Gibson Victory Bass Standard

This bass was made in 82'. It is unusual in that it's neck is painted rather than clear coated. Mine is antique gold, it is the only one I've seen. Most are candy apple red and silver.

I have owned 30 + basses and ever since I tried a friend's wierdo modified Victory with a tele-style custom neck I was looking for the right one...because the sound. I poured through everything I could find out on the internet and read a cool interview with the designer. This was Gibson's most deliberate effort to make a Fender Precision. Everything was ergonomically placed so that if you were blindfolded you wouldn't know the difference. I don't know about that but it is damn close in certain respects. If you think Leo Fender created the perfect bass with the Precision and therefore gets a 10 for features then this would get 10.5 for it's imporovements.

I bought this one on a whim off the internet after resigning that I really just needed a good precision bass. When it came I didn't know what to think of it. It was way lighter than I was expecting at around 10lbs...still not light but perfectly balanced. It needed alot of cleaning, new strings, a setup which included some filing on the brass nut which needed re-gluing, truss adjustment, bridge height and intonation. The frets are in decent shape and vintage size (short and skinny). The tuners are Gibson labeled and not Schallers as well. The finish is a beautiful deep golden bronze and some cracking and plenty of scratches. It is an authentic relic. It looks ******* like something the greek god of rock would slay a titan with.

With its volume and tone knob in it's max position the bass has a very full but bright sound. Not much brighter than your average P-bass but with alot more focus in the lows. Roll the tone back 2/3 and it sounds like motown. Flip the series/ parallel switch and it sounds like John Paul Jones. Move your right hand up the neck and lighten your touch and it gets deep and hallow. Move back behind the pickup and you get lots of mid range bump that cuts through but is still round and warm. Basically it sounds like a very good p-bass, lots of midrange detail, super solid and deep low end, growly, warm, bouncy...it's all there and easy to get. One thing that does set this apart from the good P-basses I've played is that there is amazing consistency between notes...travelling up the neck notes stay full yet don't get woofy. Dead spots are minimized. This is due to the dual steel reinforcing rods in the neck in combination with the awesome pickup, brass nut, and all maple contruction.

On arrival this bass was pretty sore. It had been beaten, the strings looked 20 years old. The chrome hardware is pitting up. There are lots of nicks and cracks in the finish. There was a film of sweat and smoke crusted over it etc... However, the electronics worked perfect (silent) the truss rod adjusts the perfectly straight neck. The tuners are tight. Everything functioned as good as new but looked like crap. After alot of elbow grease it is much improved and I'm sure this bass is playing better than it ever has (I know how to set up a bass).

It plays like sweet melted butter. String tension is perfect, there is only a little buzz above the 21st fret. It Growls and feels tight. It is perfectly balanced and though it weighs just over 10lbs it feels lighter than my 9lb jazz strapped on. The neck is awesome. Fits like a glove if your used to precisions. It is like a c-shape p-neck, somewhat shallow and wide with a wide radius crown on the fingerboard (probably 10-12")

This is a bass by which all other basses will be measured. It is entirely made of hard rock maple. No broken headstocks ala thunderbird. The electonics are simple and elegant. The hardware is top notch and doesn't get any better. The only thing which seems to be wearing out at a reasonable rate is the finish. Still looks awesome but cracked here and there. Probably from great lakes winters going from sub freezing cars into smoky clubs night after night. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that is why so many Victories have bad finishes. Kalamazoo, Michigan! This one stayed in MI until now probably. I'm confident that barring a house falling on it this bass will last a very long time.

Why would I need support.

Like I said, this bass is special. ALL GOLD! And it is a relatively light 10lbs. These basses regularly tip the scales over 12lbs. For that reason I could probably never find another to match it. Other than that it is a great sounding and playing bass that drips with golden rock and roll goodness.

It's like someone took the Gibson Thunderbird and the Fender Precision put them in the ALL MAPLE Gene Splicer and the Victory was born. Hybrid vigor. Awesome bass and totally underrated. Been playing 15+ years. I've owned everything from 60's precision and 70's jazz, rickenbacker, gibson, guild, musicman, g&l, customs, kubicki, modulus, dingwall etc...This is a fashion victim in the strictest sense. Oh and I would definitely buy another just like this one if I could find it.

1982
Red
Heavy
Had a heck of a time finding a new hard case

I love this Bass! Great look, Great Sound and is just a good bass for Rock, Jazz or Blues. I even played country a few times on it. shhh don't tell my band that.
Coupled with a 400 watt Berringer Amp head with a 15" Aluminum Cone Speaker. This Bass Has great Tone and Sustain!
It will be missed if it sells. It is just too heavy for me to gig with

I'm older and so is my back so I play a lighter Bass now.

