Are Gibson Basses Any Good

Are Gibson Basses Any Good? Whenever I’m in the market for a new bass, I ask myself, “Are Gibson basses any good?” I’ve tried other brands but always return to the Gibson line. There’s something about how they sound, and I’m always excited to try a new model.

Are Gibson Basses Any Good

Epiphone Thunderbird Reverse IV Bass

Designed by Ray Dietrich, the body of the Thunderbird bass was inspired by the muscle cars of the time. Its shape and look have stood the test of time. Its flexibility allows it to be amplified to its full potential. The bass can be customized for any musical genre.

Its body is made of mahogany and rosewood, which provide a perfect combination of tone and durability. The bass has a bolt-on neck, which ensures good intonation and playability. The fretboard is Indian rosewood and is comfortable in all playing positions. It is also silky smooth.

The Thunderbird IV Electric Bass Guitar is an excellent value for money. The bass features a 9-ply Mahogany/Walnut neck, a carved top, an ebony fretboard, black chrome hardware, and a Gibson hardshell case. The pickups are a pair of TB Plus ceramic magnet humbuckers. The tuners are a 17:1 ratio and are painted in black with white or gold numbers. Its pickguard features the iconic Thunderbird insignia.

Its bridge is mounted on three bolts for optimal intonation. The pickups are robust and deliver a cutting sound. The bridge is ideal for stage use and can be adjusted for various effects.

The neck is wide enough for comfort while playing, and the fretboard is tipped. The Epiphone Thunderbird IV Reverse bass guitar is versatile and easy to play. It is well suited for beginners.

The Epiphone Thunderbird IV Reverse Bass is also a great budget bass. Its neck is wide enough for comfort while playing and has a slim taper for easy navigation. The fretboard is tipped, and the knobs are painted black with white or gold numbers.

Epiphone EB3 Short Scale Bass Guitar

Whether you are looking for your first bass guitar or are a seasoned veteran, Epiphone’s EB3 short-scale bass guitar is a perfect choice. This bass guitar has all the features you’d expect from a quality bass at a great price.

Epiphone EB-3 features a 34-inch scale mahogany neck, making it easy for players to play. The longer scale also helps the bass produce a more focused and sweet sustain. The bass is fitted with a mini humbucker in the bridge position, adding more tonal options.

The EB3 is made of mahogany, one of the most popular tonewoods for electric basses. Mahogany also helps push the low and middle frequencies more. This helps create a strong, solid, and rich sound.

The EB3 also features a classic double-cutaway SG body, a well-known shape in rock and roll. The EB3 also features a dual humbucking pickup system in the bridge and neck positions, giving you many tonal options. The EB3 also has a retro-style three-position pickup selector switch, which is a nice touch.

The EB3 is available in various colors, including cherry, black, and gold. It’s also made with a dazzling red cherry stain. The EB3 is also equipped with chrome hardware. The EB-3 also features a smooth 22-fret Pau Ferro fingerboard, which is nice. The EB3 has also been outfitted with full-size 500K ohm potentiometers.

The EB3 is also fitted with a three-ply black scratchplate. The EB3 also features a classic trapezoid inlay on the bass’s mahogany body. The EB3 also has a Sidewinder humbucker pickup in the bridge position, which is an excellent addition.

Find the best pickups for your Gibson Bass

CMI period

During the 1960s, Gibson produced some of the most iconic bass guitars in history. They were not commercially successful, but they were fantastic instruments. Today, Gibson basses are still being made. Some of these models are quite different from the originals. They are still very nice.

Gibson has been making quality bass guitars for over a century. Many of the models that they produce today have no real resemblance to Fender’s Precision bass. Some of the latest Gibson basses have some of the most advanced features of any instrument. These include high-quality finishes and hardware. They are also made with excellent wood. The company has been known for its innovative designs, which have been decades ahead of their time.

When the company was taken over by Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) in 1944, it switched from musical instruments to war effort parts. When the war ended, CMI prepared Gibson to meet the pent-up demand for guitars. The workforce grew from 150 employees to 1,200.

After a few years, CMI merged with the Ecuadorian Company Ltd. and became Norlin Musical Instruments. The company suffered from business mismanagement and deteriorating quality.

CMI and Norlin were bought by Gibson in 1986. At the time, Gibson averaged less than a million dollars in sales annually. By the decade’s end, the company had around $15 million in sales. Despite these numbers, Gibson had lost McCarty’s market assessments.

Ted McCarty was hired as the company’s president in 1948. He was a pioneer in the electric guitar industry and helped to develop the humbucker pickup. He also led Gibson through the economic boom of the 1950s.

Norlin period

Gibson bass guitars were produced during the Norlin period. They were built in the Kalamazoo, Michigan factory. They are solid and made well. The hollow-bodied models are worth a decent amount today.

