Show your basses!

[MrNylon]

I liked the sound of the T-Bird, but something didn't feel right as I played it.

[MrNylon]

I wish Gibson would turn out a Fretless. A Sterling by Music Man, Ray34CAFL.

[MrNylon]

A fretless is a bit of a different feel on the board, but nice.

[Kelvinator]

Cool fretless gsg I played a fretless in the 80's and loved it, but just being a weekend warrior now, I don't think I could devote enough practice time to really play one well . It would be fun to try though!

[MrNylon]

Cool fretless gsg I played a fretless in the 80's and loved it, but just being a weekend warrior now, I don't think I could devote enough practice time to really play one well . It would be fun to try though!

 

Thanks Kelv. I know what ya' mean. I've played fretless for so long, in a way I almost don't notice that the fretless don't have the "Speed bumps on them."

[MrNylon]

I dropped the T-Bird, and the Sterling, for an Am. Std. Precision, and a GL Jazz to go along with the SG Std.

[MrNylon]

I'm replacing the SG Std. I sold recently, with this SG Std. It should be in Monday. I really like the grain in the body.

[Searcy]

Picked up this little number last Monday at Fanny's House of Music in Nashville. It's a 75 or 76 Alder body that's barely been played. Only think it's missing is the original chicken head knob but I have one of those somewhere around here.

 

[MrNylon]

Picked up this little number last Monday at Fanny's House of Music in Nashville. It's a 75 or 76 Alder body that's barely been played. Only think it's missing is the original chicken head knob but I have one of those somewhere around here.

 

 

WOW! Nice man. That's a great score.

[MrNylon]

2015 SG Std.

[Searcy]

2015 SG Std.

 

 

What do you think of that new bridge? I can't get the stock bridge on the new Ripper low enough for my taste and was thinking of getting one of those or the HipShot to replace it.

[Searcy]

I like it on the SG Std., and T-Bird I played. There looks to be a plate that is about 1/8", between the bridge, and the body. I'm not taking mine off to see if it's detachable from the bridge, but here's what it looks like on the SG Std.

 

 

I looked them up and can see on the web that the shim plate is removable. I may have to hunt one down.

[Kelvinator]

What do you think of that new bridge? I can't get the stock bridge on the new Ripper low enough for my taste and was thinking of getting one of those or the HipShot to replace it.

 

I had the same problem with my '72 EB3-L due to the neck angle. I tried the Hipshot (off my SG) and that was actually higher than the 3-point. I thought about getting another Supertone and having it milled down, but the Babics did the trick - without the shim. The only problem I had was with the threads in my inserts; on the EB3-L they are 5/16-24 unc, the bolts provided are 5/16-18 unc. I am very impressed with the Babics - it actually does what they say it will: better tone, excellent sustain, and I was able to get the action very low. You'll hear the difference this bridge makes before you even plug it in!

 

[Searcy]

I had the same problem with my '72 EB3-L due to the neck angle. I tried the Hipshot (off my SG) and that was actually higher than the 3-point. I thought about getting another Supertone and having it milled down, but the Babics did the trick - without the shim. The only problem I had was with the threads in my inserts; on the EB3-L they are 5/16-24 unc, the bolts provided are 5/16-18 unc. I am very impressed with the Babics - it actually does what they say it will: better tone, excellent sustain, and I was able to get the action very low. You'll hear the difference this bridge makes before you even plug it in!

 

 

Thanks for the information. I think you just sold one.

[stein]

Gibson Basses. Under-rated and forgotten, in my humble can't-play-bass-well opinion.

 

Just one question:

 

Wouldn't an "SG bass" actually be called an "SB"?

 

You know, "Solid Guitar" (SG) would be "Solid Bass"? As opposed to "Solid Guitar Bass"?

[neepheid]

Gibson Basses. Under-rated and forgotten, in my humble can't-play-bass-well opinion.

 

Just one question:

 

Wouldn't an "SG bass" actually be called an "SB"?

 

You know, "Solid Guitar" (SG) would be "Solid Bass"? As opposed to "Solid Guitar Bass"?

 

Confusingly enough, Gibson have issued basses under that name in the past: http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/SB.php

[Beate]

I just picked up a Gibson Les Paul Junior Doublecut Bass. They made these in a limited run in 2011, and you hardly ever see them.

 

Another one. I like it better than the SGs, but i do not like the pickups.

 

 

 

So i am modding the electrics. Plan: 3 custom pickups from bassculture in Germany, two of them under the large cover. Minihumbucker a hot thunderbucker with 2 blade magnets and 7.5 k, neck a darkstar alike single coil with ceramic magnets, very bright and transparent sound, and planned a cousin with a fat sound which can be darkend by a capacitor to get that EB-3 vibe. Sitcheable by a for way switch replacing one of the pots. Except for the Hiphot Supertone i installed in the meantime and the metal knobs optically unchanged - and that is essential for me: all mods shall be reversible.

 

Here a recent photo also showing a DIY SG bass which is still unfinished:

 

 

Here a few others:

 

 

An Epi 1960s EB-3, shortscale, heavily modded, and a PT tribute SG:

 

 

My interpretation of an RD:

 

[Kelvinator]

Another one. I like it better than the SGs, but i do not like the pickups.

