Gibson EBS-1250, do we already know about this?

[n!k]

The price tag is shocking, but I have to admit, its a beauty. 

http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/Gibson-EBS%252d1250-Double-Neck-Bass-%7B47%7D-Guitar--Black-1966.html

[Dave W]

$30K?    Even for CME, that's optimistic. Have any sold for over $10K even when the economy was better?

[sniper]

wish i could afford it but ........ i am not too impressed with "Gibson" engraved into the guitar side and not the bass side pups nor am i impressed with what i think appear to be later style bass tuners on a 66?

just my 2 cents.

[Grog]

A number of years back, Mikes music had a refin for about $4,000. It might have had Fuzz-tone?? It seemed like a lot of money at the time. I would like to have another crack at it at that price today.....  

With those embossed pickups, shouldn't it be more like a 1971?

[hieronymous]

Someday, someday...

Well, probably not, but I can dream!

[Daniel_J]

Nah! I pass

Why anyone here needs those extra 6 strings and 2 pickups for? I sure dont...

[n!k]

wish i could afford it but ........ i am not too impressed with "Gibson" engraved into the guitar side and not the bass side pups nor am i impressed with what i think appear to be later style bass tuners on a 66?

just my 2 cents.

I noticed those things too. I am pretty sure all of it can't be factory original, which is kind of funny given the monstrous price tag.

I love the bass/guitar concept because I do a lot of looping / solo performance. It would be very handy! Maybe I'll just wait around for the Ibanez version of this (pictured here with Takeshi from Boris):

[Hornisse]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-77-Ibanez-2404-Cherry-SG-Doubleneck-Bass-6-String-/250739365706?pt=Guitar&hash=item3a613b174a

Went for a decent price.

[eb2]

Like everything at Chicago Music Exchange, it is brutally overpriced.  They have big ads to pay for in Vintage Guitar, and brie and wine isn't cheap. But yes - that is clearly not a 1966.  The pups and bass tuners point to this leaving the factory in 1971-72, and the evertilt alone puts it a year or two later than 66 at least.  Like all things bass-related with Gibson the body could very well have been made up and serial numbered in 1966 and sat around unfinished for years.  That might explain a black factory finish, if there was some flaw with the body.  But they should know better, as we all do.

[Dave W]

They do know better. You can count on that.

[godofthunder]

 The embossed pickups raised a red flag right away. Somethings fishy.

[chromium]

I bought my '66 EB-2D from them.  I think now that about eight years has passed, it might actually be worth what I gave for it!     (no matter, though, knew full-well what I was doing and still love that bass)

[EvilLordJuju]

Also interesting to note the '2' on the back of the bass headstock

[Dave W]

Also interesting to note the '2' on the back of the bass headstock

Good catch. It's hard to imagine that they would let one of these out as a second since so few were made. Could be, but it's also possible that just the bass neck was a 2. Which -- along with the solid color finish -- makes me wonder if it's possible this is not a factory EBS-1250. Hard to know.

[eb2]

I bet that it is in fact a factory instrument, and that it left the factory in 1971-2 era using left-over parts.  The 2 would help to confirm at least to me that Gibson did this as a standard practice (ala the 1962 Explorers).  This may have started out as a double neck, or they had a couple of crapped up axes in the SG and EB0 wreck room.  This is my pet theory which dovetails into Gibson using the basses as the training wheels work for new guys (Jules - how are those Kalamazoo interviews coming along?).  "Hmmm, how can we make money off this salvage?"  Presto - double neck.  A black finish would cover up some sins there too, like how they started using sparkling burgundy to fix ES's.  It would not be too far off to think it was original, although it could be a refin and with a price tag as unrealistic as that it could be a fake.  With prices like those, if it ever sold, faking fantasy Gibsons could be worth your while if you had no conscience.

But again, times is tough for the vintage dealers. Especially those who cultivated the snob investment world and talked about these things like they were stamps or wine.  Maybe they just overlooked, I dunno, almost EVERYTHING.