Innovative Tobias Basses to be made in USA

Tobias, the premier bass for tone quality, voicing and innovative ergonomic design, is bringing production home to America with a new line of basses handcrafted in Conway, Ark. The new U.S.-made Tobias basses will feature exotic wood combinations, custom Bartolini electronics, neck-thru-body construction and all of the other design elements that have made Tobias the bass of choice for professional musicians.

"Tobias set a standard for professional-quality instruments that is still unmatched in the bass industry," said Henry Juszkiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., Tobias' parent company. "The return of Tobias to the U.S. means that bass players can be assured of the highest level of quality control and, more important, they can look forward to a new era of innovation and refinement of bass designs from Tobias."

Tobias basses offer a wide range of tone qualities and voicings from different tone woods. Because they employ a neck-thru-body design, the composition of the neck also plays a critical role in the tone. By combining different soft and hard woods, the sound is tailored to the needs of the player, making for an extremely versatile instrument. Tobias basses are fitted with highly respected Bartolini electronics, and Bill Bartolini is working with Tobias to design new pickups for the U.S. models.

The first Tobias basses were made by luthier Mike Tobias in Orlando in 1977 and sold through his store, The Guitar Shop, later in California. The Tobias company joined the Gibson family in 1990, and production was moved to Nashville in 1992. The new USA Tobias basses will be made in a facility previously used for Baldwin grand piano production; Baldwin was acquired by Gibson in 2001. The Toby line of basses, modeled after the Tobias line and produced overseas since the mid 1990s, will continue to be offered through Gibson's internet-based direct sales division, Musicyo.com.