Sidewinder Pick-Up on EB-O bass (admin?)

[Dietrich]

Hello,

 

I was hoping for some general information on the Sidewinder pick-up. Maybe a company person can help? (I sent the question to Gibson/Epi but no one replied).

 

Is this pu unique to the EB models? Is it used on any other bass? What is a suitable replacement (if one were so inclined)?

 

Any info at all on the Sidewinder would be appreciated. Next to nothing, and nothing useful, comes up with a Google search.

 

Thx,

 

~Dietrich.

[Freuds_cat]

Hi Dietrich I haven't heard of anyone being successful in buying new replacement Gibophone bass pickups from the company yet.

There are a few after market options for Mudbuckers available though.

ARTEC and GOTOH come to mind and a few other no names that come up on fleabay occasionally or even Epiphone/ Gibson pups that have been swapped out for whatever else someone had in mind.

 

Here is a thread on Vintage Guitars about the ARTEC Sidewinder (Mudbucker)

http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1627

 

and here

 

http://www.lindersson.se/BASS/jazz_mudbucker.htm

 

The no namers here:

 

http://www.allparts.com/store/pickups-bass-pickups-pu-0416-010,Product.asp

 

 

MUDBUCKER thread on Talk Bass:

 

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446432&highlight=mudbucker

 

 

GOTOH Mudbucker

 

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/bpickup_aftermarket.htm

 

I stress I have NOT tried the Gotoh pup but other Gotoh stuff like bridges and tuners I've found to be top quality.

[Dietrich]

Wow, thanks a lot!

 

I had never heard the term 'mudbucker', and some googling (and your links) gave me a better understanding of it. Like a lot of things, some like it, some don't.

 

I do like the sound of my EB-O. I own a couple of the cheapest Epi guitars, and they have their good, even great points. But my EB-O bass, for a little over 200 dollars (a few years back) seems to be a quality piece of work. The logo is inlaid, not a decal. The construction is rock solid, the tuners have never, never, ever given me any problems ('cept for a rogue screw that needed to be adjusted), and it plays so well! I have, and have had other basses, and I have bass playing friends with 'better' basses. They are surprised at mine, and have even asked to borrow it (once for live, once for recording).

 

I didn't question the pickup. I like the sound of the bass. But after taking the cover off once, I saw the thing, and thought "what's this monstrosity!?" It is a strange looking contraption, at least in my experience with guitar pickups.

 

If I ever do replace it, it would have to be with something that fits (of course), and it would have to upgrade the bass in general. No complaints with it now, as I said, but I doubt that Epi puts in the absolute top-notch pickups in a 200$ + bass, right? If someone made the same but better (I see you mentioned Gotoh- good reputation in general there, I think), I would consider trying it.

 

I ordered the Gibson SG Reissue bass a couple of years ago. It came to the shop brand new... with old, used strings (wounds broken in places!), and a really bad set-up right out of the box. The guy at the shop replaced the strings, set it up, and I played both it and my own EB-O side by side. It was really tough to 'feel' a difference, although the sounds were different. I'm sure the Gibson is better wood, better quality in general... but not to the extent that I wanted to pay almost $1600 dollars for it, at the time. Maybe someday.

 

Long story there. But thanks again for the information. I'm keeping this bass, and would feel good about upgrading any little things I can, in the future.

 

More thoughts on this later, maybe.

 

Cheers!

 

~Dietrich.

[Dietrich]

Oh, I should add that I didn't end up buying the SG Reissue bass. I decided to stick with my EB-O, obviously.

 

I feel a pang of guilt though, when I see that black SG Reissue still hanging on the shop wall. It's like running into an ex-girlfriend in the mall.... "Oh... hello. Um, you're looking well."

 

I figure I'll buy it anyway, someday.

[Freuds_cat]

Dont ever make the mistake of thinking that because one instrument says Gibson (Made in USA) and another says Epiphone (By Gibson made in Asia) that this is a way of telling a quality instrument from a sub-quality instrument.

 

I have played a few Gibsons in my time that were total dogs. (A certain $3500 Thunderbird recently comes to mind). And I have played a few less than palatable Epis as well.

 

Dont get me wrong I have also played a lot of Gibsons and Epis that are absolutely fantastic.

 

BUT! and here is the irony......

 

The 2 Epiphone Basses that I own are both Korean from the UnSung Factory and are the only basses that I have ever owned which have not had to have pickups replaced. The pups in these 2 basses are very consistent tonaly and both sound great.

 

 

Allen Woody Bass

 

 

 

Explorer Bass

 

[Dietrich]

Hey again,

 

No, I've learned enough to not trust a name on a headstock, alone.

 

The SG Reissue bass (once properly set up) was a very nice instrument, as far as my needs go anyway. And as I said, the pros for this were probably better wood, better electrics, better resale value (although if I buy a bass, I plan to keep it, at least initially, so resale value isn't a concern to me).

 

But it certainly didn't feel over a thousand dollars better! I played it next to my EB-O, and almost didn't have a preference (other than the appeal of a new Gibson in my hands).

 

For the price of the Gibson, I expected to be really impressed. Instead, I was a bit impressed. And that wasn't enough to make me reach for the wallet.

 

As for the pickups in my EB-O, I have no complaints... but then again, I currently have no day-to-day comparison either. If I had a good replacement for the sidewinder (and hey, thanks again for the links!), I might drop it in and see. I like this bass so much that I'm willing to upgrade some of the parts. Sometimes you like what you have, until you hear an alternative. That was the case with my friend's SG (guitar)... He was fine with the stock pickups until he tried some of the affordable GFS replacements. Then he never went back to stock.

 

Thanks again for the advice,

 

~D.