JJW Posted May 22, 2015 Posted May 22, 2015 I want to get one of these and I wanted to know if anyone on here has one and what you think of them? Quote
JJW Posted May 22, 2015 Author Posted May 22, 2015 Totally agree, just missed one on ebay for £130, which really annoyed me so I put up a items wanted ad on here. Quote
Cat Burrito Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 I had one around 2004. It looked the biz but the pickups were so lacklustre it was pathetic. The choice was either upgrade the pups or sell it on. I opted for the later. A shame because it looked great. That was during my massive Epiphone GAS phase and I was a fan on most of the range. A disappointment. Try before you buy. Hopefully they've got better since then. Quote
40hz Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 Maybe not what you want to hear but I played one circa 2005 and it still sticks in my mind as the single worst bass I have ever used. Quote
DarkHeart Posted May 23, 2015 Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Ive got one and dont agree about the pickups, mine are fine, decent output balances nicely on a strap, ive fitted mine with a hipshot bridge, got a cracking action, i suppose its like everything else try before you buy, i love mine to bits. Mine [url="http://s80.photobucket.com/user/jeffhop/media/P1060128_zpsnrdclmzg.jpg.html"][/url] Edited May 23, 2015 by DarkHeart Quote
alyctes Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Can't stand them... their only saving grace is that you can lean them against things and they don't fall over. Very tricky to play sitting down. Edited May 24, 2015 by alyctes Quote
blue Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) [quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1432367339' post='2780808'] I had one around 2004. It looked the biz but the pickups were so lacklustre it was pathetic. The choice was either upgrade the pups or sell it on. I opted for the later. A shame because it looked great. That was during my massive Epiphone GAS phase and I was a fan on most of the range. A disappointment. Try before you buy. Hopefully they've got better since then. [/quote] I remember back in the 60s and Epiphone was not a second tier brand. I am not sure where they really stand now in the market. I know a lot of pros and stars use Epis, especially their Jack Casidy and their Thunderbirds. Thing is for a lot of people there will always be that "[i]it's not a Gibson"[/i] factor. When I went from an Epi Thunderbird to my 1991 Gibson Thunderbird the difference was worth the money to me. To the sharp eye a Gibson looks like a Gibson and an Epi looks like an Epi. The PUs on my Gibson Thunderbird blow away whatever was on my Epi. Blue Edited May 24, 2015 by blue Quote
dannybuoy Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 There's an Epiphone Classic Pro Thunderbird out now though Blue, which has neck through construction and Gibson USA pickups, there's not much between that model and the Gibson. Unfortunately they don't have a Flying V equivalent though! Quote
blue Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 [quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1432456590' post='2781533'] There's an Epiphone Classic Pro Thunderbird out now though Blue, which has neck through construction and Gibson USA pickups, there's not much between that model and the Gibson. Unfortunately they don't have a Flying V equivalent though! [/quote] Is the price tag for the Classic Pro steep? I like my 1991 because of the ebony fret board and the thin neck. I think some of the newer Gibson's have wider necks. Blue Quote
JJW Posted May 24, 2015 Author Posted May 24, 2015 You can get pros for about £200-£300 on eBay, £350 new from a shop, I have compared the pro to the normal one many times and the pro is massively better, one of my favourite cheap basses. Quote
JJW Posted May 24, 2015 Author Posted May 24, 2015 You can get pros for about £200-£300 on eBay, £350 new from a shop, I have compared the pro to the normal one many times and the pro is massively better, one of my favourite cheap basses. Quote
blue Posted May 24, 2015 Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) [quote name='JJW' timestamp='1432486295' post='2781932'] You can get pros for about £200-£300 on eBay, £350 new from a shop, I have compared the pro to the normal one many times and the pro is massively better, one of my favourite cheap basses. [/quote] Looks like the Pro IV is $499.00 new. That's 500.00 which is what I paid for my MIJ P Basses. Blue Edited May 24, 2015 by blue Quote
