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Here's my entry, my 2013 SG Faded bass. I installed a Supertone bridge, Gibby speed knobs and pointers, and Schaller strap locks. I found it as a NOS model at one of my local shops a few weeks ago, and paid $600 for it. Win
!! Totally different vibe than my Fender P and Epi Jack Casady basses. It's got a comfy, fast playing neck, nice low action, and it weighs under 8lbs. The satin neck is already starting to develop a little bit of a shine up to around the 9th fret, and I imagine the finish will start to buff-polish on the arm contour fairly soon. I may even buff the body a bit to shine it up a little. Thanks for looking!
!! Totally different vibe than my Fender P and Epi Jack Casady basses. It's got a comfy, fast playing neck, nice low action, and it weighs under 8lbs. The satin neck is already starting to develop a little bit of a shine up to around the 9th fret, and I imagine the finish will start to buff-polish on the arm contour fairly soon. I may even buff the body a bit to shine it up a little. Thanks for looking!
So did you notice any difference in sound between the stock bridge and the new one?Here's my entry, my 2013 SG Faded bass. I installed a Supertone bridge, Gibby speed knobs and pointers, and Schaller strap locks. I found it as a NOS model at one of my local shops a few weeks ago, and paid $600 for it. Win
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To my ear, the notes sound a bit fuller, and the E string sounds better than it did with the 3-point bridge. I still think I'm going to go with the neck pup swap, though, because the E-string still isn't as prominent as the other strings. I'm going to use this bass exclusively now thru the weekend (including a band rehearsal) before making the final decision, because I am liking how the neck pup sounds overall. I may fiddle with the individual pole piecs again, too. I do notice that the bridge pup sounds full across all 4 strings, FWIW.
I've been playing this bass a lot since I bought it, and I've been learning how it sits differently in the mix than my P bass. I also love how it doesn't sound like my P bass, and is a different animal all together.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
My EB-2 has been joined by a 2013 EB, and now a 1991 Thunderbird is on its way. No matter what else wanders through, I always seem to come back to either Epiphones or Gibsons. It has nothing to do with the company, any like or dislike of Henry, or anything else. They fit me. I like the Precision, and it's a keeper, but everything else is going.
I'm like that with Fenders, but my last 2 bass purchases have been a Jack Casady bass and the SG. I had an Epi T-Bird classic in white, but I just didn't gel with it the way I initially thought ai did. Those modern EB Basses are really nice, though. I had one but didn't keep it (mistake!). Too bad they were discontinued, because it was a big departure for Gibson, with a lot of nice features. They also seemed to be fairly lightweight, too. Mine was under 8lbs, and the couple others I tried were similar weight.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
My Gibson thing may be because the EB-2 has been my bass since the very early 1980s. I have gotten used to having bass guitars sit with the neck pointed more at the ceiling than at the horizon like a Fender does. The EB-2 likes being more vertical than horizontal, and so do Thunderbirds when I play them. The EB sits more like a Fender, so I moved the strap pin from the upper horn to the base of the neck, and now it hangs a bit more vertically, like I like it. It's currently the one I play most, although that may change when the Thunderbird gets here. The other Thunderbird is fretless, so it's got more limited applications in the stuff I play. Fretless usually means DB, not BG. For what its worth, the fretless is an Epiphone, not a Gibson. I'm not sure I would have the guts to defret a bass that costs as much as a Gibson.
I tried Rics, and although I like them well enough, they didn't get played when there was a Gibson around. There always is a Gibson around these days. Same with the Japanese hollowbody. It's fun, but why have it to collect dust? The Precision is fun to play, but it also proved that Fenders don't fit quite right. I really don't like my brother's Jazz basses. They don't feel quite right or sound quite right. That's backwards from a lot of people, but it's a big world.
I tried Rics, and although I like them well enough, they didn't get played when there was a Gibson around. There always is a Gibson around these days. Same with the Japanese hollowbody. It's fun, but why have it to collect dust? The Precision is fun to play, but it also proved that Fenders don't fit quite right. I really don't like my brother's Jazz basses. They don't feel quite right or sound quite right. That's backwards from a lot of people, but it's a big world.
