The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: uwe on August 08, 2012, 02:57:31 PM
-
I accept no - explicit or implicit - warranty obligation for this, but a little bird pointed me to www.facebook.com/jeff.carano and there is a small inset pic of him (?) that shows him playing a bass of unknown origin with what could be (the new) G-3 pups paired as humbuckers, a pg reminiscent of Rob's prototype Les Paul bass and what appears to be a Gibson 2+2 headstock. The "more like a Stingray"-description seems to fit too but do decide for yourselves (and don't blame me if this is a red herring):
(http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/371016_792400121_1129561251_n.jpg)
I'm not a facebook user myself nor do I intend to become one - Mark Zuckerberg is a thieving freak, some people say, and how could I disprove that? -, so I could not really access this any deeper.
Uwe
-
The man is a co-founder of Babicz Guitars (http://www.babiczguitars.com/full-contact-hardware.htm) and the related Full Contact Hardware (http://www.fullcontacthardware.com/). He appears to be a bassist. Aside from that I see no connection with Gibson on his FB page or the company's websites. You never know, though.
-
There's a better picture on his page, along with the comment "Brand new Gibson EBF bass with Babicz Full Contact Hardware....new for 2013, but I already have mine!"
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/431984_10152010715625122_660160088_n.jpg)
I can't say that it looks very appealing. Kinda looks Mosrite-y.
-
The shape does nothing for me at all.
-
There's a better picture on his page, along with the comment "Brand new Gibson EBF bass with Babicz Full Contact Hardware....new for 2013, but I already have mine!"
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/431984_10152010715625122_660160088_n.jpg)
I can't say that it looks very appealing. Kinda looks Mosrite-y.
You're more patient than I am, there were hundreds of pictures and I just scanned through them quickly.
His instrument cable across the bottom threw me for a minute. The body shape looks pretty much like a Precision or StingRay with the upper horn not quite as long. The pickguard looks like a cross between a Precision and a second edition (humbucker) Tele Bass. Not my favorite guard look but it wouldn't keep me from buying it any more than the egg shaped Musicman guard would.
And NO 3-pointer. Yay!
Babicz bridge (http://www.fullcontacthardware.com/fch-4-string-bass-bridge) Looks good!
-
what woods have they used i wonder?
-
Body looks like ash. Could that be a maple set neck? Just a guess.
-
im not too sold on the body shape.did they lose the template for the eb3?
-
I wouldn't mind it if it was in black and the slab-o-plastic pickguard was a bit reduced on size.
...oh and black hardware too.
P
-
It's a touchingly ugly duckling, perhaps a good bass but not a coherent design like the Victory was which at least looked like a Klingon Jazz Bass. Singlecut, Fenderesque body and 2+2 headstock = always an unhappy combination, not everybody could pull it off like Ric did.
Mosrite-y is right, I was also immediately reminded of a Peavey T-40 when I saw the larger pic (thanks for dragging that into the light).
It will probably grow on me. At least they tried. Even if they used what is explicitly sold as a "Fender replacement bridge", ouch, how cruel can people be?!
-
With the upper horn being shorter than the one of a Stingray or Precision Bass it wouldn't surprise me if it is another neck diver. Maybe that is the reason why he wears this bass so ridiculously high?
-
Herr Carano would really be gutted by your observation, Rob. Not nice. 8)
I'm sure it will be ergonomically correct btw.
-
"Brand new Gibson EBF bass !".
F for Fender I presume ? :mrgreen:
-
Boring...........
-
Boring...........
'bout says it all.
-
FAIL.
Looks like a Musicman/Fender Bronco mix.
-
Looks vaguely familiar...
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/ebay/ET288M_7.jpg)
-
+1 on the Bronco ingredient!
-
What did any of you expect from them that this doesn't meet? They already have their traditional styles, they already have the mahogany bass market, they aren't going to reintroduce the failed 80s RD and Victory styles with those headstocks, they aren't going to produce another Continental V. They've left the vast majority of the market alone -- the Fender and Fender-inspired designs -- and now they want in. I would expect a 2 + 2 headstock, a Fender/MM/G&L inspired body design (and woods), and we already had heard what the pickups were going to be like. That's what this is, so it doesn't surprise me.