This Bass looks great on stage! And as many others have stated it could be used for a weapon and almost never goes out of tune.

A good fat round wound string seems to work best on this rig.

The Red or almost burgundy color has a few chips in it and also some wear through where I rest my arm. the pick gaurd screws have some surface rust {I was told not to change them} everything is original.
If it Doesn't sell I will pass it on to my daughter as a family Jewel.
I would like te see someone playing it rather than just sitting in the case or on display on the wall.

This Base is a Tank and will Take anything and is very dependable.
worn finnish afrter many years of continous playing.
Never needed to adjust the truss Rod.
Would use it at any gig without a back up if I thought my back could handle it.

Never had reason to call customer service

I have been playing bass for 35 years and have owned this bass for over 30 years. I stopped playing this bass on a regular basis about 10 years ago. I currently own a Westone Headless Bass and a Schecter 4 string Stiletto Elite. would like to get a 5 string soon.
I was given the opprtunity to recieve a AMC Javlin Car {orange with a fat stripe} or this Victory Bass as a Graduation gift. I still think I chose correctly!
Awsome Bass! Everyone should have one at some time in thier lifetime!

Mine was made in 1981 and bought new by me in that year, it???s a red model with the back of the neck painted as well. Great tuners, really solid and never go out. Great bridge, I liked it so much I went out and bought a similar one for my Precision. Like the angled neck also. Only slight hassle is the weight of the thing, feels heavy after long gigs, but I suppose that???s part of the reason it sounds great.

Great sound with the switch up, thinner when down. I play Punk / Rock with a pick and always prefered the sound over my Precision, plenty of growly fat bass. I used it with a HH 115 bass combo. Never had any problems whatsoever, it never let me down and is still really solid now. I???ve had an active set up put on the Precision, but I wouldn???t mess with the Victory, it still keeps up.

The factory set up was pretty good as I remember, action was good and pickups set just right. My only gripe was the paint, It bubbled and chipped like mad, especially on the back of the neck, the only bit that???s still like new is the headstock.

A rock steady bass that is fully dependable. The only thing I???ve had to do in 25 years is change the toggle switch which was starting to crackle. All hardwear is still in great shape. never had to adjust truss rod, like I said before, my only gripe???s the paint job but that doesn???t affect playability, I wouldn???t hesitate in gigging it without a backup.

Never had to deal with Gibson on warranty or get the bass repaired

Been playing since about 1977, I own a 1976 Fender Precision, a 1980 Frettless Fender Jazz, a 1980???s Tokai Strat, a new Gibson Gold Top Deluxe, and also my Victory Standard. I remember seeing the Victory in a music shop window in London and fell in love with it then. I???m still pleased with my decision to buy and really chuffed it???s been as good as it has. If it were stolen I probably wouldn???t buy the same model as it wouldn???t be the same. I would, however, hunt down the thief mercilessly. Favourite feature has to be the neck and headstock. I wouldn???t change anything about it.

I won't repeat all the feature listing; just say that my Victory was the 38th instrument stamped out at the Nashville factory on the 124th day of 1982. I bought it not too much later than that, sometime late summer, 1982. Bought it new. I will mention that the one toggle switch seriously alters the sound. I don't think I've switched it to the down position in over 15 years!

I played this bass for over 10 years and it got stolen. Seriously depressed, I replaced it with a Jazz bass that cost 5 times more than the Victory. I never liked the Jazz. It just wasn't my bass. One day I'm sitting at my desk at work and a friend working the repair window at the store where I bought the bass called me and said, "Dude, somebody just walked in with your bass!" It had been missing for three years (!!!!) and my pal, with whom I'd played in several bands, recognized it due to a tiny bit of faded paint where I'd had a decal stuck for years. I called the police and they said if I had my sales receipt (I did!) that I could just go down and pick it up. I never knew if the dude who brought it in was the one who stole it, I was just happy to get it back. Actually, ECSTATIC would be the word! I immediately sold the Jazz and have been playing my Gibson ever since. OK, where do I start. It sustains forever. I play everything from Metal to Hard Rock to Jazz to Psychedelic to Progressive and it handles everything. Did I mention that it sustains FOREVER? Bang your E, go get a beer (or four) and it'll still be ringing when you get back.

