Strange Triumph at Olivia's

chromium · January 21, 2013, 01:04:58 PM

Just noticed this today:

http://oliviasvintageguitars.com/bass/guitars/228/

Strange control and output jack arrangement! Think it's original?

Dave W · January 21, 2013, 01:45:32 PM

I see no reason to think it isn't.

I can't recall seeing another last year model, could that arrangement be original to a '79?

Pilgrim · January 21, 2013, 02:43:47 PM

DANG!! That is one beautiful bass.

Highlander · January 21, 2013, 02:49:44 PM

That's a similar fin to another LP that someone posted elsewhere, isn't it...

Very nice, again...

OldManC · January 21, 2013, 02:56:27 PM

Looks like faded Silverburst. Or was "moonburst" what they officially called it? I had a friend with the guitar version and that's what he always called it.

chromium · January 21, 2013, 03:07:35 PM

Quote from: OldManC on January 21, 2013, 02:56:27 PM
Looks like faded Silverburst. Or was "moonburst" what they officially called it? I had a friend with the guitar version and that's what he always called it.

Yeah it looks like you can still see the grain thru the "silver"(?) sections. Isn't silverburst usually opaque? I wouldn't be surprised if they called this something else.

In any case, I like it! I seem to recall seing pics of a Triumph in this color before.

uwe · January 21, 2013, 03:10:45 PM

I doubt very much this is original. The fin probably is (I've seen other Triumphs like that umnless they were all refinned), but the set-up is too much a break from the classic Triumph one, not something they would have really done for a last run where you don't want to invest that type of work. It's like someone has rethought the original set-up and adapted it to his own needs - probably after tearing the old contro plate and its guts out after stepping on the cable! He then decided to reconstruct it, but do it better, hence the output jacks at the side which might have fed the signal to two different amps or into a board and an amp.

Highlander · January 21, 2013, 03:23:09 PM

[Heavenforbid] ... But suppose this is a one-off to end the line and you find out at a later date...? [/Heavenforbid]

uwe · January 21, 2013, 03:48:27 PM

Ken, what was your exact geographical address again?

Highlander · January 22, 2013, 02:53:51 PM

[I'm a bad, bad boy] Ich bin nur ein demütiger diener des Dunklen Lord [/I'm a bad, bad boy]

Grog · January 22, 2013, 03:20:02 PM

The last version of the Les Paul Recording guitar had a control plate quite a bit like this one. It doesn't make any sense to have separate jacks for high & low impedance and also have the switch. The switch might be for In & Out of Phase and just be mis-marked. Unless it was wired to be stereo.........................

Granny Gremlin · January 22, 2013, 04:41:22 PM

That's what I was thinking - looks more like the LoZ guitar control plate vs bass. Notice also complete lack of pickup mode (winding tap) selector switch. That's, like, the best feature of the bass (OK, tied with the passive bass and treble controls).

Look at the pics of the control cavity though - definitely looks like some work was done in there (to reinfoce screw holes too close to the edge ( or pup mods, or more wiring in the pup routes that we can't see) and also to make room for what looks like a volume pot).... and the switch does appear to be for Hi/Lo Z, the transformer is taped/insulated to it (LOL, not in a good way) - looks like it turns the appropriate jack on/off (which is an arrangement silly enough for me to believe Gibson came up with it; there is precident in the Lo Z series for that jack arrangement as well IIRC). The weird thing is that I can't tell where the pups connect to that mess. With the 8 (differently coloured) wires per you'd think you could spot that from across the room (read as - I do not even vouch for the pups in this girl being actual Gibson Bass Lo Z pups - I'd say that they might be the guitar version but those are noticeably smaller.... maybe the leads are permanently wired to one of the taps and only 2 of 8 are sent to the control cavity... or they kept the pup covers but there's something else underneath).

Basically, since this mod is so horribly expensive/difficult and ill advised, I am not sure Gibson didn't do this (the main thing is the pups; last run didn't bother with the taps maybe to save costs?... also the control plate - the engraved labeling is a pain/insanely costly to have done as a one-off) but even if so I find this specimen unremarkable except from the point of view of a rabid completist collector (notice I didn't spell that with a K) - a fine example of Gibson's downward spiral into their bottom in the 80s. It may be that this is a bit of both situation (Gibson folly and aftermarket mods).

Highlander · January 22, 2013, 04:55:31 PM

ramone57 · January 23, 2013, 04:58:21 AM

the Recording guitar used two output jacks on the '76 models according to 'The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy 1968-2009' (pg 52). they were to be used for stereo 'high and low' or each pickup individually.
to me what's a little different is the dotted 'i' and closed 'b' & 'o' on the headstock logo. could be it's yet another prototype or maybe an employee one off. I have no doubt it's real, though.

Dave W · January 23, 2013, 08:19:28 AM

Quote from: ramone57 on January 23, 2013, 04:58:21 AM
the Recording guitar used two output jacks on the '76 models according to 'The Modern Era of the Les Paul Legacy 1968-2009' (pg 52). they were to be used for stereo 'high and low' or each pickup individually.
to me what's a little different is the dotted 'i' and closed 'b' & 'o' on the headstock logo. could be it's yet another prototype or maybe an employee one off. I have no doubt it's real, though.

That info about the two output jacks tells me it's probably original.

I do know a collector who has a silverburst, not sure if it's '76 or later, I'll drop him a line and get his opinion.