For those looking for an HSC that fits these basses I can confirm the Gator has one that fits perfectly and also keeps the headstock off the floor of the case.
Gator GC-ELEC-XL Deluxe ABS Molded Case for Extra Long Baritone Guitar
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Epiphone Newport shortscale
- Thread starter Crobybass
- Start date
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- bass epiphone newport
For those looking for an HSC that fits these basses I can confirm the Gator has one that fits perfectly and also keeps the headstock off the floor of the case.
Gator GC-ELEC-XL Deluxe ABS Molded Case for Extra Long Baritone Guitar
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,139
- 256,325
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Thanks for this.
It's a bass I want, but will need to take a hard pass on if it isn't really playable out of the box with a routine setup.
This fits perfectly as does the Fender gig bag.
Gator GC-ELEC-XL Deluxe ABS Molded Case for Extra Long Baritone Guitar
Fender FB610 Electric Bass Gig Bag
Just remember mine was a DEMO and probably a customer return so needed work. Not all may be as bad as mine was. Just make sure that if you buy one you get it from a place that has a liberal return policy and if you can't get it set up out of a box the way you like it then obviously return it. Like I said some reviews had setup issues. Lobster had a bad experience similar to mine with the high action and nut.
Johnnie Dibble also had a similar experience
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,139
- 256,325
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Followed this bass and owners' receptions since its introduction because it is such an intriguing design to me. Too many thumbs down on QC in every quarter makes me look elsewhere. Which is kind of too bad because of all the (imagined?) potential cut short by RL experiences. Delighted for those who got a good one!
As one with neither the tools nor skills to put a bass like this on its feet tells me this is big ask from Epiphone for potential customers. Not worth the risk (and headaches of the whole return ritual) for me, personally.
Still want one, though, and it'll probably stay in that column for a while.
I have one for sale in the classifieds here. It's in excellent shape and set up nicely. All of the issues with the factory setup have been dealt with. It's a great bass I just prefer more typical fender tones.
- Oct 22, 2015
- 21,139
- 256,325
- Disclosures
- I am an affiliate for Ari Cap.
Wow, that's nice in every way. My immediate priorities are necessarily elsewhere, unfortunately. Or fortunately for a lucky buyer.
I did a bit More work on mine today. Changed out the strings. I replaced the crappy stock strings with a set of Ernie Ball regular slinky medium scale 45 to 105. No issues they fit the bass perfectly. I was concerned about them fitting the nut but they were fine. The winding and ball end of the E was a bit tight going into the tailpiece but not bad enough to require any filing. After installing them I just needed a tiny little bit of readjustment of the truss rod due to tension and to reset the intonation. That was it period. The sound is much improved as is the overall "feel" of the bass.
My Newport fit in the hard shell case case for the Embassy. The head stock obviously doesn't go all the way to the top and its a snug fit for the body. But it works if you want a hard shell case.
So question for the folks who have swapped out the sidewinder’s ceramic 8 magnet for an alnico 5; how much will this change the tone?
I’m torn because on one hand I’ve had the frets leveled and crowned, I’ve had a spacer installed under the pickup cover to push the magnet further from the strings, and while the fret buzz is no longer audible through an amp, it still buzzes on the neck more than I’d like when I dig in. I’m also getting a little chorus-y tone from the higher notes on the E-string. This really makes me want to try swapping out the sidewinder magnet like some here have done with their Newports.
On the other hand, I really love the sound of this pickup. The attack of each note has this authoritative thump that sounds and feels so tangibly physical. None of my other basses make a sound quite like this and I’d hate for it to lose that character. How can I expect the tone to change if I go through with the magnet swap?
All the typical issues aside, now that I’ve had a ton of work done on the bass to address them, I gotta say I love this thing. It feels great, sounds great, and is so much fun to play that it’s hard to put down. As much of a pain in the you-know-what it’s been getting this thing right, I’m thinking it’s been absolutely worth the trouble so far.
