NO help!
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You guys are NO help!
Oh, but we ARE helping you :)
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I'm trying to resist the Les Paul Traditional guitar. Fat neck, no weight relief, weighs about 10 lbs. and sounds great. I don't need it but whoever said you have to need it to buy it? Hey, I'm already divorced, no worries there.
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Kinda tempted by the 50s LP Tribute with the P90s. ~$600!
You can tell the deals are on when the scatch-and-dent of the same model is $200 more ;D (might not hurt to call and ask whether they'd cut the prices on those accordingly)
Wish I could s41t money right about now.
Must resist the RD!!!!
Played one for the first time last Saturday.. nice bass 8) Neck profile feels a bit chunkier compared to the birds, and that body is substantial - with a sound to match.
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Wow, crazy good prices on some of that stuff! Glad the T-bird isn't available in white...
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The RD is scratch and dent at $1079.
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You guys are NO help!
You're still in the first hundred days, Denis, you can do anything before the final clamp-down!!!
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Then I need to go ahead and buy that '77 Plymouth Gran Fury ex-police car with a 440 I found!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yil9wlfa0yo
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Just when I told myself I wouldnt buy another bass this year a sale like this comes...damnnabbit!
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Crazy deals! I wish I could swing one of these. I told a friend about it and his SG Original will arrive on Wed.
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I'm in for a Midtown bass in vintage sunburst, it will match my 6-stringer. Glad I held out, usually with my luck I'll pay full price and it goes on clearance the next week. These are some great deals. I was very tempted on the Thunderbirds, both the rev & the non-rev, but I'm not a huge fan of the current models. The prices still made them very tempting. I sold my '95 T-bird over 10 years ago for more than they're blowing them out at now. The NR ALMOST got me, but I resisted. If it had been a T-bird II, I'd have been all over it! :mrgreen:
I had a feeling they would blow out the Midtowns at some point. They did the same thing with the 6-string Midtowns, and a bunch of the Studio & Tribute model guitars they put out a couple years ago. However, I never would have thought I'd ever see a brand new Thunderbird for 9 bills. Does this mean they'll be discontinued? That seems to be the trend for Gibson's blow-out pricing. Maybe they're happy with the sales of the Epi Classics?
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OMG, why is this now. Some of these prices are crazy good.
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Looks like Sweetwater matched the prices this morning for what they have in stock. For a few hours yesterday they had up "Pre-order" listings for the 2014s. I thought it was interesting that the 3 colors they listed for the Thunderbird were Sunburst, Heritage Cherry & Walnut...Not sure I can picture a Walnut Bird :-\
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I ordered a Midtown Cherry and a Sunburst Les Paul. Will try them out and one will go back. I have a feeling the bigger size of the Les Paul will feel better, but the Midtown with that neck pickup will sound better to my ears.
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It's spread to Musicians Friend too!
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Worst timing ever for this! ERRRRRR!!
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Looks like Sweetwater matched the prices this morning for what they have in stock. For a few hours yesterday they had up "Pre-order" listings for the 2014s. I thought it was interesting that the 3 colors they listed for the Thunderbird were Sunburst, Heritage Cherry & Walnut...Not sure I can picture a Walnut Bird :-\
This past year, Gibson listed a lot of their guitar models specifically as 2013 models, even when they differed very little from previous years. Some dealers then referred to the old models as 2012 and reduced the prices on them. I recall seeing 2012 SGs dropped by a couple of hundred dollars. Only difference was that the 2013s had the small pickguard like early SGs.
Maybe all this means that Gibson will be doing what car companies do, introduce new models every year with usually slight differences and maybe an occasional big change. Maybe it will work for them. Maybe it will mean bargains every fall for us.
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If I didn't have an NR from 2012 I'd go for one since they are ridiculously low priced at $719. Which is the oversize Les Paul?
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I like the idea of a little more variety from year to year even if it's just some different colors. If it makes for some blowout deals at the end of the year I like it even more. I've heard a bunch of models (thunderbirds included) are going to have a special 12th fret inlay for the 120th anniversary. It seems like an odd year to commemorate, but then again I can see the 12th-120th connection.
Apparently the sale has moved some merch, I picked up the gold top Les Paul bass on day one for AMS. At that time they had 7 in stock and now they're down to 2.
