The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: uwe on August 07, 2008, 05:32:05 AM
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I had a call from my guitar store, they have received the reddish stripey maple-winged new Nikki Sixx Sig model for me. Won't be able to pick it up before next (not: this) weekend though as I'm on a short (one week!) vacation starting this Saturday.
Will post pics and player's (subjective) impressions when I have it. It is supposed to look great.
Uwe
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Cool! That must be a hard holiday...
I saw it at the Messe and I like the reddish wood.
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Yep, quite keen to hear your thoughs Uwe
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nice, Uwe! enjoy your holiday. I'll bet your secretly thrilled it's only for one week.
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Well, I've picked it up, not much time currently to check it out fully, pics will follow, but what I can say is:
- From a distance and with less than glaring lighting, it looks almost flat black/dark brown. Only up close, does the black striped dark cherry fin really reveal itself. It is well applied, thin (you feel the pores of the maho through it) and does look chic in an understated, non-garish way.
- I'm a naive person. That is why I hoped that two knobs and a toggle would indicate: front pup and rear pup vol plus quick switch for each of them or both of them together to me. After all, even the Epi has a two way switch for front and rear pup individually (but not together).What it has turned out to be: Vol for both pups, tone for both pups and a kill switch which to me is the most useless combination. imaginable. So yes, you can only hear that bass with both pups on full ... sigh ... Herr Sixx ... Did it really have to be this way?!
- Herr Sixx also likes four keys only: E, G, A and B, hence you see his flashy red x inlays only at the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 12th fret. No ninth fret marking, eat your hearts out you D flat players or learn to count!
- Has Gibson introduced a new stamp concept? The old serial number and "Made in USA" as always, but a new addition under the "Made in USA": "2008" it says
As if we didn't know from the serial no already ...
- Sound? Similar to the Zebrabird I would say, little less midish. The maple wings make for a more focused, but also less slightly lively sound than maho wings would, but I haven't done a side by side comparison yet.
- Overall, the bass with its not cheap looking mirror guard looks great and worthy as does the stunning red faux snakeskin case ("pure eighties porn" the guys in the guitar shop quipped. Of course Gibson wouldn't be Gibson if they hadn't messed up esthetic perfection via a glaringly white plastic nut where black or red plastic would have been perfect. Or would graphite be asking too much? Ah, btw: Black hardware and it doth look nice! First person that mentions "chrome" in this thread will be unceremoniously evicted from this forum and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor in the Fender one.
Uwe
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Yes, you were naive to think it would have normal controls.
Would Nikki have had it any other way?
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You could always rewire it - right?
And while it's a the shop you could junk the drab, Neandethal, dated black hardware for something decent, oh, say, nickel or perhaps chrome ? ;D :P :P
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From the pix I've seen of it I'd think chrome really would make it a stunning bass visually. Just my predictable .02 on the hardware tho. Your review of kinda cools my ambitions for one Uwe, I mighta fallen off the fence and dealt with the financial splinters on one these............Now I'm likely hopping off in the other direction and shopping for some new girly clothes instead. ;D
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I am still up in the air on whether I go with the new Nikki sig or the Shavo sig.
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You haven't talked me out of buying one of these yet. Sounds like a minor mod to the electronics and all is well with the world. Oh yeah, and getting a graphite nut put on. I did that to my Bird when I was converting it to Stealth mode and it looks so much better than the white nut did.
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Pics please!
Uwe, knowing you, I guess you won't mind having it rewired to Vol, Vol and selector switch?
I still think about replacing the tone pot of my SG RI for a switch.
And I'm still busy with my kill-switch-only Buzzard.
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oe, oe, pics please............
Nothing to get my day going then Tbirds.
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You can see how dark the cherry is (and how the red cross inlays flash in comparison), this was taken on a sunny summer day on a table on our balcony:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/100_1110.jpg)
Mr Blue Sky (=mirror image) and you may also marvel at Herr Sixx's - less is more - handlettering technique (NIKKI 541? ;D ):
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/100_1112.jpg)
Both pics in better quality here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/100_1110.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/100_1112.jpg
Compared to this Nikki Sixx Signature model (it is not called Blackbird anymore I think, wouldn't really make sense either given the color), the original Blackbird looks like a drab, heroin-addicted goth street hooker with too much eye shadow.
It's certainly a beautiful TBird - the idiosyncratic wiring should not put anybody off (I don't think I will undo it on mine, I have enough TBirds with separately working pups).
I jammed with it on Sunday together with my son (inter alia to the chord structures of 38 Special's Caught up in you and Thin Lizzy's Sun goes down which he really liked; this is the same kid that only listened to Korn and Marilyn Manson a year ago, declaring anything else "too melodic", and now raves to me about the "sweet tone" of a Custom Shop 1958 Les Paul he had on loan!) and I liked its good natured evenness. It sounds warmer and fatter than a Blackbird does, yet retains clarity at all times, excellent fret job too and - surprise, surprise - so far not one workmanship glitch in sight. Recommended.
Uwe
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Looks very nice Uwe. Very rich looking with that dark cherry.
So is the finish the same as the faded series?
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Naw, glossier, deeper, thicker, but sans pore filler. Looks and feels really good if you like wood in your hands.
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Is the fret board Ebony or is that stained rosewood?
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Good question! I assumed it to be ebony, but will take a closer look. It is currently at home.
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Pretty.................................
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Looks better than I thought it would. I like the grain. Colour is beautiful too.
Personally I'd erase the (silly) autograph (dikki sixx?) and the red XX from the pickguard...
Thin Lizzy's Sun goes down which he really liked
Your son's got taste!
This rather prophetical song is one the better songs that Phil Lynott wrote towards the end of his career/life.
