[stonerbass]

As some of you might know, there is two new Les Paul bass models from Gibson = The Les Paul Money Bass, and the Les Paul Doublecut Bass.
Looking through the shops descriptions of these basses i couldnt see any difference, except from the name and the price. The design was all the same, the wood was all the same and so on. So i was wondering if anyone could tell me why the DC Bass seems to be almost $700 more expensive than the Money Bass?

[SKATE RAT]

the $ bass has a walnut "tone plate" inbetween the 'hog and maple

[stonerbass]

I dont really know anything about that kinda stuff, so is it a difference worth $700?

[stonerbass]

Of course i mean: Is there a better tone plate in the DC than in the $ bass, and is it worth $700?

[donnervogel]

First, to get the teminology straight: Former LP Doublecuts and present day regular line Money basses are one and the same bass except for the trussrod cover. The walnut toneplate is not a discerning factor between old Doublecuts and new Moneys, but one between old Doublecuts/new regular line Moneys on one hand and the ltd ed Guitar of the Week Money basses on the other.

I have a Doublecut without the tone plate and a GoW Money with the walnut tone plate. You can't see the difference, but you can very well hear it. The walnut blurs the sound consderably, the Money sounds darker, more vintage, in fact so surprisingly vintage and dark I find it a little at odds with the more modern look of the bass. Mind you, a Doublecut/reg Money doesn't sound like a Bongo either, it has lots of mahogany growl and some maple attack, but it is overall "airier" and clearer than a GoW Money. Or to use another picture: the regular line sounds "open", the GoW line "closed", a Fenderista would probably even say a little muffled. The regular DC/Money has the sound to lure people into the Gibson kingdom, the GoW Money serves the already devoted.

A Gibson diehard would therefore probably prefer the dense sound of the GoW Money, most other bass players the sound of the Doublecut/reg Money. You can't say that one sound is better than the other. I just think the sound of the Doublecut/regular Money matches its overtly Paul Reed Smith look better, but if you like defying expectations, the GoW Money does just that excellently.

Uwe

[shadowcastaz]

I agree with Uwe ,although my playing is not nearly as adept as most of you ,I do notice the tonal difference. I really like the natural finish one ,but Im sticking with the blue meanie