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Fly Guitars Interview: Justin Meldal-Johnsen - part 4: trivia

Introduction | Gibson basses | Other equipment | Trivia


Trivia

FlyGuitarsNow on to the bonus round of silly but revealing questions

FlyGuitars Roundwound or flat?
JMJ Both

FlyGuitars Maple or Mahogany?
JMJ Both

FlyGuitars Active or passive?
JMJ PASSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FlyGuitars Mud, thud or piano?
JMJ Mud

FlyGuitars Pick or fingers?
JMJ Both

FlyGuitars Ebony, Maple or Rosewood (please do not put down Wenge)?
JMJ Maple and Rosewood

FlyGuitars Digital or analogue?
JMJ Both. At the same time.

FlyGuitars Coke or Pepsi?
JMJ Coke!

FlyGuitars Cat or Dogs?
JMJ Cat

FlyGuitars VH-1 or MTV?
JMJ VH-1 is the only one that plays videos now, right? So VH1.

FlyGuitars Meat or potatoes?
JMJ Fish!

FlyGuitars Do you treat your basses as fine pieces of furniture (coffee table) or as tools?
JMJ Tools, but furniture if the value is over $2K. :-)

FlyGuitars Internet or boob tube?
JMJ Internet.

FlyGuitars Do you like basses with figured wood (flame/ curly) or do you like them with Plain Jane grain?
JMJ Plain Jane!!!!

FlyGuitars BEAD or CBGB?
JMJ CBGB!!

FlyGuitars Teletubbies or Sponge Bob?
JMJ Tubbies! 'Cuz that's what my baby girl likes.

FlyGuitars Thank you now back to more serious issues. What is your view of the current music industry situation as far as the death of CD sales/stores due to I pods and picking choosing single songs?

JMJ Inevitable. More changes are coming, get ready. But people still like music, so I'm not horribly distressed about it. Especially live music.

FlyGuitars Do you think that with today's technology and the fact that anyone can be a musician who owns a laptop or a MySpace account, that it dilutes music, or do you think it makes music better?

JMJ Dilutes it. There's too much quantity and not enough quality. I get way to many shitty demos (or Myspace page links) these days that end up depressing the hell out of me.

FlyGuitars Bands are getting dropped right and left by their labels, what does it take to make it in today's music industry?

JMJ Don't suck, don't be trendy, and persist.

FlyGuitars Do you find LA the center of the rock music industry?

JMJ Yeah. London is its own center, though.

FlyGuitars Thanks again I hope you enjoy the site in the future.

JMJ Absolutely! You guys do a great thing.

Justin with Alex Ebert, vocalist with Ima Robot
Justin with Alex Ebert, vocalist with Ima Robot
A selection of Justins basses
A selection of Justin's basses - Wal, Fender, Guild, Gibson, Rickenbacker and Hofner are all represented
Justin the bassist
Justin the bassist
Justin at the mixing desk
... and Justin the producer

Thanks to John (Redbird) Fertig and Justin Meldal-Johnsen for another great interview

Why not check out some of these links
Justin Meldal-Johnsen homepage
Ima Robot homepage
Beck homepage
and don't forget the other FlyGuitar interviews

Gibson bass guitars for sale

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Gibson Thunderbird 4-string Solidbody Electric Bass Guitar - Inverness Green

Gibson Thunderbird 4-string Solidbody Electric Bass Guitar - Inverness Green

Fort Wayne, Indiana, 468**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1500


Used Condition
4-string Electric Bass with Mahogany Body and Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Inverness Green
8 6 lbs
In good condition. There is a finish chip under the bass edge of the truss rod cover; there are dents in the bass edge of the fretboard at the 2nd and 5th frets. The electronics have been tested as good. The stock bridge has been replaced with a black Hipshot Supertone bridge and it is included inside the case along with all the pictured ... more
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Gibson Ripper (L9-S) Bass Guitar with Seymour Duncan

Gibson Ripper (L9-S) Bass Guitar with Seymour Duncan

New Florence, Pennsylvania, 159**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3500

Gibson Ripper (L9-S) Bass Guitar with Seymour Duncan.
This bass is in very good condition. There are a few small marks located in the pictures. Feel free to ask questions, can send more pictures. Must have at least 10 positive comments to purchase. For sale in the United States Only
... more
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1976 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennia Ebony

1976 Gibson Thunderbird Bicentennia Ebony

Antioch, Tennessee, 370**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4145

