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Gibson Bass?

#22
Basvarken said:
I wonder what scale it is now.
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Probably the same as before, by eyeballing the pics. The distance between bridge saddles and the bottom edge of the body is approximately the same as the total string spread, so about 2 inches. Since the neck now joins the body at the 12th fret:
[length of the body (17 1/4" according to @Fly Guitars) minus 2"] times 2 = scale length [30.5", if I'm right].
As you said, the original neck appears to have been reseated deeper into the body. Is it possible that the bass had a peculiar accident (such as car rear-ending bass inside hard case carelessly placed behind car) that snapped the neck at the heel, prompting such a radical surgery?
 
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#23
The scale length of the original is 30 1/2", yes.
And I agree that damage caused by some kind of accident must have forced this bizarre modification.
No one in a right mind would sacrifice the upper fret accessibility for no good reason.
The balance of the original Les Paul Bass is excellent. So solving a neck dive problem cannot have been the reason.
 
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#25
upload_2021-8-22_12-4-53.gif
 
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#26
Basvarken said:
No one in a right mind would sacrifice the upper fret accessibility for no good reason.
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The funny thing is, a stock Triumph already sacrifices access to the upper frets! Wasn't there someone on either the Dude Pit or Last Bass Output a long time ago (15+ years) who took a saw to his and cut off the lower horn? I'm not convinced access to the 21st+ frets is that necessary, but I would like to be able to get to the 15th-17th frets, and it's nice to know that 18-20 are there, unlike on this one...

And yet, it's kind of cool - looking forward to hearing how it works out!

(Here's mine)

51396098090_016df1bb10.jpg
 
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#27
Longtime Gibson player here.

Interesting score! That could turn out to be a very cool sounding bass and a lot of fun to play. However, that said, it’s no longer really a Gibson anything, let alone a Triumph. But if you’re good with that (and I’d certainly be if it played well and sounded good) then who cares? Rock it for all it’s worth and make us proud of you! :):thumbsup:
 
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#28
hieronymous said:
The funny thing is, a stock Triumph already sacrifices access to the upper frets! Wasn't there someone on either the Dude Pit or Last Bass Output a long time ago (15+ years) who took a saw to his and cut off the lower horn? I'm not convinced access to the 21st+ frets is that necessary, but I would like to be able to get to the 15th-17th frets, and it's nice to know that 18-20 are there, unlike on this one...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I should have written fret access to 15-17th :cool:
 
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#31
johndb said:
The twelfth fret would not be at the body of a Triumph bass at 30.5" scale. It looks like a longer scale fretboard was added, then the bridge was moved back accordingly. Maybe...
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I'm inclined to go with this. Why was this done; why the lipstick pickups? At this point in time, I'd say that it hasn't mattered for a long, long time. The only questions that do matter are; how well was the neck swap done? How well was the pickup swap done? And, of course, the usual questions about a new-to-you bass... Yeah, I suppose one could Boo-Hoo the loss of the original electronics, but... we don't know when that happened - or why - so... best to just move on. Same for the neck swap. Personally, that bass has all the frets I'd ever need - and more. For what I play, any day I get up past the 12th fret is a Red Letter Day; usually I don't even get that far up the neck. Ditto for the pickups. I have 3 Danelectro basses; 2 of them have the vintage-style low output lipsticks. I absolutely love the tone - and my amp has a volume knob. I imagine yours does, too... Bottom line? If that bass is put together well, and if it was a lefty? It would have a set of La Bella DTFs on it, and I'd be Rockin' the snot out of it...:thumbsup:
 
#34
jime said:
thanks again everyone for the replies! I've decided to name this bass Eva.

View attachment 4389899

Eva is at friends house right now, who was trying to get the intonation worked out. When I get her back, I'll post pics of Eva's heel & take some pics of the electronics inside her belly.
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I'm interested if she intonates well on whatever scale length she is now.

What does she weigh?
 

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