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Double Bass Gibson String Bass
- Thread starter Spazz
- Start date
Thanks man. I like it too.
What I really like about this bass is that, depending on sound post position, it can sound like 4 different instruments.
What I really like about this bass is that, depending on sound post position, it can sound like 4 different instruments.
I played a set at a Dick Gibson jazz party on George Duviivier's Gibson in about 1982. That little mother was great.
I've been in the market for a backup bass so I've been scouring the internet for a nice old plywood. When I saw the Gibson listed on Kolstein's site I was intrigued and had to go try it. I've had it for the last week on trial. I can't attest to any other Gibsons out there, but this one sounds great. Definitely one of the best sounding plywood basses I've heard. Not the loudest, but plenty loud nonetheless and with great projection. It has a very pleasing, dark sound, in stark contrast to the overly bright sounding King they had in the shop as well. The overall voice of the instrument is a tad muted and boxy, but I think that would probably go away if one changed out the wooden adjusters on the bridge for metal ones.
It's also a beautifully crafted bass. The spruce veneer is very well done and I probably wouldn't have been able to tell that it was a laminate if I hadn't known to look for the seams. I took the bass to my luthier to check it out for me and he agreed with this and also found it to be structurally sound, though the neck is slightly off center. It had been reset at one point and the angle is a bit high, though the tension is okay, even with spirocores on it.
I've decided to pass on it, though... He wants 6K for it. I'll probably need to put 500-1000 bucks into it to get it set up the way I want and for a plywood bass that's just too much. Also, the neck is VERY thin. I'm used to a chunky neck, which I find easier to play. After playing the bass for about 30 minutes my left hand thumb joint started to hurt. Of course getting a new neck on the bass makes no sense financially, but I know now why they put a new neck on George's bass.
I found an American Standard for a fair price on craigslist and am going with that one instead... but I'll probably look out for a Gibson in the future for the right price.
Oh, here's a nice photo I found of George Duvivier with his carved Gibson...
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It's also a beautifully crafted bass. The spruce veneer is very well done and I probably wouldn't have been able to tell that it was a laminate if I hadn't known to look for the seams. I took the bass to my luthier to check it out for me and he agreed with this and also found it to be structurally sound, though the neck is slightly off center. It had been reset at one point and the angle is a bit high, though the tension is okay, even with spirocores on it.
I've decided to pass on it, though... He wants 6K for it. I'll probably need to put 500-1000 bucks into it to get it set up the way I want and for a plywood bass that's just too much. Also, the neck is VERY thin. I'm used to a chunky neck, which I find easier to play. After playing the bass for about 30 minutes my left hand thumb joint started to hurt. Of course getting a new neck on the bass makes no sense financially, but I know now why they put a new neck on George's bass.
I found an American Standard for a fair price on craigslist and am going with that one instead... but I'll probably look out for a Gibson in the future for the right price.
Oh, here's a nice photo I found of George Duvivier with his carved Gibson...
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Right now is a terrible time to sell instruments, especially expensive ones, IMO. If you want near it's worth then I'd give the economy some time to rebound. In my neck of the woods I've seen Kays and other vintage ply basses sit for months and months and go down in price multiple times before they sell, if they sell at all.
My first bass teacher in NJ, Ron Naspo, has one of the pre-war Gibson laminates. He loaned it to me for several months when my bass was in the shop, and I used it on many gigs. Now, this was a while ago, but I recall that it was lightweight, with a nice full tone. Great bass.