Very good condition 1976 Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird bass. All original outside of the Badass bridge replacement. This bass has seen a good amount of gigging, but is in rock solid shape structurally. Some dents and buckle rash as pictured, and the headstock was clearly leaned against a wall for years. Tuners and electronics work perfectly. Frets have a good amount of life left. Comes with pictured hard shell case. Willing to ship or drive a reasonable distance
... more
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Vintage Gibson Thunderbird Bass Sunburst 1979

Vintage Gibson Thunderbird Bass Sunburst 1979

Brookfield, Wisconsin, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4999


Vintage Gibson Thunderbird Bass Sunburst 1979
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR FOR AN IN-HAND DESCRIPTION
A great playing Thunderbird in really nice shape for its age with a comfortable feel & terrific tone. Fully inspected & professionally set up by the experts here at Cream City Music, so it's ready to play straight out of the case
Cosmetic Condition: Great shape considering it's 45 years old - various minor nicks, chips, dents & dings; surface scratches ... more
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1976 Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird Bass w /  OHSC ?? Natural

1976 Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird Bass w / OHSC ?? Natural

Nashville, Tennessee, 372**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4499

Condition: Used, Excellent
Like what you see All photos are of the exact instrument you will receive
This 1976 Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird is a force to be reckoned with! Serial #00243426, it features mahogany wings and thru neck, original pickups,   and lays down a mean low end. It shows wear as you would expect, and we have photographed the most prominent spots close-up
The three mini toggles are ??producer??s switches ?? Look up Lee Sklar producer??s switch if you want in on ... more
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Gibson Thunderbird Bass Guitar

Gibson Thunderbird Bass Guitar

Easley, South Carolina, 296**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2500

Rare! 2018 Gibson Thunderbird Cardinal Red with OHSC, case candy and all original paperwork. This Beautiful Gibson Bass is in like new condition and sounds great. There are no scrapes, scratches, chips or buckle rash or any other issues, it??s pretty much in unplayed condition. I have several Basses and have decided to let this one go. Thanks for looking and best of luck
... more
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1976 Gibson Ripper L9-S Vintage Bass Ebony Black

1976 Gibson Ripper L9-S Vintage Bass Ebony Black

San Antonio, Texas, 782**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1990

1976 Gibson Ripper L9-S Vintage Bass Black. Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS Ground Advantage.
... more
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1974 Gibson Ripper Bass

1974 Gibson Ripper Bass

Coudersport, Pennsylvania, 169**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3200

A serious bass for a discriminating collector or player. Very versatile tone options. Solid maple body and neck. Comes with original case. Equipped with flatwound strings for a darker tone but sounds great with roundwound strings. Some minor finish checking as can be expected on a nearly 50 year old instrument. I've played this bass regularly for decades and always get compliments on its great sound and uniqueness. I've made a minor alteration to the strap pin location. The original locations ... more
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Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird Bass Inverness Green

Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird Bass Inverness Green

Middletown, New York, 109**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2198

... more
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De Armond By Guild STARFIRE BASS Guitar Sunburst Semi Hollow + Case Korea Made

De Armond By Guild STARFIRE BASS Guitar Sunburst Semi Hollow + Case Korea Made

Hawthorne, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1000

✈️FREE SHIPPING✈️
De Armond By Guild STARFIRE BASS Sunburst Semi Hollow / Case Included
IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
WILL SHIP IT WITH THE CASE ( not the original case for DeArmond but it fits )
HARD CASE IS FOR EPHIPHONE BASS
NOT FOR DE ARMOND
IM USING IT ONLY FOR PROTECTION
PLEASE CHECKTHE PHOTOS CAREFULLY FOR MORE DETAILS
FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
... more
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1975 Gibson Ripper L9-S Vintage Bass Sunburst, Alder Body w /  Case, Hangtag

1975 Gibson Ripper L9-S Vintage Bass Sunburst, Alder Body w / Case, Hangtag

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

$3800

Up for sale, a 1975 Gibson "The Ripper" L9-S bass in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and warranty card. One of the more unique and versatile Gibson basses ever produced, the Ripper comes equipped with its original pair of Bill Lawrence designed "Super Humbucker" pickups and a four-way rotary switch for series, parallel, and out of phase pickup settings
The contoured alder body is a particularly rare option, only offered on the ... more
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Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird Bass 1976 - Used, Very Good

Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird Bass 1976 - Used, Very Good

