The Last Bass Outpost

     That is the very bass that I bought out of the local trader paper in 1974 for $200.  I owned that bass for 30 years! It was originally Pelham Blue and was horribly abused. It had the biggest neck I have ever seen on a bass guitar, and the neck had a crack in it from the 3rd to the 5th frets. Also, the control cavity was almost broken off of it!  I stripped it as the checking was so bad that it would almost cut you if you ran your hand over it.
     It sat till 1977 when I took it to Lay's and they fixed the neck crack and shaved the neck down to '76 Reissue size.
I then got some Cardinal Red at the local auto paint store and painted it so I could use it as a backup to my all original '66 Polaris White IV.
     I retired from touring the bass in 1981, and it sat under my bed till 2002 when I got it out and decided to refin it Kerry Green. In 2004 traded it to fellow member Bionic Joe for a '64 Fiesta Red P-Bass. Joe traded it to Scott Silver and Scott I believe sold it to Kevin Borden. Kevin had it for sale at his original store. Either he or Scott refinned it again the same color. Kevin was the last owner that I knew of. He may have been the one who sold it to the guy selling it now in Germany, I don't know.
     At any rate it is a nice, nice, player bass. All the parts, except maybe the pots are original when I owned it.  The headstock was never broken in the 30 years I had it. In spite of the repairs,which were done correctly and for the right price it would make somebody a fine bass. It's got the growly grand piano tone that some 'Birds dont have.
     BTW, I have no idea who the seller is now. Just relaying the history of the bass to anyone here who may want to pursue buying it. I would buy it back in a second if I already didn't have one.  

    You, betcha!!  We don't miss a THING around here, do we?

     I think we would all LOVE an exact Gibson NR T-Bird built to the same standard as the Firebird Historics. Just like a real '67 but brand new. Stiffy, anyone??  Using the vintage correct two point bridge, tailpiece, tuners, and pickups. Offered in custom colors, the whole deal. And then, what the hell,they might as well make an accurate reverse body T-Bird as well!! The hardware and electronics are all interchangeable. I don't see where Gibson could forsee a return worthwhile after having to source all the original hardware all over again, especially 60's design pickups. And I would SHUDDER to think what they would want for one if they did it. If you can get it done, Bro, go for it. And if it was just a NR with the recent hardware....I wouldn't be a buyer for that bass, but that's just me.
     There is a guy on the Guitar Reranch forum that makes exact reverse 60's spec, neck thru Firebirds out of beautiful mahogany and he also did a T-Bird that the woodwork looked dead nuts on. Beautiful accurate work to 60's specs, all done on a CNC. I'm not sure if he would build just the body in NR and let us finish them using our own 60's hardware and electronics........I can contact him and see. His user name is DougK.   My two cents. Glad to be back posting again with you old Gibby-pluckers!   Tony

     Hello, my brothers!!  Haven't been around for a while, no special reason. I concur with you guys on Curts Novak on being a great source to do vintage rewinds. He rewound a 60's 'Bird pickup for me and it sounded fabulous. My other reccomendation would be Duncan's Custom Shop, but it could be months till you get it back, depending on their workload. Always a good product thru them. I'd go with Curtis. Great guy as well.

     I know you are fond of T-Bird II's, but the route is there so just deal with it. I wouldn't refin the bass or do any radical moves to make the bridge pickup go away. Just put a chrome pickup in there (mine , Lull's, or whatever) and either ignore it, or, you just may find that the bridge pickup is useful! LOL  I would have NOTHING but a IV, played 'em for 30 years, just my preference....  Just remember that filled routes NEVER totally disappear unless you put a 'veneer' over it so it will ALWAYS be there. I'd keep it a IV with the PROPER hardware and pickup installed and just don't use the bridge pickup.
If a IV and the bridge pickup is that much of a turnoff, dump the thing to someone who likes the double pickup model (for more $$$) and buy a genuine bonifide II. My .02.

   It cracks me up in the summer time when I got the stereo crankin' in my car and roll up to a stop light and watch peoples reaction to the music I'm listening to. I may have Halford Live Insurrection cranked, some Priest, some Satriani, or maybe even Live at Leeds. The younger kids especially freak out to see this 50-ish bald guy jammin' on some metal or hard rock stuff. They were probably expecting to hear Bobby Vinton or something....NOT!!!!!!

Here ya go!  The Bass setup is a Carvin 8x10 SVT style cabinet powered by a Hartke 5000 run in mono. The six stringer gear is a '68 Marshall straight front in purple/cane restored by yours truly. The heads are '72 Marshall 50 watters (screamers) in purple.  The 'Bird is the '67 clone I built using my own bridge and pickups in Frost Blue, and the LP Jr. is a '56 I restored in all gold. The NR Firebird is a one off creation I put together with a set neck and LP style headstock just to be different. Inverness Green. Beard is gray, circa 1953. LOL

   I'll dig up some pix to post, I promise!!!