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The rep I spoke to at AMS said that the sale was completely unexpected. He said usually the marketing folks give them all a heads up in order to plan for incoming calls , but this was out of the blue and took everyone by surprise. AMS is out of regular Tbitds, and Sweetwater is out of red Midtowns. Now that it has spread to Musicians Friend- might throw a bass on that card also . Too bad they didn't have the 335 or the 50th anniversary Birds marked down
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Looks like Sweetwater matched the prices this morning for what they have in stock. For a few hours yesterday they had up "Pre-order" listings for the 2014s. I thought it was interesting that the 3 colors they listed for the Thunderbird were Sunburst, Heritage Cherry & Walnut...Not sure I can picture a Walnut Bird :-\
I wonder if they are going to do a faded/worn finish option on the Thunderbird IV.Many of their other faded models are red & brown. I'd go for a red one!
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If I didn't have an NR from 2012 I'd go for one since they are ridiculously low priced at $719. Which is the oversize Les Paul?
Same for me (VB). I like the blue one a lot tho.
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The rep I spoke to at AMS said that the sale was completely unexpected. He said usually the marketing folks give them all a heads up in order to plan for incoming calls , but this was out of the blue and took everyone by surprise. AMS is out of regular Tbitds, and Sweetwater is out of red Midtowns. Now that it has spread to Musicians Friend- might throw a bass on that card also . Too bad they didn't have the 335 or the 50th anniversary Birds marked down
Since it took them by surprise, that must mean Gibson really wants to move 'em out, rather than the dealers pressuring Gibson for a price break.
Must resist that LP Traditional (guitar). Must resist.
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Since it took them by surprise, that must mean Gibson really wants to move 'em out, rather than the dealers pressuring Gibson for a price break.
Must resist that LP Traditional (guitar). Must resist.
I think the Chicago Blue one a LOT.
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I picked up a Gold Bouliion TBIV today in a GC and it was just right fit, feel and beautiful. But still 1,999. at GuitarCenter. Anybody seen less anywhere for one of these?
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I picked up a Gold Bouliion TBIV today in a GC and it was just right fit, feel and beautiful. But still 1,999. at GuitarCenter. Anybody seen less anywhere for one of these?
Ebay in the 1700 range. ONE of those site that has the Gibson deals had them at 1600 I think, but I see none now or they are up to 1999 as you say.
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I picked up a Gold Bouliion TBIV today in a GC and it was just right fit, feel and beautiful. But still 1,999. at GuitarCenter. Anybody seen less anywhere for one of these?
I knew it.. Sweetwater. 1499:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BAT50BGGH-13/
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I think the Chicago Blue one a LOT.
That's the one I'm trying to resist.
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That's the one I'm trying to resist.
That should have read 'LIKE' the Chicago blue..that would be so sweet on a T-bird. Makes you wonder why they could never spray a few in that color. It's a tempting finish on that Les Paul.
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That should have read 'LIKE' the Chicago blue..that would be so sweet on a T-bird. Makes you wonder why they could never spray a few in that color. It's a tempting finish on that Les Paul.
I doubt it would look as good on mahogany. A maple top version would look great.
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I knew it.. Sweetwater. 1499:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BAT50BGGH-13/
Take it back to GC and tell them you found one from another store for $500 less. They might work with you, especially this time of year.
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New Gibsons for 2014. Scroll to the bottom on this link.
http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/gibson/2014_gibson_usa_guitars.htm
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GIBSON, WILL YOU PLEASE FILL THE F'N GRAIN BEFORE YOU SPRAY YOUR EB BASSES? That Bullion Gold finish ought to be uniformly shiny, like glass - I think the ash grain coming through without the visual cues of the grain being visible just looks cheap and careless, the antithesis of what gold is supposed to suggest. I know you think you're being hip and clever, but look how lovely that shiny SG looks. Look how the light dances off it. Do that. Apart from that, the gold EB looks fabulous until you zoom in.
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Gold EB? Where?
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Gold EB? Where?
http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/products/140006180.php?CategoryID=473
There's a 5 string as well.
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I'll probably be in the minority on this but I actually like the black pickguard on it a lot more than the tortoise shell from the first years.
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I agree, the open grain of the ash just doesn't work with the gold.
Aside from that, most of the lineup changes for guitar and bass are small cosmetic differences.
