The Gibson Victory Standard was launched in 1981 along with the active Artist and a year later Custom model. The Standard was a passive instrument, sporting one humbucking pickup, volume and tone controls and a series/parallel switch. It was available in Silver, Candy Apple Red, Ebony and Antique Gold finishes until 1986. Eastern rock maple body, laminate maple bolt-on neck, rosewood fingerboard, one humbucker. 34 1/2 inch scale.

Need to see under the scratchplate? Gibson Victory circuit photos | Victory Standard schematic

The Victory Standard was equipped with one type VIIIB humbucker in a central position. This humbucker was slightly different from those used in the Victory Artist, in that the windings were of a smaller diameter - in order to "produce more mid-range and presence". The Victory range was fitted with a new bridge TRI-4 wedge bridge, and previously unused Gotah open gear machine heads.

Sound Clips

These sound clips are recorded directly into a mobilepre preamp. Recorded with round wound strings. Pickups volumes on 10. There are two distinct pickup modes on the Victory Standard bass, coils in series which gives the "most powerful, fatest sound", and coils in parallel which gives a "clean, piano bass tone". See the pickups and Victory Standard Controls sections of the 1981 Victory owners manual for more on this.

• Maple bright.
  all settings on full. Coils in parallel - played with a pick
• More brightness
  all settings on full. Coils in parallel - played fingerstyle
• Still more brightness
  all settings on full. Coils in series - played with a pick
• Gibson bolt-on mellow
  all settings on full. Coils in series - played fingerstyle
• My favourite - Super mellow
  tone on 0. Coils in series - played fingerstyle

You can compare these soundclips to the other Victory bass models on the Victory bass soundclip page