I am working on the second edition of The Gibson Bass Book.
And I’d like to take the opportunity to correct some mishaps from the first edition.
I hope maybe one of our fellow Outposters can shed some light?
First of all - I think you have done a great job with the first book. Can't help you with what you actually asked for, but I have noticed a couple of odd things in that first book.
- The whole presentation of the '58 Explorer bass is a bit off. The headline says '3 normal tuners and 1 banjo tuner' which is true for Uwe's bass (as pictured) but the text is about the '58 (althoug it might have been made later). The text also suggests that Entwistle's bass was different by 'only' having one humbucker in the neck position, but it's only ever surfaced one original Explorer bass and that one had only one pickup at the neck. Nor did it have a mix of tuners, it had 4 banjo tuners - the 3 normal tuners were added later.
An as it is suggested Lonnie Mack had one too, well - it's the same instrument JAE had.
It might not be important, but the current owner have done intensive research about the instrument, and to this day it's the only documented original Explorer - and it's thought that possibly one more
could have been made as out of a batch of 40 Explorer bodies 38 became guitars, 1 became the documented bass and one is not accounted for. There's an interview in Geddy's book, I'm sure the owner of the bass could be interested in having it in your book? At least, it should be clear that the bass pictured in the book is just a custom made bass loosely based on the original Explorer bass.
- Some of the basses miss the 'specifications' textbox? If possible, the handbook factor would improve with all basses having the same
set of specs in my opinion.
- I notice that the EB-0, EB-3 and EB-4L were available in burgundy (should be cherry), but I suppose that's already taken care of.
- The sliding pickup on the Grabber is a singlecoil, not a humbucker (listed in specifications)
- The EB-2 presentation also says large humbucker with bakelite cover, later versions had the sidewinder.
It is more correct that the first version had
singlecoil sidewinder, then later sidewinder humbucker with bakelite cover, then
sidewinder humbucker with metal cover.
- on page 8, the EH150 pictured is referred to as ES150.
- I can agree to a certain point that the EB0-F fuzz is not very versatile... But rather than saying it's 'quite useless', it might be nice for
readers to know that one of the most iconic stompboxes ever made (satisfaction etc..) was born through accident and
developed first for this very bass. Ok it was taken off the catalogue after only 4 years, but so was the Les Paul Standard
- The EB-6 too, a little story would be cool. Many famous users including Elvis (Ok, a double neck). Again, probably not important -
but then again a book about gibson basses dictates nerdy readers (sorry, folks).
- I personally think the book would reach much wider if the EB (first type) and 59-61 EB0 had a better presentation in original finish.
I love and admire Uwe's collection as much as anyone here - but the book is entitled
The Gibson Bass Book. I'm sure
some owners that have pristine originals would be happy to see them in your book. Maybe the Åhden bros?
Please don't take this as criticism, I love your book and would be happy to see a new one surface - and buy it of course!