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http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/products/140006180.php?CategoryID=473
There's a 5 string as well.
(http://i42.tinypic.com/2mfj7s8.jpg)
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Something tells me that a cat got let out of a bag. Cat has been returned to the bag. Except they only binned the page and forgot to delete the images.
(http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/gold_eb/eb_2014_gold1.jpg) (http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/gold_eb/eb_2014_gold2.jpg)
(http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/gold_eb/eb_2014_gold3.jpg)
(http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/gold_eb/eb_2014_gold4.jpg)
Voila!
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Look at the body shot of this Thunderbird. How much more would it cost to do it right?
http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/products/111530322.php?CategoryID=242&n=1
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Wow, up close that looks rough!
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Look at the body shot of this Thunderbird. How much more would it cost to do it right?
http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/products/111530322.php?CategoryID=242&n=1
Wow, up close that looks rough!
That's the way they're doing almost all the under-$1000 guitars and quite a few in the $1000-2000 range. The gold ones look especially awful.
It would probably add quite a bit to do a completely grain filled high gloss finish.
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That's the way they're doing almost all the under-$1000 guitars and quite a few in the $1000-2000 range. The gold ones look especially awful.
It would probably add quite a bit to do a completely grain filled high gloss finish.
Well, I'd have happily paid for shiny. They've absolutely ruined what at a distance looks like the best EB ever, and it's supposed to be some sort of commemorative edition? For shame. Otherwise, is it not about time they looked into poly finishes if they're wanting to keep the cost down? I'd rather have a poly finish than these ratty things that look like something I would have painted, with a brush, in the dark. It just looks half-assed and so utterly amateur. I'd be ashamed to let it out of my factory. Is this the amount of fig that they give these days? Gibson, what the /hell/ are you playing at? Is this the age of austerity, applied in nitrocellulose form to your instruments?
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That's the way they're doing almost all the under-$1000 guitars and quite a few in the $1000-2000 range. The gold ones look especially awful.
It would probably add quite a bit to do a completely grain filled high gloss finish.
For a 50th anniversary edition selling at a premium they should make the extra effort.
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Crucify me, but I like to see the grain, especially on a non-natural color like gold. I know its currently fashionable to do it on furniture as well, but I like it.
And I like the "applied with a kitchen brush" finish of Gibson as such as well. Looks organic and human handish to me. That hi-gloss stuff looks in my eyes dead, boring and sterile. It's the Wishbass demon in me, I know ...
Besides, the wood breathes more that way and that is good for the sound ... There, I said it. I now have to ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geHLdg_VNww
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The Gold EB looks really nice to me. I can't say I mind the grains not being filled.
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Yep, my gold Midtown LP has some grain showing, but not as bad as some of the pictures in this thread. To be frank, I could see the bass costing twice as much if they did a completely proper grain fill with the multiple steps of filling and sanding required. I would classify the Midtown finish as good to very good, but not great. Overall, it looks good and I can live with it. But it could have been a bit better as well as more costly.
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Crucify me, but I like to see the grain, especially on a non-natural color like gold. I know its currently fashionable to do it on furniture as well, but I like it.
And I like the "applied with a kitchen brush" finish of Gibson as such as well. Looks organic and human handish to me. That hi-gloss stuff looks in my eyes dead, boring and sterile. It's the Wishbass demon in me, I know ...
Besides, the wood breathes more that way and that is good for the sound ... There, I said it. I now have to ...
I agree with Uwe, it definitely doesn't have that mile deep sterile poly look and that is a good thing. I hadn't really thought of it that way. No matter what you think of Gibson's finishing, I like mine for both its looks and price.
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I'm not going to crucify you, Uwe, you are more than entitled to your opinion and I respect that. It's just that I want finish I could dive into. Blue over quilt maple that looks as deep as the ocean itself, for example. I don't find it sterile at all, I am deeply suspicious of any non-shiny basses. As far as I'm concerned basses are meant to be shiny, and I mean proper shiny, with clearcoats like glass. Anything below that cheapens the experience for me. I don't like satin finishes (it's not an emulsioned wall), and whether or not the unfilled grain is intentional, it just looks like a rookie refinisher's mistake to me.
