Hey There! I'm just in....and already need input!

[Bassilisk]

Hey everybody. I just signed up and I'm looking forward to mingling here at the bass forum. I've been playing a long time and though I'm primarily a Fender Jazz guy I've always had and played Gibson basses. I've had '78 and '02 TBirds,'76 EB-3, '76 G-3 and a '77 RD Artist. Currently I'm using a '74 Triumph and a '96 LP Premium.

 

Now, what can anybody tell me about Gibson IV basses? Nut width? General playability? Rare birds these. I've had a hankering for one since I flipped the '02 TBird in a trade for the Triumph. I do like the full size TBPlus' vs the chrome LP version.

 

I appreciate any info! Thanks up front.

 

Will

[Gaolee]

I don't have any input, but I like your basses. One of these days, I really want a Gibson T-Bird to replace the bolt-on Epi. Switching back and forth between an EB-2, a P-Bass, and various six string guitars is challenging, but it looks like you have mastered it.

[Bassilisk]

Thanks alot! The '02 TBird I had was an excellent bass, one of the best R&R basses I've ever heard. Very versatile tonewise too - I had no problem at all doing weddings with it, where we did everything from standards to ethnic. I liked it very much but I wasn't using it often enough. I'd always wanted a Triumph and when this one came up I was able to trade into it with the TBird and a P bass.

No regrets!

 

I don't play guitar and I haven't mastered very much as it is!

 

I do enjoy playing various basses though and I have a good number, all in gig rotation. The Triumph has become a real favorite. Just a great sounding bass on every level and the short scale is a pleasure.

[Kelvinator]

Nice to hear you love your Triumph. I've always wanted one but have never had the opportunity to try one. You're the 2nd person on this forum that has said recently that they like the sound of their Triumph, so I'll start looking........... Don't tell my wife! :unsure:

[Bassilisk]

The thing with the Triumph is those passive low impedance pickups. LP said it was the best bass he knew how to build and I believe it. The tone controls are voiced like hi-fi controls - the bass isn't a function of cutting highs and the treble adds without sounding harsh at all. They are very musical and don't sound like active boost/cut conyrols. Of course you can get extreme but what for. The three position tone switch is great - #1 is designed to sound like a perfect P bass tone. This is my favorite - currently strung with Chromes it sounds full, clean, clear and muscular and cuts through the mix with authority.

 

A very versatile bass, more so than many others and all passive - I can't get over that because typically this is reserved for active basses.

 

A nice example is in the $2K neighborhood and I think it's worth it. Good luck!

[Kelvinator]

Thanks for the info. I'd love to have one - I just have to sell one of my Les Paul Standards first. The one I'd part with was bought as an investment when they stopped making them (in '07 I think) - It's an '05 Cherryburst that has never been played. In this economy they just don't seem to be bringing as much as they did a couple of years ago, so I don't know if I should hang on to it for a while or try to sell it now.

 

There's a '70 LP on eBay that I've seen pop up a couple of times that's attractive to me. The original finish has been stripped, but it looks good and has clean looking hardware. The re-fin doesn't matter to me - I want a player, but I doubt if I could move the LP before this disappears .

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item519a32f344

[Bassilisk]

That looks like a nice one. It's easy enough to get the hiZ adapter for the cable - I think there's a compatible Shure available. Ever since my EB3 I swore no more 2 point bridges. It was a bear to set up but it did stay where you finally got it. This one looks to be in decent shape.

You could always get a Hipshot drop-in replacement if it came to that.

 

Between the economy and them being reissued there isn't a lot of focus on the older ones. You could get a brand new one with a warranty for a couple of hundred more (they're $1600 at Ash). I think that's a lot of money to spend on one - there are other basses I would buy first in that range. Of course that's personal view.

 

The LP's were always an acquired taste too, more so than the EB's and TB's.

 

I've considered selling mine several times. I've got a love/hate thing going with it right now. Love = it plays wonderfully. Every note really sings on it, very even response. Nice, fat sounding G string too. Hate = I never liked the sound of it. The original Barts were not for me. I got a brand new set of genuine Gibson TBPlus (back when they sold them outboard for a couple of years) dropped them in and it was not for me. Very midrange heavy and muddy. These are supposed to be guitar sized versions of the TBird pickups. I had an '02 TBird and it sounded nothing like this. Out they went. Currently I'm trying a mixed set of one Schaller Bassbucker/one DiMarzio DP121 (for all intents and purposes the same pickup). A little better but still a midrange festival. It's been set up passive since the Barts. I like some mids, but this bass is extremely mid heavy. Everything I tried so far has not been satisfying. I'd hate to get rid of it because it plays so well (and I love the maple top), but that looks like where it may be going.

 

I read somewhere in here that someone dropped in a set of Alumitone guitar pickups. Maybe that'll be the last hurrah before the block.

