a kind of UFO in the world of Tritons, patterns or other Fantom. Hard to find.The first time I saw the Alesis Fusion I was struck by its futuristic look, compared to other Workstation, I immediately said that this bike was something different. This bass has sealed my respect for Michael Tobias' work and all the MTD (link provided below) I have played show how the vision has improved. However the Killer B I have played don't quite fell like this one. But aside the problem I mentioned earlier, I feel it makes it a bit tiring for the right arm when playing at the bridge P-U for long time.Īs a side note I will add that I have also played a number of Gibson made Tobias and the high end ones seem very good. This makes playing around the 1st/3rd frets quite comfortable. In fact, the Tobias is designed in such a way that the bass position itself slightly more towards the player's right shoulder. Having said so, if the preferred slapping style is with the neck at an angle, then this bass is spectacularly balanced and ergonomic.įor finger style I just love it and it's one of those rare instruments which allows the player to access frets from 20th to 24th really comfortably - including on the B string! For slapping I prefer a 21 or 22 fret board with a body layout that pushes the neck slightly forward. To be fair, this is an inherent problem I have when slapping with many 24 fret basses - except a Steinberger because of its unique layout and ergonomics. I don't - I don't like the harmonics it produces.
Many bass players actually like to hammer on the fingerboard. At this angle the 24th fret gets in the way. I tend to slap with my thumb perpendicular to the strings and the neck positioned horizontally. I cannot find fault with this bass except perhaps that, it isn't the best bass for my slapping style. When the sound spectrum of two P-U is wide I tend to dial in an overall sound I like, then use the P-U Balance almost like a master Tone control. Even without EQ the sound is beautiful and gutsy. In the off position the three filter won't work and you can only adjust vol and balance. A little EQ goes a long way without changing the voice of the instrument. Bartolini P-U and EQ are exemplary in their simplicity and effectiveness - V/B/bass/mid/treble. Dialing in a bit more of the bridge P-U produces a sound that is beautifully nasal, perfect for soloing. I particularly like the way mids cut through. Lets not forget, this was 1992 and this bass' price wasn't exactly at Alembic level. Overall, the attention to details shows just how much love and expertise had been put into it. This seem to suggest that the neck end is shaped slightly wider than the rest of the neck. The neck screws sit into ferrules and are arranged in slightly open layout, with the bottom screws further apart from each other that the top two. Even just visually this is a far cry from the chunky squarish heels of most bolt-on of the time - and not only. The neck joint is shaped in an almost heel-less fashion. The scarfed headstock joint at the back is more pronounced than on most basses and is so beautifully sculpted that your thumb can gradually tell you when it's approaching the headstock. Again, one cannot help but notice how all these details converge into a bass that makes inspired simplicity its style statement. The head stock's angle naturally holds the strings down without any need for the usual metal bar just above the nut. The MOP inlay of the intricate logo and the stark contrast with the black glossy headstock cover is a very tasteful touch. But the sound is big, with a warmth and a growl that speaks directly to your guts.Ī few details are really a joy to look at. One impressive feature of this bass is that it is extremely light, even lighter than its slick shape would suggest - lighter than most 4 strings actually. It mounts two Bartolini p-ups and on board 3 bands EQ. The action can be set incredibly low and is virtually buzz free. The neck is perfect, straight and very fast with the asymmetric profile that is Tobias' trademark. As you can see from the pictures woods have aged beautifully. Under the 24 frets Pau Ferro fingerboard is a double truss rod which can be adjusted removing the plate located at the end of the fingerboard. The neck is a five piece Maple/Purpleheart laminate and it's a bolt-on - the preferred choice for a punchy sound. The body is Swamp Ash with natural finish. T his makes it one of the last few basses built before the shop moved to the new facilities in Nashville, sometime in June I believe, which marked the end of Mr.
At that time Tobias had already been acquired by Gibson (on ) but basses were still made by Mike Tobias and original team at the Burbank Calif.
#1995 GIBSON TOBIAS GROWLER 5 STRING BASS GUITAR SERIAL NUMBER#
The serial number shows that this bass was completed on the 13th of May 1992. I bought it in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2003.
I have owned this bass for about nine years now.
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