The Norlin era lasted from 1970 to 1983. In the late ’70s, Gibson was in financial trouble. The company was put up for sale. Then, in 1984, Gibson was sold to Henry Juskiewicz and David Berryman. They rebuilt the company and produced some of the best bass guitars ever.

Several new guitar designs were produced during the Norlin period. The Gibson Corvus was the best of the new design models. It had a tremolo bridge, tuners, and a neck. The Corvus was a bit ugly, but it was very playable. It also had pickups and a five-way switch.

The Gibson Grabber Bass was another product from the Norlin period. Its body was made from double-cut alder. It had a tune of Matic bridge and chrome hardware. It was available in various finishes.

The Gibson Explorer was also produced during this time. Bill Lawrence designed the guitar. Its neck was shaped to compensate for stretching strings. It was also made in Nashville. The guitars were inspected and professionally repaired.

The Gibson Melody Maker Special is another good USA-built guitar. It’s not the most expensive guitar, but it has excellent features. It costs less than $1000. It has coil tapping and a perfect finish.

The Gibson SG Bass continues to be manufactured. It has a 120th Anniversary hard case and is lined in white. Its tremolo system is the Bigsby. The SG Bass continues in the RD, Flying V, and G3 bass.

A new incarnation of the EB

EB Bass is Gibson’s new incarnation of their electric bass series. Its pickups are beefy Alnico 5 humbuckers that offer a broad range of tones and features. It has a glued-in grade-A maple neck and a clean finish that doesn’t have rough edges. The EB Bass can handle various gigging situations with a redesigned body and electronics.

Gibson luthier Jim DeCola designed the EB Bass pickups. The pickups feature coil taps for single coil tones, a push/pull volume control, a master tone pot, and a beefy Alnico V rod magnet. Its bridge pickup produces brighter tones, while the neck pickup produces a darker, articulate timbre. Whether you’re a bluesy rocker or a jazzy blues bassist, the EB Bass can do it all.

The EB bass’s body design draws inspiration from the Gibson SG, but its shape is more angular. The back of the EB’s body has a curvature that resembles a reversed Mosrite horn. In addition to the bridge pickup, EB basses have a two-point bar bridge with a cover.

The EB Bass is available in four satin finishes. It also comes in an au naturel finish. The pickups have brassiness in the mids and thick, rich tones. The EB’s bridge pickup is handy for producing big, beefy tones. It’s also great for use with the coil tap. Its bridge position can be blended with separate volume controls or turned off entirely.

Bass Maintenance

What Genre Are Gibson Basses Good For?

Les Paul

Depending on the model, Gibson basses have a lot to offer. You can choose from a standard four-string bass, a five-string bass, or a particular model. The bass you choose will depend on your taste. Whether you’re looking for something classic, modern, or just a bit of both, you will find it.

The Gibson Les Paul Standard Bass is an excellent example of what the company does best. It features a chambered body, high-output TB Plus pickups, and a three-way pickup selector. It’s also got a gorgeous maple top and block position markers.

The Epiphone Les Paul is a budget version of this famous bass. It’s available in various finishes, including jet black and mahogany. Its sound is also quite different from the Gibson version, and its overall look is less expensive.

The Les Paul Junior is a solid-body bass that’s been around for a while. It features a maple neck, lightweight tuning keys, and a three-ply pickguard. It’s also available in cherry, brown, and blue. It’s a more modern take on the classic double-cut EB-0.

The Les Paul Junior Double cut is more sophisticated, featuring a double-cutaway body, ceramic twin-coil pickup, and a three-way adjustable bridge. You can use it in humbucker mode, single-coil mode, or both. The bridge is made of exclusive hardware, so you don’t have to tweak it for action.

Precision bass

Regardless of what kind of bass you prefer, there’s always room for a Gibson Precision bass in your arsenal. Its recognizable tone and simplicity make it a go-to bass for musicians and recording studios. Whether you’re playing blues, rock, or country, the Precision bass is an unmistakable sound that’s a staple in any musician’s repertoire.

Gibson began making basses in the 1950s. Their first electric bass was an upright model shaped like a violin. It was intended to provide a big, warm thump. In addition to its enormous boomy pickup, it had a stand-up end pin and a large mahogany body. It was designed to be portable.

In the mid-50s, Gibson released a series of electric basses, including the EB-0, EB-1, and EB-2. The EB-0 was the first Gibson entry-level bass. It sold better than the previous models. Fender’s Precision bass inspired the EB-1. EB-1 models were also made in various colors, including Blonde and Sunburst. The EB-2 was a semi-hollow body version.

In the early 1960s, Gibson produced Thunderbird II and IV. These Gibson basses embodied the classic car design of the era. They were available in various custom colors and could sell for anywhere from $6,000 to $10,500.

