• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Official Tobias Club

#522
Hello everybody,
I bought a Tobias in early 1990 witch serial is: 00306122
I use it happily since then, but I'm curious: Is it a killer B?
And what can I learn with the serial number? What year?
Thanks in advance
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#527

Holy cow, has anyone seen anything like this Tobias currently for sale on eBay?


SUL1520.jpgSUL1521.jpg​


Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45

 
#528
Haven't posted here in a while and thought I'd show y'all my current "Pre-Gibson Tobias Family Portraits." I've owned and sold several others, but what I have now (and plan on hanging onto) include a Basic 5 (stock), Basic 4 (with a Hipshot bridge, D-tuner, and Mike Pope FlexCore preamp) and Killer-B 4 (with D-tuner):

IMG_0489_zps09172a16.jpg


IMG_0493_zps39056b86.jpg


IMG_0500_zpse0397fc7.jpg


IMG_0502_zps6e4247e2.jpg


IMG_0495_zps5a723ffc.jpg


IMG_0496_zps009bf923.jpg


IMG_0498_zpsde936f0e.jpg
 
#531

buzthafuzz said:
I bought a Tobias in early 1990 witch serial is: 00306122

And what can I learn with the serial number? What year?
Click to expand...
Hey buzthafuzz,

That serial number appears to be a real curiosity. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], the serial numbers for Tobias basses produced between 1-1-1990 and late 1992, when Gibson move production to Nashville, are 1094 – 2044.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45

 
#532
WayneP said:

Nice looking family there, Tom! I’d like to get a Tobias 4-string, but they seem hard to find. Probably showing my ignorance, but I didn’t know Michael made any bolt-ons back then...

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45
Click to expand...

Thanks. The "B" in "Killer-B" of course stands for bolt-on. That bass is a "Burbank-era" Tobias, meaning that it was made by Mike and his crew in Burbank, but after the actual sale to Gibson. I believe this model just came out around the time of the sale. They are under-rated, IMHO, but many of them were made after Mike stopped building Tobias models.
 
#533
tombowlus said:
Haven't posted here in a while and thought I'd show y'all my current "Pre-Gibson Tobias Family Portraits." I've owned and sold several others, but what I have now (and plan on hanging onto) include a Basic 5 (stock), Basic 4 (with a Hipshot bridge, D-tuner, and Mike Pope FlexCore preamp) and Killer-B 4 (with D-tuner)
Click to expand...
Hey Tom,

Can you say a little bit about the FlexCore Differences/improvements over the original Bart pre?

My Sig5 has an amazing studio sound, but is somewhat underwhelming on the live stage compared to the more modern onboard pre's. Gets me thinking about replacing it from time to time.
 
#534
bucephylus said:
Hey Tom,

Can you say a little bit about the FlexCore Differences/improvements over the original Bart pre?

My Sig5 has an amazing studio sound, but is somewhat underwhelming on the live stage compared to the more modern onboard pre's. Gets me thinking about replacing it from time to time.
Click to expand...

I was really impressed with the difference. However, I must say that when I bought the Basic 4 (used), it seemed to have some preamp issues, so doing a direct A/B from the prior preamp to the FlexCore isn't really a fair comparison. But, comparing the FlexCore to how that Bart pre is supposed to work (say, in my Basic 5), the differences are very apparent. First off, let me say that I think that the Bart preamps in these older Tobias basses are very well matched to the pickups, woods, etc in those basses. Mike certainly knew what he was doing when he chose the electronics. But, sometimes change is fun, and not everyone is going to dig the stock layout.

The FlexCore preamp is very flexible, in that it allows you to dial in a very wide range of tones (especially if you opt for two midrange controls), but at the same time, it's not too powerful. IME/IMHO, if you boost/cut too much with a minimal turn of the knob, then you are limiting your ability to fine tune your tone, especially on the fly.

