Gibson Basses in the UK

[Chris P.]

British Guitar & Bass magazine seems to like Gibson basses. Within a year they had a special about a Gibson bass collector, the Hobbit of Suzi Quatro (I sent that issue to Basvarken) and now a five page special about the role of Gibson in British pop in the '60s. I just bought it, so no opinion yet.

With a link to fly guitars.

[Chris P.]

Note: The last issue had something like Strats in the Eighties on the cover and now it's something like The Magic Of Strats. So don't buy the wrong one.

[Basvarken]

British Guitar & Bass magazine seems to like Gibson basses.

Maybe a friend of Jules?

[mc2NY]

Just check through the magazine and see what companies have the big ads.

Then compare that to the major features and reviews. If the editor has features about brands that are not major advertisers (also go back and forward and issue or two) then you can tell if he favors certain brands. If they are just stroking advertisers, then it is business as usual.

[Chris P.]

I guess that's always the same. Every magazine has to think about their advertisers a bit. Some more than others. We stay away from it as much as possible with our mag.

But that aside, if they want to please Gibson it would be more logical to review a Tbird '15. A feature article about old Epiphones en Gibsons in the UK is much nicer.

[Rob]

I guess that's always the same. Every magazine has to think about their advertisers a bit. Some more than others. We stay away from it as much as possible with our mag.

But that aside, if they want to please Gibson it would be more logical to review a Tbird '15. A feature article about old Epiphones en Gibsons in the UK is much nicer.

I agree!  Being an old guy there were TONS of Gibson basses hung around the necks of Brit bands.
I actually thought that Epi's were made in Europe. . . but that was 1965 or so

[Chris P.]

I actually thought that Epi's were made in Europe. . . but that was 1965 or so

Of course it has Greek founders:)

[Stjofön Big]

64-65 was the years when all British groups, with a good manager, and a record company backing them up, changed from Hofners to Gibson, Epiphone, and Gretsch. Fender was yesterdays paper, both bass- and guitarwise, and as lukewarm as the Shadows. Until Hendrix showed up, a couple of years later, very few of the bigger groups used Fenders. Well, except for the Swinging Blue Jeans, that is. Gibson must have had a smart manager i Gt Britain those years. Fourmost, Four Pennies, Applejacks, Searchers, Merseybeats. They only used Gibsons. Well, at least at photo sessions. Wonder how much they had to pay for their guitars, and basses?

[uwe]

It's true, Fender went out of fashion in the British Beat Invasion for a while because their instruments were - in England - heavily identified with The Shadows who weren't deemed cool at the time (though they have proved a lasting influece as every Dire Straits fan will tell you!). And Hendrix - probably oblivious to all this - did a lot to make the Strat cool once more with a lot of Gibson players subsequently defecting to Fender again (Clapton, Beck, Blackmore, Trower, Gallagher, Gilmour - it really was the 70ies guitar hero axe).

[westen44]

It's true, Fender went out of fashion in the British Beat Invasion for a while because their instruments were - in England - heavily identified with The Shadows who weren't deemed cool at the time (though they have proved a lasting influece as every Dire Straits fan will tell you!). And Hendrix - probably oblivious to all this - did a lot to make the Strat cool once more with a lot of Gibson players subsequently defecting to Fender again (Clapton, Beck, Blackmore, Trower, Gallagher, Gilmour - it really was the 70ies guitar hero axe).

I think too much is made of Hendrix playing Strats.  From what I've been able to gather, he mostly played Fender out of convenience.  The Fender neck was easier to hit some notes.  But Fenders also got out of tune a lot.  I'm not a guitar nerd who can name every time Hendrix played a Gibson.  But I know he played one on the Dick Cavett show and at the Rainbow Bridge and Isle of Wight concerts.  I know there are more instances.  I'm pretty sure he valued his Gibsons more than his Fenders.  I think he considered those Strats somewhat disposable.  Maybe he made Fenders cool, but I doubt that that was his intention. 

[uwe]

Since when was Jimi obsessed with being slightly out-of-tune?  I think he probably played a Strat because the Fender scale was more convenient for his outsize hands - those were Stanley Clarke-type huge. There must have been a reason for him chosing Strats as he played right hand models left-handed which on a Strat is more inconvenient than on a, say, ES-335, SG or Flying V. 

And I do believe he played the Flying V because it was flashy. 99% of all Flying V players are attracted to the shape, me included. I currently have my Dean Razorback in the rehearsal room and you can just see my serious-minded, non-heavy-metal-background co-musicians wince when they see me with it (hesitantly: "Is that a real razor blade in there?")! 



Nothing says "serious-minded, not image-conscious, adult, no-frills musician" like this bass. Mark's overknee boots excepted of course. 

[Highlander]

Built for blues, obviously...

[Pilgrim]

I'm pretty sure he valued his Gibsons more than his Fenders.  I think he considered those Strats somewhat disposable.  Maybe he made

I don't remember seeing any photos of him setting a Gibson on fire, fr'instance.

[uwe]

Was that an act of disrespect for Fender or a statement about a Strat's musical value? I doubt it. Flying V's were rare in the late sixties (only a few had been built in the fifties and none yet reissued) and Strats plentyful. So they got the privilege of being "sacrificed".

[veebass]

http://www.flying-v.ch/gallery/gallery.htm

There is a reference in Wikipedia without citation to "Some instruments were assembled from leftover parts and shipped in 1963, with nickel- rather than gold-plated hardware."