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Gibson Victory Bass Appreciation Thread

mimaz

mimaz

Mar 1, 2005
3,101
385
62
Wheeling WV
www.fabulousbenderboys.com
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: Crook Custom Guitars
#1
OK, so I pulled this out of the case for the first time in years tonight......my '82 Gibson Victory Artist, a HS graduation present from my folks. I don't use it anymore, and haven't for years, but for sentimental reasons can't get rid of it. It's pretty damn heavy, the finish was terrible from day 1, right from the factory, and the sound doesn't really suit what I'm doing, but, I love it, ya' know!

Every one post your Gibson VICTORY basses (not your other Gibsons, no offense), and let us know if ya' play them regularly, or are they just closet classics.

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#5
Now this is my kind of thread! Here's mine, also an '82. It was my first bass, and has done well more than it's fair share of the work and now is enjoying an easy life of retirement. I bring it out occasionally, and always remember why it is such a great bass. The finish on this one is all black and kind of rare, and the finish quality was perfect when it was new, and has held up very well over all these years. I would never get rid of this bass, it's the one that I conseder 'my' bass, and is still the best one and my favorite bass of any I've seen or played.:cool:

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#7
At some point in the 90s I saw John Munson with Semisonic play a Victory at a club performing their song "The Prize", which starts out with a bass-only riff, and the tone he got was amazing! Shortly thereafter apparently he got a vintage Precision which he used at all the subsequent shows I saw, but it could never get that snarly, in-your-face tone the Victory had kicked out. I've always had a soft spot for Gibson basses (I played a Ripper as my main bass for years) and one day I shall have a Victory. (The two-pickup model.)
 
#8
Chuck King said:
At some point in the 90s I saw John Munson with Semisonic play a Victory at a club performing their song "The Prize", which starts out with a bass-only riff, and the tone he got was amazing! Shortly thereafter apparently he got a vintage Precision which he used at all the subsequent shows I saw, but it could never get that snarly, in-your-face tone the Victory had kicked out.
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This is one of the best kept secrets in the Gibson world, these basses sound amazing! It has an ideal tone for rock, the perfect mix of thick raunch and refined smoothness, and no Fender I've ever heard comes close. The Moog designed preamp has two active voicings, or can be played passive with the tone controls working in passive. It has a lot of tone flexibility, but just kills for good old fashioned rawk!:cool:
 
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#11
Chuck King said:
I've always had a soft spot for Gibson basses (I played a Ripper as my main bass for years) and one day I shall have a Victory. (The two-pickup model.)
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For what it's worth, the single pickup model was passive electronics, and called the "standard". The double pickup model had active electronics and was called the "Artist".
 
#12
rayzak said:
My geetar player has one.
DSC01164.gif

I always like messin' around with it when i'm at his place. Sounds great/plays great/ etc..... but, it IS quite heavy.
The best thing about them is you can get them for fairly cheap and they're a true USA Gibson:hyper:
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That one is exactly like mine......tell me, is the finish kinda of textured and uneven in places? (Auto body guys call it "orange peel")
 
#13
Yeah, I had a Very Rare Gibson Victory Bass. It wasn't an Artist, although it had 2 Pickups, and 2 toggles, and it wasn't a Standard, although it was Passive. It was an '84 Victory Custom. Looked like an Artist, but sounded MUCH MUCH Better IMHO. The Gibson active electronics never really cut it with me. My first Major League bass was a '77 RD Artist, which my son still plays. He's not big on the Compressor/Expander modes either...(Semper Fi Jesse!)

But the Victory Custom was everything I wanted in a bass. It was Big, and Black, and had a BOOMING sound. It weighed a ton, and stayed in tune. But, alas, I had fallen for another. I needed $$$ for my Red Peavey Rudy Sarzo, and off to eBay it went. I think it $old for $560 + Shipping. I don't think I ever played a gig with it, and I can't find any pic's of it...
 
#14
mimaz said:
For what it's worth, the single pickup model was passive electronics, and called the "standard". The double pickup model had active electronics and was called the "Artist".
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Not exactly correct, my friend. There was a Double Pickup model that was Passive called the Custom. Came out in '84 I believe. See my previous post...
 
#17
The Victory sounds alot like a PJ Fender... Since the pickups are Gibson's own, it can be a bit more aggressive than your average Fender P bass. (from memory)

On another note, the active electronics on the Victory are not by Moog. At least they weren't on my Victory Bass anyway. The active circuit boards on the RD Artists were printed with the Moog logo. I've never seen a circuit board printed with Moog on a Victory. The research into it I've done tells me that Gibson designed the Victory's electronics all by themselves to be similar to the RD Artist's electronics capabilities. I had bought a Victory Artist originally in search of the RD Artist's tone in a more manageable package. It was similar, but not close enough for me. I still miss My Victory from time to time though... I love that black one that L-1329 has...
 
#20
mimaz said:
I didn't remember that one, thanks for the update.

(I guess I DID kill a bunch of brain cells since '82.) :eek:
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Most people have never heard the Custom. Gibson hardly claims they even made them. I came accross it by accident, and QUICKLY bought it. I found a picture of our drummers' son's Graduation Party. I played it there...:hyper:

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