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tobias experience

#21
Sorry bub, I guess I'm out of my right mind.
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Join the club. I ordered a Basic model 6-string with some slightly nonstandard stuff (black hardware rather than chrome, bubinga neck rather than purpleheart, highly figured bubinga body rather than straight grain), straight from the factory. About a month later, I received a genuine work of art. The wood selected is breathtaking, the workmanship is perfect everywhere. Even for Bartolinis, these pickups are great (they are custom to Tobias). Of course the asymmetric neck is natural and comfortable beyond compare. This is the kind of bass you want to pick up and never put down.

Yet I admit even recently I've seen some Tobias basses coming from Gibson that are much as AxtoOx describes. Someday I'd really like to see what goes on in that factory. Meanwhile, I also own a 5-string Killer B, and both of these are amazing every which way. I guess quality control could be better...
 
#22
I figured the OP was talking about Gibsons. $5000 is pretty steep for a real Tobias, but the Gibsons hit that mark pretty quick. I'll admit tastes vary, and the newest ones may well be excellent basses; I've tried some 90's models and some of the then current batch a year or so ago, and while nothing seemed broken the feeling I got was "Meh." I couldn't imagine paying $5000 for a fancy-topped copy of a bass when you can buy the real thing used in nice shape for 2-3 thousand $ less if you are careful. But then, I'd rather have a nice old $2000 Fender than a new $3000+ bass that was "Fender inspired," shall we say.
 
#23
I just brought home a new Tobias Bassic 5 (yes, from Arkansas). The fit and finish are flawless...not a scratch, ding or any other imperfection can I find. If anything, it's TOO good... it's almost impossible to get the plates that cover the truss rods or the control cavity. After setting it up to suit me, it plays as well as anything I've owned, and I've owned most of 'em. The tone is INCREDIBLE... bigger, fatter and growlier than any Warwick, Smith or Moonstone I've owned.

It was between this axe and a very comparable Pedulla down at GC.... but my buddy made me a screamin' deal because it had to go, so that sealed it for me.

So, I'll testify, the boys down in Conway can build a world-class axe...I've got one right here as proof :)
 
#25
The only bad Tobias basses I've seen (built in the last couple of years, anyway) were seriously mistreated after leaving the factory - allowed to get wet, never adjusted, etc. As far as I have seen, the Conway factory produces fabulous work. I ordered straight from them and got everything DaveDanger describes. If anything, it's even better!

But Gibson the corporation is another story altogether. Their customer support people don't even know that Gibson makes Tobias basses. They've never heard of them. I estimate that the Conway factory puts out about 10 basses a week, and for Corporate Gibson that's such small potatoes they don't much bother with it. It's kind of lost in the noise along with Baldwin pianos, Slingerland drums, Steinberger basses, Kramer guitars and the other miscellaneous little stuff Gibson has bought over the years.

The factory is capable of making some stuff you might not even realize if you didn't really dig into it - they have dozens of different woods, different bodies, different laminations, lots of different necks (through-body and bolt-on), fretless, etc. But Gibson seems to have neglected the dealer network, doesn't advertise, their website's list of dealers is hopelessly obsolete, etc.

So the bottom line is: great instruments, terrible management.
 
#26
Flintc said:
But Gibson seems to have neglected the dealer network, doesn't advertise, their website's list of dealers is hopelessly obsolete, etc.

So the bottom line is: great instruments, terrible management.
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I would agree on that last part - so we don't really get to see any of these basses in the UK as the dealer network is so poor!

So while I have seen numerous poor examples of those Toby basses and other supposed 'Tobias' basses over the years that were also poor - I don't think I've seen a Gibson USA Tobias model - whereas I actually owned a pre-Gibson Tobias which had made its way here somehow! ;)
 
#27
I bought Pre-Gibson Tobias Classic 5 (#1033) last year and I still think this bass is one I will take to my grave. It's look stunning, has an amazing feeling and a fantastic tone. It's a great all-round bass, but I wonder if I didn't pay too much for it ($2500 used).
I have tried a couple of the Gibson Tobias' and for the price they're charging they're definitately not worth it. Sure, they are great basses and beats the likes of Ibanez/Yamaha/etc but compared to the old Pre-Gibson, there is just no comparison, because you can really feel that it's factory-made and very stiff IMO.

I have a great 5-stringer, now I just need to find a 4-stringer. Anyone has one for sale? :)
 
#28
Bruce Lindfield said:
I don't think I've seen a Gibson USA Tobias model - whereas I actually owned a pre-Gibson Tobias which had made its way here somehow! ;)
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Mike Tobias says you had a Gibson USA Tobias. You never had a pre Gibson. But you already know this, you just don't seem to like it ;)

The first Tobias Gibson serial number was 1094
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[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#29
The Penguin said:
Mike Tobias says you had a Gibson USA Tobias. You never had a pre Gibson. But you already know this, you just don't seem to like it ;)
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No he didn't!! You're wrong!

I did actually write to him and he sent me a very nice email back saying that I got a good one that was hand-made by his own small crew!

Anything up to 2,044 was made by his team and not Gibson - although they had taken over facilities paid for by Gibson! :)
 
#30
Here is the actual text of the email he sent me :

"Thanks for your email. 1274 is listed as a Classic 5. Zebra top, quilted maple body with a birdseye maple/purple heart neck. The fingerboard is likely pau ferro or morado (same wood, different names)....Bolivian rosewood. The original controls were vol/blend; t,m,b, with a bypass on the eq section....similar to active/passive but the batteries were needed for the unity gain buffer. I don't know what is in there now. If it has not been changed, the only odd thing was that when you turned up the mid range, the t and b levels went up also.

