1969 Gibson Les Paul Bass

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 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 made from some very fine wood - the body and neck are both made from British Honduras mahogany, whilst the fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood. The three-piece mahogany neck is set (glued) to the body, in typical Gibson tradition.

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 Les Paul Triumph bass. 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.

Les Paul low-impedance bass humbucker. Note the embossed Gibson logo.

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.

Inlaid Gibson logo (with un-dotted i) and crown logo. Note the truss-rod cover with model designation.

The three pieces of mahogany that make up the neck are clearly visible, along with two further 'wings', making a five piece headtock.

Gibson Les Paul bass guitars for sale

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1972 Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass Walnut 100% Original w / Case

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3700

Up for sale, a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass in excellent, 100% original condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. A first-year example of the bass sibling of the Les Paul Recording, the Triumph is easily one of Gibson??s most versatile, feature-rich basses ever produced, boasting a pair of Gibson??s Low Impedance humbuckers with a wide array of controls.
Tonewoods include a ??sandwich?? mahogany body, three-piece mahogany neck, and bound rosewood... more

1970s Vintage Gibson Les Paul Recording / Triumph Bass Knob Clean

Kingston, Michigan, 487**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5000

The product is a vintage Gibson Les Paul Recording / Triumph Bass Knob from the 1970s. This knob would have been used on the bass guitar of a Gibson Les Paul Recording / Triumph model from that era. Made by Gibson, known for their high-quality instruments, this knob is likely to be a rare and sought after collectible for vintage guitar enthusiasts.... more

Gibson 1972 Les Paul Triumph Bass Guitar

West Lebanon, New Hampshire, 037**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1500

The Gibson 1972 Les Paul Triumph Bass is a classic electric bass guitar with a right-handed design. Made with one piece sandwich mahogany body and a natural body color, this 4-string bass features a rosewood fretboard for a smooth and rich tone. This model from 1972 captures the vintage vibe and high-quality craftsmanship that Gibson is known for
I had a local luthier go thru this Hobbit and he cleaned it up , all original pieces and parts except the bridge. I have 2 bridges from that era. ... more

1968 GIBSON EB SERIES, LES PAUL BASS CHROME TUNERS SET OF (4) WITH SCREWS

Berlin, New Hampshire, 035**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$225

"IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR" SALE& FREE USA SHIPPING!
This is a chrome set of (4) tuners from a 1968 EB-O that will also fit EB-2 and EB-3 basses. These are correct for models from 1968 thru 1972. Vintage Fender bass tuners are a dime-a-dozen (well maybe not that cheap) but these areextrremely difficult to fins as a complete set. All (4) tuners are in great shape and operate very smoothly; these were made by Schaller and are branded 'Gibson' on the little dust cover. Includes the mounting ... more

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