Finish, fit and action. Precisely the reasons I bought the Victory in the first place. I have the strings set so low to the frets that when another bassist first tries it they cannot believe it's not buzzing all over the place. I let a friend who plays a Yamaha and whose strings are MILES from his fretboard to keep the buzzing down and he freaked! Suddenly he became 10 times as good as he thought he was. This bass is effortless to play (if you're big enough to hold it up through an entire gig - it's HEAVY!) I got the red one, which seems to be quite a bit more rare than the gray ones. It came with perfect intonation and perfect action. But I bought it from a fantastic "mom and pop" shop, where they actually knew what the hell they were doing. Now, after almost a quarter of a century, the tone knob is giving me a tiny bit of static. The volume knob is fine. I have NEVER cleaned the pots, or done anything really to it, except play the fire out of it.

I never use a back-up bass and this bass has never failed me. There is a small portion of the body's top, where my arm rests, that is worn down to the wood. But that's more a testament to the sheer number of hours I've spent playing this bass than an indictment of Gibson's finish. The rest of it is fine. The person who stole the bass apparently busted one of the sharp ends of the bottom strap button (they weird, triangle shaped) and it STILL WORKS! I've never adjusted the neck at all. I ought to replace the pick guard screws because my acidic sweat has caused them to rust pretty badly. Bottom line: I walk on stage, plug it in, play it violently for hours, put it back in the case. Repeat. Never a problem.

Can't remember anything about a warranty (that was a LONG time ago!), but I wouldn't have needed it anyway. Never attempted to contact Gibson either, so no comment.

I've been playing bass for over 30 years. I've played everything from Alembics to Teisco Del Reys. Although I used to push a Carvin stack with a '72 SVT, I'm getting too old to carry a 93 lb. head around so I now play a Behringer 300-watt combo, which sounds awesome with the Victory. As I mentioned, it WAS stolen, and was missing for almost three years. The cops said that this type of recovery NEVER happens! I was so lucky to get my baby back! There is nothing about this bass I don't like. My favorite thing about it is the sound. It simply ROCKS! If I can find another red one, I'm going to buy it just to have two!

I found the Gibson I have in a used guitar store in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a 1983 Victory Artist model, U.S. made. Maple body and neck, reverse-Thunderbird style headstock, rosewood fretboard, 34" scale. Two humbucker pickups, active electronics, volume and tone pots, two mini-toggle switches for active/passive modes and pickup selection. Really beefy chrome-plated Schaller brass bridge. When I bought the bass it was in pretty poor condition cosmetically. The sunburst finish was worn to the bare wood on the top edge, top of the body (pick) and back of body (beltbuckle). Also worn to bare wood on the back of the neck with numerous nicks all over the (large) headstock. The fingerboard was alomost gray in color from lack of cleaning. The bass reeked of cigarette smoke and stale beer, and was covered with a layer of sweat, grime and who knows what. I actually had to use steel wool to get that funk off, and reploished it. The bass was so heavy (solid maple) that the shop couldn't sell it to a Thai (a Westerner had traded it in for a Fender).

The sound is great!! Good presence (better than my Fenders). Good selection of sounds with the pickup selection and bass treble boost features. I usually play finger style and after a few gigs with this I noticed that it is better played with a pick. I dig in alot and son=metimes pull the strings off the fingerboard.

Since I bought it used I have no comment about the factory setup. With that great Schaller bridge, there is a multituse of options in adjustment.

This bass is built like a rock!! Heavy as one too. From the abuse it had taken in the past, and the sound an playability when I bought it, I would say that it can take some pretty hard gigging. Eveything is well built.

I've had questions e-mailed to the factory and they provide good info fairly quickly.

I've been playing bass on and off for about thirty years. I've been playing bass pretty regular (gigging) the past ten. I play alot of upright with Jazz groups in the area. I own a German-built upright purchased in Belgium. I also own a Conklin Groove Tools 7-string, Fender Jazz fretless (my favorite electric), Washburn Bantam Bass (Steinberger copy), Fender Precision, and a Blaze Jazz Bass copy. I'm really happy with the Gibson, great powerful tone. It is heavy!!

Bought "brand spanking new" in 1984, Went into a small town music shop in New Zealand and asked to see their basses. They said only what you see, wasn't interested in anything they had to replace my Ibanez silver series, went to walk out in disgust and he said I do have this other bass upstairs but maybe out of your range "WHAT" I said, took one look at it and said its mine, what a beauty, took out a loan and took it home just to ogle at for hours
Memphis USA 1984 or earlier, solid Maple heavy as hell
The music guy said we went over and got it himself only one on New Zealand he said
Silver at the time but now fading, Passive bass single coil pickup with a toggle for full or piano bass tone, I play in on max everything.

