I'd fix the volume pot and leave the cosmetic stuff alone and rock the crap out of it. Nice score!
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Yes, I suspect it would drive me nuts as well as it were mine. Nice catch, BTW.
If you don't get used to the whole "neck" thing within a couple of weeks, just have it refinished as per your own standards and call it a day.
My $0.02 only...
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,654
- 2
- 16,425
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
Well fellas, I had some time yesterday evening to work on this Q-80... I completely disassembled it checking everything out, then reassembled it, put on a new set of D'Addario Chromes, and dialed in the intonation.
While I had it apart, took a little Meguiar's and polished out the finish on the body carefully leaving the 'mojo' intact... mostly it was just dirty. I kinda' like how the chinks in the finish allow the mahogany to peek through.
Also took the tuners and bushings off the neck and rubbed it out too. That sanded place on the neck was still bugging the shizzle outta' me though, so I 'speed-necked' it, very much the same way I do uprights... I trim the finish back at the heel and at the headstock with a razor blade, then finish-sand the wood between to a super-slick surface. For this one, I rubbed in an alcohol-based black stain, then sealed in with the same 'finishing wax' I use for oil-treating upright necks... makes for a very slick, non-sticky finish.
Last edited:
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,654
- 2
- 16,425
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,654
- 2
- 16,425
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
EdwardofHuncote
I Still Dream of Jeannie
- Aug 21, 2013
- 6,654
- 2
- 16,425
- Disclosures
- I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
Forgot to mention - the wonky volume pot just needed some exercise I guess... all good now. 
Been playing on this thing for the last hour and a half. It's interesting how this is such a different animal compared to my other Gibsons. I'd have to say the tone is closer to a (Gibson-made) Tobias Growler than anything. There's a LOT more clarity to these old Grabber pickups than the TB+ 's in the Thunder Series V too... almost like the bridge pickup on an SG bass solo'd. Plenty of thump in the neck pickup though... it'd be totally usable soloing the neck pickup and opening the tone up.
I'm kinda' wondering if these things were just Gibson's way of using up parts. Victory body, Explorer neck, Grabber pickups... just weird.
I like it!
Been playing on this thing for the last hour and a half. It's interesting how this is such a different animal compared to my other Gibsons. I'd have to say the tone is closer to a (Gibson-made) Tobias Growler than anything. There's a LOT more clarity to these old Grabber pickups than the TB+ 's in the Thunder Series V too... almost like the bridge pickup on an SG bass solo'd. Plenty of thump in the neck pickup though... it'd be totally usable soloing the neck pickup and opening the tone up.
I'm kinda' wondering if these things were just Gibson's way of using up parts. Victory body, Explorer neck, Grabber pickups... just weird.
I like it!
When it comes to Gibson and basses, no thought is off-base. Seriously.
I like it!
I tried out a couple when they first came out and liked them, but not enough to buy one at the time. Wouldn't mind re-visiting the concept if I bumped into a reasonably-priced example.
You've done some nice work on yours and I certainly hope that it ends up returning the affection.
Play it in good health and enjoy!
I have heard that this was the case. Use up excess parts just to get rid of inventory. No clue if that is true but it would make sense.
Just picked up my new (used) EB14 today:
I had to order it from a GC in Indiana, and when it showed up I wasn't too sure if I was going to keep it. The neck was pretty badly bowed forward, the action was crazy high, and the previous owner had left their Dunlop strap attached to it. The bass had a decent amount of honest player wear, though, so I figured it might just need some tlc. There are several spots on the body that have been play-buffed to a mild shine, and the previous owner wore a small spot away (and made some small dents) on the finish betwen the pups. There are also several small nicks and dings around the body, but nothing that screams abuse.
The good news is that the neck straightened out nicely, the action is now set medium-low with no buzzing, I replaced the Dunlop strap with regular strap buttons, and I swapped the stock knobs out for a set of Gibson Speed knobs. The pups sound great and don't have the chorusing effect that my 2013 EB had, it's nice and lightweight, and the red looks veddy nice!
I am, however, going to have to replace the output jack, as the current one does cut in and out depending on the orientation of the amp cable. I tried 3 different cables, and they all cut out. No biggie, though. There's also a square area on the back side of the body that must have had a sticker on it, because there's some residue that'll need to be cleaned off with a little naptha. I also plan on hitting the fretboard with some lemon oil when I change the strings out, because it looks a bit dry right now. All in all, though, I'm pretty happy right now!
I had to order it from a GC in Indiana, and when it showed up I wasn't too sure if I was going to keep it. The neck was pretty badly bowed forward, the action was crazy high, and the previous owner had left their Dunlop strap attached to it. The bass had a decent amount of honest player wear, though, so I figured it might just need some tlc. There are several spots on the body that have been play-buffed to a mild shine, and the previous owner wore a small spot away (and made some small dents) on the finish betwen the pups. There are also several small nicks and dings around the body, but nothing that screams abuse.
The good news is that the neck straightened out nicely, the action is now set medium-low with no buzzing, I replaced the Dunlop strap with regular strap buttons, and I swapped the stock knobs out for a set of Gibson Speed knobs. The pups sound great and don't have the chorusing effect that my 2013 EB had, it's nice and lightweight, and the red looks veddy nice!
I am, however, going to have to replace the output jack, as the current one does cut in and out depending on the orientation of the amp cable. I tried 3 different cables, and they all cut out. No biggie, though. There's also a square area on the back side of the body that must have had a sticker on it, because there's some residue that'll need to be cleaned off with a little naptha. I also plan on hitting the fretboard with some lemon oil when I change the strings out, because it looks a bit dry right now. All in all, though, I'm pretty happy right now!
That looks nice!
To give some idea if the neck was bowed or just not setup properly, you can look to see that there aren't too many threads protruding beyond the adjustment nut (like Invalid Link Removed).
If it's a standard barrel jack, I'd recommend replacing it with a switchcraft barrel jack. It seems like all barrel jacks have a shorter lifespan than a more "normal" style, but switchcraft make high quality products. (this one).
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Thanks for the output jack link. The truss rod was definitely just not adjusted. It initially turned with almost no tension, but then it gained tension as it applied pressure to the neck. Now it's set almost flat, and the action is right where I like it (medium-low). The prior owner must have had a pretty heavy picking hand, because even when I set the relief properly the action was very high. The wear marks on the body near the pups also seem to bear this out. There's very little wear on the frets, though, so that's good!
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Awesome, sounds like you got a good one.
The more I look at your pics, the more I like that red. Looks really nice!
Thanks. It's a really deep, almost blood-red color. I like that it still shows the grain through it, and although thicker than the 2013 finish, you can still feel the grain lines through the finish, much like the 2013.
I should also mention if you do use that switchcraft jack I linked, you can just cut off most of the strain relief part (leave a little to solder the ground to). It's not needed in this application and just gets in the way.
That sounds like the finish on my EB17. Thicker than the 13, and it seems like they may have used a little grain filler but not enough that you can't still feel the grain a little.
Sounds about right. I like that it doesn't just feel like it's encased in a shell.
Same here. filled in just enough so it's smooth but still low gloss so it feels natural and isn't a fingerprint magnet.
Just had my first jam session with the new Gibby, and my guitarist initially commented that it was "a little beat up" looking. I plugged it in and played a few notes though, and he immediately commented that it sounded massive (even out of my 25 watt Rumble practice amp). It fit right in and carried the songs we played beautifully. It really has awesome clarity, along with a ton of usable tones. Loving it.
