Does Gibson make Acoustic Basses?

[Basshole]

If they do are they worth it? Do they sound good for a acoustic bass? Or do they even make one?

[ksdaddy]

I don't think they've ever made acoustic basses like others made nowadays (or in recent decades). Guild made one in the 80s and the Grandaddy was the Earthwood back in the 70s. They made semi-hollow ones like the EB-2 but I don't think that's what you're referring to.

[larryp58]

I'm not saying that they don't, but I've never seen one. Although, many years ago, I saw Lyle Lovett perform on a late night TV show. It was an acoustic number and the bass player did have an acoustic bass with the Gibson logo on it. Maybe a special order?

[Jerry K]

Gibson used to make something called a mando bass, which was a bit like a huge mandolin.

 

I think at one time the parent company of Gibson owned a company that made basses, too, but they haven't made anything like that for a long time, to my knowledge.

[eltonwce]

Epiphone made one a few years ago. Don't know if it is still available.

[TommyK]

Closest you can get is an Epiphone.

 

Two varieties, an SJ shape and a Dreadnaught shape.

 

Go to the following page and click on 'Bass' and the right. There's the El Segundo and El Capitan. Never seen one in the wood, nor heard one. So... good luck.

 

http://www.epiphone.com/default.asp?ProductID=&CollectionID=12

[TommyK]

Gibson used to make something called a mando bass' date=' which was a bit like a huge mandolin.

[img']http://www.usd.edu/smm/PluckedStrings/Mandolins/Gibson/2883/2883Gibsonmandobassportrait.jpg[/img]

 

I think at one time the parent company of Gibson owned a company that made basses, too, but they haven't made anything like that for a long time, to my knowledge.

 

Technically, not a part of the 'mandolin' family, other than body shape. It only has four single course strings unlike the double coursed mandolins. They also made a mandocello, single course as well, not sure where the cello and bass part ways.

 

After old-man Epi died, the Strathopulo kids were on the outs with each other and needed cash, they sold their Epiphone line of stand-up acoustic basses... the big violin looking things... to Gibson. When the trucks with the tooling arrived at the Gibson factory, they discovered, they had purchased ALL the Epiphone tooling and parts for everything from mandolins to guit tars and banjos. The Stathopoulo family was out of the instrument making business. The rest is history.