That gold EB should be luxurious looking, as befitting the nature of the substance it is aping. If it had a uniform, shiny, high gloss finish I'd have had it in a snap. I got so excited when I saw the thumbnail, then I was like "awwww!" when I saw the enlargements :(
As I've said already, if Gibson are intent on making instruments at this price point then maybe it's time to look into poly finishes instead of doing half finished (or should that be half begun?) nitro ones. Would you like it if your car was finished in this manner? I suspect not.
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Wow, I'd be pissed if I bought one of those anniversary birds and it showed up looking like that. Not what I would expect from a gold Gibson. :-\
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Personally I like the "open grain mahogony" high gloss finishes like the 50th Anniversary bird and the Pelham Blue on the NR reissues. It think it adds a depth to the finish that would otherwise come off kind of plain. That said, I cant stand the finish on the EB for a couple reasons. Mainly I'm not a fan of semi-gloss and satin finishes, but also just dont find the ash grain that appealing.
I guess it's probably smart of Gibson to offer something at a lower price point like the EB. I just wont be buying one unless they decide to gloss it up and I'd probably be willing to pay more if they did. ;D
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I'm not going to crucify you, Uwe, you are more than entitled to your opinion and I respect that. It's just that I want finish I could dive into. Blue over quilt maple that looks as deep as the ocean itself, for example. I don't find it sterile at all, I am deeply suspicious of any non-shiny basses. As far as I'm concerned basses are meant to be shiny, and I mean proper shiny, with clearcoats like glass. Anything below that cheapens the experience for me. I don't like satin finishes (it's not an emulsioned wall), and whether or not the unfilled grain is intentional, it just looks like a rookie refinisher's mistake to me.
That gold EB should be luxurious looking, as befitting the nature of the substance it is aping. If it had a uniform, shiny, high gloss finish I'd have had it in a snap. I got so excited when I saw the thumbnail, then I was like "awwww!" when I saw the enlargements :(
As I've said already, if Gibson are intent on making instruments at this price point then maybe it's time to look into poly finishes instead of doing half finished (or should that be half begun?) nitro ones. Would you like it if your car was finished in this manner? I suspect not.
Different tastes! Actually, a car fin like that would be cool and I'd lap it up. Never been much of a fan of shiny surfaces on anything, I like a surface to have structure, I'm haptic, glossy stuff you are never allowed to touch for the fingerprints you leave on it. (Edith wants- and of course gets - all our furniture highest gloss white, am I living in a hospital or what? 8) ) It's what Japanese companies do! :P
I'm like that with women too, make-up that covers all facial skin irregularities is not for me. House of Wax. I'm more the freckles guy.
Could it be that the collective tastes of my beloved brethren here (mirror view hi gloss fins, grain filled to the max, chrome and nickel) are a tad bit old-fashioned? :-X
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I'm like that with women too, make-up that covers all facial skin irregularities is not for me. House of Wax. I'm more the freckles guy.
I will agree on ´natural´finishes on cars, furniture and people. I thought of a joke here with cavities and filler but I´ll let it go.
But for my gibsons, It´s gloss and filler all the way. I do love a couple my 60´s EB basses with natural ´worn´cherry, but that´s different - the grain is still filled.
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Could it be that the collective tastes of my beloved brethren here (mirror view hi gloss fins, grain filled to the max, chrome and nickel) are a tad bit old-fashioned? :-X
If anything, grain showing is more old fashioned (e.g. the 70s teak furniture craze and 50s bleached/limed finish craze... and just about anything before that, especially as regards musical instruments). Opaque super high gloss is more a modern thing.
Anyway, I'm with you on the grain showing thing, but I think it's also a matter of degree (it can be borked). It's wood, so in my mind, if you're going to fill the grain and finish opaque, the thing might as well be some other matierial, like a Dano or Dan Armstrong. ... that said I've never been a fan of heavily figured and super-polished maple either (too blingy) though I get the appeal. I like class and character that isn't overstated (also why I prefer nickel hardware vs shiney chrome or flashy gold.... black is OK, but doesn't always work for me, especially if mixed and matched with chrome or something else). Generally I prefer matte to gloss on most things.
My tung oil finished EB3 is one of the best looking/feeling instruments I have ever played (and before anyone screams, it came to me sanded down to the bare, if still cherry-stained, wood with most of the hardware in a plastic shopping bag, rest missing). No filler (though oil tends to do a little of that for you if done right).