[Kelvinator]

That was probably me. After trying many different pups that I wasn't happy with, I put a pair of guitar Alumitones in my LP Double Cut, and can't even describe how good they sound (and they are dead quiet). I also added a Aguilar OBP-3 (9V) and now the sound is simply amazing. I have EMGs & a OBP-3 (18V) in my '01 LP Standard (with 3 pups), and that sounds very good, but not as good as the Double Cut, so Alumitones will be going in that pretty soon. My '05 LP Std is stock & lives under the bed - unplayed.

 

I really liked the sound of the TB+ humbuckers, but I had a huge problem with hum & buzz in about half the rooms I normally play - they sounded like Star Wars light sabers! This happened with all 4 of my Gibsons that had the TB+s. I never had a midrange problem with any of them (and I like like semi-scooped mids). So for me sound-wise, the stock pups were fine, but what's the sense in having something you can't take to a job? Anyway, I'm very satisfied with both of the basses now.

 

The new LPs were going for $1800.00 for a Cherryburst, But they cheapened them a tad; that beautiful & massive Warwick style bridge is gone, and so is the ebony board. The one I'm thinking about selling is an '05 Cherryburst in absolutely mint condition - not even a fingernail mark anywhere. I just don't know what to ask for it..................

[Bassilisk]

Ahhhhhh - so it was you! I was just bombing around prior to signing up and didn't keep track of the names.

 

Yeah, for some reason this particular LP is extremely mid heavy. I mean, it's no different than others, but this particular combination of woods really gets it to honk. Maybe those TBPlus I got were voiced differently, but I can't imagine that to be the case since it was an authorized Gibson dealer down in Nashville. I don't know - they sounded like they were wound hot and the mids were very unpleasant to my ear.

I wired them exactly like my TBird, including using Gibson pots. Oh well.....BTW, never had a noise issue.

 

So I take it you used the standard Alumitone guitar humbucker version? I have an extra OBP-2 laying around and I can always kick up the mids at the amp. Thanks for the info - this might just be the end of my search. I was thinking EMG's, but I've already got 3 basses with them, so I was leaving that as a last resort. It's such a nice bass and it's a drag to not gig it more because of the tone.

 

That's a real tough call on your '05. It's a shame you'll have to take a hit on it that'll be more than it should be. You can check the Blue Book for a ballpark on Excellent Plus, but you'd still have to find the right buyer at just the right time. The ones that seem to go are the lesser versions with TBird pickups in the $600-$800 range, and even then.... Good luck with that. Find the BB value, stick to it, and be patient.

[Grog]

Thanks for the info. I'd love to have one - I just have to sell one of my Les Paul Standards first. The one I'd part with was bought as an investment when they stopped making them (in '07 I think) - It's an '05 Cherryburst that has never been played. In this economy they just don't seem to be bringing as much as they did a couple of years ago, so I don't know if I should hang on to it for a while or try to sell it now.

 

There's a '70 LP on eBay that I've seen pop up a couple of times that's attractive to me. The original finish has been stripped, but it looks good and has clean looking hardware. The re-fin doesn't matter to me - I want a player, but I doubt if I could move the LP before this disappears .

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item519a32f344

 

I have both versions of this bass & the Les Paul Triumph is a LOT LIGHTER!! Some of these first year Les Paul basses are among the heaviest basses I've ever played, at least they feel that way. The Ovation Magnum was right up there also. My '69 LP Bass was modified with a mic transformer soldered in the control cavity. Being a bit anal about changing a vintage guitar, I had to put it back to origonal, but for a player I think it would save a lot of grief. That being said, the Les Paul Triumph is may favorite short scale bass. I played a "67 EB-2 for many years & once I got a chance to play the Triumph, there was no turning back. I have collected most of the EB's & I do enjoy playing them, but the Triumph is my main squeeze.

[Kelvinator]

I have both versions of this bass & the Les Paul Triumph is a LOT LIGHTER!! Some of these first year Les Paul basses are among the heaviest basses I've ever played, at least they feel that way. The Ovation Magnum was right up there also. My '69 LP Bass was modified with a mic transformer soldered in the control cavity. Being a bit anal about changing a vintage guitar, I had to put it back to origonal, but for a player I think it would save a lot of grief. That being said, the Les Paul Triumph is may favorite short scale bass. I played a "67 EB-2 for many years & once I got a chance to play the Triumph, there was no turning back. I have collected most of the EB's & I do enjoy playing them, but the Triumph is my main squeeze.

 

 

Another happy Triumph owner!

[Kelvinator]

Ahhhhhh - so it was you! I was just bombing around prior to signing up and didn't keep track of the names.

 

Yeah, for some reason this particular LP is extremely mid heavy. I mean, it's no different than others, but this particular combination of woods really gets it to honk. Maybe those TBPlus I got were voiced differently, but I can't imagine that to be the case since it was an authorized Gibson dealer down in Nashville. I don't know - they sounded like they were wound hot and the mids were very unpleasant to my ear.

I wired them exactly like my TBird, including using Gibson pots. Oh well.....BTW, never had a noise issue.

