neepheid

Two problems I can see with that (apart from the beginning premise being flawed - as Gibson clearly have little to no interest in selling basses): 1) Gibson hasn't cared about what bass players want for years. 2) "make faithful reproductions", riiiiight. Serious changes would need to happen at Gibson for any of your proposal to become a reality. Even a change of management doesn't seem to have changed their desire to transform into a "lifestyle brand" - selling overpriced Les Pauls to hang on rich people's walls as trophies rather than giving a hoot about the musical quality of their products. I still love their old stuff, and I do wish for a return to those days, but they've been dormant to me for a few years now when it comes to current output. The last thing they did which got my attention was the 2013 EB (stupid name).

Except Jack Casady... ok, it's Epiphone, not Gibson, but as Epiphone are owned by Gibson I thought I'd throw it in there. "No ringers" - JC makes the point in several interviews that he takes instruments straight from the factory, the same basses you and I can buy, straight out on the road. Maybe that's a small part of the reason why the Jack Casady Signature bass has lasted all this time - 25 years and counting - the authenticity, the backing of the instrument by the signatory artist and his involvement in the development. I'd like to think that he does the whole secret shopper thing on the factory to keep them on their toes - any bass they work on could end up being Jack's. I know I'd do that Is Gibson going to be making this Rex Brown signature next year? I doubt it. Are Gibson going to be making any basses next year? Who knows? Maybe they'll have a fallow year, or maybe they'll go bonkers and issue some weird and (maybe/hopefully) wonderful stuff.

I find some of the responses in this thread a bit depressing (not to mention predictable). One transaction has gone wrong (admittedly, in spectacular fashion) and it's being sorted out within hours. Nothing to see here, if anything I find it highly reassuring that the retailer is on the case so quickly and it looks like a mutually agreeable solution is forming, if it has not already taken shape. As a serial moron/someone who orders instruments online at distance, I find it absolutely normal. I bought a bass once from G4M - the fingerboard was coming away from the rest of the neck at the nut. Back it went, got a refund, no dramas. I had two goes to try to order a Gibson Grabber 3 70s Tribute bass a few years back but both had issues which I found unacceptable, so back they went too. So drama free, I can't even remember which retailer it was. Even if I did decide it wasn't for me and sent it back via distance selling regs, all I'm out is the postage - and that's cheaper than a visit to the nearest retailers with decent selection (Glasgow). I get to try it with my own amp, in my own environment - hell, I could even take it to a band rehearsal and try it there before deciding - can't do that in a shop. I know I'm not going to change anyone's minds here who are dyed in the wool, "must buy in person" types, but I just wanted to present an alternative point of view because at the moment, it's all looking a bit doom and gloom. You will not be cast into the fires of hell for buying a bass online without trying it first. I've done it many times, and I'm not even smouldering yet.

It depends how lazy I'm feeling. Super lazy - Jack Casady unplugged Less lazy - whatever bass is nearest into Yamaha Sessioncake/laptop or phone/headphones

Bloody hell, Gibson. The current malaise era continues. I'll always have a soft spot for you and your successful products of yore, but right now you've never been more difficult to love.

Appreciate that space might be tight in there, but wouldn't some kind of flush switch like a slide switch or a latching push switch have made more sense in a portabie device? EDIT: obviously that question's aimed at TC, not the OP

Body shape seems eerily close to an early Epiphone Newport (pre batwing). https://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/1962EpiphoneNewportDeluxe.php

A series/parallel would most likely have a significant effect on the volume (unless there's a compensating resistor in there somewhere) and the tone. Because you describe the changes as minimal, it is far more likely to be parallel/single. Also the product blurb from Gibson for this product refer to "coil tap". I know they're not exactly the most reliable, but it can't be a series/parallel if it's a coil tap/split.

/me frantically clicking on "See less" in the hope that the effect stacks with repeated invocation.

I couldn't find anything specific for this bass, but it's pretty simple - 1 pickup, coil split on the push/pull for single coil operation, single passive tone. One of Seymour Duncan's collection of general wiring diagrams might show that or at least give you some idea of what's in there?

Neck pickup looks like a DiMarzio, either a Model One or Will Power (but they seem to have stopped listing that one on their website)

No reason to doubt Jules on these matters, here's more info than you ever knew you needed... https://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/parts/bridge/EBstringmute.php

Just to be clear - are you sure you mean "Tribute"? Do you mean "Triumph"?

I would say that you've got next to zero hope of Gibson helping you with anything it made last century. Let me see if I can dig something up.

Great to hear that Schaller are still taking customer care seriously - even when you're not technically speaking their customer.

Volume cutting out doesn't sound good. Is there a fresh battery in there?

What is wrong with the innards you already have? What do you want to achieve by upgrading?

I could play for a million hours and still not feel like I've mastered it. By that time I hope to have got comfortable with other people telling me I'm good

The PH signature is the one which seems more BB than the other two to me (probably because of the reverse P pickup) but I feel that something's got a bit lost with the newest BBs. I had a BB434 a while back but I just didn't gel with it. For want of a better explanation, I just don't think they're as Broad as they used to be - all streamlined and evened out. I know they're trying to modernise them but I think they maybe took a bit too much off. When I'm back to buying gear next year I might seek out a BB, but it'll be old school - BB300/800/1200.

Don't ask me, I'm just a middle aged muso...

Been there, done that. It sucks, but for the sake of sanity it is best to leave it all behind. The fact that the singer emailed me after I quit (in person, band meeting) and called it a "futile and theatrical gesture" says more about the toxicity than I ever could.

Yum, press fit bushings It all depends on which tuners you want - if you want to try to reuse the currently pressed in bushings (not an awful idea if they're pressed in good and tight and haven't lifted under string tension), or rip everything out and get tuners with screw fit bushings. What's bothering you about the bridge? Looks like a BBOT with chunkier saddles, or am I looking at the wrong bass?

According to the tech drawings from each manufacturer the total length of the base plates are as follows: Schaller M4 90 - 29.1mm Hipshot Ultralite - 33.8mm 4.7mm to find above each of your existing tuners, but bear in mind that there is a curve in the top of the Hipshots instead of the straight across tops of the Schallers - that's the maximum excursion and it'll be less at the edges. Over to you and your favourite measuring device... On the plus side, the mounting hole is in a very similar position on both tuners - 11.6mm for the Schaller vs. 11.2mm for the Hipshot (centre of tuner post to centre of mounting hole). I think that's within error and the mounting screw will go in without the need to fill/redrill.

Absolutely - I hope they take your feedback on board. I hope you have as good an experience with them as I did, even if you've lost faith in the product. I stand by what I said - I would never trust a bass tuner with a plastic button. So fair enough if you decide to look elsewhere for this size of bass tuner but I would be wary of the Gotoh Res-o-lite GB350 tuners also - plastic button. If you want to continue to save some weight then I'd go with the Hipshot Ultralites - the USA ones are a little lighter than the "licensed" ones and are reversible but are significantly more expensive. Or try some Gotoh GB707 if you don't like the exposed gear look.

Schaller /are/ a quality brand, they've just maybe put out a duff product - happens to the best of 'em and doesn't mean every product they make is garbage. Also, the only time I ever needed their help with something of theirs, they came through like champs - providing me with 4 of the 1 thing I asked for (a capstan and screw for an M4S - screw had been broken and was stuck inside the capstan), a bunch of plectra and a sticker, all for free - even though I was restoring a beat up second hand instrument and they didn't owe me anything and would have been quite within their rights to charge me for it - or even make me buy a whole M4S tuner - or tell me to get lost and buy a whole set of them somewhere else.