I just joined the MFD brigade! Thanks, fellow TB-er Roccobass!
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It wasn't the pink finish, nor the slender neck, what made it an easy sell was the coherence of the choice of specs: the combination might not be something commonly available, but the elements are nonetheless all working in the same direction. Someone wanting those cutesy looks is likely to be someone wanting something physically undemanding. Basses like that are readily available, but not with an MFD split pickup and a quartersawn neck. So it filled a niche.*Hey, not everyone likes pink basses with skinny little twig necks that take like a year to make it back to the shop….
Which is not say my imagination would ever be capable of repeating the feat: most of my G&L daydreams are much more self-indulgent, expensive combinations that I would love but which a retailer would be dismayed to be stuck with
*either that or 7 lb basses are so rare they can look like something out of a Heironymous Bosch painting and still fly out the doors
Just spotted a very nice and interesting SB-2 up for sale here - it has a 1⅝" neck and the added tone control.... which I guess makes it an SB-1B? an SB-1S? 
Is that Old School Tobacco, or 2TSB? Looks fantastic with the pearloid pg and the dark fretboard.
Is that Old School Tobacco, or 2TSB? Looks fantastic with the pearloid pg and the dark fretboard.
Just spotted a very nice and interesting SB-2 up for sale here - it has a 1⅝" neck and the added tone control.... which I guess makes it an SB-1B? an SB-1S?
View attachment 4478514
Is that Old School Tobacco, or 2TSB? Looks fantastic with the pearloid pg and the dark fretboard.
Just in time for the Thanksgiving table.
This is actually an SB-2TSN designating it has the Tone Suck Neutering control added which is what a stock SB-2 does to an SB-1 anyways. Actually it should be an SB-2DTSN for Double TSN. It's the bass equivalent of the speed governor on your vehicle where a stock SB-1 goes to 11 so get an SB-2 that sucks it down to 9 neuter it with the TSN control and take it down further to 7 which is also known as Getting A Gibson.
An before ya'll go off on "yeah but my Prius has a speed governor too and I can still (eventually) go over the posted speed limit" some of us keep an "ungoverned" vehicle in both stables.
Just spotted a very nice and interesting SB-2 up for sale here - it has a 1⅝" neck and the added tone control.... which I guess makes it an SB-1B? an SB-1S?
View attachment 4478514
Is that Old School Tobacco, or 2TSB? Looks fantastic with the pearloid pg and the dark fretboard.
doesn't look like old school tobacco. Old school doesn't have any black on it. It's similar to a honey burst with reddish outer edges.
LoveThatBass
Supporting Member
A No-Load Tone pot would be a better option if you have to have a tone controlJust in time for the Thanksgiving table.
This is actually an SB-2TSN designating it has the Tone Suck Neutering control added which is what a stock SB-2 does to an SB-1 anyways. Actually it should be an SB-2DTSN for Double TSN. It's the bass equivalent of the speed governor on your vehicle where a stock SB-1 goes to 11 so get an SB-2 that sucks it down to 9 neuter it with the TSN control and take it down further to 7 which is also known as Getting A Gibson.
An before ya'll go off on "yeah but my Prius has a speed governor too and I can still (eventually) go over the posted speed limit" some of us keep an "ungoverned" vehicle in both stables.
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Are you saying that turning the bridge pup off on an SB2 is noticeably different than not having the bridge pup at all?
or
Are you saying that a tone knob makes things worse?
When I got my SB2, I was certain that I would add a standard tone control. Then I played it (VV) and realized that it was "just right".
My very own Big Chonks has arrived.
Now the waiting game begins. 24:00:00.
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23:59:57
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Now the waiting game begins. 24:00:00.
23:59:59
23:59:58
23:59:57
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This is the moment that I've taken on board the distinction between Old School Tobacco Burst and straight Tobacco Burst, thank you
Now to work out how 2TSB differs fromTobacco Burst
Just in time for the Thanksgiving table.
This is actually an SB-2TSN designating it has the Tone Suck Neutering control added which is what a stock SB-2 does to an SB-1 anyways. Actually it should be an SB-2DTSN for Double TSN. It's the bass equivalent of the speed governor on your vehicle where a stock SB-1 goes to 11 so get an SB-2 that sucks it down to 9 neuter it with the TSN control and take it down further to 7 which is also known as Getting A Gibson.
An before ya'll go off on "yeah but my Prius has a speed governor too and I can still (eventually) go over the posted speed limit" some of us keep an "ungoverned" vehicle in both stables.
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svtbass, thanks for enhancing the sale of my SB-2T. I did build a 2 vol control harness sans the tone control, loved the simplicity, but for what I do I need to roll off the tone a bit. As far as "neutering" goes, none detected through my rig of doom. The bass is a custom order from 2001 with a 1 11/16" nut width, Loads of snarl with this one;^)
LoveThatBass
Supporting Member
I noticed the same when I got mine 2 days ago. If I ever do mod it to put a concentric volume control for both pickups I will use a No Load tone pot so it is electronically out of the circuit when at full 10 position resulting in absolutely no extra loading of the pickups.
