NBD Gibson Victory Standard

[godofthunder59]

I've wanted one of these since they came out! This one popped up on Reverb and I made a offer on it and I couldn't believe it was accepted! Well played but not abused, weighs a ton, I think it's heavier than my Peavey T40. Great neck, pickup is a bit tame but run through my venerable DOD bi-fet pre amp it sounds really good. I'll get a video up shortly.

 

[J Wilson]

Along with the Ripper, to my mind the only two Gibson long-scale useable basses that could honestly compete with Precisions, Jazzes, etc., with a Gibson identity to their look.

Revive this with a 1/4" thinner, lighter body, set neck, and fine tune the peghead size and shape, and look-alike modern pickups and tone network, I think it would fly.

Congrats, don't see these often any more.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

A buddy in high school had the active version. I never could pummel him into selling it to me. Congrats on the bass.

 

[B-Mac]

View attachment 5126334 View attachment 5126335 View attachment 5126336 View attachment 5126337 I've wanted one of these since they came out! This one popped up on Reverb and I made a offer on it and I couldn't believe it was accepted! Well played but not abused, weighs a ton, I think it's heavier than my Peavey T40. Great neck, pickup is a bit tame but run through my venerable DOD bi-fet pre amp it sounds really good. I'll get a video up shortly.

Love them ,but a bit more a fan of the Artist vs the Standard, but I'd still grab one if the price was right! Looks to be in great shape! Enjoy it!

 

[MAJOR METAL]

Congrats Man! Rock it in good health!

 

[bobba66]

Neato!

 

[woodyng2]

That’s a great color! Magenta/salmon deep pink.

 

[MCF]

View attachment 5126334 View attachment 5126335 View attachment 5126336 View attachment 5126337 I've wanted one of these since they came out! This one popped up on Reverb and I made an offer on it and I couldn't believe it was accepted! Well played but not abused, weighs a ton, I think it's heavier than my Peavey T40. Great neck, pickup is a bit tame but run through my venerable DOD bi-fet pre amp it sounds really good. I'll get a video up shortly.

That’s beautiful Scot! And you don’t even have to modify it to get to the upper frets!

 

[Sparky Mark]

View attachment 5126334 View attachment 5126335 View attachment 5126336 View attachment 5126337 I've wanted one of these since they came out! This one popped up on Reverb and I made a offer on it and I couldn't believe it was accepted! Well played but not abused, weighs a ton, I think it's heavier than my Peavey T40. Great neck, pickup is a bit tame but run through my venerable DOD bi-fet pre amp it sounds really good. I'll get a video up shortly.

Judging by the wear on the back of the neck that was someone's main bass for many years which is always good to see. Has the lacquer actually been worn away?

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Congratulations & Compliments, @godofthunder59... well-caught on a cool old Gibson bass, getting harder to find. On my bucket-list to find is a 'burst finish Victory Artist.

Closest relative I have to it is an '87 'Custom Shop' [wink-wink] Q-80... basically a floor-sweep bass that they used up some mahogany Victory shaped bodies, Explorer necks, and Grabber pickups, painted black, red, or white, stuck on a Custom Shop label and... out the door. Ain't too bad! Ain't too heavy either.

 

[mikewalker]

That might be my old one (sold in Vancouver in the 90s). Rock-solid sound!

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Cool old basses. I messed with them in music stores back in the day. I do recall that gravity loved them more than most other basses. I have a friend that has one he bought new. I think it’s the Victory Artist series with a bridge pickup, but I haven’t seen it in more than a decade. I do remember it is also red.

 

[ardgedee]

Along with the Ripper, to my mind the only two Gibson long-scale useable basses that could honestly compete with Precisions, Jazzes, etc., with a Gibson identity to their look.

Revive this with a 1/4" thinner, lighter body, set neck, and fine tune the peghead size and shape, and look-alike modern pickups and tone network, I think it would fly.

Congrats, don't see these often any more.

I've sometimes wondered lately why nobody's tried making a serious effort at reviving 80s basses. The pickups and electronics on basses like the Victory, the T-40, the higher-end Ibanez and BC Rich basses, are unique and well-done, and any relevant patents expired a long time ago. They used passive circuits to get tonal variety that a lot of people don't realize is possible. Probably the only real impediment to somebody making a decent business replicating these is that their popularity is still overwhelmed by old Fender designs.

The downside of a lot of 80s basses is the ergonomics. Either because of the weight or the body designs or both. People believed at the time that literal massiveness was necessary to get a big sound and good sustain. Even the Steinberger L2 is surprisingly heavy considering how small the body was. It feels like a good time to combine some of the forgotten good ideas of the past with modern guitar design and construction.

 

[Rib 13]

Along with the Ripper, to my mind the only two Gibson long-scale useable basses that could honestly compete with Precisions, Jazzes, etc., with a Gibson identity to their look.

IMO, I would change Ripper to G.3 and then I would agree wholeheartedly with this statement.....especially the twin pickup Victory. Even so, the single pickup Victory is a great bass sans the weight

Congrats OP

 

[Dincrest]

Enjoy the bass.

An old buddy of mine had a Victory bass. He called it the "ten ton bass" because it was a cinderblock. I had a bubinga-bodied Warwick Corvette at the time and that Victory bass made my Warwick (a heavy bass in its own right) feel like a feather. Easily one of the most memorable basses I've played.

 

[MCF]

I've sometimes wondered lately why nobody's tried making a serious effort at reviving 80s basses. The pickups and electronics on basses like the Victory, the T-40, the higher-end Ibanez and BC Rich basses, are unique and well-done, and any relevant patents expired a long time ago. They used passive circuits to get tonal variety that a lot of people don't realize is possible. Probably the only real impediment to somebody making a decent business replicating these is that their popularity is still overwhelmed by old Fender designs.

The downside of a lot of 80s basses is the ergonomics. Either because of the weight or the body designs or both. People believed at the time that literal massiveness was necessary to get a big sound and good sustain. Even the Steinberger L2 is surprisingly heavy considering how small the body was. It feels like a good time to combine some of the forgotten good ideas of the past with modern guitar design and construction.

We have thousands of pedals and modern amps now. Not really a need for basses with much more than a couple of nice pickups.

 

[godofthunder59]

Congratulations & Compliments, @godofthunder59... well-caught on a cool old Gibson bass, getting harder to find. On my bucket-list to find is a 'burst finish Victory Artist.

Closest relative I have to it is an '87 'Custom Shop' [wink-wink] Q-80... basically a floor-sweep bass that they used up some mahogany Victory shaped bodies, Explorer necks, and Grabber pickups, painted black, red, or white, stuck on a Custom Shop label and... out the door. Ain't too bad! Ain't too heavy either.
View attachment 5126690 View attachment 5126691

That's a super cool bass! Oh how I wish my Victory had a mahogany body! The maple is brutal!

 

[godofthunder59]

That’s beautiful Scot! And you don’t even have to modify it to get to the upper frets!

I really do love the 24 fret neck!

 

[godofthunder59]

That might be my old one (sold in Vancouver in the 90s). Rock-solid sound!

Does the neck wear pattern look familiar? Someone played the snot out if it!

 

[CletusMarley]

Nice score! Congrats!