Marina del Rey, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5999

Gibson Bicentennial Thunderbird Bass 1976
Used, very good condition
About this bass: In 1976 Gibson reissued the Thunderbird, in its original early 60s body shape, and seeing as 1976 was the 200th anniversary of American independence, it is known as the bi-centennial model, or Gibson Thunderbird '76. It was only available in limited numbers, with just 1, 855 basses built at Gibson's Kalamazoo plant between 1976 and 1979. Although this bass was modelled directly on the 1963 Thunderbird, ... more
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Gibson L9S RIPPER 1976 Electric Guitar USA Vintage Rare Maple with Hard Case

Gibson L9S RIPPER 1976 Electric Guitar USA Vintage Rare Maple with Hard Case

Chesterfield, Virginia, 238**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3800

I bought this guitar around 1982. I played it in the high school marching band. It is a marvelous instrument that has always deserved a better player than myself. That being said, my only consolation in letting it go is that whoever owns it next plays the hell out it. They didn't call this model the Ripper for nothing and rock stars have long sought after this model built during this time. It sounds beautiful and it is painful for me to sell it. But I don't play it often and my home air ... more
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Vintage 1974 Gibson The Ripper L9S Natural W /  Good Hard Case

Vintage 1974 Gibson The Ripper L9S Natural W / Good Hard Case

New York, 100**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3295

Vintage original circa 1974 Gibson The Ripper Model L9S in original Natural finish
A real nice example with a good straight neck, and great sounding pickups
Original Natural finish is clean and looks great. Some honest signs of wear and use
Comes with a Gretsch hardshell case that fits it well and protects it well
Guitar is exactly as pictured.
Buyer pays $125 shipping in the USA, $150 to Hawaii or Alaska, $400 International, $450 to Australia
Pay Pal Accepted ... more
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Original 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar case plush lined

Original 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar case plush lined

Spring Hill, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$300

Original 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar case plush lined. Case is in good shape. It does have some black tape along the edge where it was starting to peel. Very solid . Will ship FedEx ground fully insured with tracking shipping to the lower 48 states only. No Alaska Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam or PO boxes. No international shipping
... more
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GIBSON THUNDERBIRD NON-REVERSED BASS GUITAR

GIBSON THUNDERBIRD NON-REVERSED BASS GUITAR

New Port Richey, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1600

This is very nice valuable guitar with superior sound. I bought it 8 months ago in mint condition. Everything is stock except 2 HUGE improvements : Hipshot bridge with saddles ( much better than a stock one -on 6th photo which was real nightmare to tune up), and Hipshot drop D detuner on top string for easy going a note bellow. ( I am including both original bridge and original tuning peg too ). Cosmetic shape is very good except two small dings on the headstock (last photo ) and somewhat darker... more
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1964 Gibson Thunderbird II Bass the mintest 100% original Polaris White example.

1964 Gibson Thunderbird II Bass the mintest 100% original Polaris White example.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$44995

This is most likely the rarest & most significant Gibson Bass ever produced. These 1st issue Thunderbird??s & Firebird??s were so far ahead of time & very few were ever made comparatively to Fender??s P & J Basses. Most all T??bird??s were available in a Sunburst finish. But some were ordered in their select Custom Colors. This particular example was ordered in Gibson??s most luv??d optional color of Polaris White all over its neck & body. This T??bird is most likely the ... more
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1972 Gibson L6-S Bass Prototype (Ripper, Grabber) Singlecut Sunburst

1972 Gibson L6-S Bass Prototype (Ripper, Grabber) Singlecut Sunburst

Syracuse, New York, 132**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$9000

1972 Gibson L6-S Bass Prototype (Ripper, Grabber) Singlecut Sunburst
 
This bass guitar is the prototype for the L6-S bass, a model that was never manufactured by Gibson. Although it is the prototype for an instrument that was not produced, it also seems to be a prototype of the Ripper and Grabber models introduced later that are constructed with the same materials (maple neck and body) and similar dimensions. The look of this one does foreshadow those later models
SETUP & ... more
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Replacement 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar bridge with studs

Replacement 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar bridge with studs

Spring Hill, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$66

Replacement 1970s Gibson Ripper electric bass guitar bridge with studs. This is an aftermarket replacement. Great condition. No damage will ship USPS priority mail
... more
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2022 Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird Pelham Blue Electric Bass Guitar #47868

2022 Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird Pelham Blue Electric Bass Guitar #47868

Burbank, California, 915**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1799

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eBay Template Design by OCDesignsOnline HomeAboutTestimonialsPoliciesContactSell your Gear 2022 Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird Pelham Blue Electric Bass Guitar #47868 ××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××× Item DescriptionWORKING CONDITION: Excellent - Plays great. All of the electronics and controls are working ... more
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