Production of Tobias electric basses has returned to the United States with a new line handcrafted in Conway, Ark.
Originally made in 1977 by luthier Mike Tobias in Orlando, Fla., and later sold through his California-based Guitar Shop, the Tobias Co. became part of Gibson Musical Instruments Corp. in 1990. Production was moved to Nashville in 1992; Tobias basses were later manufactured in upstate New York and, most recently, Asia.
The new Tobias basses, which feature Bartolini electronics, exotic wood combinations and neck-through-body construction, will be made in the facility previously used for production of Baldwin grand pianos. Baldwin, which was acquired by Gibson in 2001, now manufactures pianos in Trumann, Ark.