YAKUZA!!!!!

simmo wrote:If I have understood the serial number correctly, it appears to have been made on October 24th, 1993.

Unless Gibson has a different system for their guitars than basses, this is incorrect. After 1990, the year of manufacture can be determined by the first and fifth numbers. In this case, 9xxx7xxx, 1997.

I have no idea why I know this.

gjhardwick wrote:Summerlin has just informed me that Old Basford recently had a Gibson Thunderbird bass nicked from them.

Could be worth investigating that you haven't got some stolen property.

Will check it out straight away, but I'm very doubtful it's theirs - still reckon it was just some crazy Japanese student.

You have got to be pulling our legs man.

Nope, that shit ain't hot - I've checked it out and said band is not missing a bass.

I keep telling you - this thing isn't stolen!

Holy shit, that's a steal. That's really the only good bass Gibson ever made, not counting the Epiphone Emperor.

Don't let Nikky Sixx get you down. Tom Peterson used a similar model (with one pickup) for the whole first Cheap Trick lp. You are in good company.

dude, that's a girl bass:

Don't be shocked that everyone here thinks it might be stolen. Most stolen guitars get their stickers removed right away. They are an easy way to identify a guitar even hanging on a pawn shop wall. I've seen this happen to bands before.

But if you've checked and it's clean. Mazel tov.

SIMMO.

YOU.

FUCKING.

PRICK.

By the serial number it is indeed a 97. I agree that Naptha will work, but don't leave it on for too long. I would put it on the rag and then wipe the guitar with it. I agree it's probably stolen. Nobody is stupid enough to forget about a bass until the last minute. If it was their bass, they could have sold it to a shop for at least a few hundred dollars or sold it on EBay for more. I also ship out guitars to different countries from my place of business and know that it would be far better shipping that bass than to sell it for $40. If you are a good hearted person, I would contact your local police and see if someone has a theft claim on it. I had a Travis Bean stolen from me once and it took me about three months to track it down from Chicago to Washington D.C. but most people don't have that much luck finding instruments that they've worked very hard to pay for. I even wrote a song for the theif and the lyrics start off as "I wanted you to die". I'm not a fan of thieves.

rich