Lots of bottom end and sustain, best action in any bass I have seen, good for hard rock and blues
With modern playing nowdays needed extra sounds and tone so bought an effects pedal, who needs active pickups

Lovly clour a real stand out

Never, I say never goes out of tune, had it for twenty years of playing hard and still love it
Colour faded and back scratched up as was stupidly wearing a studded belt when playing. Due for a paint job or taken right back to wood maybe when more financial
Had first 9 frets recently replaced (worn to bits) and neck aligned for the first time

Never needed
Logged on to their website just to date it

Playing bass for 23 years, would roll up in a ball and die if got pinched
I recently bought a pasive Ibanez Soundgear with thin neck and very light to use as my back is playing up a bit with my age creaping on, this only for practice and I save the Gibson for gigs
Would love an Artist model, maybe someone got one for sale ?

This was my first bass. I received it as a gift from my parents in 1982. Standard configuration, red. I believe it is passive, but has a switch on it that does give a boost. Red, with a black pick guard. It came with a mammoth hardshell case. A heavy guitar, but extremely cool looking.

I generally agree with the comment that this guitar wants to play ROCK, but I have also had success playing jazz on it. It has a very round tone and can get very dirty on the low end.

This is going to sound awfully random, but in the late 80s Linda Rondstat released an album of old standards with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. They also released a live concert of her with the orchestra, and the bass player played one of these (the Artist version)! My point is that it is more versatile than many think.

I originally played in through a Road head and a Road 4X12 cabinet (anyone remember those?), then through a Hartke. My current system is a Stewart 1.6 power amp and an Alembic F1X pre-amp through an Eden 4X12. It sounds excellent. Not a lot of high end, which can be compensated somewhat with your amp.

It plays beautifully live, and has more sustain (insert Tap joke here) than any bass I have ever played.

The bass was set up poorly when I received it, but has a very nice bridge, so adjusting it was not an issue.

It is VERY solidly made.

Because the pickup is slanted I used to get uneven coverage on all four strings. I had it straightened and the sound improved dramatically.

Perfect. I HAVE used it live without a backup, and have never been disappointed.

N/A

I would not give up this bass for anything. Considering they were only manufactured for a short period of time, I wonder what happened? I also agree with the person who suggested they re-release it.

Artist Series, made in 1981. Four string with twenty four frets(on the D and G strings... 22 on the E and A.) The pickguard is cut to fit the angled end of the bolt-on neck and the angled neck-position pickup, giving it a "V" shape. Cool, though I typically don't like pickguards. I believe the pickups are passive, but the thing has an active pre-amp of some kind. Excellent bridge, with adjustments for string spacing as well as intonation and height. Love the wide neck! The headstock is a slightly slimmed down version of the one found on the Thunderbird. The strap-pins have football-shaped heads that work as well as any strap-locks (unless, perhaps, you plan to sling the thing around yourbody like Yngwie Malmsteen...)

I would rather have a neck-through or set neck, but the bolt on is solid and stable.

Love the sound. Very versatile. Growly in the low range, clear and singing highs. Not a loud bass, but you can crank up the amp a bit to make up for that.

Bought used, so factory set up is a mystery. Fit and finish are excellent, though. This is a solid, reliable bass.

I've had this bass since 1985 and I've had only minor problems that were the result of being handled roughly (broke the pre-amp switch). Has never failed me during use. I have re-finished the bass, so any finish problems are my fault. The original sunburst was nice, but just had to have a dark walnut stained oil finish...

Have no idea...

I have gone through many basses in my 20+ years of playing. Two have proven to be keepers. My 1988 Spector NS-2 and this one. The Victory Artist bass is one of those instruments that fell through the cracks in the late 70's-early 80's. Gibson should consider re-issuing these.

It seems everyone has a Gibson Victory Bass story. I actually have owned 2 Victory basses at different times, and 1 Victory guitar. The 1st Victory bass I bought was in 1990, it wasa 1982 model. I sold it in 1997 for $200, then I bought it back from the same guy in 1999 for $150 dollars. Thn I sold it again te next year for $165. In 1994 I got into a fight and a guitarist through it at me (in its gig bag)it hit the ground and had 2 huge dinks in the body. It did not affect play. In 1996 I threw it during the final number of one of my gigs. It bend the G string tuning peg, and chipped the 3rd fret on the edge. I had it repaired. I used to hit the thing so hard the pick up was dented, and fell through the pickgaurd. Somehow I figured out a way to damage this bass. When I bought it back from a friend, the pickup was severly damaged, so I sold it. I also had stripped the paint off it.

