• 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.

today's gibson basses

G

gibsonbassist45

Jul 13, 2008
285
1
#1
now,i figured i would ask you guys of this.obviously by my name im a fan of gibson.and theres many of theyre basses i want that are from the vintage era,RD artist,ripper,eb-3..etc.
it seemed like they had quite a selection of basses back then,in the 70's. now think presently.the only two basses they have listed on their website is the thunderbird and the sg bass.which are great basses.and i know they still have a few more like the les paul and a couple of different t-birds.but is it just me,or do they seem really dull in the bass department nowa days?? i know the basses are good.but they just dont seem to have a wide selection like they used to back then.and they seem extremely overpriced to me..maybe im wrong but it just seems that way.what do you think????
 
#3
There are at least 3 different Thunderbirds this year.........
Standard, Nikki Sixx dark cherry stain and Shavo (System of a down) sig. Just gotta know where to look :) Not this forum!
They change what they offer every couple years.
 
#6
i can see what your saying. but it really seemed like they were doing alot better in the bass department in the 70's than now.they had alot better selection,now its just like downhill unless they do something like open up a bigger range of different basses, which is why i suggested reissuing a bunch of them, or they get alot better production on their hardwear, like their pickups, what ever people seem to be having a problem with.
 
#7
I personally think that in current production, the Les Paul Money bass is the only one worth the scratch, and most of the time, it's not a terribly intimidating price (there are three at my local shop for $800, and will easily be talked down).

Yeah, the SG Reissue is alright, but I'm personally not a fan of the current Thunderbirds at all, nor have I enjoyed playing any Les Paul Standard bass.
 
#9
I have always had a hankering for a Thunderbird. It probably isn't in the cards... if I scrape up a grand to buy a new bass it will be a Rickenbacker. That being said I have been looking at Epi T-Birds. Seems like it might be worth the investment- I am not a "name brand" guy (my main bass after close to twenty years of playing is a Squier) so having GIBSON on the headstock isn't that important to me. The T-Bird would be a 2nd or 3rd line bass anyway... but a very cool one. I picture it playing the role of "enforcer" on my little hockey line of basses. Sorry today is Obscure Hockey Analogy Day.

So, here's the thing. I rarely see Epi (or Gibson) T-birds used in the shops or on CL. I wonder if it is because no one is buying them... or they are such good basses that no one wants to part with them? Allen Woody, Andy Hess, and John Entwistle all play(ed) Gibsons.
 
#11
I've got an SG Supreme (made in 2008) and it rocks the house. It's just as good at a '70s SG in my opinion. I was never a big fan of Gibsons, but this SG has changed my mind.

SGSupreme-2.gif
 
#12
yeah man i agree with you there.they should keep the basses at a minimal of 4-5 basses. and if anything they should just reissue like 2 basses, like the rd and ripper and its subsidaries. and thats it. idk if its the best idea really tho
 
#14
GreggBummer said:
I have always had a hankering for a Thunderbird. It probably isn't in the cards... if I scrape up a grand to buy a new bass it will be a Rickenbacker. That being said I have been looking at Epi T-Birds. Seems like it might be worth the investment- I am not a "name brand" guy (my main bass after close to twenty years of playing is a Squier) so having GIBSON on the headstock isn't that important to me. The T-Bird would be a 2nd or 3rd line bass anyway... but a very cool one. I picture it playing the role of "enforcer" on my little hockey line of basses. Sorry today is Obscure Hockey Analogy Day.

So, here's the thing. I rarely see Epi (or Gibson) T-birds used in the shops or on CL. I wonder if it is because no one is buying them... or they are such good basses that no one wants to part with them?
Click to expand...

i never see the gibson thunder birds but i see the epiphone ones around all the time. i own one too. around where i live they get sold all the time.idk maybe people convert to more expensive basses once they start making more money,maybe thats why you dont see them used as much. but id say buy the epi bird cause its real nice. but idk about the gibson. ive only seen one of them. and i didnt get to try it yet
 
#17
[QOUTE]So, here's the thing. I rarely see Epi (or Gibson) T-birds used in the shops or on CL. I wonder if it is because no one is buying them... or they are such good basses that no one wants to part with them? [QOUTE]

I don't really know, but in my experience, I payed just over $400 by the time I got my epi T-bird and its "large" case. I see them going on ebay for both at less than $300, and this is within the same year of having purchased them. So they are out there, I really like mine and wouldn't sell but compared to most guys on here I'm a bass noob so that's just my opinion. I don't see anything wrong with them cosmetically, very attractive and well finished IMO. I like the heavy growl I hear from it as well.
 
#20
I owned an EB-2 way back there (1969 to 1973). I loved how it played, and the sound worked with the stuff of the day (Cream, Mountain, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, etc.). However, not so good at doing Entwistle, and that sound was where the future was heading. The Fender pickups were more versatile than the Gibsons and when that bright sound began to be the desired sound in Rock, Gibson wasn't there----they tried, but they were late out of the blocks. I went to a Rick in 1985, completely unaware of what Gibson was doing between the purchase of my LP Triumph in 1973 and when I bought the Rick.

In the past 2 years, I have discovered what Gibson was doing during those years----namely, The RD Artist and the Victory Artist. These basses are great sounding basses and continue to sound "modern". The RD is particularly innovative. The problem is, Fender became firmly established because of Gibson's failure to keep up with changing tastes in bass tonal qualities. Between a tendency for brand loyalty on the consumer and being quite late out of the starting block, they lost market share to Fender and couldn't persuade people to take a second look. Kind of like the American car manufacturers in the 1970's losing market share to the Japanese and struggling for over two decades to recover, in spite of having cars that were every bit as good.

My take, anyway---that and a buck gets the proverbial cup of coffee.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back