Epiphone Newport Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1962)
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Item # 9672
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Epiphone Newport Model Solid Body Electric Bass Guitar (1962), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, cherry lacquer finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original grey chipboard case.
The Newport was the first solid body bass offered in the Kalamazoo Epiphone line, a later addition only launched in mid-1961. It was built on the same cherry-finished mahogany body as the Epi-branded solid body Wilshire, Crestwood and Coronet with the hardware and fittings of Gibson's contemporary EB-0. Compared to that familiar SG-shaped model the Newport is much rarer, and only lasted a few years in this form before being modified in 1964 with a sleeker asymmetrical body and huge single-sided headstock.
The bass shares the EB-0's shorter 30" scale neck and massive "mudbucker" pickup, and so produces the same miles-deep low end tone with virtually no high-end response. It is light and quite handy to play, but never found much popular success with only a few hundred sold before the styling change and nothing much in the way of famous users. Amazingly enough in this short lifespan the Newport was also offered in two-pickup, 6-string and even fuzz-equipped variants; all are extremely rare today. This 1962 example is the most common "standard" variant but is still a rare bass, if an admittedly eccentric one and even among four-string devotees something of an acquired taste.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This rather rare bass is a little worn in but all original, with dings, dents and scrapes and a decent amount of fade to the finish, most visible on the top. A couple of spots on the plastic have old etched-in numbers added by a previous owner. It is structurally excellent and all hardware is complete and original, even the "E" is still on the pickguard. The bass plays great, with the expected deep booming sound; not versatile but it does what it does perfectly. The original grey chipboard case has survived in more-or-less intact condition, and is still fully functional. Excellent - Condition.
The Newport was the first solid body bass offered in the Kalamazoo Epiphone line, a later addition only launched in mid-1961. It was built on the same cherry-finished mahogany body as the Epi-branded solid body Wilshire, Crestwood and Coronet with the hardware and fittings of Gibson's contemporary EB-0. Compared to that familiar SG-shaped model the Newport is much rarer, and only lasted a few years in this form before being modified in 1964 with a sleeker asymmetrical body and huge single-sided headstock.
The bass shares the EB-0's shorter 30" scale neck and massive "mudbucker" pickup, and so produces the same miles-deep low end tone with virtually no high-end response. It is light and quite handy to play, but never found much popular success with only a few hundred sold before the styling change and nothing much in the way of famous users. Amazingly enough in this short lifespan the Newport was also offered in two-pickup, 6-string and even fuzz-equipped variants; all are extremely rare today. This 1962 example is the most common "standard" variant but is still a rare bass, if an admittedly eccentric one and even among four-string devotees something of an acquired taste.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This rather rare bass is a little worn in but all original, with dings, dents and scrapes and a decent amount of fade to the finish, most visible on the top. A couple of spots on the plastic have old etched-in numbers added by a previous owner. It is structurally excellent and all hardware is complete and original, even the "E" is still on the pickguard. The bass plays great, with the expected deep booming sound; not versatile but it does what it does perfectly. The original grey chipboard case has survived in more-or-less intact condition, and is still fully functional. Excellent - Condition.