Dead string

[dode-boy]

Hi all,

 

Been lurking awhile. Nice forum.

 

Just got an SG bass; love it, but am troubled by the low E: sounds dead, lots of un-musical overtones. Did a rudimentary setup; changed strings; still just a thunk where all the other string really sing.

 

In fact, an interesting thing I've heard about these basses is that the output is supposed to be really high. Not so here: my Jazz bass is louder.

 

Any wisdom? Did I get a clunker? Pole piece adjustment? new pickup (!)?

 

Love it; just wish the bass string sang a bit more.

 

Cheers and thanks in advance,

dode

[Basshole]

SB basses are known for there muddy bass tone, the pick up is located to close to the bridge to really get any compressed tone out of it. They sound good when you play with a pick. Other than that, they are not a very responsive bass, don't try to emulate Jaco Pastoruis or anything. The bass is a good player, short scale neck and some what decent girth to it.

[Lungimsam]

Look at the winding of the string at the bridge saddle.

Is the winding sitting on the saddle? If so, this will deaden the sound, according to one poster. He tried a different set that laid the string on the saddles with no windings touching and the strings had great life and definition after that.

 

Also, try slackening the string all the way. Then grab string between thumb and forefinger and push the ball end out of the bridge an inch, letting the string spin out any twist it may have had when strung. Put it back inplace and retune. This can profoundly effect string sound if not spun out prior to tuning up when installed, or so I have been told.

[bassballs]

Also, try slackening the string all the way. Then grab string between thumb and forefinger and push the ball end out of the bridge an inch, letting the string spin out any twist it may have had when strung. Put it back inplace and retune. This can profoundly effect string sound if not spun out prior to tuning up when installed, or so I have been told.

 

This was the trix I used on my SG Bass, When it came from Gibson the E string was dull and dead, and the string was in fact twisted, so after doing as Lungimsam describes, the sound was back on the E string.

[Golem]

`

 

 

SB basses are known for there muddy bass tone,

the pick up is located to close to the bridge

to really get any compressed tone out of it.

`

Huh ? Are there SG's without any bridge PU ?

The bridge PU on my SG will bury a shredding

geetard, overwhelm a drumber, and leap tall

buildings in a single bound !

 

The main purpose of the mudbucker at the neck

seems to be just for adding some wooly bottom

to the piercing voice of the minibucker at the

bridge. I have the half-maple body, but I play

flats [D'A Chromes]. I removed the OEM RW's

as soon as I got it home.

 

Never forget nor ignore that Gibson has never

known anything about basses .... that any good

ones [like the SG's] are pure accident .... and

so they'll ship an ax with dead strings, PU's at

the wrong height, etc. So ..... make sure that

the E-string saddle isn't in backwards. The flat

side should face neck.

 

Also, you can adjust the break angle across the

saddles by tilting the bridge. If you have the rear

edge of the bridge too high, you have very little

break angle. If the rear is too high, the string pull

can pry the sockets loose from the body, which

is uncool for your tone and your tuning stability.

 

 

 

`