New Gibson EB

[Dave W]

Did Gibson ever sell off the Tobias name? I know squat about Tobias but just realized how similar the shape is to the new EB.  Guess thats what the T stands for?

The T stands for Traditional (no G-Force or zero fret nut)

Gibson still makes Tobias, in China, in the Epiphone factory. You'll find them on Epiphone's site, like this one.  IMHO the new Gibson EB doesn't look much like a Tobias.

I don't hate it but there is nothing iconic looking about it.  It looks like an amalgamation of many modern basses that, frankly, have little market share. Even at 1K, I think this will be another failed Gibson experiment with no resale value.

Gibson on the headstock will be iconic enough for some Gibson fans.

Gibson has failed using shapes that are different than the usual, they can hardly do worse with a shape like this. But unless they promote it, it will probably go the way of other failed models.

I haven't noticed Gibson basses having poorer than average resale value. Harder to sell than more popular brands, true, and most vintage models don't bring as much as vintage Fenders, but aside from Rickenbacker, the bass resale market isn't all that good for anyone.

[lowend1]

Looks like a circumcised Cort Curbow. Yuck.

[Highlander]

...Gibson on the headstock will be iconic enough for some Gibson fans Uwe...

[veebass]

Got to admit- the juices are not flowing. 

[exiledarchangel]

I bet it sounds good, and balances nicely, but it looks like someone cut (or butchered!) a Tbird's wings and glued something more mainstream/boring in their place. What do you call a bird without wings?

[uwe]

T-Bomb?

It's not any less Gibson than the Victory basses were - and I always liked the look of those, long before I collected Gibson basses.

Almost all traditional Gibson bass body shapes are guitar shape rip-offs with the Ripper/Grabber/G-3 shape being a noteworthy exception, but that was always a divisive look too. It took a long time for me to grow on - I thought it incredibly clumsy at first.

[exiledarchangel]

IMHO Victory was much more balanced (oh, look, theres a pun ) visually, sorry but that super extended upper horn on a Gibson just screams "I try too much to be modern but I look goofy instead". The previous EB model was much more interesting.

[Dave W]

.....The previous EB model was much more interesting.

Just about everyone here who has one of the previous model likes it just fine. But the look wasn't interesting enough to enough prospective buyers for Gibson to continue producing it.

[uwe]

"Prospective buyers for Gibson (basses)" are much like the legendary Bigfoot - elusive!



I don't really exist either.

[exiledarchangel]

Maybe thats your second chance to get a modern-looking Gibson Uwe!

[Blackbird]

There's now a 4 and a 5 at my local BestBuy here in Nova Scotia, but I didn't think they were worth asking for assistance to give a test drive.   

[Granny Gremlin]

Wait, since when did BestBuy start to instruments/become a hock shop as the case may be?

[Dave W]

Wait, since when did BestBuy start to instruments/become a hock shop as the case may be?

US BestBuy stores were carrying a full line back about 10 years ago. Closed them out in most stores about 5 years later. You can still order from a small selection online.

I want this one but it's sold out. 

[uwe]

Dave, a man your handsome age ... I'd worry about thumb arthritis with that thing, better not ... 

[Dave W]

Dave, a man your handsome age ... I'd worry about thumb arthritis with that thing, better not ... 

I wouldn't be thumbing any bass.

It's actually a decent body shape, especially for a Warwick.