Fast forward to 12/03. I learned from the same guy who sold my first Victory bass, that he saw one at Chelsea guitars in NYC. I went the next day and bought it. Itwas not the same bass... This one is from 1980, and was the same sea foam green paint job with the exception of a strange 2 tone silver/sea foam green. I am so happy to have this bass again. This one kicks butt, and I've vowed to take great care of this one, because I don't plan on buying another bass again, unless of course it's one of these...

The best way to describe the sound of one of these is BEEFY and/or MEATY. Lots of punch. Its an instrument thats made to be played aggressivly. You can slap on the fretbord better than any bass out there. This also is the coolest bass ever if you like it slung low, and if you play lots of bars, be prepared to take a lot of compliments from patrons. Everyone will be watching you.

This one was set up for me at the point of purchase. I like the 2 inside strings to be a tad higher than the outside strings. There is a lot of space in between the strings as well. Incredible bridge, brass nut can get buzzy, but thats part of the mystique. All maple, the head stck is a boat oar. The neck on my first one was natural color on the back side, my new one has the sea foam green finish on the flipside. Paint chips a plenty on both I've had. Has thedubious distinction of being a bass that is SO heavy that it should be sold with a back brace and/or a weight lifting belt.

This is my baby, Never needed a backup, sounds great, its a tank, a real player that gets better with age. Its got P bass punch with Rick twang. I use it with a GK 200 head and a sonic 1x15 bottom. I will eventually find a Gibson Sidewinder pickup and have it installed at the neck position, so it will crush everything in its path.

Don't bother. Bring it to a Mom & Pop store to get set up and you'll be fine.

I've had around 150 guitars pass through my hands in the 20 or so years I've been playing. I've had a Gretsch 6120, a 1970 SG special,4 or 5 Hohner pros, Yamahas, Peaveys, Steinbergers, A Fender Deluxe Telecaster (one of the best guitars I ever had), Gibson Flying V, Explorer Bass, an EBO, a Mex P Bass. The best guitars I've ever owned were the Gibson Victory guitar (3 pickup model) and my 2 Victory basses.

Built in December, 1981, back in the Norlin days. Maple neck with reverse-Thunderbird style headstock and rosewood fretboard, 34" scale. The feel of the neck is thick and wide. Mine has a plastic nut. The treble end of the neck is cut at an angle, so there are 22 frets at the fourth string and 24 at the first. The chrome tuners are probably Schaller, though they have the Gibson logo. There is a single humbucker mounted at an angle, volume and tone pots, and a mini-toggle switch for in-phase/out-of-phase. The chrome bridge is also Schaller and is a wonderful example of German over-engineering. There are differing views in the other reviews about the body material, but my bass was stripped to the natural wood, and the color, grain, and certainly the weight, make me think that it is maple. I have an Ibanez bass with a similarly sized alder body and it doesn't weigh near as much as this behemoth.

I play a mix of hard rock, punk, and metal, and once I find a sound I like I set it and forget it. I bought this bass as a backup to my old Ibanez Roadstar, and was hoping that it would have a similar sound since it has a passive humbucker. I'm amazed that some of the other people that reviewed this bass didn't notice much difference in tone when using the toggle switch. I think it makes a huge difference. The in-phase (bass) position has a lot of bass and a distinct "woody" sound. Out-of-phase (treble) yields a thin, trebly sound. Neither position is as strong or pleasing as my Ibanez, which has a very distinct mid-range drive, but I can get a sound I like in either position with a little EQ tweaking on the amp (a Carvin R600). I'd still pick this thing any day over the typical P- and J- style equipped basses that are out there.

This bass was very used when I bought it. It had been stripped to the natural wood and was set up horribly. Everything cleaned up nicely, though, and I was able to get everything set as it should be without too much fuss. This bass was originally red with a black headstock, and I remember that they made these in silver, too. It's a shame that someone took the paint off, because it really is a distinct looking bass.

I concur with the general consensus in the other reviews: If you got into a bar fight, you could probably use this thing as a war club and it would be none the worse for wear. Even though the previous owners clearly did not take care of this bass, the hardware held up well and everything functions as it should. The screws that hold the pickguard in place were corroded and had to be replaced, as did the volume and tone knobs, but those are minor issues for an instrument that has been neglected for so many years.

I've never had to deal with Gibson. Gibson makes no mention of these instruments on their website, possibly because they fell in the period when Norlin was the parent company.

I've been playing bass for twenty years and have had quite a few instruments. The only one I kept was the Ibanez Roadstar. The Gibson Victory does not sound quite as good for my tastes, but it does have its own distinct sound which is miles ahead of most of the garbage that is manufactured today. It is a distinctive looking bass, and the quality of the wood and hardware, as well as the sheer size and heft of the thing, certainly inspire the comment, "They don't make them like this anymore."