Red "Money" bass?

[neepheid]

I have read (through some searching on here, oh yes!) that the main difference between the original LP Doublecut and the GoW Money bass is that there's a wadge of walnut between the maple top and the mahogany in the case of the Money, where as the DC is a straight Maple/hog sandwich.

Thing is, I've seen this red DC with what appears to be a dark stripe between the maple and the mahogany.  It's also a flame maple top, not quilt.  What gives?  Refin?  Gibson being weird (like that would ever happen)?  Did any Money basses get done red by mistake?  Is it a transitional model?

Regular DC:



Red DC with suspicious stripe:



Me == confused.

[4stringer77]

Who knows maybe Gibson was experimenting and slipped some walnut into the double cut basses as well. Production numbers weren't high on this model and it was the first bass with that shape, so that makes me think Gibson could have been a bit fast and loose with their design specs. I've seen Money basses with tops that looked either quilted or flamed or even a bit of both. That finish was called Black Cherry.

[doombass]

Actually IIRC Gibson renamed the DC approx one year after production start. The only difference was in appearance, using the $ labeled truss rod cover. The 2007 GOW Moneys were different though. Finished in Midnight Manhattan Blue (week 7, 1st run) or Natural Satin (week 23, 2nd run), it also featured the walnut tone plate but the regular Money was never specified with one. Most DC's and Money basses I've seen have had flame figured maple tops. Quilt ones are rare. As mentioned before, with Gibson often not keeping up to specs it's not impossible they made more than 2x400 GOW bodies, resulting in a few slipping out of the factory in either Black Cherry or Root Beer finish.

[amptech]

I usually never get a kick out if the ´new´gibson designs, but these are rather nice!
Maybe it´s the early EB0 similarities. But they are longscale, are they not?

[uwe]

I have read (through some searching on here, oh yes!) that the main difference between the original LP Doublecut and the GoW Money bass is that there's a wadge of walnut between the maple top and the mahogany in the case of the Money, where as the DC is a straight Maple/hog sandwich.

Thing is, I've seen this red DC with what appears to be a dark stripe between the maple and the mahogany.  It's also a flame maple top, not quilt.  What gives?  Refin?  Gibson being weird (like that would ever happen)?  Did any Money basses get done red by mistake?  Is it a transitional model?

Regular DC:



Red DC with suspicious stripe:



Me == confused.

That IS a tone plate right there. For a while they produced the reg fin DCs and the manhattan blue and nat sat fin Money basses side by side. I don't believe that Gibson bothered to produce the walnut-less original bodies at that point anymore, the DC, a commercial flop for whatever reason (everyone I know who has one digs them!), was in its death throes by then anyway. Whenever Gibson tries something outside of the "replicating a classic"-box, it gets inevitably hit on the head. The current EB will be the next in line.

[neepheid]

That IS a tone plate right there. For a while they produced the reg fin DCs and the manhattan blue and nat sat fin Money basses side by side. I don't believe that Gibson bothered to produce the walnut-less original bodies at that point anymore, the DC, a commercial flop for whatever reason (everyone I know who has one digs them!), was in its death throes by then anyway. Whenever Gibson tries something outside of the "replicating a classic"-box, it gets inevitably hit on the head. The current EB will be the next in line.

That's actually quite logical, by Gibson standards

[uwe]

For a Gibson sound aficionado, the walnut tone plate was a good idea, it blurried and growled up the sound even more. For everyone else it was exactly the wrong thing, painting the DCs and Moneys even more into the corner of "this is not a bright and clear sounding modern bass even though it looks like it". It was commercial suicide, but in style for certain. 

[Blackbird]

I really like the blue one I had, but it's in good hands now.  The walnut did make a difference to my ears.  I found the bass dialed in a real nice jazzy tone with just the bridge pickup on. 

[4stringer77]

Can't beat the neck pickup for heavy rocking pickstyle. The bridge pickup sounds great when it's hot and dirty. That quilt top dc bass in the first pic is sexy as hell. If that's ever for sale I'd be tripping all over myself to buy it.
But not at that price 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Gibson-Money-4-String-Bass-Red-Quilt-Flametop-55-HD-Images-/161155603061?pt=Guitar&hash=item25859f5a75

[Blackbird]

Guitar has a used one for 699 in Blue in Mass store.  Item 109549464

[Barklessdog]

That's not root beer?

[the mojo hobo]

I really like quilted maple tops, but come on! If you are going to put a pretty top on a guitar make it thick enough that covers the whole top after it is beveled. At least that flaw is not very noticeable on the Midnight ones.

[uwe]

I believe that was intentionally done that way for that layered boutique look. They also squeezed the walnut tone plate in so you could see it, that could have been hidden underneath the maple top via a cavity.

The maple top of the DCs/Monkeys is more than a veneer, it does affect sound giving those basses some zzzing, though not enough for modern tastes.