Cliff Williams' non-reverse

[Pekka]

I started another Cliff thread and posted this pic there and realized it's a different bass than the one he used on "Back In Black" promovideos. Four knobs, a toggle switch and block markers. Reminds me of a bass Leon Wilkeson used one time.







Is it even a Gibson? The pickguard looks a bit different?

[FrankieTbird]

Fretboard inlays look odd too.  Not sure what that is.

[gearHed289]

Pickguard shape is weird too.

[TBird1958]

I don't think that's a Gibson, I haven't seen a a lot of pictures of Ibanez Non Reverse 'Birds, perhaps?

[uwe]

I'm not aware of a Non Rev copy other than the one from Epi and that came way later than these pics. Pick guards were often replaced on these as the old ones fell apart - this looks like a new and slightly crudely shaped replacement pg to me.

I have a hunch this might be real, even with the inlays.

[TBird1958]

I don't see a Gibson logo on the TRC either. I think part of it would be showing in the second pic. I'd heard he gave this bass to what's his name in Lynerd.

[Pekka]

I don't see a Gibson logo on the TRC either. I think part of it would be showing in the second pic. I'd heard he gave this bass to what's his name in Lynerd.

Leon Wilkeson. I knew there was something familiar with it.

[uwe]

Leon Wilkeson's Birds weren't Birds? I knew he had JAE Fenderbirds, but thought the other stuff was legit.

[Pekka]

Leon Wilkeson's Birds weren't Birds? I knew he had JAE Fenderbirds, but thought the other stuff was legit.

No-one has confirmed it isn't a real Gibson. Anyway, here's another non-rev Cliff used in the "Back In Black" promos:

[amptech]

Well, Mark Evans used one too - so it might have been something bought as a stage backup instrument or something?
I remember reading somewhere that they only travelled with one spare guitar (telecaster) and one spare bass in the early days.

It can be seen in the 'dog eat dog' promo vid from let there be rock.

[Pekka]

Well, Mark Evans used one too - so it might have been something bought as a stage backup instrument or something?
I remember reading somewhere that they only travelled with one spare guitar (telecaster) and one spare bass in the early days.

It can be seen in the 'dog eat dog' promo vid from let there be rock.

It's a reverse.


Here's the video, most likely the same bass but Cliff already in the lineup. This was from some TV show, probably from 1978.
EDIT: It's Mark Evans on the video too, not Cliff. I must have confused it with an old "Let There Be Rock" promo (the church thing) where Cliff is playing a Ripper, or miming with it.

[doombass]

That non rev bass really looks like the one and same Leon had, with toggle and all:

[Basvarken]

I don't see a Gibson logo on the TRC either. I think part of it would be showing in the second pic. I'd heard he gave this bass to what's his name in Lynerd.

I think it was Entwistle who gave his Fenderbird to Wilkeson.
Never heard of Cliff Williams giving his bass to Wilkeson.

Having said that: The non reverse with the weird pickguard en non-dot inlays looks the same as Wilkeson's, yes.

[Highlander]

Wilkeson uses the JAE gifted PC in this vid...

[uwe]

No-one has confirmed it isn't a real Gibson. Anyway, here's another non-rev Cliff used in the "Back In Black" promos:

He sure was the best-looking bloke in AC/DC - though competition wasn't high. The Angus brothers always looked to me like the Neanderthal men had reached Australia after all. Angus even admitted that they also hired him for his looks. I have all of Williams' work with Home (where Laurie Wisefield came from too), he was a real busy player there.

That bass sure looks like a real Gibson to me.