c1974 Gibson Les Paul Recording/Triumph Bass

Good example of this rare Gibson Bass in good vintage condition with original Gibson case.

Case is in scruffy condition and is splitting towards the ends.

Commission sale for a customer. Unused for some time – may need set-up and service. Please enquire for further details/photos.

See our YouTube demo below.

From Music Radar:

Following directly on from the Les Paul Professional Bass (Circa 1970-72) the Triumph was introduced as the bass equivalent of the Les Paul Recording model guitar, with similar low impedance pickups but without being set at an angle.

The body is slightly larger than a standard Les Paul, and features a heavily carved top and body scoop. The extra mass makes this a very heavy instrument indeed and the low impedance feature meant you could use much longer leads on stage.

However it needed a special lead provided by Gibson with a transformer built in at the amp end. Without this you were unable to function correctly hence the inclusion of the Hi/Lo Output switch so a standard lead could be used. In spite of this slight complication the fact that the Triumph was so much more versatile sound-wise than other Gibson basses of the time made it a worthwhile venture.

The earliest versions had the typical all-metal three-bolt adjustable bridge/tailpiece, but a slimmer unit with nylon saddles superseded this. In spite of its sound potential, it proved too complicated for most players so was never a real commercial success.

Gibson’s Les Paul Triumph bass is a pretty rare and exotic animal and well worth tracking down if you’re feeling like exploring the bass jungle.

Spec:

Honduras mahogany body with dark binding –

Laminated mahogany set neck, with rosewood fretboard –
Natural mahogany finish –
30 1/2 inch scale (actually three eighths of an inch) – 24 frets –
Two low impedance humbucking pickups –
Hi or Low immpedance modes –
Body size length: 17 1/4 inch width: 12 3/4 inch depth 2 inch
Width at nut 1 1/2 inch.

Controls: Bass, Treble and Volume –

Tone Selector Three settings: hi, normal and deep bass –
Phase Control Only works when both pickups are selected –
Impedance Selector Hi for live use or Low for studio use (or live use with a Low-Impedance amplifier)