Favorite Gibson bass

[bylar13]

Where's the blood?

Here ya' go!

 

[FLAT EARTH]

Alright, here goes...
I've yet to really hear a Gibson Bass I like. I'm usually a Fender Jazz kinda guy (for hard and heavy stuff). So who all out there is a Gibson fan and which models are generally the favorites?
From YouTube, the only model I've heard a demo of that sounds good for what I like is the Victory model.

I really love the 2013 and 2014 model eb. paint job could be better but love the versatility of them. Only 2 years made not sure why?

 

[bassmanhealy]

This one EB 5 2018

 

[Jon Lars]

Love my EB-1-

 

[Scarysharkface]

Alright, here goes...
I've yet to really hear a Gibson Bass I like. I'm usually a Fender Jazz kinda guy (for hard and heavy stuff). So who all out there is a Gibson fan and which models are generally the favorites?
From YouTube, the only model I've heard a demo of that sounds good for what I like is the Victory model.

Victory is a good one, as are the somewhat heavier RD Artist basses with the preamp Bob Moog designed.

The original Les Paul Recording basses are sweet as well.

John

 

[jaco944]

G3
I also dig the new LP Tribute.

 

[azureblue]

I had a Grabber when I was playing a little of everything - jazz, funk, rock. That sliding pick up was great idea - just the right amount of tone change. Wonderful for solos, too - when i was playing walking jazz bass with big bands, forward was the right tone and back made the bass solo stand out just right. And the body was really comfortable too.

I thought about doing a sliding P bass pick up.

 

[dkelley]

For me:

#1 Ripper. Great tones, great look, versatile tone switch setup, Gene, and also in high school was my friend's bass and I fell in love with it.

#2 Thunderbird. I know they come in all builds and qualities and squiers... but I love them all. Even the cheapest Squier model. Looks, and tone. And I don't seem to mind thick round necks apparently, although I prefer thin modern necks often.

#3 - there is no #3 for me. Not a fan of mudbuckers. Not a fan of the EB series, although I like the concepts and respect the players who used them in the historic bands.

 

[ajkula66]

Is that a EB4L, full scale (34")?

That's a regular SG bass in white. EB-4L looks like this:

Note the poles on the pickup. While it's the same size as the conventional Sidewinder/Mudbucker, it's an entirely different pickup which was proprietary for this model only.

 

[laristotle]

I have a '14 EB4 that has a really nice neck and the pups sound great. IMO
It has p/p pots for single/hum that I never use. Someday I'll rewire it for series/parallel.

View attachment 3894798

Forgot to mention, it's 34" scale.
I'm not much of a short scale fan, otherwise I'd search out a DC or SG/EB3 (or 4L).

 

[HardNHeavy]

Gibson USA Releases New Explorer Bass

 

[JimB52]

I guess a P with a Jazz neck.

Seriously though I liked the Les Paul Bass, the Thunderbird and the DC Money Bass.
Wound up selling them all eventually

 

[JohnMalay]

For one thing it has a Babicz bridge stock. It was supposed to have coil tapping capabilities, mine doesn't unless they REALLY hid it well.

The L was for long scale. The E????

 

[bobyoung53]

The L was for long scale. The E????

The LE was for Limited Edition, no idea why except maybe for the Babicz bridge.

 

[ajkula66]

The L was for long scale.

Not on a Bird. All of them are long scale, apart from 400 short-scale examples built around 2011 that were marketed as another limited edition.

 

[JohnMalay]

Not on a Bird. All of them are long scale, apart from 400 short-scale examples built around 2011 that were marketed as another limited edition.

Doing something randomly different and then calling it a Limited Edition smacks of Fender's marketing department...

 

[BklynKen]

The LE was for Limited Edition, no idea why except maybe for the Babicz bridge.

Maybe because the 2018 was only made for one year?

 

[Vinny_G]

What can you dislike about a Flying V bass?

 

[Pauly 4001]

We Gibson bass owners are asked every couple weeks to justify the existence of Gibson basses and we are always happy to oblige: I love my poor old Ripper which saw much abuse before I owned it and it still needs a paint job and someone to fill about 10 different strap button holes drilled in various places.

I've always loved a good EB-3 L and finally found one after the friend I offered to buy one for $140 from sold it to someone else for $125 in about 1979. B*stard.

 

[bobyoung53]

Maybe because the 2018 was only made for one year?

Beats me. I don't think large companies need much encouragement to make something SPECIAL!!!!!!!! It's my second T-Bird and I do like this bridge a lot better than the three point bridges though.