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Gibson 3/4 upright...HELP ID

Discussion in 'Basses [DB]' started by gee, Nov 16, 2001.

  1. Nov 16, 2001 #1
    gee

    gee Guest

    Nov 16, 2001
    i've got a blonde Gibson upright, with Kluson tuners. the model number is B-135-541, but i can't seem to find any archive to identify this instrument. i'm looking to find out when it was made (pre-war?) and it's value (not very many Gibson uprights out there).

    any help would be appreciated.

    gee
    [email protected]
    :D
     
  2. Nov 18, 2001 #2
    martinc

    martinc In Memoriam

    Dec 12, 1999
    Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
    Its my understanding that Gibson took over Epiphone around 1954. So there were no pre-war Gibson basses. Gibson discontinued making upright basses in 1965 according to George Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars. Gibson put out a BV student model in 1958 but I don't have any serial or model numbers to help you out. When Epiphone were making their basses the B-1 model had a dark cherry red sunburst finish with an ebonized fingerboard and tailpiece.
    Thats about all I have in my archives. Maybe someone else can help you out with the serial numbers to get your bass pinpointed a little better as to the year.
    Hope this helps a bit.

    Martin Chapman.
     
  3. Nov 19, 2001 #3
    dhosek

    dhosek

    May 25, 2000
    Oak Park, IL
    I have a vague recollection of a Gibson electric bass circa 1930ish. But I could be wrong, I suppose.

    -dh
     
  4. Nov 19, 2001 #4
    Phil Smith

    Phil Smith Mr Sumisu 2 U

    May 30, 2000
    Peoples Republic of Brooklyn
    Creator of: iGigBook for Android/iOS
    I know a guy that has a blonde epiphone upright, but he's sort of disappeared from the planet so I can't get any more information.
     
  5. Nov 19, 2001 #5
    martinc

    martinc In Memoriam

    Dec 12, 1999
    Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
    Just to clarify my post....I was referring to upright basses all the way through.

    Martin.
     
  6. Nov 20, 2001 #6
    gee

    gee Guest

    Nov 16, 2001
    thanks for you input, everyone, i have a little more to go on....now if i can only get all that dried, 40 year-old masking tape off the edges of her....

    g
     
  7. Nov 20, 2001 #7
    dhosek

    dhosek

    May 25, 2000
    Oak Park, IL
    OK, I've done a bit of research on my recollection of the Gibson bass that I was referring to.

    http://www.bassplayer.com/z2000/0001/cent1.shtml

    Has the following item:

    In a cached version of the Clevinger homepage, I found:

    I've been unsuccessful in locating an on-line picture of either the 1924 or 1938 basses. Not that it's likely that this is what the original poster had, but it is an interesting bit of history.

    -dh (feeling pedantic)