Both. LTB's post about a no-load pot helps. On or off the bridge pickup is still loaded in the circuit and changes tone. Well documented in Paul Gagon's work.
LoveThatBass
Supporting Member
Yes, to electrically remove the bridge pickup from affecting the P pickup would require a Pot w/switch or add a small toggle switch. However that is one of the reasons that having to work without a tone control is the fact the J Bridge and P pickups interact with one another allowing small changes in tone by control of the volumes of the two. I personally do not find having the J pickup at zero (still affecting the P to some small degree to be a problem) But to be clear, if the Bridge Pickups volume is a zero it is not the pickup but it's pot that would be affecting the P style pickup as the pot's resistance would be at or very near zero ohms. I hear purists saying the same as you to be (at least for me) insignificant. I have a Fender P bass and even without the J on this bass the P isn't the same. It is much hotter and more "Piano" like in tone (with the strings that came on it,which I actually prefer
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I've been meaning to ask about the history of the 1 11/16" nut with G&L. I've seen the occasional reference to it, but not enough to get any kind of picture as to when it existed and on what models etc etc.
Now that the standard thinking of 1½" = J, 1⅝" = new P, 1¾" = old P is so establised, I find the way 1 7/16" + 1 9/16" + 1 11/16" have been forgotten fascinating.
I think I understand that 1 7/16" for the Jazz was well in the past long before G&L, but I get the impression that 1 11/16" was around in the early days. I know the EBMM use it currently, having previously had 1 5/8" as standard – was changing to 1 11/16" a return to the Stingray's pre-EBMM roots? And if so, what other CLF basses used it in the late 70s – early 80s?
Getting A Gibson.... aka G.A.G.Just in time for the Thanksgiving table.
This is actually an SB-2TSN designating it has the Tone Suck Neutering control added which is what a stock SB-2 does to an SB-1 anyways. Actually it should be an SB-2DTSN for Double TSN. It's the bass equivalent of the speed governor on your vehicle where a stock SB-1 goes to 11 so get an SB-2 that sucks it down to 9 neuter it with the TSN control and take it down further to 7 which is also known as Getting A Gibson.
An before ya'll go off on "yeah but my Prius has a speed governor too and I can still (eventually) go over the posted speed limit" some of us keep an "ungoverned" vehicle in both stables.
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I believe all G&L were 1 7/8" nuts at first. L1k, L2k, toro, and first gen SBs. Second gen SB2 was probably the first standard 1 1/2" nut. At some point in the mid to late 80s they started customizing. Ive seen one stock late 80s L2k with a 1 1/2" nut.
It seems that full on customization started in the early 90s BBE era.
It seems that full on customization started in the early 90s BBE era.
Pot loading is definitely a thing but the VV SB-2 is such a rippin bass stock it doesn't matter to me. I have no plan to add a tone pot to mine though.
So after checking out the boxes, and feeling that everything was fully up to room temperature…outer box, inner box, case, and bass inside….
I finally got to test out my new bass!
Sounds great, and looks great!!!
I finally got to test out my new bass!
Sounds great, and looks great!!!
I agree. In fact, the novelty of having a bass with no tone control has appealed to me since Timothy B. Schmit had his single-volume-control-jazz built by Carvin. I like a sound with good bottom end & good articulation, and I can get that with my SB-2. However, I prefer a bass with a master volume and was frustrated that changing a single volume control affected the tone and volume so much. I changed out one volume for a blend but wasn't satisfied with that. TDR1138 gave me the idea of swapping out one of the volumes for a stacked pot to control the individual pickup volumes, then running that signal into a master volume control. I get the best of both worlds...a master volume, yet still true to the SB-2's design. Or if you prefer to think of it that way, the stacked pot is a treble and bass control, and it has a single master volume. It's a monster of a bass. Here it is before I swapped out the pots:
LoveThatBass
Supporting Member
That is a beautiful bass! Is that a USA model? Or tribute? Mine is a tribute but it has the same hardware and pickups as the USA model. That is one of the cool things about the G&L vs. Other brands. They (Fender Standard and others) do not use the same pickups as the USA American models. The more I think of it the better your new setup with a Master Volume and a concentric dual pot for the two pickups seperate volumes sound good. I have the components already. Just wasn't sure whether to leave well enough alone or go with Concentric Dual pots for volumes and a no load tone pot. Now you through a "wrench" into the works giving another possibility. I will probably stew on it a few more days to determine the best avenue for me to go. Then again I may wake up tomorrow and do something. Just not sure yet. Thing is the inneraction between the two pickup's volume pots doesn't quite give me enough "tone" control for these rounds that it came with. I love the tone but hate the string noise, fret clack, excetera. I will probably put a new set of TI Jazz Flats on it and play it some before deciding.
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