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I can see why people like oiled finishes on woods like maple, but when wood with grain as deep as mahogany
I think they look more dirty than worn. Even quite new instruments (some, not all) I have seen have that unwashed (and slightly dazed) look..
I can see it from a tone-point-of-view, but then you don´t need ocean deep finishes just because you fill the grain.
I want to be able to sweat my EB down at a show, and clean it up after.
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"I can see it from a tone-point-of-view ..."
:-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X :-X
THOUGHT CRIME!!! Doubleplusnotgood.
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I like unfilled grain with transparent or translucent finishes, providing it's done right. I'm okay with matte or semi-gloss finishes if they're done properly. Even solid colored finishes like the gold can look nice in matte, filled or unfilled. My Melody Maker looks very nice in white satin.
The problem is that Gibson doesn't do it right on many of these. Some of them look like they were run through a spray booth operated by a baboon. None of the smoothness of my $250 Melody Maker, and some of these are $2000 basses. Just awful.
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It' s nice if they buff a little of the Baboon fur out before shipping.
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I like unfilled grain with transparent or translucent finishes, providing it's done right. I'm okay with matte or semi-gloss finishes if they're done properly. Even solid colored finishes like the gold can look nice in matte, filled or unfilled. My Melody Maker looks very nice in white satin.
The problem is that Gibson doesn't do it right on many of these. Some of them look like they were run through a spray booth operated by a baboon. None of the smoothness of my $250 Melody Maker, and some of these are $2000 basses. Just awful.
I do agree with that. ... I just don't claim to be able to tell from an online sales pic how bad the finish is (I believe you guys, that Gibson needs to pull up it's socks in that department though, because a number of you have bought new basses and complained in the past, going back a good few years), but they seem to only put the better-done ones up for display in local stores here.
I can see why people like oiled finishes on woods like maple, but when wood with grain as deep as mahogany
...
I want to be able to sweat my EB down at a show, and clean it up after.
See, I would be hesitant to finish a maple instrument in oil. This is because maple is much more prone to warping and damage (greying) due to moisture exposure (or humidity fluctuation) than maho. That said I have done this to a maple neck (1980 Gibson Sonex Custom 6 banger).... but I only risked it because a) I actually have a spare neck (Sonexes are bolt on) and b) it's 3 pc opposed grain laminated neck vs 1 pc so warp risk is reduced.
Trust me, oil looks great on maho (e.g. my 60s EB3) ... by deep I assume you mean physically (pores etc, vs visually) because maple certainly tends to look deeper (especially figured - that's the whole point), but maho is physically deeper. Sanding, including final stages where you wet the wood first (to raise the grain) goes a long way here. The manual rubbing in of the oil also acts as a buffing stage - kinda fills the grain a bit with a mix of oil and superfine maho dust. It also forms a bit of a protective film (like laquer does) after several coats (but thinner/softer). For something like a bass I always do like a bagillion coats, 1 or 2 a day lovingly and patiently rubbed in, for weeks. If done right (and maintained), tung oil will easily protect yer EB3 from a drenching performance. I haven't needed to reoil it yet (been almost 10 years, actively gigged as a main player for the first 5 or so), though just recently it occurred to me that I should as it is starting to look a bit duller than before (I've been procrastinating because Lucy don't leave the house much anymore anyway).
Think of it this way, have any of your unlaquered fretboards (just about anything rosewood or ebony that isn't a Ric) been damaged by your sweating? Those are just oiled.
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This $1099 Les Paul gold top seems to have a nice finish, as did all the six strings in the $1000 neighborhood.
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/closeup/xl/1600-LPSTUGKCH-13_detail1.jpg
They should be able to do this on a Thunderbird.
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Think of it this way, have any of your unlaquered fretboards (just about anything rosewood or ebony that isn't a Ric) been damaged by your sweating? Those are just oiled.
Yup, that EB-0 I just got from ebay - I pulled the frets out with my nails :)
Seriously, rosewood is a quite different wood - and has it´s own ´oiliness´. I´m not at all an experienced finisher,
and can´t really compare it to mahogany in correct technical terms.
Naturally, any wood can, by the right craftsman, be oiled OR painted or whatever to look great.
My point was that open pores is not my cup of tea, wether its an oil or laquer finish.
