Gibson Les Paul Money Bass

Made in USA 4-string 24-fret full scale (34") bass. Fixed mahogany neck, off-set double cutaway mahogany body with beautiful dark stained (root beer!) maple cap. Nice Gibson inlay on the tapered headstock. 2 ceramic humbuckers, hardware gold-plated, including smooth Grover tuners. Came with hard case although it doesn't ecxactly fit very snugly and I wonder (seeing as we got it second hand and there were two different sets of set-up documents inside) if we got the right case... Controls 2 volume one tone.

We bought this as my wife wants to learn bass (she's a music teacher so the more instruments she can play the better). Within the budget we had we tried an Epiphone violin bass, Ibanez AEB10E and wanted to try the Ibanez Artcore (arched semi with shortscale neck). This bass was standing in the second hand section and she fell in love with it. I said dream on as I thought it would be way out of our budget but as it happens we got it down to just right. Despite its long scale it was a better fit as it where for my wife who is only 5'4" thanks to the bridge placement near the bottom of the body. Plays through a Peavey basic for the moment but will upgrade to something serious if the need arises (we have access to a nice little Gallien-Krueger combo tho). Sound is nice with little or no noise, very warm and almost acoustic sounding from the neck pickup (depending on amp settings), more punchy and rock like from the bridge pup. It is not the most versatile bass sound-wise but more than enough for our needs (country and bluegrass amongst others). Fine for stage use and in the studio I imagine.

We bought it second hand (though nearly-new condition, it has lain in its case most fo the time) and the action in the shop was quite OK, relatively low. Unfortunately the intonation was way out so I have adjusted the bridge for intonation which resulted in bad rattling. Truss rod now slackened slightly and now intonation and action are OK. As others have noted the finish around the neck join is not really what I would have expected, but seeing as these models were several hundred dollars less than the carved top single cut Les Pauls that maybe explains it, although doesn't really excuse it. I have a luthier friend who could probably sort it out but it is such a minor niggle I'm not sure we'll bother. Finish otherwise is gorgeous.

Time well tell how this will hold up to lots of gigging - our first gig with the bass was the day after we got it but was cancelled due to very bad weather (outdoor gig!). Have no apprehension about the hardware but will be adding strap-locks to the strap (no need to change the actual buttons as they fit perfectly with the ones I have on my ASAT and Strat straps). No problem using it without back-up although we have a built-in back-up in the form of the fretless that we also take with us.

No need to deal with them yet.

I've been playing guitar and bass for nearly 30 years and in that time have owned or used Jazz, Precision, Aria black 'n' Gold II, Ibanez Roadstar and Musician, various headless clones and more recently a Yamaha and some custom made Spector/Warwick style. I love the neck on this bass, and there is something reassuringly solid about fixed and/or straight through necks. It sits very comfortably in the hands and despite the small body the balance is OK (very slightly head heavy but the alternative would be a bigger/heavier body). I dunno if we would get another one if it was stolen or lost: as the line is discontinued it is doubtful if we would be able to find such a nice one at the right price. Would try tho...

2008,Nashville special,les paul double cut away, 34" scale 24 frets, 2 ceramic humbuckers, two volume knobs and one tone knob, mahogony neck through body, maple top,grover tuners, thin rickenbacker feel neck, solid bridge, nice instrument shaped hardshell case

This is a great sounding bass period. I play through a high power QSC and a Ampeg SVP Pro preamp into a Ampeg pro 410. I play mostly rock but some progressive leaning towards jazz. I still love my Fender, but this bass has such a nice punch from the humbuckers, very warm and full sound.

Action fit and finish? Was set up nice from factory, perfect action, I feel the intonation may need attention. Does show fingerprints easy but looks great when the lights hit it. But nice workmanship,This is my first Gibson, very impressed.

too early to tell, I'm used to a solid Fender which is built like a '57 Chevy, the Gibson feels more like a sport car, I will baby it.

I don't expect to ever need support.

Been playing off and on for 30 years, Fender jazz bass has been my main ax, and will still remain my favorite, but this Gibson beat out my Musicman which I'm trying to sell and sounds and plays great. It will get it's fair share of playing time maybe 40%. This is the first Gibson that I have liked the 34" sold me. This bass is no longer being produced in Blue. Thankyou Gibson for putting it on sale, what a steal for $650, same instrument as the $1400 double cut away, only difference is color. I prefer the Midnight Manhatten Blue anyway. I would be upset if it was stolen.

Set neck, 24 frets, 2x2 headstock, double cut les paul body, 2 Thunderbird pickups, 2 volume 1 tone knobs. DOES NOT use the Gibson 3 point bridge, which is a big relief. Great basic rock setup.

The bass puts out incredibly lows and mids. The highs are very present, but are not overly out of balance with the rest of the bass like a jazz bass sometimes is. I'm using it with a GK head, and I can barely put the amp on 2. These pickups are hot! I have to use the active pad as well to help prevent clipping. Very full dark sound. You can go from complete muddy low end to finely defined balanced bass sounds. It growls depending on how hard you play. It isn't going to make a hi-fi sterile sound. This sounds absolutely amazing for what I've played which is rock, metal, classic rock, blues and psychedelic

The action was pretty damn good from the factory. The only thing I had to fix was the intonation. I haven't had to setup anything else. Finish and hardware was perfect upon arrival.