JJW Posted May 25, 2015 Author Posted May 25, 2015 There are cheaper pros, like this one: [url="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575090229&toolid=10001&campid=5337531593&customid=&icep_item=161634652049&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg"]http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575090229&toolid=10001&campid=5337531593&customid=&icep_item=161634652049&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229508&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg[/url] Quote
12stringbassist Posted May 31, 2015 Posted May 31, 2015 (edited) Here's mine. [b]It was a priority to put a strap button on the rear of the body, to stop the bass getting smashed as the strap button on the top of the body (see photo) came away almost straight away.[/b] It's a swine to find a hard case for, so it takes turns with a case that holds a fretless explorer bass which lives in a cardboard box otherwise. The build quality could be a lot better. The nut is loose. The tuners are average. I had to pack under the pickups and raise them to get any sort of decent sound. I hate that bridge style. It has a Gibson-ish growl in there. It's doesn't get lots of use, but when I do take it out, people notice it. The balance is what you'd expect from such a pointy bass. Girls like it. Edited May 31, 2015 by 12stringbassist Quote
blue Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Cool looking bass. I would be interested in a Gibson model. Blue Quote
PlungerModerno Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 Cool looking basses - especially for metal! If I was looking into getting a pointy bass - I'd probably look into ESP, Dean, and other budget manufacturers to get a cheap beater. Those points are asking to get chunks knocked off - not a good thing to happen to a pricey instrument from my point of view anyway! Quote
Cato Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1433129716' post='2788072'] Cool looking bass. I would be interested in a Gibson model. Blue [/quote] The single worse bass I have ever played was a 1981 Gibson Flying V bass. I played it in the legendary Musical Exchanges in Birmingham in around 1990. It looked the absolute business, dark blue with a black pickguard, the shop lent me a strap and as I stood up I felt like I was about to go on stage at Wembley. Then I plugged it in & started playing a few of my favourite bits & pieces. Everything I played sounded like Blart Blaart Blaart. The shop assistant actually came over to check if there was something wrong with the Amp but other basses sounded fine through it. I should have been suspicious that this bass had a £350 price tag when everything else in the shop with a Gibson logo started around the £1000 mark. In the interests of objectivity I should point out that's the only Gibson V bass I have ever played & it was nearly 10 years old when I got my hands on it. There may be much better examples out there. Quote
PlungerModerno Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 [quote name='Cato' timestamp='1433181524' post='2788666'] . . . . sounded like Blart Blaart Blaart . . . £350 price tag when everything else in the shop with a Gibson logo started around the £1000 mark. [/quote] Sounds like either a factory second with electronic issues - or a "Friday evening" bass. Gibson have been known, like all manufacturers of significant quantity, to have some gaps in the old quality control. Quote
spectoremg Posted June 1, 2015 Posted June 1, 2015 [quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1432433215' post='2781456'] Can't stand them... their only saving grace is that you can lean them against things and they don't fall over. Very tricky to play sitting down. [/quote]Hideous monstrosities. Why, why! Quote
blue Posted June 2, 2015 Posted June 2, 2015 [quote name='Cato' timestamp='1433181524' post='2788666'] The single worse bass I have ever played was a 1981 Gibson Flying V bass. I played it in the legendary Musical Exchanges in Birmingham in around 1990. It looked the absolute business, dark blue with a black pickguard, the shop lent me a strap and as I stood up I felt like I was about to go on stage at Wembley. Then I plugged it in & started playing a few of my favourite bits & pieces. Everything I played sounded like Blart Blaart Blaart. The shop assistant actually came over to check if there was something wrong with the Amp but other basses sounded fine through it. I should have been suspicious that this bass had a £350 price tag when everything else in the shop with a Gibson logo started around the £1000 mark. In the interests of objectivity I should point out that's the only Gibson V bass I have ever played & it was nearly 10 years old when I got my hands on it. There may be much better examples out there. [/quote] The Gibson V models I have seen were more in the $1,500.00 range used. Blue Quote
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