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I don't think they ever used ebony on a Tbird before?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/Fenderbird/misc/n508576716_1046574_5323.jpg)
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Nice bird!
I like the colour and the wood, but personnaly I would fit a black guard.
Nice to jam along with your son and getting him into decent music!
It reminds me of some Paul Weller interviews. His son's a Goth an he hated that music. he went to the Kooks with his daughter and now this son is showing interest in other music too.
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I don't think they ever used ebony on a Tbird before?
They have a number of times over the last 20 years. My white 2002 had an ebony board, as well as my black 2001 that Bill now owns.
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.. Looks and feels really good if you like wood in your hands.
ba-da-boom! :rimshot: (Uwe's somber comment: I knew that would elicit an adolescent response the second I wrote it ... :rolleyes: )
It does look better than I thought it would.
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They have a number of times over the last 20 years. My white 2002 had an ebony board, as well as my black 2001 that Bill now owns.
True. I've seen more Birds with ebony boards than rosewood over the years of the current series.
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I thought all the new ones were ebony?
"Personally I'd erase the (silly) autograph (dikki sixx?) and the red XX from the pickguard..."
Nikki is smarter than you: The writing is underneath the mirror glas, not on top! ;D I could of course always smash it for that Paul Stanley Iceman fractured mirror look ...
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Gibson's site shows rosewood for a regular T-bird. But I wouldn't take that as a guarantee.
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Nikki is smarter than you
Is he?
At least I didn't contract a Heroin addiction... :mrgreen:
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They have a number of times over the last 20 years. My white 2002 had an ebony board, as well as my black 2001 that Bill now owns.
My Ebony 2002 bird has an ebony board. I think the local shop, after taking 4 years to sell the one I finally bought, brought in two vbursts (2007/2008) that were rosewood boards.
I'd love to get one of these new Sixx-birds. But that pickguard/sig combo leaves a bit to be desired. Just a mirror, perhaps with a red blackbird logo would have been nice. I have yet to seem him use them live based on video footage too.
I'll just have to pray these get cleared out next year for 699 and be aware of it this time!!! :mrgreen:
My wife is still challenging me to get the Blackbird logo as a tattoo (the only thing I said I'd ever get a tatt of).....
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I'll just have to pray these get cleared out next year for 699 and be aware of it this time!!! :mrgreen:
I am with you on that. I am already going to spend a lot this year on a Mac Pro and my mom would kill me if I actually bought a bass unless it was discounted calling it a waste of my graduation money that I still have saved up.
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Ok, then I just have a somewhat unrepresentative collection of modern day post-1986 Birds as my 1997 sunburst TBird, my 2000 Blackbird and my 2006 Gothbird all have ebony boards, with only the 2007 Zebrabird being the exception from the rule. And now the Nikki Sixx Sig is another ebony one (probably, I'll check tonight). You live and learn!
My sixties Birds, the Bicentennial and the 1986 one pup TB II (former) "Georgebird" have all rosewood boards though.
Uwe
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Im not a big red fan but that is handsome . what is that below the bridge? Or did I miss something.M
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Gorgeous! Wow
Did you break 100 yet? :mrgreen:
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"heroin-addicted goth street hooker with too much eye shadow."
"Looks and feels really good if you like wood in your hands."
Uwe.... :rolleyes:
I seem to be having some kind of effect on you,
And below the bridge is Nikki's signature device - the (in)famous optigrab!
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I'd never compare you to a goth street hooker, Mark, you're more Manga girl with a bit of Tim Curry thrown in!
Yes the optigrab, which really should be optirest as Herr Sixx rests his hand on it as he picks very close to the bridge. Not the most vital component of this bass I dare say as I prefer to pick a little more towards the middle.
And, btw, the neck board is ebony.
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I have officially put one on order, and should be here within two month max.....can't wait to get my mitts on it!
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I don't think they ever used ebony on a Tbird before?
I prefer ebony fingerboards. My Gibson 3 PUP TBird prototype, my '91 Gibson West Coast Custom Shop TBird IV built by Roger Giffin and my Polaris White 1986 Custom Shop TBird II ALL have ebony fingerboards.
IMO....one of the big marketing mistakes Hamer made was not being willing to cut a deal to keep Nikki Sixx or Tom Petersson as endorsers and throw them a small commission on Signature Basses.
Nikki still owns some of his prized custom Hamer Tbirds that he keeps at home and won't let out, according to a friend of his who I sold a Hamer Tbird to a few months back after Sixx recommended it. And Hamer had said Petersson was in its Top 3 all-time most effective endorsers and rumour was that he left in the 90s when they would not throw him anything on 12-string bass sales.
Those two guys alone would have moved a small mountain of basses for Hamer.
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Kaman had different plans for Hamer by then. Not the only bad move they made.
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I'm not sure if many visit the buy/sell posts here, but if anyone knows of one of these being available from a credible seller, can you send me a note? My post is in the buy/sell too..
http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=8199.0
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How's Vancouver, B.C. for you?
I heard about this one from a buddy on TB.....
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/msg/3822550425.html
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How's Vancouver, B.C. for you?
I heard about this one from a buddy on TB.....
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/msg/3822550425.html
MArk - thanks so much!
I contacted him to see if we can do a COD deal so we're both protected. We'll see what happens!
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They have a number of times over the last 20 years. My white 2002 had an ebony board, as well as my black 2001 that Bill now owns.
My white 2006 also has an ebony board.
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Geeze I wish they would offer something like that with dot inlays and normal pg. Oh yeah and chrome lots of chrome. ;D
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I was thinking the same thing, Scott! ;)
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Brothers to the end!
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I'm surprised you didn't chrome that Cherry 'Bird you had last year Scott
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Brothers to the end!
You got it!
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Man with Gibson it's like they are playing darts...........................and they can't even hit the wall. Sigh............................