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• Solid maple body • Laminate maple bolt-on neck • Rosewood fingerboard • Two type VIIIB humbuckers • Active and passive modes
After almost three decades of bass guitar production that broadly adhered to the company's long-held traditions in instrument manufacture, Gibson finally created a bass more in keeping with their rival Fender. The Precision bass had always sold well, and this deliberate ploy was an attempt to steal some of that market share - see development of the Victory Bass.
The Gibson Victory Artist was a two-pickup, active version of the Victory Standard - with passive mode, and notch-filtered active mode. This rather attractive example in Antique Fireburst finish hails from the middle of 1982.
Aswell as having a striking new body style, it was equipped with new entirely new hardware throughout: two specially designed type VIIIB humbuckers, upright in the bridge position, and slanted at the neck, a new bridge TRI-4 wedge bridge, and Schaller open gear machine heads. In fact the only nod towards Gibson tradition is the Thunderbird-esque headstock style.
The Victory Artist was quite a departure for Gibson, design wise; it didn't look like anything the company had produced before. One new and useful feature was the two-octave 24 fret neck. Naturally, reaching the top E required a deep lower body cutaway, which in itself is unusual in a Gibson guitar. Part of the beauty of this bass lies in the precise way certain structures are aligned, and the way the curves flow around this: the body cutaways, though curved, lie on a plane parallel with the butt of the neck, two sides of the scratchplate and the neck pickup. The pickup orientation was to "yield the widest spectrum of tonal reproduction", but it also fits tremendously with the overall aesthetics. The neck actually meets the body at the 16th fret, making for an extra long neck joint; described in the owners manual as giving "better neck to body contact" and improved sustain.
The controls (as illustrated) are as follows: [1] Master volume control [2] Bass control -5 to 5 [3] Treble control -5 to 5 [4] Pickup selector switch [5] Mode selector switch (passive, active with notch filter, active)
The maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard - note the off-centre positioning of the fret dots - a first for Gibson.
The Antique Fireburst finish is highly effective on this bass. There are three distinct tones: black, red and yellow (actually the clearcoat of maple body wood).
The intensity of red and yellow give rise to a nickname for this finish 'ketchup and mustard' - also seen on some RD Artist basses produced in the late 1970s, such as this one. This was not the only burst style on Victory basses at this time - compare with the with two colour burst, right.
The three-piece laminate body construction can be seen clearly through the Antique Fireburst finish. The body wood, Eastern hard-rock maple, is heavy, but was chosen for it's characteristics of "brilliance and sustain". The active Victory Artist is the only Victory bass model with a battery cavity, and hence a cover on the reverse side. The neck is bolt-on, using four bolts through the neck plate. Interestingly, in early stages of development, the Victory was going to be a set-neck bass (see the Victory bass development page), but the ability to change between fretted and fretless necks made a bolt-on more appropriate.
Close up of the Gibson series VIIIB humbucker, in the bridge position. These pickups were only fitted to the Gibson Victory bass series, and each of the models (Standard, Custom and Artist) had pickups which, although identical in appearance (at least whilst fitted to the instrument) had slightly differing specifications. As was typical with all Gibson basses designed in the late 1970s/early 1980s, pickups are spring mounted onto the scratchplate to allow easy height adjustment. Whilst the neck pickup was at an angle tilted towards the neck, the bridge pickup was in a more typical upright orientation.
This bass is quite interesting electronically, with active and passive modes, all designed by Gibson electronics wizard Tim Shaw. The controls consist three pots, two switches and an input jack, all scratchplate mounted. The top switch is a three-way pickup selector switch: neck, both, and bridge. The lower switch is a mode selector: passive, active with notch filter, and active. The middle 'notch filtered' position acts as a mid cut - actually the frequency spectrum is "altered minus 12db at 1 khz" producing a "wide curve sound with an accentuated low and high response". The volume and tone knobs are all fitted with speed knobs - but note the numbering: the volume control (top) is numbered 0-10, as expected, however the tone controls (middle, bass; bottom treble) are numbered 5-0-5, giving a boost of 16db, (at +5) or a cut of 18db (at -5) at 175hz and 125hz respectively. For more details of these controls, see the 1981 owners manual. Compare these controls with the slightly later two-pickup Victory Custom.
The Victory was the first bass to use the Gibson TRI-4 wedge bridge, although later it was used on the Explorer bass. For decades, all but the cheapest Gibson basses had employed a bridge with posts, their famous "sustain sisters", extending deep into the guitars body, such as the two-point and three point, with the bridge itself raised up to a required height. The TRI-4 sat flush against the guitar body, and was very much easier to adjust than the aforementioned bridges: "this new design bridge/tailpiece offers the player a degree of setup versatility heretofore unknown in the bass guitar". For operational details see page 22-23 of the 1981 Victory Bass owners manual.
This scratchplate was designed by Gibson designer Chuck Burge, who talks about the resemblance to the Yes (band) logo on the Victory bass development page. But actually the relative pickup positions and orientation were more than just aesthetic - the 1981 owners manual describes how the placement takes into account "body resonance, elliptical string excursion" and the "avoidance of nodal points". The neck pickup is slanted to "yield the widest spectrum of tonal reproduction by capitalizing on the optimum response points of each string", the bridge pickup is upright because it "reproduces most accurately the relatively uniform vibration patterns of the string due to their proximity to the bridge saddles".