 

So I take it you used the standard Alumitone guitar humbucker version? I have an extra OBP-2 laying around and I can always kick up the mids at the amp. Thanks for the info - this might just be the end of my search. I was thinking EMG's, but I've already got 3 basses with them, so I was leaving that as a last resort. It's such a nice bass and it's a drag to not gig it more because of the tone.

 

That's a real tough call on your '05. It's a shame you'll have to take a hit on it that'll be more than it should be. You can check the Blue Book for a ballpark on Excellent Plus, but you'd still have to find the right buyer at just the right time. The ones that seem to go are the lesser versions with TBird pickups in the $600-$800 range, and even then.... Good luck with that. Find the BB value, stick to it, and be patient.

 

I have a pair of chrome Alumitone guitar HBs in the Double Cut, and love them. Read the reveiws from the Guitar players, and the same thing goes for bass. I emailed Lace before I bought them and they'd never heard of anyone putting them in a bass, but didn't see why they wouldn't work well; they were right. Now I've heard of several people using them with good results. The Alumitones bring out every little nuance of every note - overtones & harmonics are rich depending on how you attack the strings. I dislike honky mids or a traditional Fender sound. I like deep low end with crisp highs, but with no mud or harsh highs. The Alumitones require very little EQ tweaking to get me that sound, and the bass has mids that cut thru the mix without getting honky. I love 'em......

[spinynorman]

Hey everybody. I just signed up and I'm looking forward to mingling here at the bass forum. I've been playing a long time and though I'm primarily a Fender Jazz guy I've always had and played Gibson basses. I've had '78 and '02 TBirds,'76 EB-3, '76 G-3 and a '77 RD Artist. Currently I'm using a '74 Triumph and a '96 LP Premium.

 

Now, what can anybody tell me about Gibson IV basses? Nut width? General playability? Rare birds these. I've had a hankering for one since I flipped the '02 TBird in a trade for the Triumph. I do like the full size TBPlus' vs the chrome LP version.

 

I appreciate any info! Thanks up front.

 

Will

 

So, to the original question, the Gibson IV.

 

I had one in bright red for a couple of years. It's a strange looking beast, with a not-at-all-Gibsonish body and a long pointy headstock that escaped from a Flying V. All mahogany body and neck, TB pickups, ebony fretboard, Schaller bridge. Plays well, no neck dive, monster sound. Never measured the nut, but wider than a Gibson TBird I believe. I don't like narrow necks and it felt very comfortable to me, similar to the Rippers I have now.

 

It is one of the forgotten Gibson basses, along with the Q-80 and the 20/20. Tends to get dismissed as the "poor man's TBird".

 

In the end it was just too red and pointy and maybe too much mahogany for my taste, so I sold it. Haven't seen one on eBay for a long time, though I'm not specifically looking.

[Grog]

So, to the original question, the Gibson IV.

 

I had one in bright red for a couple of years. It's a strange looking beast, with a not-at-all-Gibsonish body and a long pointy headstock that escaped from a Flying V. All mahogany body and neck, TB pickups, ebony fretboard, Schaller bridge. Plays well, no neck dive, monster sound. Never measured the nut, but wider than a Gibson TBird I believe. I don't like narrow necks and it felt very comfortable to me, similar to the Rippers I have now.

 

It is one of the forgotten Gibson basses, along with the Q-80 and the 20/20. Tends to get dismissed as the "poor man's TBird".

 

In the end it was just too red and pointy and maybe too much mahogany for my taste, so I sold it. Haven't seen one on eBay for a long time, though I'm not specifically looking.

 

My son has a Ferrari Red Q-80 I haven't seen it for a while but for a long scale bass, it had incredibly low action. The ebony fretboard had a nice feel also. I ended up adding both colors of the 20/20 bass to my land of misfit toys, they were so odd and rare, they kinda grew on me.

 

[Bassilisk]

Thanks all for the additional information.

 

A Gibson IV came up on ebay and they are apparently getting some recognition because I was outbid handily. No worries - it was one of those, hey, let's see about trying this. Never had one, but like I said, I'm a fan of the black TBird pickups so I figured I couldn't go wrong. I'll look into another if/when it comes up in future, and I have no problem with pointy. I have a killer '80 long-horn Mockingbird that I use regularly - no qualms!

 

Wow! I haven't seen a 20/20 in a loooong time! I remember them coming around ebay once in a while but that was years ago.

 

Kelvinator - that sounds like something I'm going to seriously consider! I'm going to live with my LP the way it is a while longer, but it's good to know there is another way out. thanks for the info on those.

 

P.S. I was looking at a Victory Artist as an alternate to the IV - there are a couple of nice ones on ebay right now in very good condition. I never played one - until yesterday. I was in Ash (formerly Manny's) at lunchtime and they had a nice Standard in Exc condition for sale. I am glad I tried it out - I found the neck just a bit too wide for me in first position. The lack of a radius made it uncomfortable reaching around to low F and I knew I'd wind up not using it. It sounded great though. I had a beautiful NYC modern Sadowsky that I flipped for similar reasons.