Have we already discussed this Q80?

[Freuds_Cat]

Could always make an offer telling him that it was a nice bass and that you intend restoring it to its original beauty. 

[uwe]

For the record, seller has promptly, professionally and courteously replied to my email. There was a cock-up with the serial number and it has now been rectified. He's a large scale guitar collector himself.

[Dave W]

That's good. No reason to think he wouldn't, since your message to him was courteous. He's not trying to misrepresent anything, he's just overly optimistic in his pricing.

[uwe]

The Q-80 is an unloved ugly duckling in Gibson's history and no amount of Custom Shop stamps will change that. It was a creature of convenience, and a stop-gap at a time when Gibson had been grappling with survival and not designed any new basses for the longest period since the fifties (between 81 and 87, i.e. between the early eighties Victory and the late eighties Q-80, 20/20 & IV/V  no new models were introduced save for the Explorer):

"Hey Wayne, make a new bass for us like you make those guitars!"
"With what?"
"We still have a lot of machines set up for the Victory shape and old Grabber pups, those have a nice "Gibson" embossed on them, why don't you take those? Spare maho too."
"How much time do I have?"
"A week, we don't want a rushed job."
"Who'll bang them together?"
"Guys from the Custom Shop are twiddling thumbs currently ...".

I do like the fin, whether the artist is well-known or not I have no idea, but he seems to be the determining factor in this auction.

[dadagoboi]

I do like the fin, whether the artist is well-know or not, I have no idea, but he seems to be the determining factor in this auction.

You do realize color blindness might be considered a slight handicap in determining some parameters of a quality fin? BTW, who dresses you?

[uwe]

And Edith even hates yellow!  

Must be the Zaire influence in me, that bass does look a bit like an African flag.



Did anybody say TM Stevens?  

[Nocturnal]

The Q80's finish is beautiful compared to the finish on that Warwick!!! Thats one of those T.M. Stevens basses, isn't it?

[Highlander]

[swoon] I quite like her... [/swoon] (the Q80, that is...)

[uwe]

I think the TM Stevens Warwick is kitschy too. Nothing wrong with showing his African ancestry and the man is certainly larger than life, but I would have preferred a more archaic, tribal look and not that lurid car hood airbrush look. Less would have been more and for the avoidance of doubt: I like African art but it looks nothing like this bass.

[Freuds_Cat]

Oh dear, this thread is turning into "how to puke your fin" 

[Highlander]

YESSSSSSS!!!!!

I need to finish what I started so I can tequila something...

[mc2NY]

In 1982 Gibson was not (anymore or not yet again, depending on which way you look at it) making mahogany body basses, the Q-80 was actually the first one where they returned to that type of wood after their maple phase spanning much of the late seventies and early eighties.

Uwe[/i]

e

Uwe.....I've done business wiht this seller before. Nice guy, pretty knowledgable and HUGE collection.