A Rose by any other name...

[eb2]

http://cgi.ebay.com/1967-Gibson-Red-Devil-Bass_W0QQitemZ120238240277QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4713QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

HAIL SATAN!  THE BASS WITH THE HORNS OF THE BEAST!

[Dave W]

The Guitar is not an eb0. it measures overall 54 and a half inches.

I don't have a solid headstock EB-0 from that era to measure, but I'm guessing this would translate to something like a 40-42" scale length. So it's huge and it has those pointy bits! No wonder it's called a Gibson Red Devil.   

[Chris P.]

I saw that one... Well, I know people who call P Basses 'Strat basses' and so on...

[Dave W]

Yeah, but a Strat is a real model. I never heard anybody call an SG-bodied guitar or bass a "red devil" even as a joke.

[Max Soren]

Not to sound grumpy, but calling it a red devil sounds like crap anyway, even if it were a real name. 

[Chris P.]

The Belgian soccer team are called the Red Devils. And there was a freat Rick Rubin produced American bluesband called The Red Devils.

[Max Soren]

Yes, Red Devils is a common name, especially for sports.  It just doesn't sound like the name for a bass to me. 

[Dave W]

I've used Red Devil spackle and wood filler many times. I have (or had) a Red Devil rubber sanding block, scraper and trowel. But no Red Devil basses.

[Chris P.]

It is a nice name for an EB3:) Or for Uwe 'Der Rote Teufel'

[chromium]

Heathens!   



Does this make me an honorary prince of darkness or something?   


As for red devils, I think this bass takes the cake there:

[Dave W]

Is that an original Ampeg Devil Bass, or a reissue? I remember Bruce Johnson was going to do a reissue.

[chromium]

That was a '66 that was up on Ebay last year.



Bruce Johnson mentions on his site that he was working on his reissue/revamping of this bass, but I've never seen indication that he has built or sold one yet.  I'd love to see that - I'm sure his version would be a much better instrument.  Sounds like the originals were hit or miss, and considering the price of admission... 

[ampang]

in italy an SG guitar or bass or even clones with the same shape are usually known as "diavoletto" that stands for little devil. so red devil sounds a bit familiar as a nickname

[uwe]

The association of the SG cutaways and "devil horns" is common in Germany too. And didn't US Christian fundamentalists back in the day clamor against Tony Iommi and Angus Young playing "devil shaped guitars"? A nice carved top SG/EB with a devil face and SG/EB 666 as a moniker would be something ...

[Chris P.]

Well, buy a body and make one!