2015 Gibson ES-Les Paul Bass

Gibson ES-Les Paul Bass, 2015, S/N: 11495724

This is an ES-Les Paul Bass, manufactured by Gibson in 2015. It is a hollowbody 32” short scale bass with two humbucker pickups. It is a limited run model only available for about two years, either in a Gold Top or Faded Dark Burst finish (like this one), starting in 2016. This model was likely discontinued as a result of the closure of the Gibson Memphis factory, a wonderland where hollow and semi-hollow Gibsons were produced in seemingly endless numbers, Gibson fans thought these glory days would never end, until they did. These maple-poplar-maple ply guitars suddenly disappeared with only a few models resurrected after the demise of the Memphis facility. This bass model is therefore quite scarce. 

The headstock has a Gibson logo inlaid in mother of pearl. It is interesting to note that this is done in the “block” style introduced as a cost cutting measure back when Gibson was owned by a holding company, Norlin. The idea was the inlay could be cut out of a large block of pearl and then the gibson logo would be stenciled, with most of the block covered in paint. This was indeed a great cost cutting measure, until the paint started peeling off the Norlin-era logos, leaving a blob of mother of pearl where the logo used to be. This revival of the technique is holding up beautifully along with a stenciled Les Paul Model logo in the middle of the faceplate, the iconic bell flower truss rod cover (a two ply piece with an F-hole engraving) and four Hipshot Ultralite tuners in a matte silver finish. 

The neck has a cream bound rosewood fingerboard on a mahogany fixed neck. The fingerboard has twenty two frets with Les Paul style trapezoidal fret markers at the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, twelfth, fifteenth and seventeenth frets. The neck profile is a generous “C” profile transitioning to an equally generous “D” profile as you go up the neck. The nut width is 1 ¾,” with a bridge spacing of 2 ¼.” 

The body is bound in cream binding for the top and back, with maple ply top, sides and back and a pair of F-holes. There are two humbuckers without adjustable pole pieces, volume and tone for each and a three way toggle to choose both or between them. The bridge is an adjustable Nashville style mounted with two height adjustable bolts into the top. The tailpiece is similarly arranged as a chrome plated bar held in place by two captive bolts mounted on the top. It is in very clean condition with just a few light scuffs on the back of the neck and some checking of the finish on the top. It plays very comfortably with an unusually generous fingerboard for a short scale bass. The hollow body, combined with the humbuckers, offers up a somewhat darker tone than usual, though very clean and clear with plenty of growl when needed.