BFG Bass?

[uwe]

Attorney's caveat: This pic was sent to me from the owner of my regular music shop, he got it from the USA. I have no idea whether this is an actual Gibson product/one-off or prototype, a Gibson employee having fun or just someone having gotten creative at home inspired by the BFG guitar line. And I only have this one pic.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v615/uwehornung/000_BFGBass.jpg


I always had a soft spot for that "carved dinosaur hide" look of the BFGs. I've been told - don't know if this is true - that that is how LPs look in this age of CMC tooling before the maple top is added.

If I'm not misled by the pic quality, then this bass has an additional third pup right behind the neck and not the Warwick bridge but some other bridge/stringholder combination. Interesting. It also seems to have two toggle switches (one in classic LP pos at the horn and one near the controls). Has the RD returned from the swamps? 

[godofthunder]

Thats pretty cool, wonder what all that wrapped stuff is in the background ? Stuff being stored or getting ready for shipment ? looks like a commercial environment.

[Dave W]

Without knowing more or even seeing a good closeup, I'd guess that it's a real one-off/prototype.

[Barklessdog]

Makes sense for the Reptile master!

[OldManC]

It looks a little like an Epi I saw a while back. Whoever built it must have used that as a jumping off point. So Uwe, did they just send you the pic or are they sending the troops to procure this for you (like all those bicycles)?

[uwe]

They were under the impression you might be able to order something like that which I doubted given how they have deleted the LP line altogether. OTOH, if Gibson is thinking of reintroducing the LP shape as a bass, this might be a worthy way to do it. I'll try to procure some more info on this particular specimen. Possibly, even the Custom Shop might have been at work here.

Uwe

PS: Sending in the troops? Last time we sent German troops to the shores of the US we did so via U Boat and in civilian clothes. Those dozen German insurgents (with a US background - they had all lived in the States - so they could "melt into the US population" and supposedly wreak havoc via sabotage ***) didn't last long until you had them caught and shot (or electrocuted?) as spies. Not a good experience. I think this time we'll just wait for your mounting national debt to be turned into equity via transfer of land.  Me, I want a part of Nashville with that guitar company on it.

*** That just goes to show how naive Nazi Germany was about the sleeping giant it had woken with its delaration of war, a dozen saboteurs to have the US economy grind to a halt? How silly. Now if we had sent investment bankers it could have been a different story... but those hadn't been invented yet!!!

[Chris P.]

I certainly do like the guitar version.

But: This hard to copy design, three wooden controls, two switches.. Looks good. The three pick ups are strange though.

[Dave W]

It looks a little like an Epi I saw a while back. Whoever built it must have used that as a jumping off point.

Gibson had a BFG guitar line a couple of years ago. This would be the bass version. The guitar version had an unsanded maple top on a chambered mahogany body. I thought they were ugly.

[doombass]

I thought the BFG was nice in all its primitive glory when I first saw it but now I don't know. Like Dave said, the top is unsanded and only roughly cut. As described and visualised here on pic 7 and 21. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Divisions/Gibson%20USA/Additional%20Info/Factory%20Tour/Gibson_USA_Factory_Tour_Slides/

[Dave W]

I should add that ugliness never stopped Uwe from buying a bass. This one should be right at home with his purple clown bass and that Musicvox contraption.

Uwe: "that Musicvox contraption" 

[Chris P.]

I was just thinking: Kaufe es!

I really love the BFG guitar, but it needs normal controls. Just some mirror caps or so.

[Highlander]

Interesting looking instrument...

but... RD...? Swamp...?

The thing from the black lagoon, more like - hopefully it sounds as sinister as it looks...

My daughter used to like the BFG...

[angrymatt]

Interesting.  I hated the BFG guitar.  However, the look on a bass seems to work.  Maybe I just like three pups.

[uwe]

My dealer found out that this will be a USA only ltd run scheduled for the second half of 2009. Needless to say, he ordered one for me.

Uwe

[Chris P.]

Nice!