Gibson basses...why?

Only time I saw a Gibson bass being played on stage it was by a 90 year old woman cranking out hymns at a church funeral on an SG bass. I see Schecter basses based on Gibson designs (Simon Gallup, Nikki Sixx), but have never seen an actual Gibson bass being played or even know anyone that owns one. Who is buying these? Maybe I'm just old and these are popular with the post-rock crowd?

 

I played an EB2DC for three years in a six nights a week gig. Three piece band playing standards dance music. With rounds and the right palm muting it would sound like an upright. Great bass!

 

I was also at the Budos Band show in CT (was it at The Space?) where he folded his SG in mid-rippage

That's the one.

 

Glenn Cornick​

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If that's the dude from Jethro Tull he has some sick bass lines. Hymn #43 is a great example.

 

I think the coolness factor on a Thunderbird bass is high and it would fit my frame and body nicely, but I couldn't imagine spending $2700 new on a bass as I'm primarily a guitar player. I have a PBass for recording and the occasional bass duty for a jam or even a gig.

 

I know it’s all personal preference, but I can’t stand Gibson basses. They just don’t look right. The Grabber look just doesn’t do it for me.

I’ve only played a couple of their basses and everything just feels wrong. It’s like a guitarist who has never played a bass gave it a go and designed them.

 

Here's the one our bassist uses. Anybody know what model this is?

 

Um...for playing low notes?

 

Don't forget Mike Watt. View attachment 601547

I came here just to say that.

 

Thom Yorke

 

I think it's mostly because Gibson shot themselves in the foot by putting in super hot ceramic humbuckers forever. Hence the 'muddy' reputation. Along with that, they have been WILDLY expensive compared to a lot of other options. And finally, they just don't necessarily fit into the two 'stereotypes' of bass players the past 40 years, where people either want a vintage P bass with flats tone or a hyper modern Spector/Wal/Active Jazz etc. etc. with steel rounds type of tone. Gibson doesn't really hit the mark for either of those.

Anyways, I like them alot. This is the one bass I own, original formula goldtop over sunburst with a badass bridge and firebird style pickups. Sounds and plays like a bit thicker and hotter jazz bass.

 

I think it's mostly because Gibson shot themselves in the foot by putting in super hot ceramic humbuckers forever. Hence the 'muddy' reputation. ...

Is the sound affected more by the pickup design or by the pickup placement though? And is the sound deliberate, intended to replace a plucked double bass fiddle?

 

To EB haters: much of the U2 bass parts in Unforgettable fire and Joshua Tree are Gibson EB3 as preferred sound by Daniel Lanois who later explained that the short scale removed much of the mid range resulting in a deeper rounder tone he was going for. But wtf does he know.....

 

Only time I saw a Gibson bass being played on stage it was by a 90 year old woman cranking out hymns at a church funeral on an SG bass. I see Schecter basses based on Gibson designs (Simon Gallup, Nikki Sixx), but have never seen an actual Gibson bass being played or even know anyone that owns one. Who is buying these? Maybe I'm just old and these are popular with the post-rock crowd?

Hilarious, I’ll never see an EBO the same way.

 

Allen Woody owned and played a Thunderbird. Not sure if he used it later on stage but he brought it to jams in the late '70s.
Felix Pappalardi played the violin shaped EB-1 and an EB-O.
I owned a '55 EB-O for a few years in the '70s.
The Thunderbird and Victory are probably as close to the Precision/Jazz style as they got. The Ripper and RD seemed okay.

 

Overend Watts with Mott the Hoople played one too.

 

Rippers and Thunderbirds all day long!!

The original bass player for The Kix (Donnie Purnell) played a Gibson Les Paul Recording bass. It was so ugly, it was cool.

 

Because they sound sofa king great!

I am on the hunt for a Grabber and an RD Artist bass to be my forever basses

 

Is the sound affected more by the pickup design or by the pickup placement though? And is the sound deliberate, intended to replace a plucked double bass fiddle?

Right .... I think it's mostly been a series of happy (or not) accidents ...development of solidbody instruments & electronics

The original P-bass ad campaign alluded to the fretted fingerboard as being the "Precision" part f it .....but that aint it . It's the placement of that pickup at the 1/4 scale mark that make a P so hard to beat, the "precision" . The tones are just right

 

11 pages in and no mention of one of the greatest bass lines of all time. Tsk tsk TGP.

 

My favourite bassist, Garry Lowe of Canadian blues/rock/reggae band Big Sugar - may he rest in peace - was an absolute killer on the Thunderbird and occasionally a Ripper he borrowed from Gordie.

This video has him on a Hofner beatle-style bass but man I always liked his tone.