A new Gibson bass was introduced in 2015, which featured a tune-o-Matic bridge and a smoother fingerboard. The electric bass is available in various custom colors, and a solid-bodied version is available.

Jazz bass

Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned veteran, Gibson basses can be a solid option. They have the looks, the tone, and the features to make them a great addition to your collection. However, choosing the model that’s right for you is essential. Depending on your musical style, it might be a good idea to buy one that’s a little bit different than the rest.

Several models are available, including the Jaco Pastorius Fretless Jazz Bass, which features slab-cut fretless fingerboards and single-coil pickups. These guitars also come in a variety of price points. For instance, the Squier Classic Vibe Jazz Bass is a bargain with excellent tones.

The Fender Jazz Bass has a more complex tone than the Precision Bass. This is mainly due to the two pickups found on the instrument. The bridge pickup is a split coil, while the neck is a single coil. The pickup is much punchier in the bridge position, while the middle position is rounded and warm. The pickups have been tweaked and updated through the years, but the basic design is still pretty cool.

The Yamaha BB234 is an excellent beginner bass for people on a budget. It’s a well-built 5-string with a reliable P/J pickup combo and a six-bolt miter neck joint.

The Squier Classic Vibe Jazz Bass is an excellent choice for any musician. It’s based on the original ’60s models and features perfect tones.

Thunderbird

Whether you are looking for a bass to play in a band or buying one for yourself, the Gibson basses will give you the tone and feel you’re looking for. It’s a bass that has stood the test of time and is available in various finishes.

The Gibson Thunderbird Bass features a solid mahogany body and a nine-ply neck. It’s designed to be played by professional and amateur guitarists alike. It’s great for blues, country, and rock music. It’s also an excellent choice for independent artists.

The Gibson Thunderbird Bass comes with two T-Bird humbuckers and a 3-point bridge. It’s finished with a nitrocellulose lacquer designed to enhance the tone. It’s also been upgraded with a rosewood fingerboard and upgraded output jacks.

Another thing that makes the Thunderbird Bass great is its neck-through-body construction. This helps ensure that your neck perfectly aligns with the rest of the guitar. It’s a design that other companies have never replicated.

The Gibson Thunderbird Bass is available in a variety of finishes. The non-reverse version is finished with high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. It’s also available in vintage sunburst.

The Thunderbird II and IV models feature a glued-in neck and a solid body. They don’t look like other T-Bird basses. The EB series, however, is a classic reverse-body bass that shaped the sound of many influential bands in the ’60s.

EB series

EB series Gibson basses are an excellent choice for those looking for a great bass with a booming sound. The EB series is the epitome of the 1960s bass rebel. It features a reverse body design and a classic rock tone. It is also a great alternative to a trebly tone from the Fender Bass.

The EB series is a great option for bassists with a smaller budget. The EB-1 is a great starter bass and can be purchased for as little as $2800-$3800. It features a small humbucker that produces a loud sound. It is also an excellent option for players transitioning from a guitar to a bass.

The SG Standard Bass is a popular choice amongst many bassists. It has a Rhythm, and Lead SG Bass pickup gives it a creamy tone. It has an excellent output and is a good option for those who want a good value. It is not a direct replica of the original EB-3.

The EB-0 is another good option. The single humbucker is in the neck position and equipped with a simple volume knob. This classic guitar is a bit more expensive than the EB-0. The EB-0F is another version of the EB-0, but it’s far less common. It’s a little more costly than the EB-0 and a little more obscure.

Contributions to rock and roll

Despite Gibson’s best efforts, the company has never impacted the bass guitar market. Some notable players, including Mike Dirnt, Krist Novoselic, and Jack Bruce, have used the company’s instruments.

There are numerous reasons why the Gibson guitar corporation has never made a big splash in the bass guitar market. However, the company has undoubtedly developed several innovative instruments over the years. In this article, we’ll look at a few Gibson basses that have made a mark on the rock and roll world.

The Gibson EB-3 is a great example. It was explicitly designed for bassist Jack Bruce’s unique playing style. The Gibson EB-3 features a unique pickup design, which is unavailable in other bass models.

The Gibson LPB bass is another example. It is an exceptionally well-designed bass that stays in tune through aggressive and active play. The LPB’s neck is 20 frets and 1.625 inches thick at the nut. The three-way adjustment bridge allows the player to fine-tune spacing without compromising action. The body is constructed of mahogany and maple and has an ebony fingerboard to provide a brighter tone.

The Gibson Ripper is another noteworthy instrument. It features a four-position Varitone knob and Bill Lawrence-designed Super Humbuckers. It also features a sleek body reminiscent of Nirvana’s punk rock aesthetic. The guitar is powered by an active electronics system designed by Bob Moog.