• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Gibson Midtown Club.

I'm getting a metallic rattle inside my Midtown's neck pickup. Should I prop up the pickup or pad the top to keep it from rattling against the cover?

Most people (myself included) padded the top, keeps the pickup from rattling against the cover, a common issue with these but a super easy fix. A small piece of felt or drop of silicone gel should do it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Clipped
Such a nice inexpensive bass deserves a thread with a little more action. I'll help.

proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKXyXKSv.png


I had the bass set up with GHS 45-105's. The bridge/treble pickup went out and had to be rewound. Aside from that, it plays/sounds great.
 
Last edited:
Sorry about the needed repair. Did you send it out?

If so, where, and were you covered by the warranty? How did that go?.

I brought it up to Invalid Link Removed (a family shop local to me). I believe they send pickups down to a specialty shop in upstate NJ to get rewound/potted. Since I picked up the bass off eBay, warranty wasn't an option. The only hiccup was that I could not order a new OEM pickup from Gibson, leading to my requesting it be rewound. Setup, pickup, and 2 packs of strings came to about $125.

I'd complain about the soldering job Gibson did, but I'm 50% certain that the original owner put in fancy pickups in it, and placed the OEM pickups back in it to sell. Either that, or the quality of Gibson's electronic work has tumbled below anything that resembles an acceptable job. Nothing that couldn't be fixed in 60 seconds with a Weller.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bass Dao
...or the quality of Gibson's electronic work has tumbled below anything that resembles an acceptable job. Nothing that couldn't be fixed in 60 seconds with a Weller.

From my experience and from what I read on the web, Gibson's quality is hit and miss -- meaning it's more a quality control issue than strictly quality.

IMO, it's quite a weird company. They seem to be in their own space, and not really interested in "reality".

They are consistently on lists of the worst companies to work for -- this in an industry of craftspeople who are quite committed to, and invested in what they do. So they clearly aren't driven to keep their employees happy.

They also don't seem to be customer driven: They keep their booths at NAMM closed to the general attendees. And they don't seem to care about this, or other forums, where many manufacturers have reps monitoring the threads. (Ignore your customers, and maybe they will leave you alone...)

All of this in an industry where profit margins are slim to nil, so they can't be in it to make large sums of money.

Still many of their products are tops in their categories and the best specific instruments coming off the assembly lines are world beaters. I was lucky to get one of those, I think -- quite a specimen, with the exception of the pervasive (and intermittent) neck pup cover rattle. Oh well, can't win them all...

Glad to hear your middy is back in business. Pretty soon the whole episode will dim into the thump, thump, thump we all love to hear.

Cheers!

[EDIT: Getting late, can't seem to type or read...]
 
Hey! I was perusing my local Guitar Center and came upon this beauty:
12969D1C-8AF6-4C8D-BD83-7D4AB9013D96_zpsb4cq79rj.jpg


Quite a different flavor from my G&L and StinRay single pickup basses. Too cool to pass up.

4EB30FBD-C611-4A1E-803D-69B3EE5CC627_zps8xavdtwt.jpg


I'll have to get my daughter the photographer to try to get some pictures that really show off the sparkle. I love looking down the neck to the headstock and seeing the finish.

15FBBC78-5534-4F4A-8F3A-680B47611761_zpsnf8vw08c.jpg


Love the tone of this baby! I'm surprised by the bridge pickup. I was expecting it to be weak and nasally and not sound good on its own. Pleasantly mistaken!
 
Thanks! Really loving this bass and the flexibility of tones I can get. It's strung up with Chromes and I can get a real goold old school thump with the neck pickup and the tone rolled back a bit. Flip the switch to the middle and it adds a little definition. I've been able to get some useful tones from the bridge pickup soloed as well which surprised me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bass Dao