I´ve seen many good looking oil basses, and some not so good looking project basses with oil right on top
of bare wood.
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Re: the 50th anniversary bird... the pics might be somewhat deceiving. It's obvious that the grain wasn't filled prior to finishing, but the end result is buried in clear and buffed out. The outer surface was totally flat and smooth (at least on the specimen that I handled), and those imperfections underneath give it kind of a cool distressed look and "depth".
Not saying it's right or wrong, or to everyone's taste - but I thought it was kinda cool up close. Also, the bass that I got to play is light, resonant, and just feels fantastic to me. I'd have been skeptical too from photos alone, but handing it really left a favorable impression.
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I'm really happy with the 50th Anniversary model that I have. My wife bought it for me as a surprise 50th birthday present and I really am enjoying it. It is light weight and sounds almost like my 2001 ebony Bird (Still my favorite). The finish is not quite smooth everywhere (it is a Gibson after all), but the sort of distressed looking gold finish is quite nice. Almost everyone has made positive comments about how they like the character of the finish with the wood grain showing. If the finish looked as ragged as some of those pictures indicate, I would probably return it, gift or not.
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This $1099 Les Paul gold top seems to have a nice finish, as did all the six strings in the $1000 neighborhood.
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/closeup/xl/1600-LPSTUGKCH-13_detail1.jpg
They should be able to do this on a Thunderbird.
If you're thinking that's a smooth gloss finish due to the sides being gloss, don't be deceived. The goldtop Studios have a satin top. The other regular Studio colors are gloss top.
The couple I've seen up close were nicer than the photos of the gold T-bird and EB Bass. Guitars seem to get more care in finishing.
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That was my point.
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Here's another example, an EB Bass. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-EB-Bass-Ebony-Monster-Tone-/231101710833?pt=Guitar&hash=item35cebc41f1
Look at a closeup of the first pic, in the light you can see how rippled it is. This may not have been sanded or buffed at all. Nothing like the smooth finish on my cheapo Melody Maker.
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So I showed GC the Sweetwater ad for the 50th AV TBIV for $1,499. They matched it as they advertize. Now that beauty is mine. I thought I had finished w/Thunderboids, but not after picking this one up. Perfectly balanced, resonant and light weight. No flaws. Someone was doing their QC spot on on this day. Sounds great too ( because of the finish!!!)
Now a word about this gold finish. I love this grainy gold. It's obvious and am sure it is intentional. It has a translucent quality. I would strongly suggest Uwe to have one of these in THE COLLIZiONE for more reasons than the finish. The only thing I would have preferred would be a different 'shade' of gold for the bridge and tuners, but can live with it. I have a Gold top Les Paul Signature and that is the Les Paul Gold. These 50ths are not meant to be the same as before. It seems Gibson is going for granier finishes for some of the newer models. I got a SG mahogany faded last year and it was grainy as hell and that was one of the qualities That sold it too me. Can't be too cncerned about the price point.
I understand Neepheld's passion for shiny dive in finishes. I also appreciate the fact that he is bringing back to life essentially a piece of 'driftwood' Ripper and is transforming it into an instrument fully to his tastes. Thats great and well done.
I think there are more where these new finishes came from and there are more to come.
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"I would strongly suggest Uwe to have one of these in THE COLLIZiONE for more reasons than the finish."
But what other reason is there? I like the look of these too, but there is zilch structural or hardware difference to any other current off-the-rack TB. You give me a good reason, I buy one! But finish can't be it, a man must live by his principles, only women and children can afford to be fickle. (Walks off stage in a huff pretentiously ...)
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Uwe: The pick guard! Just rhink as you march people through the trences of your collection you will stop at the end of one aisle and say..." after 50 years it all came to this." Please look carefully into this grain. Yes nothing structural but it is a nice way to transition into the next 50 years ( or days if they get the Navy Seals in)
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"Uwe: The pick guard!"
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
The devil sent you!!!
(http://live01.kino-extra.con-tech.de/edbimages/5/_WFuJZKqvkIeR01lYiqmss2Gxxg%3D%3D.jpg)
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I also recall another time you fell into temptation: Gibson SG Supreme. yes guitar of the week but no structural differences. Well perhaps we could consider the fact that it was a sandwich of which illegal woods, so you might have an argument. however if they were painted over you would have never known. We also do not really know what is under the hood of this 50th AV. You cannot afford to live with regrets. Think of the path you are blazing.
