• Solid Honduran mahogany body • set 3-piece mahogany neck • Brazilian rosewood fretboard • two low-impedance humbuckers • 30 1/2 inch scale
The 'Les Paul Bass', as the model was known, was an advanced instrument for it's time. It was very well built with some incredible electronics. This is how Gibson described the bass, from the 1969 Les Paul Bass brochure
The Les Paul Bass is equipped with the most advanced electronic tonal network available today. This unique instrument will produce literally all modern bass tonalities and bring forth sounds never before achieved on an electric bass. This innovative instrument has been produced through endless hours of research by the finest Gibson craftsmen and the most knowledgeable electronic engineers.
The pickups are low impedance humbuckers, and were specially designed for this bass by Les Paul. The three way tone selector switch changes the number of coil turns actually connected to the output, making the pickups themselves cooler or hotter. A clever idea, and certainly very effective.
Other components on this bass also appear on other Gibson bass guitars. The two point bridge with mute and cover were fitted to all EB bass guitars of this period. The Schaller M4 tuning keys were used on quite a few other models with varying degrees of regularity.
A dark translucent Walnut was the only finish option available for the bass, and looks particularly good against the chrome work. This look was continued in the form of the early SB basses (and guitars) of 1971, though over much lighter woods such as alder.
The Les Paul bass was fitted with Gibson logo embossed Les Paul low-impedance bass humbuckers, with chrome surrounds. The three-way pickup selector switch is at the top of the image. The Les Paul bass was the first with a two octave neck, though so much of the fretboard overlaps the body to make the highest notes effectively unreachable.
The phase switch, and tone selector, are attached to a plastic control plate. The three controls are treble, bass, and volume. These controls were all scratchplate-mounted when this bass was updated to the Triumph in 1972 - see the controls of the Triumph bass here. The tone selector switch is very interesting. This actually determined how many turns of the pickups were actually connected to the output circuitry: position 1 used the fully wound pickup, with positions 2 and 3 using progressively less. You can read more about the controls in the original users manual Les Paul bass users manual.
The bridge pickup (low-z humbucker) and Gibson two-point bridge with cover. This instrument also has the underbridge mute; these were phased out in 1971, later instruments didn't have them. To engage the mute, the lever at the bottom of the picture is pulled backwards, which lifts a felt strip against the strings.
Walnut finish. The Les Paul bass has a traditional Gibson set neck. There are two control cavities, one for the pickup selector switch, and one for the other controls
Six-digit serial number, stamped into the back of the headstock, with no other markings. The machine heads are Schaller M4, in this case marked 'G' on the gear cover with Made in W Germany below. The very last Les Paul basses circa early 1971, and then the Les Paul Triumph had the full word 'GIBSON' on the covers.
Gibson Les Paul bass guitars for sale
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ORIGINAL VINTAGE 1970s Gibson Les Paul Triumph Recording Bass Walnut Orig. Case
West Islip, New York, 117**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3860
UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ORIGINAL VINTAGE 1970s Gibson Les Paul Triumph Recording Bass Walnut Original Gibson Hard case .
HAS AMAZING TONE AND SOUND WITH A REAL NICE SMOOTH FEEL AND ACTION ALL TUNERS, ELECTRONICS, GIBSON PICK UPS, SWITCHES, VOL , TONE. WORK REAL WELL ALSO AS SHOWN HAS A TINY HAIRLINE ON GUARD BY INPUT JACK CONSIDERING THIS GEM IS APPROX. 50 YEARS OLD AS SHOWN IN REAL NICE ORIGINAL CONDITION BUT TO BE EXPECTED TO HAVE SOME SCUFFS, SCRATCHES AND NORMAL USAGE WEAR .PLEASE ... more
HAS AMAZING TONE AND SOUND WITH A REAL NICE SMOOTH FEEL AND ACTION ALL TUNERS, ELECTRONICS, GIBSON PICK UPS, SWITCHES, VOL , TONE. WORK REAL WELL ALSO AS SHOWN HAS A TINY HAIRLINE ON GUARD BY INPUT JACK CONSIDERING THIS GEM IS APPROX. 50 YEARS OLD AS SHOWN IN REAL NICE ORIGINAL CONDITION BUT TO BE EXPECTED TO HAVE SOME SCUFFS, SCRATCHES AND NORMAL USAGE WEAR .PLEASE ... more
gibson les paul bass guitar
Ronkonkoma, New York, 117**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1250
Early to mid 90s LES PAUL BASS in good condition in sg red with aftermarket case no neck issues cracks buckle rash some scratches plays great time to thin out my collection a good investment you will enjoy
... more
... more
1991 Gibson Les Paul Bass Guitar | Rare | Transparrent Red | Preowend | GITA
Mansfield, NG18***, UNITED KINGDOM
£1995
... more
There are 6 comments on this article so far. Add your comment
Ricky Candela Comment left 22nd February 2018 05:05:12 reply
Hi I have the same bass guitar. My serial number is 910706, do you know which year it is? they told me 1969, that is correct?