 

 

 

So i am modding the electrics. Plan: 3 custom pickups from bassculture in Germany, two of them under the large cover. Minihumbucker a hot thunderbucker with 2 blade magnets and 7.5 k, neck a darkstar alike single coil with ceramic magnets, very bright and transparent sound, and planned a cousin with a fat sound which can be darkend by a capacitor to get that EB-3 vibe. Sitcheable by a for way switch replacing one of the pots. Except for the Hiphot Supertone i installed in the meantime and the metal knobs optically unchanged - and that is essential for me: all mods shall be reversible.

 

Some nice basses there! Glad to see another Gibson fan here that isn't afraid to MODIFY!!

 

I didn't know that "Dark Stars" were still available - or is the "Thunderbucker" a copy?. I've always wanted a pair!

[Beate]

I didn't know that "Dark Stars" were still available - or is the "Thunderbucker" a copy?. I've always wanted a pair!

 

No, the Darkstar is not available any more. But Curtis Novak makes his own Bisonic clone, and he even makes one fitting invisibly into the Gibson cavity. BTW: Bisonics are more or less P90s for bass + that complicated mechanics for pole adjustment. As i am from Germany, i prefer custom pickups from German makers like Harry Häussel (the MM in the V), David Barfuss (Thunderbuckers for the RD) and Christoph Dolf/Bassculture for the Mini and the experimental stuff i cannot build (i do only LowZ-pickups by myself).

 

My custom pickup uses fixed steel poles and to narrow ceramic magnets. Not too different from one single coil of the original TBPlus, which has a steel blade but a lot cleaner and hotter. The pickup is pretty narrow, shape is similar to that of the very first 7ender bass pickup. This leaves plenty of space for a 3rd pickup under that large cover.

 

The Thunderbucker is a clone of the first T-bird pickup from the 60s: Alnico magnets as blades of a bobbin. The RD artist inspired bass on my photo uses a pair - the red one - of those, just in a standard humbucker form factor. And i had custom ordered 2 similar pickups in a standard minihumbucker housing. They are a bit more aggressive than normal T-Bird pickups, but sound great. Basses: the EB-11 and the white EB-3. The golden SG will get self made low Z pickups - again a bit P90/Bisonic alike but with fat steel poles and Neodymium magnets.

[HEADKNOCKER]

Nice Basses Guys!!

I played a SG Bass with babics bridge a few weeks ago & unplugged you could hear the difference against the same guitar with the older three point style..NICE!!

 

Gonna post a few pics of my Basses but you guys don't really wanna see my Charvel & Ibanez anyhow..

 

Ibanez SR300

1987 Charvel 3B

[Beate]

Some nice basses there! Glad to see another Gibson fan here that isn't afraid to MODIFY!!

 

Here some internals of my modified EB-11:

 

 

The bridge pickup is a custom Thunderbucker-like mini humbucker with 15 kOhms and Alnico magnets as blades.

In the neck position there are two pickups under the large cover: a stacked Neodymium-humbucker, also with a blade, and a more 7ender-like split coil humbucker (SC) with fat Alnico rods.

You also see the pickup selector - a 4 position switch: SC + 10 nF, Neo with lowcut filter, SC+Bridge, Bridge.

 

The volume has a fairly elaborate treble bleed circuit which almost retains the sound of the pot in max position.

[Kelvinator]

Here some internals of my modified EB-11:

 

 

The bridge pickup is a custom Thunderbucker-like mini humbucker with 15 kOhms and Alnico magnets as blades.

In the neck position there are two pickups under the large cover: a stacked Neodymium-humbucker, also with a blade, and a more 7ender-like split coil humbucker (SC) with fat Alnico rods.

You also see the pickup selector - a 4 position switch: SC + 10 nF, Neo with lowcut filter, SC+Bridge, Bridge.

 

The volume has a fairly elaborate treble bleed circuit which almost retains the sound of the pot in max position.

 

You certainly put a lot of thought into those mods... Very interesting!

[Beate]

You certainly put a lot of thought into those mods... Very interesting!

 

Thanks. It is still a work in progress, as the analogous modification of my Epiphone 1960s EB-3 is, but i hope that most of the large changes has been done and only some fine tuning remains. But as You know, the final 10% makeup 90% of the work.

 

That bass actually has a potential which can only partially be used with the original setup. In direct comparison i found the EB-11 superior to its cousin, the SG bass - more punch, esspecially in the lows.

 

My goal is to be able to have a really wide range of tones in one instrument - punchy rock tone with good attack, the deep and fat tone of a real mudbucker for vintage rock sounds (cream, stones, ...), and in addition this bell like yet very clear and crisp acoustic tone offered by all those D'Armond/ Bisonic / P90-alike pickups even in the extreme neck position. Maybe even getting a sound suitable for occasional slapping (the tone pot needs to be made switchable for this) - and all that using string like the GHS Brite Flats, which look and sound great on this bass.

 

All that easily and reproducably accessible.

[Kelvinator]

Thanks. It is still a work in progress, as the analogous modification of my Epiphone 1960s EB-3 is, but i hope that most of the large changes has been done and only some fine tuning remains. But as You know, the final 10% makeup 90% of the work.

 

It's always rewarding when when a project works out so well... even with the last 10% to go!

[Bassilisk]

I didn't know that "Dark Stars" were still [/size]available - or is the "Thunderbucker" a copy?. I've always wanted a pair!

 

Hey Kelvinator! I was passing through and caught this post. You are in luck!!!

 

Guild to the rescue...