1998 Tobias Signature 5-String Bass "NAMM Show"
| Year | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Make | Tobias |
| Model | Signature 5-String Bass "NAMM Show" |
| Condition | Mint |
Description
Tobias Guitars was established in Orlando, Florida in April 1977. The vast majority of Tobias instruments are of neck-through construction, a style of neck-body assembly where the neck of the instrument is a single piece of wood that extends through the body and had the sides of the bass glued to it rather than being bolted on. However, once purchased by Gibson in 1990, a few bolt-on models were produced such as the Killer-B (with the “B” in the name standing for Bolt-On as well as the Growler Basses.
Tobias basses also were among the first to feature an asymmetrical neck, a design where the neck is thinner on the lower side than the upper. The first serial number was 0178, instead of the usual 0001, as a reference to the month the first bass was completed, January 1978.
In 1990, Gibson Guitar Corporation purchased Tobias and moved production to Nashville. The first Tobias bass under Gibson ownership bore the serial number 1094. Michael Tobias left the company in 1992 to found Michael Tobias Design which produces a line of hand-made basses similar in spirit to the older Tobias basses. Basses below the serial number 2044 were built in the California factory headed-up by Michael Tobias; serial numbers after that were produced by Gibson with a transition period in which Tobias worked with Gibson and continued to produce basses.
- 1974–1977: Michael Tobias began his career working at a guitar shop in Washington, D.C., repairing and building various acoustic and stringed instruments.
- 1978: Tobias completed his first branded bass in January 1978 in Orlando, Florida (using serial number 0178 to mark the month and year).
- 1981–1989: Tobias moved operations to California (first operating out of Hollywood/Los Angeles), where he built high-end, hand-crafted boutique instruments.
- Innovations: Tobias basses became famous for pioneering features like asymmetrical necks (thinner on the treble side) and unique, premium wood combinations that maximized acoustic resonance. Pre-Gibson instruments with serial numbers under 2044 were hand-built in California under Michael Tobias’s direct supervision.
- January 1990: The Gibson Guitar Corporation purchased Tobias and transitioned manufacturing control.
- Production Shift: Production moved to Nashville, Tennessee, starting with serial number 1094 for the first Gibson-made era instruments.
- New Models: Under corporate ownership, new bolt-on models like the Killer-B and Growler were introduced.
- Departure: Due to corporate pressures over production volume that affected quality, Michael Tobias left the company in 1992.
- MTD (1994): Following his non-compete agreement, Michael Tobias launched Michael Tobias Design (MTD) in 1994 to continue hand-crafting high-end boutique basses.
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