I’m torn because on one hand I’ve had the frets leveled and crowned, I’ve had a spacer installed under the pickup cover to push the magnet further from the strings, and while the fret buzz is no longer audible through an amp, it still buzzes on the neck more than I’d like when I dig in. I’m also getting a little chorus-y tone from the higher notes on the E-string. This really makes me want to try swapping out the sidewinder magnet like some here have done with their Newports.
On the other hand, I really love the sound of this pickup. The attack of each note has this authoritative thump that sounds and feels so tangibly physical. None of my other basses make a sound quite like this and I’d hate for it to lose that character. How can I expect the tone to change if I go through with the magnet swap?
All the typical issues aside, now that I’ve had a ton of work done on the bass to address them, I gotta say I love this thing. It feels great, sounds great, and is so much fun to play that it’s hard to put down. As much of a pain in the you-know-what it’s been getting this thing right, I’m thinking it’s been absolutely worth the trouble so far.
Has anybody swapped out the TB bridge pickup on the new Newport with a EB-3 style "mini-bucker" bridge pu that was on the original Newport Deluxe?
I’ve replaced the stock 250k blend pot with one that’s 500k and I’m still finding the Chromes on my Newport to be darker than I’d like. Anyone have any insight on what the brightest medium-scale flats may be? I’m thinking this bass would be an excellent excuse to try EB Cobalt flats but they don’t seem to be available in medium scale. It would be great to stick with a .045-.100 gauge, too.
Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound short-scale strings are wound longer than others, at 32.5" ball-end to headstock silk. Are you sure it wouldn't be enough for your Newport? How long is the string path, from stopbar to nut?
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,633
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- John K Custom Basses
Tolerances alone may or may not take care of measurements being so dangerously close. In case they do not:
- silk can be shaven back a skosh, so as to remove it from where the string (still at full gauge) sits in the nut slots;
- if you keep them raised (pencil under the strings at the 1st fret) and uptuned a half-step for a week or so, strings will stretch a little (1/8-1/4").
Thinking I want to try Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats on my Newport. IME this bass really wants medium scale strings, so I’m not sure if I should get short scale or long scale Cobalts. Anyone know?
The bass is so dark and mellow with the Chromes on there now, I’d really like to get a more aggressive sound from it while remaining with flats.
The bass is so dark and mellow with the Chromes on there now, I’d really like to get a more aggressive sound from it while remaining with flats.
My 1965 Newport Bass, completely gutted and refinished sunburst before I bought it last year; only original parts to the bass are the pickguard and pickguard screws (bought from the same guy I got the bass from);
Replacement parts:
-1970's DiMarzio Model One pickup (wired parallel, less output than series, but also a lot less muddy),
-1970's-80's Schaller M4 tuners, and
-1980's Dunlop Strap-locks,
-New Hipshot 2-point Gibson bass bridge
-Newer electronics and knobs.
What flat wound bass strings would anyone on here recommend? The ones I had on it were Gibson short-scale flatwounds, but I either cut them too short or I got the wrong length (the silk of the strings is right at the nut, but should be past it by at least an inch), thinking since they're a short-scale set, they work for this bass, but the scale length of this bass is 30.5 inches, as opposed to a standard 30 inch short scale bass. Thanks in advance.
Replacement parts:
-1970's DiMarzio Model One pickup (wired parallel, less output than series, but also a lot less muddy),
-1970's-80's Schaller M4 tuners, and
-1980's Dunlop Strap-locks,
-New Hipshot 2-point Gibson bass bridge
-Newer electronics and knobs.
What flat wound bass strings would anyone on here recommend? The ones I had on it were Gibson short-scale flatwounds, but I either cut them too short or I got the wrong length (the silk of the strings is right at the nut, but should be past it by at least an inch), thinking since they're a short-scale set, they work for this bass, but the scale length of this bass is 30.5 inches, as opposed to a standard 30 inch short scale bass. Thanks in advance.