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"Uwe: The pick guard!"
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
The devil sent you!!!
I was gonna say "the 12th fret inlay," but that works too. :vader:
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"I would strongly suggest Uwe to have one of these in THE COLLIZiONE for more reasons than the finish."
But what other reason is there? I like the look of these too, but there is zilch structural or hardware difference to any other current off-the-rack TB. You give me a good reason, I buy one! But finish can't be it, a man must live by his principles, only women and children can afford to be fickle. (Walks off stage in a huff pretentiously ...)
It has a 3 piece neck. When did they start that?
Oh, the new walnut one has the 9 piece neck. There you go, a structural difference.
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My gold top Les Paul showed up Saturday and was put through the paces at rehearsal last night. Other than having to move the strap button to the heal (something I pretty much always do) I have no complaints.
(http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n614/tlkroon/gold_zpse472bf84.jpg) (http://s1142.photobucket.com/user/tlkroon/media/gold_zpse472bf84.jpg.html)
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:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
You guys are a pest!!!
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I think you should buy one Uwe. It would be a nice show piece in your museum. If you "need" something to make it "different", the fretboard is rosewood instead of ebony, the pickguard has engraving on it that no other TBird will ever have, and the hardware is gold. Those three items make it different from a typical modern Bird. It takes a LOT less than that to convince me to do almost anything ;D
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I agree, the half-Noah's Ark of Gibson Basses isn't complete! ;D
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Uwe, Mark has laid down the blanket...I meant gauntlet!
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This place is a cesspool/snake-pit of sin.
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I think you mean C.Y.N. :-*
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Huh? My acronym knowledge is poor ...
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Cover Yer Nuts!
(more ginko biloba for you, my friend)
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Well, I made it through the big Gibson blowout unscathed. No new Gibbys for me. No white birds. No interest in overgrown Les Pauls or NR 'birds. 335 is still too pricey. Midtown was tempting. I'm holding out for a korina Epi Explorer. 8)
Congrats to everyone on their new acquisitions! You all got awesome deals!
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Nothing new for me...yet. If I do, it will be a guitar.
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This place is a cesspool/snake-pit of sin.
Sayeth one of our co-founders. Job well done!
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This place is a cesspool/snake-pit of sin.
Less talk, more trigger pulling! ;D
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I came close on a TV silver Epi bird. Heard clips of one and thought it sounded pretty good despite what people think about the epiphone version of the tb+. Thankfully I came to my senses, realized I have more basses than I need and have a custom bass being built.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVPxnecYtMM
The TV silver Epi is at the end of the above clip
Sounds better than the new non rev, at least the way it was recorded in the next clip (jump to 2:30) also in this clip there is a side by side comparison of two Japanese T-bird copies. One has Lulls and the other Kaminari Yardbirds come equipped with Lollars as stock according to this website full of excellent translations.
http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/pedalmania/item/kaminari-bass/?siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-9RpbvrrCBZ53a4Qg.NqfDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aDiy8nbYVA
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http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/pedalmania/item/kaminari-bass/?siteID=TnL5HPStwNw-9RpbvrrCBZ53a4Qg.NqfDw
This is what I just don't get about guitars/basses...my interest piqued when I saw the red NR, but clicking on the that link gives me a dollar price on the instrument of $2.3K.
I have never understood how someone can throw out what is ultimately - in this case - a Gibson copy and charge double/treble the regular retail and expect it to sell. Is it actually three times better than the Gibson versions? (Don't answer that, but you should get my point.) I dunno...I suppose it works OK for Lakland and to a lesser degree Lull, but FFS, wouldn't Kaminari - who I've never heard of until a few minutes ago - be better off trying to come up with something new/original, much as Frank Deimel did with his Firestar bass?
Sheesh. Have a good weekend.
P
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The red NR is a vintage Gibson. These clips should be taken with a grain of salt due to the player's technique and the overall shoddy eq. Not to mention, who the hell knows what he's saying. All things being equal, there is nothing extraordinary about the vintage Gibsons and nothing glaringly repulsive about the other basses. As for Kaminari's business strategy, perhaps they are more concerned with selling in their domestic market instead of exporting mass produced instruments. I bet a kaminari is a better buy in Japan when compared to a US Gibson, which is probably the point of the clips.
