The Last Bass Outpost

Thank you kindly, great to be here. Yes the '53 Gibson to me is the great grandaddy and it was brought to my attention some years ago that actually the Hofner violins were knockoffs! I admit I could not argue with that and quite amusing when you think about it. I got my first Hofner in '62 while on a summer holiday in Germany(I was living in Japan at the time). It was small light weight and very cheap.Fenders were considered the state of the art. In Japan each Fender (bass) were placed in their own glass case enclosure! We would drool looking at them and would always be figuring out how to even talk the store clerks into letting us touch them no less sit down and play them. When the Beatle thing surfaced a little time later I thought why is he not playing a Fender??
In any case the'53 Gibson for me is the holy grail especially because that original pickup is incredible. Gibson really got it right the very first time.Thats the one bass on my list to get. I have a '64 Hofner 500/5 (President as it was distributed by Selmer)with one of those 'extra select' spruce tops and it just sings forever.

It might be a little off the thread heading here but may I ask you about the bridge you have on yer bass there? I have often felt I could tweak the overall action on mine if there was a different bridge other than the 3 point. I realize a few adjustments might be necessary to go along with another bridge). Of course in my case I would have to have black but that could definitly be arranged no matter what the base material.

Gibson timing.When the LP Sig came along it was the semi acoustic there was and still will give any a run for the money. Thats why when I heard about the 650 and 750 coming out in the '90's I was so excited even by the pictures. Then when I finally got my hands on them...uh oh! It seemed they tried to defy all expectations and go against the acoustic bass boom burgeoning then. I'll have to say here that Martin did get finally it right even though we are talking a different bass. I would say the LPS was the culmination of what the drawbacks (as semi acoustics go) of the EB -2,next the actually much more acoustic sounding but still wooden block(not sure if maple)but had the great Hagstrom pickups:Guild Starfire, the reactionary Fender Coronado. By this time Gibson had a lot to go on and I quess Les Paul himself came up with the idea of this bass)  In usual Gibson fashion the bass followed the quitar. Gibson is so brilliantly methodical. Mid 70's funk,punk & disco time! They mostly sat on the shelf. I got one and loved it/them still do.But they did sit in their cases for some 20 years. Actually thats why most of the LPS you see are in pretty good condition and I can't even say i have ever seen one modded.Then the JCS which is a modders dream!

Hey I like the way that sits in the mix w/dat Lo z. (superior to the Electar). I use the Dean Markley flats and I like the thuddy sweetness.(which of course is the primary characteristic of the LP SIG, sweetness that is).
Uwe I think you have something there. After reading your comment about the 650, I recall some 10+ years ago when I had asked Ribiloff about some of his work he did mention that he had been trying for years to come up w/pups for semi acoustic basses and thus the one in my prototype where he was using the original LP SIG as a model with heavier winding etc. I recall him mentioning that the pups in the RD Artist(or was it the Victory or both?) were his as well but my memory might be vague there. I do remember him saying that the 750's were using Bartolini's (which to me are a little bit too....raspy for a semi acoustic).
Actually what I'd like to see/hear is what a semi-acoustic would sound like with the new SG-Ri mock humbucker and whatever is being used at the bridge. I mention this as I just recently acquired a Supreme and...it might very well be the most versatile bass of the Gibson lot in terms of sound and I will have to say that the maple top really gives it something that make me feel like I am in the modern world yet feet firmly in the muddy ground.(actually nothing can quite get that humbucker mud no matter how much we try and discnnect the wires leading from out tone controls in the deep cavities and turn up the bass and down the tone on amps)

Gnu hier by way of Uwe who insisted I give it a try (via the Pit)
I've been looking through all the threads and the expertize displayed here is frightening. Everytime I think of getting a word in edge wize someone come in with a retort/reply/threat/ that just brings things to new levels. (by Edge wize I mean no reference to them. However by mentioning Them with ref to Van Morrisson I did see him and his band several years ago and the bass player was playing a JC Sig and got some great tone......which leads me to this thread).

I have heard and witnessed much over the years about basses (I know nothing about guitars and they should all be splintered and used for making coffee tables for books about basses) made in the 70's. With respect to Gibson I can bring attention to two particular basses I have known as the Les Paul Signatures. One in yellowish sunburst and the other gold top. The workmanship on both of these is superb. There has never been any updating or replacement parts necessary (as opposed to my JC Sig..thats another discussion later). I often wondered if the larger headstock was necessary but that seemed to be 'standard' in the 70's along with the decal logo (which of course I would have preferred an inlay and the 'Les Paul Signature' in layed as well but I can look over that because of the sound of the thing).
I also have to mention here if there was ever a Fender sounding bass by Gibson this has to be it. The fact that it is semihollow and has those characteristics as well not only makes those who posess those mass merchandized typical sounding planks go want to go 'running home to mother' (quoting someone from this forum on an unrelated thread) not only go running home but squatting in a fetal position and begging forgiveness.
Uh sorry to get off subject but the fact that they named a street in NY today after U2 set me off.
One of the real interesting characteristics of the LP Sig also is the binding on the lower horn where some attetion had to be given. The pickup itself was a major unoticed fact in thoses days as well without even getting into the subject of low impedence and that 3 way switch. As we all know Gibson has always been timely.To me actually the one of the greatest bass pickups is the '53 Gibson pickup on their first electric basses which lingered into some of their early semi hollow body's '59ish  some I have to admit the TB Plusses are quite an addition as well. You all know this any how.
So greetings and nice to be here.