A semi-hollowbody with unique sonic character and outstanding looks.
With echoes of the great semi-acoustic EB basses of the past, and following the popularity of the ES-335-inspired Midtown guitar line, the Midtown Standard Bass from Gibson USA brings a new level of class, tone, and versatility to the low end. This full-scale bass is entirely Gibson through and through, yet all new, too. While it looks like the traditional thinline ES-style instrument, it is actually made from routed solid woods rather than a laminated top, back and sides with a solid center block, for sonic solidity, punch, sustain, and resistance to feedback previously unavailable in a semi-acoustic bass. A mix-and-match set of two classic Gibson bass pickups gives the Midtown Standard Bass unprecedented tonal flexibility, and Gibson USA's renowned craftsmanship yields flawless playability, making this bass the perfect choice for rock, jazz, funk, blues, or any conceivable style of popular music. All this and the Midtown Standard Bass oozes pure Gibson class in a choice of hand-sprayed nitrocellulose finishes.
To give the Midtown Standard Bass a solidity and sonic character like no other four-string, Gibson USA has redrawn the blueprint for the semi-solid bass. They start with a solid mahogany back and chamber it for acoustic response, leaving a solid central core for the bridge and pickups, and more rigid rims than found on the traditional semi-acoustic. The body is capped with a solid Grade-A maple top on the Cherry and Cherry versions (Grade-C maple on the opaque Pelham Blue Black and Pelham Blue basses), and top is trimmed in traditional cream binding. The one-piece mahogany neck is glued-in using Gibson's acclaimed mortis & tenon joint, and profiled to a comfortably rounded shape that measures .860" at the 1st fret and .960" at the 12th. The bound Rosewood fingerboard carries 20 medium frets, and is trimmed with cream binding and topped with a PLEK-cut Corian™ nut.
The Midtown Standard Bass is built to a long 34" scale length for thundering lows and enhanced harmonic overtones, and its full voice is translated perfectly through two classic Gibson bass pickups. In the bridge position, a Alnico II TB mini humbucker Pickup provides optimum snap and punch, while a wide ceramic TB Plus humbucker Pickup in the neck position offers an optimum blend of warmth, body, and clarity. The two are routed through a three-way switch with master volume and tone controls. Gibson USA's original Three-Point Bridge is a simple masterpiece of design, and combines extreme solidity for sonic definition and sustain with easy intonation adjustability. Grover™ Shamrock tuners lend a classic touch to the headstock and offer excellent tuning stability. All in all, the Midtown Standard Bass offers a firmly elegant alternative to the standard solidbody bass, with all the sonic benefits of solid wood, plus a great classic look and a sonic character all its own.