Hi I have the same bass guitar. My serial number is 910706, do you know which year it is? they told me 1969, that is correct?
Brennan Comment left 8th March 2014 00:12:43 reply
This site is a godsend — I just got a 1969 Les Paul Bass, and this is the only place that I could find real, hard info on the bass when I was doing my research prior to buying it. Thank you!
This site is a godsend — I just got a 1969 Les Paul Bass, and this is the only place that I could find real, hard info on the bass when I was doing my research prior to buying it. Thank you!
cornelius Comment left 29th December 2013 06:06:05 reply
Thanks for the great info. I have a Les Paul Recording Bass that i bought in 1969. it is a treasure.
Thanks for the great info. I have a Les Paul Recording Bass that i bought in 1969. it is a treasure.
Jack Kulp Comment left 25th June 2013 06:06:29 reply
Hi, Very impressed by the condition of the Les Paul bass, 891941. You call it a 1969 Les Paul Bass. How do you know the bass was made in 1969 or are you just calling all of this style bass the 1969 Les Paul Bass to differentiate it from the Triumph bass? If it was manufactured in 1969, does the serial number reveal this somehow? Were the Les Paul Bass's of this style numbered in ascending order of manufacture? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I have one of these basses and don't know the year of manufacture but would like to determine it. Thank you, Jack Kulp
Hi, Very impressed by the condition of the Les Paul bass, 891941. You call it a 1969 Les Paul Bass. How do you know the bass was made in 1969 or are you just calling all of this style bass the 1969 Les Paul Bass to differentiate it from the Triumph bass? If it was manufactured in 1969, does the serial number reveal this somehow? Were the Les Paul Bass's of this style numbered in ascending order of manufacture? I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I have one of these basses and don't know the year of manufacture but would like to determine it. Thank you, Jack Kulp
Fly Guitars Comment left 25th June 2013 06:06:40 reply
Hi Jack, In early 1970, Gibson started stamping 'made in USA' on the reverse of the headstock. This bass does not have this. Also the potentiometers have 1969 date codes. It is probable that this bass was shipped in very early 1970, but still would have been built before this time, so 1969. Serial numbers in the region 89XXXXX have pots dated from late 1969 to mid 1970; this is an early one.
Hi Jack, In early 1970, Gibson started stamping 'made in USA' on the reverse of the headstock. This bass does not have this. Also the potentiometers have 1969 date codes. It is probable that this bass was shipped in very early 1970, but still would have been built before this time, so 1969. Serial numbers in the region 89XXXXX have pots dated from late 1969 to mid 1970; this is an early one.
Mike Megehee Comment left 15th October 2017 03:03:50 reply
Thank you for this site! I have had a 1969 Les Paul bass since about 1974 in near perfect untouched condition. It is serial number 884001. Since this is a lower number than your fine example on this page I would think it was a very early released model. Any additional info regarding the serial numbers?
Thank you for this site! I have had a 1969 Les Paul bass since about 1974 in near perfect untouched condition. It is serial number 884001. Since this is a lower number than your fine example on this page I would think it was a very early released model. Any additional info regarding the serial numbers?