Boring? Maybe. And maybe it will succeed. An exciting all-new design would probably wind up meeting the same fate as the Victory and RD.
-
The shape hints of Fender to me, and to explain the EB-F nomenclature, I'll offer "EB-Fender".
-
That bass is a turd. They should save their money and axe plans to build it immediately. 8)
A friend of mine has one of those bridges. They're nice, but I hate the look of the printed logo. Reminds me of something out of the 80s. Like when Steinberger put their name on the body (since there was nowhere else to put it...).
-
They'd sell more 20/20's if I were to bet...
-
Boring...........
Not too much excitement from me either, I'm not likely to be buying. ( Hell I'm still trying to justify an Oversized LP, I love 'Birds too much :mrgreen: ) That said, I applaud the effort, it breaks some ground with the bridge and pickups and no doubt tonally as well.
I find it far more more applealing than anything ther clowns at 7ender have come up with -
I swear they must have velcro sticky cutouts of their parts that just throw at drawing........i.e Reverse Jaguar.
-
I'm with Dave, they wanted a model with broad appeal making inroads with new markets, not something to wet the eyes of the already converted. It's probably a good bass too. But it will likely be too expensive and not receive enough promotion to be a winner.
The Mon(k)ey basses were good, modern, but not too modern instruments too with great ergonomics and a double octave neck, they went nowhere.
-
It makes me wonder why the Bass IV didn't go further.
-
the money bass was boring, like looking at an ibanez.
-
Hmm I don't think (most) Ibanez basses are boring at all...
-
It makes me wonder why the Bass IV didn't go further.
Its designer wanted it to go out competively priced - 600 bucks or so - but Henry J put a four digit price tag to it. So what was supposed to be the ergonomic TBird for the masses, became a highly priced bass with very plain looks. And then the TBird reiissue arrived and people were hardly inclined to pay almost as much for a IV or V.
-
Its designer wanted it to go out competively priced - 600 bucks or so - but Henry J put a four digit price tag to it. So what was supposed to be the ergonomic TBird for the masses, became a highly priced bass with very plain looks. And then the TBird reiissue arrived and people were hardly inclined to pay almost as much for a IV or V.
Interesting. On the other side of the coin, I thought that the Fender Zone Deluxe was an attempt to compete with the Gibson sound. It was a nice bass when I tried one, but at $1800, I thought it was also too high.
-
...
A friend of mine has one of those bridges. They're nice, but I hate the look of the printed logo. Reminds me of something out of the 80s. Like when Steinberger put their name on the body (since there was nowhere else to put it...).
Maybe the production model will have Gibson's name on it.
-
A shocker. But slightly more attractive than the GOW reverse Flying V or the 20/20.
-
Looks vaguely familiar...
(http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/ebay/ET288M_7.jpg)
I was thinking that too.
-
(https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/431984_10152010715625122_660160088_n.jpg)
Some cues from Wal in there too...
(http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k125/0chromium0/forums/pro1front.jpg)
-
Good point, although it doesn't look as tubby as a Wal.
-
the money bass was boring, like looking at an ibanez.
I don't see that at all. I see the Ibanez stuff as streamlined Fenders. I think the Money bass is a really nice looking instrument, but I really dislike 24 fret 'boards. There really was no logic as to why the $ didn't take off. Possibly not enough people had a chance to try one out. TB+ pups are still kind of a well kept secret. And looking like guitar pups probably doesn't help.
-
You can't buy what isn't there and most new retail Money basses ended up out of reach of players, either place or just plain unavailability. Unless he knew about it and was looking for it, the average bass player had no idea it even existed, much less how it sounded and played. Gibson's bass distribution was even worse for it than for its other models. The majority of the ones on eBay probably came from closeout sales from big dealer backstock where they were buried in warehouses.
-
You can't buy what isn't there and most new retail Money basses ended up out of reach of players, either place or just plain unavailability. Unless he knew about it and was looking for it, the average bass player had no idea it even existed, much less how it sounded and played. Gibson's bass distribution was even worse for it than for its other models. The majority of the ones on eBay probably came from closeout sales from big dealer backstock where they were buried in warehouses.
Yep, Brian Goff's Bizarre guitars bought a bunch and closed 'em out at $600-700, and he wasn't a Gibson dealer. I seem to remember another eBay store doing that too. The original street price was about twice that.