Agreed. I loved Jazz basses for quite a while, but the wider P neck just feels better, and I like the P sound better, too. Nothing wrong with a differing opinion!
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
And that's one of those things that's odd about my preferences. Give me a baseball bat, and I'm happy. Gibson necks are never, ever baseball bats, but I love 'em anyway. Nobody says you have to be consistent!
Jazz necks always feel flattened out to my hands, like road kill.
It took me a while to realize that a wider neck works better for me. My P bass is an American Special, and it has the slim-C profile, which is a little flatter, but still the 1.625" width. Uber-comfy. The SG has a nicely rounded neck with slightly narrower nut but flatter fb radius, so it also fits neicely in my hand. It's the little things that make the difference, and it's probably why I didn't like the feel of the Epi T-bird's neck.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
T-Bird necks are about the same between a Gibson and an Epi, unless you are talking about a bolt-on Epi T-Bird. I had one of those and it had perhaps my favorite neck of all time. It was an absolute log. It was 1.75" at the nut, and big and round to go with it. My P has a 1.75" wide neck, and although it is fairly thick, it's not big and round like the Epi was. It's a Road Worn '50s Precision, and it feels great, for a Fender. The roundness of Gibson necks is probably what I like, as much as the absolute size of them. The EB-2's neck is only 1.5, but it's got a very good, round back. Fretboard radius has never been an issue for me, for some reason. Thunderbird necks are deceptive. They feel smaller than they are. I'm not sure why, but they really feel like little noodles. There's no reason I would like that at all, but I do.
As far as Fender Jazz necks, the best feeling one I ever owned was a MIM Reggie Hamilton sig bass. It had the most wonderfully chunky neck of any Jazz I've owned. It almost felt like a U-shape, and fit my hand perfectly, even with the 1.5" nut width.
The Epi T-Bird I had was the Classic Pro model in arctic white. It was a thru-neck model, and really well built. It dis have an issue with the pups being slightly microphonic, though, and with the neck feeling too skinny, I couldn't keep it. It did balance ok, and I didn't have any ergonomic issues with it, per se. The neck reach was definitely different than what I was used to, bit not uncomfortable. I found it balanced better when I hooked the strap over the forearm area.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
It's funny how that is. If you measure a Jazz neck, they are similar in size to a 'Bird neck, but they feel bigger, somehow. Maybe they are just a hair wider, I don't know. It isn't much. The way a Thunderbird balances, if the pin is at the base of the neck, works well for me. With the neck pointing at the ceiling and the body swung around more toward my right hip instead of in the middle, the ergos work perfectly, and the size of the neck becomes less of an issue. A Fender needs to be a baseball bat, since the way it sits, it needs a bit 'ol handle. A Thunderbird can sit more like a double bass than just about any other bass guitar. I also have fairly long arms for my size, so that helps with the reach. I can sure understand why people struggle with that if they prefer a more horizontal neck. Thunderbirds don't do horizontal all that well anyway.
It does take a little getting used to how a bass sits on a strap when the upper pin is behind the neck. Once I got used to it, and realized it wasn't going to fall off, though, no problemo! And the T-Bird and original EB-basses are every bit the classics that the Precision and Jazz basses are. Not as popular, but classic, nontheless. I just hope that Gibson doesn't make the decision to permanently put their bass line on hold.
Very nice! We're you able to get the blow out price on this?My 2014 Gibson SG Spl.
That's a great price! If I could find one for that I'd probably be all over it!Just above $600. It plays great. The D'Addario ET92S Nylons fit it perfect.
You have one in lavaburst, don't you? That finish is gorgeous. I wouldn't mind maybe picking up a Special in chocolate down the road at some point. It seems like it was the least popular color in that model, but I love how it looks. Either that, or find a nice used Standard in chocolate. Standards seem to sell used for around $900 in my area, and I even saw one for $700 not too long ago (fairly heavy play-wear, swapped neck pup and hardware), but they were the Heritage Cherry color.
Yeah, I have the Lavaburst still and absolutely love it. So much so, I'm considering buying another SG as a daily player. The Lavaburst SG was a limited run and I'd hate to not keep it in pristine condition.
