LeftyBassist.com

Geez, I was hoping these would last at least until my tax return arrives. Better get cracking.

It's OK, we'll sell them to you guys for twice the price

Has anyone heard any sort of definitive answer on what is discontinued and what's still in production?

What I found weird about all of this is that these lefties sold like gangbusters, at least based on what Jimmy said at Southpaw. You would think that they would do one more run of these, and that it would make business sense, but it does not seem to be going that way. Oh well.

I have a bad feeling that they never even gave it much of a chance. ONLY vendor online I found was Sweetwater, who had a black one. Now it's gone. And like I said, never a mention on the Gibson web site.

It's Gibson. You never know ANYTHING with them, and things rarely make sense. That's why I got two when I had the chance.

It's quite possible Gibson projected that the majority of the lefties who wanted one of their basses would have bought them by now. If lefty players are about 3% of the marketplace combined with the fact that many of these players wouldn't be able to buy such upscale instruments new anyway, it might pay for them to take a "wait and see" approach before spending more money on a bigger run that could just sit in warehouses.

That's a good point, but my big concern is that most of that 3% would never even know that Gibson even made any lefty basses. Those of us here were just lucky enough to have found out from a forum like this.

I don't think Gibson is planning on mass producing lefty basses. the way they handled it now seems
like the best approach for them. they're creating a sought after kind of an item.
instead of, just as agent00 pointed out, over stocked item with no one to buy it.
if they sell these out quickly enough we'll start seeing this happen every couple of years or so.

From Southpaw's Facebook page:

"Well the SNAFU has occurred in the midst. A perfect storm if you will. We are being inundated by requests for Fire Birds, T Birds, Midtown and SG Basses all of which are on temporary hold.
Yesterday we ordered (as the sku numbers are still active)
112 Firebird VS
6 Firebird CW
12 TBird VS
6 Midtown Bass VS
6 Midtown Bass Cherry
6 SG Standard gloss basses

In Stock are
Les Paul Basses in Goldtop, Cherry and Ebony
SG Std Bass
SG Bass faded in cherry and brown"

This jives with what Jimmy told me in an email this morning. But don't bother going for the SG Std bass that's currently in stock, because it's MINE!

I wonder what temporary hold means. I mean what it REALLY means.

Hmmm, maybe I have a shot at a T-bird afterall.

I'd like to get a TBird myself, not sure they will be produced...

Sam Ash in LA (Sunset Store) has a left T-bird in Burst.

It's a weird thing. They got ONE without ordering it (Central purchasing must have) and called me immediately as I am a known lefty buyer there.

I was going to get mine from Jimmy, but - honestly - they did a much better price (maybe for anyone, maybe as I buy a lot of stuff there). And it was "instant gratification" (try it in store, take it home right then).

I asked them to get me an SG Standard and they could not (SKUs must have gone on hold by then).

I thought that was it, then a SECOND lefty T-bird arrived.

Was THINKING about getting it as production is maybe stopped, but I decided to not do it.

So, it is there for the taking!

Kinda' want an SG Standard, but there ARE vintage lefties out there for not much more than new (about the same really, $200 more). And I'd rather have the appreciating vintage if possible (only lefty T-bird for sale is a NON-reverse for $12K the guy from Cheap Trick is selling - 10X the price new today).

so are they not making t birds then? Im actually thinking of geeting rid of mine...dont ask.

Hey, if its not for you that's ok.

ive been back into my spector. it is really an awsome bass but its soooo bassy, i cannot get my sound out of it. All my other basses are there but this one. Why let it rot in a case? i know value will shoot up though

i'd like to give a try to the midtown semihollow bass ... any of you got one ? how they are tonally ?

I emailed Gibson customer service, and they simply said, "They have not been discontinued." For what that's worth.

Just picked up the SG Standard Cherry from Jimmy. It's been shipped. I bought when he said they were cancelled. Oh well, I'm sure I'll like it.