My first Gibson bass purchase ever....

[woodyng]

...is on it's way.

MF featured a 2013 white EB on their stupid deal,so i'm checking it out. Seems like it'd be hard to go wrong for $599 with a Gibson hardshell case included. I know Ronn likes his lefty a lot,anyone else tried one?

I tried one for a few minutes at the now-closed Apple Music Store in Portland. I loved the overall weight and feel,as well as the electronics,very similar in function to my Cii and Laredo,with push pull pots for each pickup to coil tap hb/sc modes. The pickups sounded really good in the different modes,too,and i really
Iked the Babicz (sp?) bridge. I remember thinking the fretwork wasn't all that great,but hopefully they're not all that way.....plus at that price i could have them dressed....

Now we wait.......

[Danotron]

Nice Woody! That sounds like a great deal

[JakeK]

At first, I never cared for SG bass, vintage or otherwise...until 2012, when I saw an EB-0 in an antique shop. I didn't plug in, simply because there wasn't an amp of any sort to plug into. It was a fun instrument to play. As far as sound, it had the huge humbucker near the neck, but not having an amp, I couldn't decide if I liked the tone or not. There has got a reason that Jack Bruce played them!

[teb]

I logged a lot of time on a fretless EBO which eventually became my Frankenstein Les Paul when I had the body switched and added a stereo-wired P-Bass pickup under the hand rest. The big humbucker has deep low end, but tended to lack some definition. Recording engineers didn't like it much, but part of that seemed to stem from the fact that they would have to get out of their chairs and do something different from just micing another Fender. With the exception of one track on the second side that was a Hagstrom 8-string, everything else on this album was the Gibson with just the humbucker, before I added the P-Bass pickup. The first couple cuts will give you a pretty good idea of how it sounded. It's played through my old Ampeg B15-N at Elektra Studios in 1972.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV4bmW723uY

After adding the bridge pickup and stereo it sounded like this:
http://www.theshipmusic.com/audio_clips ... sample.mp3
http://www.theshipmusic.com/audio_clips ... sample.mp3

[woodyng]

Including the Thunderbird,(which i still think is the coolest looking bass ever made,especially the reverse model),there's never been a Gibson bass I liked enough to buy,even though some of my early favorite bassists were using them.(Bruce,Pappalardi,Fraser,Martin Turner,Glenn Cornick.)There was just always something about the sum of the parts I didn't care for. (Short scale ,oversize body,weird electronics,or in the case of the tbird,just plain uncomfortable).
My compromise was when a '67 Epiphone Embassy came available,(a luthier friend wanted My Greco Super Beetle bass so we swapped). Overall it got the Tbird vibe down,even did it one better in terms of sound,too. Sold it to help finance my west coast move,a real pity.....then again,like the Tbird,that low F was a real stretch for me......
I kind of wish the EB were made with a mahogany body instead of ash, but overall i think the ergonomics are very good.
We'll just have to see if it's a keeper.....looking forward to hearing how it sounds with my 2 bands.

[Kiddwad57]

Anyone dig on the Ripper?

[woodyng]

I've played a Ripper that belongs to a good friend,as well as the similar Grabber,and a G3. Nice enough basses for sure,but still not quite "it" for me.
UPS says the bass is out for delivery today.....glad it's not over 100 degrees like the last few days....

[edski]

Is this the model, Woody?

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... -Bass.aspx

If so I'm interested in the review... This has intrigued me a bit too.

[woodyng]

Is this the model, Woody?

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri ... -Bass.aspx

If so I'm interested in the review... This has intrigued me a bit too.

Yep,that's the one. I need another 4 string passive bass like,well i don't need one,but i too was intrigued,and found the price irresistible.....i know these have a "soft" finish,don't know exactly how that is gonna look in white. We will see....

[woodyng]

It's here,and not without a few issues. The action is horrendously high,which is the worst part. This is a new 2013 model,so I'm hoping the truss rod/bridge adjustments can bring it into playability. The frets could be a bit smoother-edged for a bass in this price range,but other than those issues,overall this is a very nice instrument.
The neck is very slim,feels great with a satin finish,and rosewood fretboard. The hardware is really good,and the pickups sound great in both HB and SC modes. The bass is super light,and balances well,with just a hint of neck dive.
And as far as looks,i really really love the style of it,i think the pickguard is one of the better designs i've seen.
The bass slightly reminds me of the '67 Epi Embassy i used to own,only inasmuch as it has a light fairly small body and kinda cops that retro look. If it were mahogoney,it might even get a simlar sound,but even acoustically the bass sounds really good.

[jps]

It's here,and not without a few issues.

Sorry to hear this, Woody, but I can't say I am surprised. I have rarely found a Gibson I really liked much outside of the two mid '70s RD Artists guitars I used to have. The first Gibson I bought, a Ripper that I got in '77 did not stick around for very long, and the Mark (something or other) acoustic guitar I had didn't either. I guess I am just not a Gibson kind of guy. I did almost buy a 1952 ES-175D with P90s this past MArch (it was quite nice, actually) but I ended up bringing home the Yamamoto MS-12, instead.

[woodyng]

I took the bass over to my friend/guitar doctor's last night,and he seems to think it shouldn't be a problem to get the neck shifted,and the action lowered. He also noted the slightly rough edges on the frets,so if i do end up keeping the bass,we will address that later. He was really impressed,if a bit bewildered,by the Babicz bridge,and saw it provided a pretty huge range of adjustment. Fortunately,forumite Ronn (Thanks again,sir!) linked me an instructional youtube video from the bridges' creator,and it seems fairly straightforward for setup. I should have the bass back in a few days.
I played the bass for a while through my amp,it sounds great,and I really like it overall. I think Gibson was trying to make something that appealed to both traditional/retro enthusiasts,but with some up to date modern appointments. I particularly appreciate the electronics set up,which are very similar to what Dane has done with my 4004's.
At about a third the price i normally pay for a Rick,i think it is going to be a great alternative bass for me,just like my Fernandes Gravity 8-string.

[woodyng]

Got it back-wowee,BIG difference!
My buddy said once he watched the Babicz instructional,the bridge was "a pleasure" to set up. He thinks there was next to no previous setup,that Gibson basically slapped strings on it and shipped it. The truss rod and the bridge both had a "ton" of adjustability,so he was able to dial in a nice intermediate action,and said it would be a cinch to go even lower,if i wanted. I used it last night,it sounds very different to the Ricks with a warmer lower midrange,but plenty of bass and zing to spare. These are some powerful,but clear pickups. It feels great,love the neck (even the volute),and the smallish body.
I think we have a keeper!

[JakeK]

Glad to hear it worked out for you, Woody. I've always found a good setup makes all the difference in a stringed instrument.

[jps]

The frets could be a bit smoother-edged for a bass in this price range...

The fret ends are not an issue, really as it could be climate related, not necessarily bad work(wo)manship.