For that particular Basic 4, it was a no-brainer and a huge improvement to add the FlexCore preamp. If the Basic 4 were in tip top stock shape, though, I think it'd be more of a "different flavors of good" thing, with the Bart pre being a bit more aggressive (stronger attack, a bit more "voiced"), and the FlexCore being more smooth and less obvious (but still allowing for a wide range of meaningful tone-tweaking).

Hope that helps, Tom.
 
#535
tombowlus said:
I was really impressed with the difference. However, I must say that when I bought the Basic 4 (used), it seemed to have some preamp issues, so doing a direct A/B from the prior preamp to the FlexCore isn't really a fair comparison. But, comparing the FlexCore to how that Bart pre is supposed to work (say, in my Basic 5), the differences are very apparent. First off, let me say that I think that the Bart preamps in these older Tobias basses are very well matched to the pickups, woods, etc in those basses. Mike certainly knew what he was doing when he chose the electronics. But, sometimes change is fun, and not everyone is going to dig the stock layout.

The FlexCore preamp is very flexible, in that it allows you to dial in a very wide range of tones (especially if you opt for two midrange controls), but at the same time, it's not too powerful. IME/IMHO, if you boost/cut too much with a minimal turn of the knob, then you are limiting your ability to fine tune your tone, especially on the fly.

For that particular Basic 4, it was a no-brainer and a huge improvement to add the FlexCore preamp. If the Basic 4 were in tip top stock shape, though, I think it'd be more of a "different flavors of good" thing, with the Bart pre being a bit more aggressive (stronger attack, a bit more "voiced"), and the FlexCore being more smooth and less obvious (but still allowing for a wide range of meaningful tone-tweaking).

Hope that helps, Tom.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I tend to leave older instruments alone. However, this one just kind of baffles me. As I said, direct tone is great. Live, though, the output is just kind of compressed and anemic relative to, for example, the Sadowsky preamp.
 
#536
bucephylus said:
Thanks! I tend to leave older instruments alone. However, this one just kind of baffles me. As I said, direct tone is great. Live, though, the output is just kind of compressed and anemic relative to, for example, the Sadowsky preamp.
Click to expand...

That kind of sounds like how my preamp in the Basic 4 was behaving before I replaced it. It was definitely not as powerful as the one in my Basic 5.
 
#537
WayneP said:


Hey buzthafuzz,

That serial number appears to be a real curiosity. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], the serial numbers for Tobias basses produced between 1-1-1990 and late 1992, when Gibson move production to Nashville, are 1094 – 2044.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


Administrator, Pedulla Club #45
Administrator, Tobias Club
Big Cabs Club #23
Pedulla Club #45
Click to expand...

Thanks for that! I am really curious now... What does it mean? Do you think I could email Michael Tobias and ask him?
 
#539
And Michael did answer me very quickly... Here is what he says, and I guess it is very interesting about the way to read Tobias serials numbers:
"the killer B's had a different serial number sequence, but I am not sure if that is one of mine or a gibson. i think it has too many numbers in the series. the first 3 were the number of the bass. the 2nd two should be the month and the last one should have been the year.

003 third bass; 06 June; 1 1991. that is not to say we did not make a mistake and add the day so it could be #3 built on June 12, 1992. if it has a standard 5 knob and a switch set up and there are no push pull pots then it is most likely the original harness and could be from 91/92. if it has push pulls then it is after and was made in Nashville at Gibson"
 
#540
bucephylus said:
Thanks! I tend to leave older instruments alone. However, this one just kind of baffles me. As I said, direct tone is great. Live, though, the output is just kind of compressed and anemic relative to, for example, the Sadowsky preamp.
Click to expand...

Hi Bucephylus,

I put a Flexcore in my Sig 5 and it is INCREDIBLE! The original pre had issues and had been upgraded to an NTMB, but was really underwhelming, so I bought the Flexcore. Sounds pretty cool in the bedroom, but totally shines in a live situation! Might be a subtle-sounding preamp, but once you get the volume up and playing with a band, you can get so many killer sounds!

EG
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back