Description This 1939 Gibson B-125 (sn 341) is a resonant and responsive gig bass that is very a great choice for outdoor summer and early fall festivals and jam sessions. This is the first year of maufacture for this magnificent model bass. It has been played quite a bit by the owner for the last 40 years. The top shows a lot of fingernail scrubbing on the E-side upper bout. The out spruce ply is a 4-piece match. The outer plys of the ribs and back plate are of moderately flame figured maple. The neck is a 3 piece laminate secition of maple and dyed brown center strip. The scroll carving is the finest of any vintage American plywood bass that I have seen. The tuning machines are single unit Kluson models. The finger board is ebony, as is the Hill style tailpiece. The endpin is and adjustable aluminum tube type. The bridge has just been fit with adjusters. Dimensions are: Top length 42 1/4″, Upper bout width 20 3/4″, Middle bout width 15 1/8″, Lower bout width 25 3/4″, Rib depth at tail 7 1/2″, Rib depth at upper bout corner 6 3/4″, Rib depth at neck 6 1/2″, String length 41 3/8″. There is a small injury in the lower bout rib and a small puncture would in the upper bout rib. When setting this bass up, Tristan Cole-Falek let me know that the voice was “stodgy” with the Obligato strings that I had supplied. When I got it home, I installed a lightly used set of solo strings, with Superflexible E and and Spirocore A, D, and G. The responsive top is well matched to this string set and the voice “opened up like a barn door”. It is very easy to play, ideal for a singing bassist. With cover.