The Victory series came in a range of finishes: Candy Apple Red, Ferrari Red, Silver, Antique Fireburst, Ebony and Antique Gold. All but Ebony and Gold examples were fitted with natural necks, as shown here, though Ebony and Gold basses did have matching necks. This was a long instrument, with overall length of around 47".
Gibson serial numbers are typically stamped onto the reverse of the guitar's headstock. This bass has an eight digit number 81952568, which can be decoded as follows: it was stamped on the 14th July 1982 (day 195). 568 means that it was made at the Gibson Nashville plant (Kalamazoo numbers start at 0, Nashville numbers start at 500), and was the 68th instrument stamped that day. The earliest prototypes/demonstration models were produced by Chuck Burge at the Kalamazoo plant, but beyond that, all Victory bass production occurred at the newly opened Nashville plant (in fact the first Gibson bass model to hold this privilege).
Although the Victory series was an attempt to out-Fender Fender, in terms of design, the headstock was firmly rooted in Gibson tradition. Black, naturally, and shaped like that of a Thunderbird. The truss rod is adjusted at this end of the neck, so none of the trouble that comes with adjusting a P-bass. Headstock decals most often read 'Gibson Victory Bass', though a not insignificant minority had this cut down to 'Gibson Victory' - see this 1982 Victory Custom for example. Note also the brass nut, and model-designated truss-rod cover.
The Victory Artist generally used Schaller open gear machine heads (seen here) whilst the Victory Standard, at first at least, used an equivalent unit made by Got ah - see here. There was some cross-over, with very early Artists having Gotah tuners. Note the five-piece maple headstock and three-piece maple neck. The headstock has a 14° pitch "for maximum desired string pressure". Like all Gibson basses of this period, the eight digit serial number and MADE IN USA are stamped onto the back of the headstock. Find out more about Gibson bass serial numbers here.
These sound clips are recorded directly into a mobilepre preamp. Recorded with GHS bass boomers (Flea signature round wound) strings. Pickup volumes on 10.
Passive all settings on full. The basic passive sound, two pickups, played with a pick.
Active (full) both pickups, bass 5, treble 5. Fingerstyle.
Active both pickups, bass 3, treble 2. Fingerstyle.
Super bass active, neck pickup, bass 5, treble 0. Fingerstyle.
Super treble active, bridge pickup, bass 0, treble 5, played with a pick.
Notch filtered both pickups, bass 5, treble 0. Fingerstyle.
Notch filtered both pickups, bass 4, treble 5. Fingerstyle.
Gibson Victory bass for sale
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O'Fallon, Illinois, 622**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1550
This vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Bass is a true gem for any musician. With its classic red finish, this bass is sure to make a statement in any band. The brand is well-known for its high-quality instruments, and this one is no exception.
The body color is a vibrant red that is sure to catch the eye of any collector or player. This bass is part of the Vintage series, which adds to its appeal. Whether you're a seasoned player or a collector, this Gibson Victory Bass is a must-have... more
Vintage 1981 Gibson Victory Bass in original red finish A killer bass with a nice fat tone and superb playability This baby is a RED BEAST! Bass plays and sounds fantastic. Some honest signs of age and wear throughout Completely original Comes with nice brown hardshell case 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 International Buyers ? Please Note: ... more
Saint Petersburg, Florida, 337**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1750
GIBSON VICTORY STANDARD BASS GUITAR - Serial # 81831614 - 1981 - Monday July 2nd - Nashville TN - Production # 614, beautiful original guitar, professional players guitar, the case was made by Quest https: / / authorityguitar com / gibson-serial-number-lookup-decoder /
This a killer bass and a total P bass killer. Gibson released these to compete with the p bass and they are far, far, better quality. Mahogany body, Mable neck, brass nut, active and passive humbuckers with MOOG electronics! All original with the original case. The original case is pretty beat up with a buckle replaced but still road Worthy. Original paperwork still with it. The guitar is set up to play easy with a low action and great sound. One bridge saddle is missing the riser but works ... more
Early eighties Gotoh tuners part number 14102. Gibson used these on the Victory Standard and Victory Artist basses from 1981, and occasionally the Victory Custom later in 1982 Hard to find, very rare and no longer produced Very good condition, see pictures Price for one tuner, available 4 tuners Private auction, non guarantee European bidders please email me for postage costs ... more
Gibson Victory Candy Apple Red Classic Bass Guitar USA 1981 When I bought this some years ago, it was advertised as being manufactured in 1981 and with a special paintjob. The special paint job is a refinish, and I'm pretty sure they painted the back of the neck as I've never seen another like it. Looks quite nice but has some chips and knocks but overall, it's a very cool 43 year old bass. Plays great. sound great but I'll only be selling it to somebody that comes and plays it in person ... more
Very rare 1981 Gibson Victory bass in gorgeous cherry red. Had a recent service in May 24. Comes with leather strap and a generic case to carry it in. Plays excellently, just some obvious cosmetic damage to paint as it was made over 40 years ago. Please inspect all photos and message for any questions ... more
