Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USACYC512/Les-Paul-Junior-Tribute-DC-Bass-Coming-Soon https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USAKUC232/Thunderbird-Bass-Coming-Soon Quality bass innovation, reasonable prices. 1 1 Quote
mxm Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 The LPJ - oh yes !!! I’d go for a TV Yellow left handed version... oh hang on. The scratch plate does nothing for me though. Quote
EliasMooseblaster Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 Hang on - so after the promising steps of upgrading the stock bridge, and adding coil taps to the pickups on the last few years' run of Thunderbirds, Gibson decided the best course of action was to...completely revert to the original spec? And still not a B-string in sight. They're clearly determined that the best way to penetrate a modern market is to shut their eyes and pretends it's still the early '70s... 3 Quote
Lozz196 Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 16 minutes ago, mxm said: The LPJ - oh yes !!! I’d go for a TV Yellow left handed version... oh hang on. The scratch plate does nothing for me though. A bass for bassists who want to be recognised as guitarists 😁 Seriously though, I reckon that LPJ looks really nice. Quote
grenadillabama Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) I noticed the LP Junior bass had a .105 E string like my Mustang PJ has. Gibson is using maple necks more nowdays. The LP Junior gtr also has a maple neck. The coil-tap is a good feature on this new bass. I hope the pickup is not a bassey EBO sound. -The pickup on my old 70's Ripper was a larger P-90 style with the best (crispest} treble of any Gibson or Epi bass I have owned . They ought to make that pickup. Epi should have made it for the Ripper they had... Edited January 23, 2019 by grenadillabama improve tone Quote
BassApprentice Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 That LPJ in Worn Brown looks tasty...apart from the pickup - couldn't they have gone for a chrome vintage style cover? Also, $2,300 for a T'bird, yikes! Quote
Grahambythesea Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 29 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said: Hang on - so after the promising steps of upgrading the stock bridge, and adding coil taps to the pickups on the last few years' run of Thunderbirds, Gibson decided the best course of action was to...completely revert to the original spec? And still not a B-string in sight. They're clearly determined that the best way to penetrate a modern market is to shut their eyes and pretends it's still the early '70s... I think that’s a bit unfair. So the thunderbird may not be in 5 string version, but over the last 5/6 years they’ve brought out 2 different basses in 5 string format but most bass players seem to reject innovation and want replicas of the 50s and 60s basses. They have of course made a 5 in the Epiphone Thunderbird but it probably didn’t sell well so they have to make decisions. Make what sells! It’s what most of us have been complaining about with the last management of Gibson - mucking about with the classics sticking Robot tuners on and all sorts of other rubbish. Quote
Sibob Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 Loving the LPJ.....but yeah, would have been great in TV Yellow! Si Quote
BigRedX Posted January 21, 2019 Posted January 21, 2019 4 hours ago, Grahambythesea said: I think that’s a bit unfair. So the thunderbird may not be in 5 string version, but over the last 5/6 years they’ve brought out 2 different basses in 5 string format but most bass players seem to reject innovation and want replicas of the 50s and 60s basses. They have of course made a 5 in the Epiphone Thunderbird but it probably didn’t sell well so they have to make decisions. Make what sells! It’s what most of us have been complaining about with the last management of Gibson - mucking about with the classics sticking Robot tuners on and all sorts of other rubbish. The Epiphone 5-string Thunderbird, was a Thunderbird in approximate body shape only. Nothing else - construction, woods, electronics had anything in common with the original 60s Gibson Thunderbird. Gibson themselves made a 5-string Thunderbird in the 90s. It wasn't very good (although it was more of a traditional Thunderbird than the Epiphone). What Gibson need to do is to make a 5-string Thunderbird that looks and sounds like an original 60s version but with a usable low B string. They have yet to do that. 1 Quote
EliasMooseblaster Posted January 22, 2019 Posted January 22, 2019 18 hours ago, Grahambythesea said: I think that’s a bit unfair. So the thunderbird may not be in 5 string version, but over the last 5/6 years they’ve brought out 2 different basses in 5 string format but most bass players seem to reject innovation and want replicas of the 50s and 60s basses. They have of course made a 5 in the Epiphone Thunderbird but it probably didn’t sell well so they have to make decisions. Make what sells! It’s what most of us have been complaining about with the last management of Gibson - mucking about with the classics sticking Robot tuners on and all sorts of other rubbish. That's a fair point; I'm probably falling into the trap of conflating "what modern bass players want" with "what Gibson enthusiasts want", and they probably don't overlap as much as I'm presuming. That said, I'd be surprised if the 5s didn't sell - they're an increasingly common sight, even in the blues and classic rock idioms with which Gibson mostly seem to be associated - though I realise that it often needs a more nuanced redesign that simply widening the neck a bit and slapping on an extra string! Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 22, 2019 Author Posted January 22, 2019 22 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said: though I realise that it often needs a more nuanced redesign that simply widening the neck a bit and slapping on an extra string! I don't think they even widened the neck before... 1 Quote
