Gibson EB-650 (on UK auction 16/6/18)

[planetgaffnet]

This has come up on an auction site here in the UK, not eBay et al - a proper auction where people bid and there a live auctioneer!  Anyone know anything about these?  There's an estimate of £1500-2000GBP ($2K-$3K near as dammit).  Never seen one before.

[Dave W]

Uwe has one. drbassman had one, I presume his family still does.

The EB-650 was more-or-less a bass version of the Gibson Trini Lopez Deluxe guitar. The only actual connection to Trini that I'm aware of is that Art Greenhaw of the Light Crust Doughboys has one, and Art did sessions with Trini.

Rob's book says 1989-92, that sounds right.

That price range seems fair for 2018. They don't come up often. I never saw one go for over $2600 and that was maybe 10 years ago. A couple of years later, Kevin Borden had one listed for something like $4500 for quite a long time; no idea if he ever sold it or at what price.

[doombass]

Most of the ones I've seen has been made in '91-'92. They are maple neck, ebony fretboard, maple body and sustain block construction. The pickups are the same TB Plus that they used in the Les Paul basses (LPB-3 model). One sold on Reverb for 1200$ but that's the cheapest I've ever seen. They are usually 2000$+. They also made the even rarer EB-750 with thicker body and mahogany neck IIRC and Bartolini pickups (as used in the LPB-2 model).

[Highlander]

Very nice...

[gearHed289]

WANT!

[planetgaffnet]

I doubt I'll be bidding on it as my company let me go yesterday.  Fools.

Anyhow, the site is Gardiner Houlgate; https://guitar-auctions.co.uk - they're a regular auction house, none of this eBay tomfoolery.  If you check online, I think they still stream the auction live every time and they rip through the lots. 

US listeners/watchers, remember that $134 will buy you £100GBP.  Gasp in horror/excitement as you see US-made instruments for sale over there for $500 sell for double/triple that over here.  It's no wonder bands would buy up instruments when they toured the US and sell them for profit when they got back here.

[lowend1]

The EB-650 was more-or-less a bass version of the Gibson Trini Lopez Deluxe guitar.

Wasn't the Trini Lopez always a double cutaway?

[Rob]

Wasn't the Trini Lopez always a double cutaway?

I thought so with pointy horns and a reverse 6 per side headstock.

[Dave W]

Wasn't the Trini Lopez always a double cutaway?

I thought so with pointy horns and a reverse 6 per side headstock.

That's why I said more-or-less. The Trini Lopez was an ES-335 variant with double florentine cutaways, diamond shaped holes rather than f-holes, wooden bridge base and a trapeze tailpiece. The EB-650 has one florentine cutaway and the rest of the same features. It's more like a Trini than an ES-335.

[Dave W]

I doubt I'll be bidding on it as my company let me go yesterday.  Fools.

Sorry to hear that, Paul.

Anyhow, the site is Gardiner Houlgate; https://guitar-auctions.co.uk - they're a regular auction house, none of this eBay tomfoolery.  If you check online, I think they still stream the auction live every time and they rip through the lots. 

US listeners/watchers, remember that $134 will buy you £100GBP.  Gasp in horror/excitement as you see US-made instruments for sale over there for $500 sell for double/triple that over here.  It's no wonder bands would buy up instruments when they toured the US and sell them for profit when they got back here.

Plus there's a 24% buyers premium including 20% VAT, which they would probably insist on colllecting even from the US, which has no VAT.

[lowend1]

That's why I said more-or-less. The Trini Lopez was an ES-335 variant with double florentine cutaways, diamond shaped holes rather than f-holes, wooden bridge base and a trapeze tailpiece. The EB-650 has one florentine cutaway and the rest of the same features. It's more like a Trini than an ES-335.

Looks closer to an ES-175 or Byrdland Florentine (but with diamond f-holes) - or if you're running with the doublecut thing, a Barney Kessel. That six/side headstock is a huge feature. Just my .02...

[uwe]

Most assertive hollow-body bass ever, cuts like a knife.

[Dave W]

Looks closer to an ES-175 or Byrdland Florentine (but with diamond f-holes) - or if you're running with the doublecut thing, a Barney Kessel. That six/side headstock is a huge feature. Just my .02...

It's been so long since we originally discussed it at the Pit, I can't remember what was said or if a real connection was ever established. Phil Jones designed it, he would know, maybe Uwe could write him again. I can't imagine any other reason for the diamond holes, which were designed by Trini himself in the 60s. Or Art Greenhaw might know.

[Granny Gremlin]

Most assertive hollow-body bass ever, cuts like a knife.

[4stringer77]

As long as we're tipping friends off to rare models of Gibson basses here, there's a nice LPB-1 with the two tone burst for sale down under.
http://www.wildhorseguitars.com.au/shoponline/tabid/94/pid/1258/Gibson---1991-LPB-1-Les-Paul-Special-Bass.aspx