thebrig Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Just now, Painy said: It's actually really good - probably one of the best I've played actually and I've been a five string player exclusively for about 18 years. Very balanced with the other strings - not flubby at all! Thanks again. Oh dear, I really really don't need it, but... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 £399 for a USA Gibson with free delivery and hard case... REALLY struggling not to buy it especially considering they have a track record of selling for more than this on the second hand market! Gunna have to sell something as per the one in one out rule but I don't think I can withstand temptation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Woodinblack said: So very tempting apart from the sheer ugliness! If you didn't have a problem with the way it looks I would say there was no reason that would stop you getting one at that price. I showed my wife she said 'wow, its really easy to see why they are trying to shift them!' Now I appreciate that you and me are both cheerleaders for Ibby basses (and I am just loving both my 4 and 6 strings SRs with their growly Nordy pups) but isn't what you've just said a bit like saying someone's new girl / boy friend looks really ugly?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Bought... to arrive on Tuesday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted December 9, 2017 Author Share Posted December 9, 2017 2 hours ago, Al Krow said: Paul - actually be good to get the 'other side of the story' before we all get our credit cards out! So be also good to hear the why the "not me"? Someone else can pull the trigger on this one, my credit card is staying firmly in my pocket here (I've got a huge bass bill incoming soon); I'd rather put £399 against that! Hmm. Why not for me? I just didn't like it in the slightest from the first time I saw it really. I think it was over on the LBO; a photo of some bloke in his back yard...I seem to remember comments over there being along the lines that it was just a mocked-up joke on Gibson as they weren't really making anything decent at the time. I'd say at the time I was more disappointed with the design than anything else and (while I'm unsure which model came first now), it now reminds me of a Fender Dimension bass, but with a boxy headstock. Strangely, the lack of colour combination options for body/pickguard was also a negative point (black on black would look good better) . They should have gone the whole hog and put clover-leaf machines on it too, like a Ripper. Ultimately though, I'm a Thunderbird bloke; reverse and non-reverse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 It's not the most handsome Gibson by any stretch, but at £399 I think it represents very good value if the overall reviews are accurate. Worst case scenario it can be sold a few months later and you'll break even! Fugly for sure... but if it looked twice a good it'd cost twice as much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 10 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said: Someone else can pull the trigger on this one, my credit card is staying firmly in my pocket here (I've got a huge bass bill incoming soon); I'd rather put £399 against that! Hmm. Why not for me? I just didn't like it in the slightest from the first time I saw it really. I think it was over on the LBO; a photo of some bloke in his back yard...I seem to remember comments over there being along the lines that it was just a mocked-up joke on Gibson as they weren't really making anything decent at the time. I'd say at the time I was more disappointed with the design than anything else and (while I'm unsure which model came first now), it now reminds me of a Fender Dimension bass, but with a boxy headstock. Strangely, the lack of colour combination options for body/pickguard was also a negative point (black on black would look good better) . They should have gone the whole hog and put clover-leaf machines on it too, like a Ripper. Ultimately though, I'm a Thunderbird bloke; reverse and non-reverse. This is where individual taste comes in, as a fellow thunderbird lover I am a self confessed Gibson fan, but I hate clover leaf tuners. They are just so,big and clumsy and look stupid to me (dons hard hat in readiness for fenderclub hate). That would have tipped the balance for me and made it look too head heavy. Gibson and Grover are a match made in heaven. Build quality on the one I had my hands on was far better than the Fenders I was looking at in the same shop which were far more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 33 minutes ago, Al Krow said: but isn't what you've just said a bit like saying someone's new girl / boy friend looks really ugly?! Well, yes, but it’s like saying someone’s new boyfriend / girlfriend looks really ugly to someone else, and it wouldn’t be the first tine I said that however, didn’t stop me buying one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 You bought your girlfriend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Still not tempted at £399 Wonder if they're making a loss on them, if not, clearly Gibson are building them for next to nothing. That said, based on some of the stories coming out over the last couple of years, doesn't sound like 'USA built' doesn't mean much anymore when it comes to Gibson. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 1 hour ago, T-Bay said: You bought your girlfriend? Well, less effort than getting your money for nothing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 24 minutes ago, Sibob said: That said, based on some of the stories coming out over the last couple of years, doesn't sound like 'USA built' doesn't mean much anymore when it comes to Gibson. Having had a few les pauls, I don't think USA built actually counted for that much anyway. I still found them quite ugly but I liked the sound and versatility of the pickups, and figured at that price if I don't grow to like it I can probably pass it on without losing much money, so seemed like a reasonable deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted December 10, 2017 Author Share Posted December 10, 2017 17 hours ago, Sibob said: Still not tempted at £399 Wonder if they're making a loss on them, if not, clearly Gibson are building them for next to nothing When I was working in jewellery, it wasn't uncommon for retailers to buy overstocks at a discount or if they were carrying stock that wasn't moving, reach agreement with us to reduce the selling price in turn being paid a contribution (credit or stock) against every unit sold. I'd hope that they had something like the latter in place here. At the end of the day, GAK are probably selling enough Les Pauls and SGs for them to negotiate this kind of deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 I presume it is because this range were not very popular, and they have been replaced with the new EB5 (would it be so hard to come up with a new name to describe a completely different bass?) which is more likely to be accepted, so they are shifting these out. I assume they are all very old stock. Seems they got the right price, over £500 I wouldn't look at it twice (although everyone elses price is different), but this falls into the money I was considering on one of the new epiphone thunderbird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Well I've now had a chance to plug it into my gigging rig. First thing I noticed was that the pickups are seriously hot. This is one of those passive basses that kicks out more than most active basses. Fortunately I have a passive volume attenuator pedal on my board that I used to use to keep the Sterling SUB Ray 5 I just got rid of under control so I was able to balance the volume with my precision easily enough to compare them (and to allow me to easily change between basses at gigs- Secondly it is very much in Thunderbird territory tonally with both humbuckers on full as you might expect but with the coils tapped I didn't think it sounded like a jazz at all - more a different flavour of the same sound rather than something completely different altogether. I already have a jazz anyway so for me this is a good thing. This is also apparently a "tuned" coil tap so neither the output nor the low end drop out in comparison to the full humbuckers. I'm now really looking forward to the real test of gigging it next weekend but at the moment it's feeling like an absolute bargain ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) Should get mine tomorrow/Tuesday, hopefully I'll share your opinion of it being a genuine bargain once I've had a test run. Edited December 10, 2017 by binky_bass 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Well, I really want to buy one of these now. Nice one. I've managed to go YEARS without buying any basses, but there's been a growing itch to get hold of a five string and this is so tempting! Don't want to add to my credit footprint as we're in the middle of a mortgage application, but if that comes through this week, there might be some sweet "Buy Now, Pay In 12 Months" action on the cards here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howdenspur Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 And now...£499. Still a good price, but a bit irritating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_kemo Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 3 minutes ago, howdenspur said: And now...£499. Still a good price, but a bit irritating! Hhmm, I put my order in just under an hour ago and it was still £399, lucky me I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Oh yes, it’s gone up! i guess they realised it was too popular at that price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 (edited) They had it on ebay at £399 last night... and still on at that price! Edited December 11, 2017 by yorks5stringer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
binky_bass Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Glad I bought one now! Due to be delivered tomorrow. Grab the eBay one if possible... a pre-owned one sold the other week for £550 on eBay so if you can grab a new one for £399 before it's too late then treat yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonteee Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Not wanting to be a grump, but I'd say the s/h values are now through the floor as a result of this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 But prices have risen 25% in a day! They will be a grand by Friday (or possibly not) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 The second hand values will go down a bit all the time there are new ones at this price, but I suspect that the sale is now over, and once the remaining stocks are sold, the price will be whatever anyone wants to pay, so I doubt it will be any more than a temporary blip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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