BigRedX Posted January 22, 2019 Posted January 22, 2019 23 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said: That's a fair point; I'm probably falling into the trap of conflating "what modern bass players want" with "what Gibson enthusiasts want", and they probably don't overlap as much as I'm presuming. That said, I'd be surprised if the 5s didn't sell - they're an increasingly common sight, even in the blues and classic rock idioms with which Gibson mostly seem to be associated - though I realise that it often needs a more nuanced redesign that simply widening the neck a bit and slapping on an extra string! And in this respect the Thunderbird is the bass that most lends itself to a 5-string version, since the design is already a long scale multi-laminate through neck. 1 Quote
Dosi Y'Anarchy Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 I'm loving the LPJ. I might have to buy one. I can't say I've ever loved playing Gibson/Epiphone basses but have been hankering for a something with a 70s Gibson vibe for a while (Ripper/RD) Whilst also praying for a cheap short scale Thunderbird for ages..... Well this kind hits all the right spots for me. It's also sufficiently different to my Mustang (w/flats), Jazz, Ibanez SR and Harley Benton ss hollow body that I could justify it (to myself, of no one else). I hope a few reviews come out before I drop money into it but I know I'm impatient. Quote
BassApprentice Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) Some in the flesh photos from NAMM Edited January 24, 2019 by BassApprentice 2 Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 24, 2019 Author Posted January 24, 2019 2 hours ago, BassApprentice said: Some in the flesh photos from NAMM Pop in a Thunderbucker and I'll be interested. Quote
BassApprentice Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: Pop in a Thunderbucker and I'll be interested. My thoughts exactly! Love the look but that pickup is just a bit *meh* looking. Sure it sounds fine Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 25, 2019 Author Posted January 25, 2019 16 hours ago, BassApprentice said: My thoughts exactly! Love the look but that pickup is just a bit *meh* looking. Sure it sounds fine Not if it's the standard Gibson bass humbucker, it won't... IMHO, YMMV, LOL etc. 😂 Quote
hooky_lowdown Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 Would be interesting to read some reviews once available as I've read modern Gibson's (last 5 years or so) are generally poor, and far inferior in sound and build quality than older Gibson's. Quote
FinnDave Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 21 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said: Would be interesting to read some reviews once available as I've read modern Gibson's (last 5 years or so) are generally poor, and far inferior in sound and build quality than older Gibson's. I bought a new EB4 in 2017, it was great once set up properly. Still is, but I am selling it as I am concentrating on six strings at the moment. It is very light for a 34" scale, twin hum bucker with a set neck, and capable of a surprising range of tones, as both pick ups have coil taps as standard. Quote
hooky_lowdown Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 2 hours ago, FinnDave said: I bought a new EB4 in 2017, it was great once set up properly. Still is, but I am selling it as I am concentrating on six strings at the moment. It is very light for a 34" scale, twin hum bucker with a set neck, and capable of a surprising range of tones, as both pick ups have coil taps as standard. Have you owned/played an older Gibson, would be interested how you'd rate quality between them both? Quote
FinnDave Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 12 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said: Have you owned/played an older Gibson, would be interested how you'd rate quality between them both? I had a Thunderbird for a while, but that was fairly recent, 2011 or 12, I think. The EB4 doesn't look as cool as a T bird (what does?) but it is a more useable bass. Never played any of the 'classic' EB series as I have never got along with short scale basses. Quote
goingdownslow Posted January 25, 2019 Posted January 25, 2019 The links in the OP have changed, hopefully these should work... https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QdjVfOZPCgkJ:https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USACYC512/les-paul-junior-tribute-dc-bass-coming-soon+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:E27TEnec_R8J:https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USAKUC232/Thunderbird-Bass-Coming-Soon+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk I wonder what happened to the association with Babicz ? I thought it a far better bridge than what they have gone back to. 1 1 Quote
andysleigh Posted January 26, 2019 Posted January 26, 2019 On 24/01/2019 at 18:33, BassApprentice said: Some in the flesh photos from NAMM oh baby! 1 Quote
JohnDaBass Posted January 26, 2019 Posted January 26, 2019 Yup, I think it's the worn brown for me!! Quote
Rikki_Sixx Posted January 26, 2019 Posted January 26, 2019 What're they playing at with that pickguard on the LPJ? The whole body and pickguard are rounded and then there's that flattened bottom part of the control area. The rest of it looks cool but that bit looks like a mistake from a design intern that got missed. Quote
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