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Here's a few videos with new 2014 Gibson anniversary basses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7X5lZhYGP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHF1i_qOjDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBtwbzsO7Fw
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Nothing new there except a satin finish on the SG Special. My sidebar on YT of the two Jim DeCola videos for MF shows a bunch of 2014 Gibson guitar models, most of which are the same as the old ones except for the year designation. I wouldn't be surprised if this is being done to force dealers to order more new merchandise than they need. Very few musicians are going to go out and buy something just because it's a new model year.
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Dang. I lind of widh I hadn't seen that Cherry EB with black pickguard. I am really liking that.
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The body, and pickguard, of that EB sure looks a lot like a vintage Epiphone Embassy. So, who wants yesterdays paper? Is that a positive roar I hear?
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The EB may look old school but it's definitely a modern sounding bass. I rather like the cream one I just picked up, unfilled grain and all. My only quibble is the neck is a bit wide for my tastes (much prefer the Tbird neck) but I can certainly live with it. That red one above is a beauty but I find that 12th fret anniversary inlay actually detracts from its understated looks.
And speaking of Tbirds, I'm still doing my happy dance for my closeout bargain. All the more sweet since MF has the 2014s at 2K!
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So....they sold off Thunderbirds for 900$ so they can now charge 1999$???? WTF is that all about??
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So....they sold off Thunderbirds for 900$ so they can now charge 1999$???? WTF is that all about??
It's about planned obsolescence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence). Gibson apparently thinks making minor changes will cause people to want the newest model.
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It's about planned obsolescence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence). Gibson apparently thinks making minor changes will cause people to want the newest model.
Haven't Fender been doing that for decades? ;)
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Haven't Fender been doing that for decades? ;)
Not really. Sure, they've blanketed the market with more variations than I can count, and they do revise their mainstays every few years, but they haven't yet gone to coming out with annual changes. Then again, they aren't owned by a crazy man like Gibson is.
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I think they had this stuff priced where it should be this past year, then a really nice reduction last week (too low really if you bought one any other time), but now they priced them to a point where they'll just sit and collect dust.
NOTE TO SELF: Save for next November....
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Here's a few videos with new 2014 Gibson anniversary basses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7X5lZhYGP0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHF1i_qOjDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBtwbzsO7Fw
I can - thankfully - say this unendangeredly: I like all three fins of those new models.
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That cherry red EB has just proven to me that I made the right decision to go that way with the Ripper. Cherry red is back.
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Heritage Cherry is back on the Thunderbird too.
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Heritage Cherry is back on the Thunderbird too.
For just 1100$ upcharge too ;)
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An American classic both by look and taste!
(http://www.junkfoodtaster.com/wp-content/uploads/00582_6-1024x768.jpg)
No joke, no other candy catapults me back into my youth like Lifesavers Wild Cherry does: Never available on the German market, we had a friendly old lady - Fräulein Volk, she never married - as a neighbour when I was a child who would always give me those Lifesaver rolls a relative in the US sent her, unknowing that Fräulein Volk was not a sweet tooth at all. Whenever that taste hits home, I'm six years old all over again. Heck, I've had some of you guys here who sent me basses put in case candy in the literal sense!!! :mrgreen:
And I always chew them. Not a good thing, I know.
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Ahhh...........Roadworn Cherry :-*
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For just 1100$ upcharge too ;)
No, that's for the limited edition collectable inlay.
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It's about planned obsolescence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence). Gibson apparently thinks making minor changes will cause people to want the newest model.
Yeah, they seem to think they can take a car manufacturer's approach. I don't see that being effective in the musical instrument marketplace, but I guess time will tell.
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They're going to have to do a lot more than change colors year to year and add a funny inlay to get me motivated to pull the trigger on one. The signature is something different but the rest of the line just seems to be more of last year.
To be fair, they really did have a lot of new basses the over the last year (Midtown, 335, EB, NR Bird) so maybe the new models have to taper off for a while.
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Maybe they should reissue the Bass IV in natural mahogany, the Victory and the RD Artist. :)
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Better yet, how 'bout a Moderne and a V2 bass ;D
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'63 Thunderbird II Dammit!
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'63 Thunderbird II Dammit!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: