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DO Gibson basses need to be played differently?

Peaveylover

Peaveylover

Inactive
Dec 6, 2019
1,169
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#1
Amateur bedroom player here. Fairly new to bass. Been playing a P bass. Just recently got an Epiphone Korina Explorer and an older Epiphone Flying V bass.

I immediately noticed when playing both these basses for the first time that they are "staccato machines." They simply don't have the same sustain the Fender does. The sound out of the Gibsons has a lot of attack and punch though. It seems like these Gibson type basses like to be played with a lighter touch and for slower music. Is that really the case or am I just doing something wrong? BOth these Gibsons just have a totally different feel from the Fender. Just want to make sure I'm not nuts.

Thanks!
 
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#3
Peaveylover said:
I immediately noticed when playing both these basses for the first time that they are "staccato machines." They simply don't have the same sustain the Fender does.
Click to expand...

You're not nuts; this is a consequence of body woods, bridge design, and to some extent construction methods. They really don't sound the same. They weren't intended to. I don't think you're doing anything wrong as such. But different basses do require a different touch!
 
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#6
Peaveylover said:
I immediately noticed when playing both these basses for the first time that they are "staccato machines." They simply don't have the same sustain the Fender does. The sound out of the Gibsons has a lot of attack and punch though. It seems like these Gibson type basses like to be played with a lighter touch and for slower music.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would think that those characteristics would make them useless in slow music.

anyway, I’ve never noticed any in this in any Gibson bass I’ve owned (10 to 15-ish), although they were mostly EB-3 and eb-0 basses.
 
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#8
If it has one of these, it would be my main suspect.
gibson 3 bolt bass bridge (2).jpg
 
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#13
Peaveylover said:
Amateur bedroom player here. Fairly new to bass. Been playing a P bass. Just recently got an Epiphone Korina Explorer and an older Epiphone Flying V bass.

I immediately noticed when playing both these basses for the first time that they are "staccato machines." They simply don't have the same sustain the Fender does. The sound out of the Gibsons has a lot of attack and punch though. It seems like these Gibson type basses like to be played with a lighter touch and for slower music. Is that really the case or am I just doing something wrong? BOth these Gibsons just have a totally different feel from the Fender. Just want to make sure I'm not nuts.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would say it’s not so much the bass, it’s how it’s EQ’d, the amp settings, as well as the strings would have more of an impact that the instruments themself. Using the same amp and EQ settings for both will magnify the differences, but by twisting the dials, you may be able to mitigate the differences.

That said, they are different instruments and one should expect some differences, even if they are the same instrument made by the same manufacturer but a different series. My son and I both have Fender MIA PJs but different series. Mine sounds more like a JB, and his sounds more like a PB.
 
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#14
Height of strings to the pickups, string brands, your playing style, and so on will contribute to the different sounds you hear. If the basses are not all setup (adjusted action and intonation), and strings are somewhat fresh, it's hard to compare anything here. With a good setup and newer strings, ANY bass will sound noticeably different and likely better than when you started. Nothing makes a bass sound like garbage faster than an old set of strings.

Have you changed out the Explorer strings yet?
 
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#15
Check pick up height. Not sure if you adjusted it at all. From my observations, and someone please correct me if I am wrong, the strings on a GSO with tend to sit further away from from the body as you move towards the bridge. Gibson fingerboards aren't coplanar with the top of the body like Fenders are (neck relief and FB radius notwithstanding). What may look like correct pickup height, in relation to the body, for a Fender may not be for a Gibson.
 
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#16
Peaveylover said:
I immediately noticed when playing both these basses for the first time that they are "staccato machines." They simply don't have the same sustain the Fender does.
Click to expand...

Put a fresh set of rounds on them; unless there's something wrong with your particular bass, they should have decent sustain. My guess is you have dead strings.

And yes, that Explorer you need to play differently. For starters, you need a lot more room on stage. That thing is huge!
 
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