In a break from the traditional format, this month we're forgoing the 'Trax' part of the blog, in favour of some undiluted guitar maunderings.
With the recent acquisition of a Gibson LPB-3, it seemed apposite to delve a little deeper into the world of one of the most underrated basses of all time.
So here's a question. For all the luxurious and indeed ubiquitous Gibson six-stringed guitars doing the rounds nightly at venues near you, why are there so few basses emblazoned with that iconic slanted logo.
For all the varied and glittering guitars we've had in store here at ST, it's only now that we've come across Gibson bass #2. And this is a special one. The Gibson Les Paul Bass is the mighty younger brother of the famous six stringed riff machine, debuting in the summer of love, 1969. And yet here in 2024 that love only seems to extend to a small but devoted band of true believers.
Featuring the aesthetically beautiful single-cutaway design made famous by the guitar, it appears even more elegant, to my eye, with the longer scale bass neck. With the addition of two humbucking pickups wired with low impedence circuitry, along with trapezoid inlays and a bound top, this original iteration had plenty to pique the interest of the '70s bassist, and yet sales were a comparative flop.
Spooling forward to the late '90s and Gibson decided to breathe long overdue fire into the LP Bass again, creating the The LPB-3. The addition of a Bartolini pre-amp, a 34" scale length, and toward the latter part of the decade, a comfortable chambered body meant that this bass comfortably vaulted into the arena of exceptional professional-grade basses.
Our LPB-3 from the year 2000 is a wonderful example. The TB Plus humbucking pickups pump out some visceral grunt, ideal for any flavour of hard-rocking sound, and yet the slim taper mahogany neck & delicious ebony fretboard provide an intricate and almost delicate playing experience. This isn't a bass you have to wrestle with.
I guess the flip-side to that squat body, attached to a long ol' 34" scale is the neck dive. This is a feature of most Gibson Basses and this is no exception. Ideally what you want is that body tucked up as close to the 12th fret as possible, but the Les Paul by design can't get close. It's the victory of aesthetics over a small portion of functionality. I say a 'small portion' as this is only an issue with no hands on the bass itself, a tiny portion of most sets.
On balance (metaphorically), this bass appears a criminally underappreciated piece of Gibson heritage. It feels luxurious in the hands and around the shoulder, with those two humbuckers delivering some wonderful tonality. These aspects, combined with that gorgeous single cutaway aesthetic makes it a criminally underappreciated instrument, to our humble gaze.
This bass is now sold.
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