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Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth playing a Gibson EB3

IMMUSICRULZ

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May 25, 2021
Messages
616
I posted earlier on this site about Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth playing a Gibson Thunderbird, but nobody replied to it, so here goes...

On Sonic Youth's website it says:

"Used by Kim 2006 NOTES:

Kim was seen using this bass at the 06/14/06 Philadelphia show, among others. -Red body -2 pickups -Rosewood fretboard -Black pickguard -2 knobs"
She also has played a few Gibson Ripper bass guitars, one of which was fretless. I wouldn't be surprised if Sonic Youth had an endorsement deal with Gibson.
But I would like to know more about this bass. Like when did she get it, what tracks was it used on, does she still own it, etc.? I know she was playing through a Fender Bassman and Ampeg stacks (in the back of the picture you can see Kim Gordon with a few Ampeg amps.)

They were a great influence on bands like Hole (whose 1991 debut Pretty On The Inside was produced by Kim Gordon), Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Radiohead and newer bands like Panic At The Disco and Fall Out Boy, and their fanbase includes Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh.

She has played several Gibsons, including an SG, a Les Paul, an ES 335, and a Gibson E2 Bass.

I personally think that Kim Gordon and Aimee Mann have a similar following, as both were female bassists who were very alternative influenced in their sound and were responsible for writing the majority of the group's hits (in this case, Aimee was a member of Til Tuesday and played a lot of the same equipment Kim Gordon did.)
I also know that Kim Gordon lost a Telecaster and the SG a few years ago when she and Thurston Moore officially separated. But here is the picture of the EB3

Kim Gordon.jpg

If anybody has any information on Kim Gordon's EB3, I would like to know more.
 

jrgtr42

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Mar 24, 2005
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2,308
There was an article on her in Premier Guitar not long ago, maybe a year or so, that she was talking about all that.
IIRC, she said that she really hasn't played bass, other than a couple demos, since she left Sonic Youth.
and that she'd given up most of her gear from then. Just a couple basses and an amp or two left. She;'s mostly playing guitar now.
 

IMMUSICRULZ

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
616
There was an article on her in Premier Guitar not long ago, maybe a year or so, that she was talking about all that.
IIRC, she said that she really hasn't played bass, other than a couple demos, since she left Sonic Youth.
and that she'd given up most of her gear from then. Just a couple basses and an amp or two left. She;'s mostly playing guitar now.
Yeah. Jim Rourke and Mark Ibold of Pavement played bass on some of Sonic Youth albums.
 

Grog

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Apr 7, 2012
Messages
562
The bass is a fairly modern Gibson SG bass. Three knobs instead of four & no varitone switch. These bases came standard with TB+ pickups in both positions. It looks like the neck pickup was changed, possibly a Model One?
 

IMMUSICRULZ

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
616
The bass is a fairly modern Gibson SG bass. Three knobs instead of four & no varitone switch. These bases came standard with TB+ pickups in both positions. It looks like the neck pickup was changed, possibly a Model One?
You tell me. I don't know that much about pickups. All that matters is that Sonic Youth is an influence on so many alternative bands.
 
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