This bass is built solid. I have no qualms about playing it. I do baby it since it's my new baby, but that's just how it goes. Gibsons are always babied, whereas fenders can get beat up. Only problem with the finish is that it grabs fingerprints really well. I keep a microfiber cloth in the case so I can wipe off prints.

Never dealt with gibson.

I've been playing for 10 years. I also use a fender jazz. I would try and get another if this one was ever stolen, however since these just don't sell I bet I could find it if it was pawned, haha. I was looking for something deep and bassy and it came down to this or a precision. This just sounded amazing and had a very J-bass like neck which was the deciding factor for me. The neck is very similar to a jazz and I'm able to fly around it, which I can't do on a precision.

I bought this new this year.Typical Gibson electronics,HB pickups,Jazz setup 2volume,1 tone.Great finish on this flame top natural.

JUST THUNDEROUS!!.SUPER LOWS, BARKY MIDS, WARM!! HIGHS!!!!

Intonation needed a tweek but all in all SUPER!

I DON'T worry about it because I feel this is a simple workhorse setup with SOLID woodwork!

I would get another if I could.

May of 2007, Made in Nashville. 24 frets (access to 22), 4 strings. 2 ceramic magnet humbucking pickups with individual volume controls and a master tone control. Electronics are passive, no pickup selector used. Maple top sandwiches a layer of walnut to a solid mahogany body. Natural satin finish. Body is an asymmetrical double cutaway, looks like the new double cutaway Les Paul bass introduced in 2005. Grover tuners, new design bridge, strap buttons (no Strap Locks), hardware is chrome. Set mahogany neck is 34" scale with a rosewood fingerboard and dot inlays. Hardshell case w/ white plush interior. I give it an 8 for lack of a contoured waist, straplocks, and a pickup selector.

Sound is huge; have to back off on the volume controls if you want something approaching a single coil clarity. Plenty of output in any event - if you need more, start buying 9 volt batteries and get yourself an axe with active electronics.
I play rock/pop through a Carvin PB200 combo with a single 15" speaker these days, and I find it necessary to make a pronounced cut at the 2K mark to keep the string noise at bay; plenty of treble response here.
Sound can be warm and deep with the neck pickup turned up; the bass comes with roundwound strings, and a sharp attack will produce plenty of highs with these pickups.

Bass arrived from store via DHL, undamaged with a 12 point checklist. Action is low, and intonation is set.
Bass is relatively heavy, certainly heavier than the Thunderbird IV that I recently sold, but better balanced - less neck heavy. I expect that it weighs more than an alder Fender or a Rickenbacker.
A contoured waist would really improve the comfort of this bass; Fender's been doing it for years. Gibson has contoured the lower bout for the right forearm, I guess that's progress; maybe in another decade...
T-bird neck was Jazz Bass like in its proportions with a flatter fingerboard; this strikes me as a little fatter (which I like), with the same flatter Gibson fingerboard radius, only in rosewood instead of ebony. I also like the set neck vs. a bolt on neck, however...
I notice the fret ends on my hand as I move up and down the neck - nothing snags, and visual inspection doesn't reveal any projecting or unfinished frets, but I can't say that this is as comfortable as a good Fender.
Finish is rough to touch; I know satin gets me in the door for less $, but Gibson can do better.
Neck volume acts as a master and takes the whole bass out if turned to zero. Weird, probably not by design.

This thing is nothing if not solid. It certainly seems like it'll be one of those age-old Gibsons one day if it receives a little TLC like any high-end instrument oughta. That said, the satin finish is thin; no expectation that it will protect the wood as long as a traditional multi-layer gloss finish.
Even though it is 2007, these things are still being built with strap buttons instead of straplocks, so if you want to make sure your 4 digit bass remains worth 4 digits, you're gonna hafta shell out another $15 - $20 on a pair of good strap locks.

Haven't heard good things about Gibson's customer suppport, so I don't intend to engage them without sufficient cause.

Been "playing" (pretending to play!) bass for about 8 years, on and off, self taught, no formal training. Started with a Jazz Bass copy that I built in high school, moved on to a '91 Gibson Thunderbird IV, and now have the $ Bass. Used to play through an Ampeg B2-R with an SVT-410HE Classic series cabinet; can't beat that sound for the money. Drummer moved out of state, so I've downsized to a Carvin PB200 combo.
I'm not in love with the $ Bass - if it was stolen, I'd probably try something else. I like the body shape and contruction that shows through the natural finish, and the improved balance; I don't like the lack of a contoured waist (it really needs one) and the fret ends, which make continuously make themselves known to the left hand.
I tried to find a Rickenbacker 4003 and an Epiphone Jack Casady to compare this to when I was out shopping basses, but no joy.