Your post says it has 2 volumes which is a simple mod and would not effect the description above. The bass was built towards the end of 1990 and is on the first year of Tobias being owned by Gibson, however, it was NOT built in
Nashville and WAS built my original crew. You got a good one Enjoy it!

Michael Tobias
760 Zena Highwoods Rd.
Kingston, NY 12401 USA
voice...1 845 246 0670
fax......1 845 246 1670
email: [email protected]
www.mtdbass.com
 
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#31
Bruce Lindfield said:
Here is the actual text of the email he sent me :

"Thanks for your email. 1274 is listed as a Classic 5. Zebra top, quilted maple body with a birdseye maple/purple heart neck. The fingerboard is likely pau ferro or morado (same wood, different names)....Bolivian rosewood. The original controls were vol/blend; t,m,b, with a bypass on the eq section....similar to active/passive but the batteries were needed for the unity gain buffer. I don't know what is in there now. If it has not been changed, the only odd thing was that when you turned up the mid range, the t and b levels went up also.

Your post says it has 2 volumes which is a simple mod and would not effect the description above. The bass was built towards the end of 1990 and is on the first year of Tobias being owned by Gibson, however, it was NOT built in
Nashville and WAS built my original crew. You got a good one Enjoy it!

Michael Tobias
760 Zena Highwoods Rd.
Kingston, NY 12401 USA
voice...1 845 246 0670
fax......1 845 246 1670
email: [email protected]
www.mtdbass.com
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Here, I highlighted the part for you where he says it's a Gibson :D

You're mistaking not made in Nashville for meaning not Gibson but one is a company and the other is a city, different things. If you look at the part of the email where he uses the word Gibson he says you had a Gibson. I'm sorry, I hope you can move on...
 
#32
Well you're just wrong - and are not reading the crucial parts - so at that time he had accepted money to buy spraying cabinets and stuff like that - but it was still exactly the same people, making the same basses in exactly the same way they had been for all the Tobias basses!

It was only after 2,044 that Gibson actually started making them!
 
#34
You know, Penguin, it's people like you who take the fun out of the internet.

Stop trying to be a complete jerk. "Ooo! It's a Gibson! Ooh it's a Gibson! No I'm right you're wrong neener neener neener!" You're the kind of person nobody invites to parties.

Whatever your anal-retentive anti-social issues are, Bruce has one of the good ones, still built by the O.G.'s of Tobias. So shaddap! Stop being an anchor on society!

Notice how I ain't posting any cutsie-pie smilies.
 
#36
Whatever your anal-retentive anti-social issues are, Bruce has one of the good ones
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Snicker. No, Gibson is making the good ones. I'm willing to grant that there was a period where Gibson didn't have their processes down (Mike Tobias has been quoted as saying Gibson had some teething problems, but have it down today). In terms of Mike Tobias's involvement, there have been three periods: Before Gibson bought him out, between the time Gibson bought him out and before he and his team left Gibson to go off on their own, and after he was gone.

Recently, I got the opportunity to compare an expensive MTD with a Gibson Tobias at half the price. Even if the prices were equal, I'd have chosen the Gibson. Better instrument. But I'm coming to the conclusion that about the only thing most people on this forum are able to "hear" is a magic serial number. Above some number, they "know" it's a bad instrument, before that they "know" it's great. But the truth is, there is more to a bass than a serial number. There's the sound, and the feel, and the workmanship. If these things matter to you, Tobias by Gibson is for you. If only the serial number matters to you, hey, *forge one*. Why not?
 
#37
Bruce Lindfield said:
Well you're just wrong - and are not reading the crucial parts - so at that time he had accepted money to buy spraying cabinets and stuff like that - but it was still exactly the same people, making the same basses in exactly the same way they had been for all the Tobias basses!

It was only after 2,044 that Gibson actually started making them!
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Well, you've never been wrong about anything before and I don't want your head to explode so we'll just agree that Mike Tobias is wrong when he says you have a Gibson Tobias in writing. What the hell does he know about status on the internet anyways, he's just a luthier.

Maybe you should have him change his website for you? He's a nice guy and might do it, after all he used to sell me bridges and gave me a personal tour of the Gibson facilities, he might change reality for you if you asked.
 
#39
Flintc said:
If only the serial number matters to you, hey, *forge one*. Why not?
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If we need to know which number starts the Gibson Tobias, Mike Tobias himself says

The first Tobias Gibson serial number was 1094
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But apparently Bruce thinks he's a liar. So we can believe Tobias himself, or someone with over 20,000 posts. I guess Bruce doesn't get invited to many parties and has a lot of time for the internet ;) boo hoo.
 
#40
among the gibson tobias' i ahve tried half were less than decent in build quality and half were very nice...the pregibsons i have played though were unreal as far as playability, tone and construction...truely amazing instruments. i would take either of the pregibson tobias basses i ahve tried over any mtd usa i have tried as well...not many boutique instruments have ahd the same mojo as they did.

i have also had a couple toby pro basses...a 5 and a 6, both of which played pretty nciely...the necks were chunkier than the signature tobias neck profile, but they were still very cnie for budget instruments...i wish i had the 6 still...i was goign to throw nordies into it. oh well.
 

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