Oh my!

[Hornisse]

One of Pete's old double necks.  Supposedly a '67.



Still cannot see the butt crack....

[godofthunder]

But boy can you see the joint where the bodies were joined ! Looks to be a hint of butt crack !

[Hornisse]

I'm wondering if that was Pete's original Double Neck and was broken/repaired and looked like the one pictured?  I've seen photo's of a similar double neck that looked normal. 


August 1967 looks normal


October 1967 looks a bit odd......Same guitar?

[Chris P.]

My first impression was 'fake'. Just a gut feeling, but who knows...

I'm still angry at myself for not buying a Gibson-copy guitar/bass doubleneck for 450 euros ten years ago..

[lowend1]

Playing devil's advocate here for a minute...
The reason for the diverging neck angles could be the fact that there are two necks and accompanying headstocks are of equal length and width, and both have big cloverleaf tuners. If they had not angled the necks, the tuners would have gotten all tangled up n' stuff.

[godofthunder]

I'm wondering if that was Pete's original Double Neck and was broken/repaired and looked like the one pictured?  I've seen photo's of a similar double neck that looked normal. 


August 1967 looks normal


October 1967 looks a bit odd......Same guitar?

If it is the same guitar it has been reworked.

[uwe]

"If they had not angled the necks, the tuners would have gotten all tangled up n' stuff."

That is certainly the reason why it had to happen here but merging the two bodies in a less close fashion or using smaller tuners (which Gibson already used back then) could have avoided the issues altogether, smaller lighter tuners would certainly make sense on a double neck.

I don't think that we can rule out that someone had a a lefty EB-6 and asked Gibson to glue it together with an EB-3 he had as well. Besides the strange controls arrangement, that might also explain that the different components stem from different periods, just look at the varying eras of the Gibson logos:



with none of them being really typical of 1970 when this contraption was allegedly created:

SG shape EB-6s were deleted in 1966 - had Gibson built one in 1970, I doubt they would have still used the bar bridge rather than using an intonatable guitar bridge.

The EB-3 can't be older than late 67 - when the dreaded tip-o-matic two point was introduced, but at the same time not any younger than 1969. By 1969/70, the neck mudbucker featured a black plastic frame which this one doesn't.

So Gibson was supposed to have built something from scratch in 1970 using three to four years old parts? I doubt it.

For me, the final straws are however the refin and the price:

- That a doubleneck bass would see that much action that it would need a refin is doubtful - more likely the black color covers a seam of the originally cherry components.

- To be the real thing, this double neck is way too cheap, I think the buyer knows that this an after-market marriage which is why he is careful not to assure too much about the Gibson origin.

That said, if the four stringer was a long scale bass I might be intrigued enough to make an offer. Instead, I have written to Gibson asking them about it. Regarding that "Rush-LP bass" we discussed a while back they were kind enough to answer that they had never seen or heard of such a bass and that without serial number it was impossible to tell.  

Uwe    

[the mojo hobo]

I don't think that we can rule out that someone had a a lefty EB-6 and asked Gibson to glue it together with an EB-3 he had as well.

with none of them being really typical of 1970 when this contraption was allegedly created:

So Gibson was supposed to have built something from scratch in 1970 using three to four years old parts? I doubt it.

I don't think that we can rule out that someone had a a lefty EB-6 and asked Gibson someone to glue it together with an EB-3 he had as well.

Probably done in 1970 with a couple of 3 - 4 year old used basses. Probably replaced the pots then too.  I would bet that if you were able to inspect this in person, the chips in the black fin would reveal different base coats on the top and bottom.

If Gibson had built this it would have one serial number.

We also can't assume because Pete Townsend had a double-neck with angled necks that Gibson created it, look at what his bassist was playing.

It wouldn't surprise me if there were more double-necks created outside of the Gibson factory than inside it.

[uwe]

All very true. But I do find the black fin and the double neck look appealing though the six string/four string short scale mix is less inviting. It pretty much comes down to the difference between a mudbucker driven short scale bass and one using PAFs. On my EB-6 the PAFs supply ample bass, but with none of the raw energy of a mudbucker.

[Stjofön Big]

Got to remind you gentlemen of this strange creature, that I've mentioned before:  



At around 1:18 you'll se the beast in full. Anyone remember if we got to any form of conclusion concerning it's origin, the first time around? Seems like the double-neck's carrying two fourstring necks?



Edit to fix video code.

[uwe]

Looks like a fretted and a fretless long scale to me. Sensible combination, way to go!

[leftybass]

Couple things:
I played that double-neck bass, or one just like it, in 1985 at Ray Hennig's in Austin, they wanted $2K for it then, almost bought it.
Pete's doubleneck was originally "normal" but came in to some damage and was put back together with the necks splayed out.

[eb2]

One thing is for certain: that guy at Gibson is a dope.

[Hornisse]

Couple things:
I played that double-neck bass, or one just like it, in 1985 at Ray Hennig's in Austin, they wanted $2K for it then, almost bought it.
Pete's doubleneck was originally "normal" but came in to some damage and was put back together with the necks splayed out.

That's where I saw this thing!  I was there playing some basses and I believe they had this one there.  Not surprising since Jimmie/Stevie used the double neck Danelectro's quite a bit.  Wish I'd bought that slab board refin '59 P bass with gold guard that Ray was asking $600.

[Hornisse]

Ok, now it has become a 1964 Gibson......


JUST HEARD BACK FROM GIBSON COPY OF E-MAIL BELOW

Hello Bob,



Thanks for writing.  This actually appears consistent with a late-1963 – early-1964 model EBSF-1250.  The bass was likely in production in 1963, and the final stamp and departure from our factory was in 1964.



Thank you for the inquiry.



Best regards,

Benton Cummings

Gibson Customer Service