Michael Tobias may have moved on to form MTD, but Gibson still retains the rights to produce basses under the Tobias name. . . and produce them they shall, even if in limited numbers. To wit, the new Gibson Tobias Growler Limited Run 2009.

The Growler was the "low-cost" model in the Gibson-owned Tobias line, dude to its bolt-on neck (as opposed to neck-through) design. The bass still ripped, however, and it's been pretty faithfully resurrected as part of the one-two punch of this month's Gibson Limited Run entry (the other being the Gibson Les Paul Florentine w/ Bigsby. . . but we'll get to that later).

The basic features that made the Growler such a standout are still intact, especially in the electronics department. Observe the Bartolini Quad-Coil active pickup, a monster of tone and flexibility. Combined with a pickup blend control that sweeps between each of the pickup's four coils, this single-pickup arrangement is capable of a surprisingly wide array of tones. Also on-board is a volume control and three-band EQ.

Gibson doesn't merely leave well-enough alone, however. The Limited Run edition of the Growler has given them the opportunity to enact some subtle improvements, starting with the neck joint. The classic bolt-on, while stable, is now made even more so with a glued-in joint, greatly improving the bass's sustain. The neck's truss rod is now bi-directional, good news for those curious about experimenting with action that goes both ways.

Finally, the Limited Run Growler benefits from Gibson's use of the PLEK computer-controlled setup-system for a flawless FJ*, every time.

The Gibson Tobias Growler Limited Run Five-string Bass is available now, with an MSRP of $3,053 US.

*fret job