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Gibson Midtown Club.

#381
veebass said:
Thanks.

We might be talking at slightly crossed purposes.
There is no problem unamplified. The problem occurs when the bass is amplified.
It sounds like a microphonic pickup to me (distorted echo and feedback) or does the famous rattle affect the amplified sound?

When I was talking about keeping the bass stock- I meant in respect a pickup change.
Click to expand...

One possibility is that while you only notice it amplified, the tolerance could be such that it's there, but inaudible until you plug in. I didn't notice the rattle until I had about 100 hours on the bass. So, for me, it took some time to develop. Yours could be in a nascent state.

(I don't remember if I could hear it through the amp, or not. Once I heard it, I knew what it was and fixed it right away.)

I would give it try. It won't cost you much, if anything, other than time. BTW, you may have seen some warnings about removing the pickup cover. I didn't have trouble, but some have reported that the finish can attach itself to the cover and then get peeled off when the cover comes off. I was very careful to make sure that the cover came off easily with out lifting the finish.


Cheers!
 
#382
Bass Dao said:
One possibility is that while you only notice it amplified, the tolerance could be such that it's there, but inaudible until you plug in. I didn't notice the rattle until I had about 100 hours on the bass. So, for me, it took some time to develop. Yours could be in a nascent state.

(I don't remember if I could hear it through the amp, or not. Once I heard it, I knew what it was and fixed it right away.)

I would give it try. It won't cost you much, if anything, other than time. BTW, you may have seen some warnings about removing the pickup cover. I didn't have trouble, but some have reported that the finish can attach itself to the cover and then get peeled off when the cover comes off. I was very careful to make sure that the cover came off easily with out lifting the finish.


Cheers!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the warning. I have already had a look and the finish is dented where the cover screws down, but didn't lift- thank goodness.

So the suggestion is put some foam between the top of the pickup and the cover? I guess leaving holes for the screw to show through? Is that right?
 
#383
veebass said:
Thanks for the warning. I have already had a look and the finish is dented where the cover screws down, but didn't lift- thank goodness.

So the suggestion is put some foam between the top of the pickup and the cover? I guess leaving holes for the screw to show through? Is that right?
Click to expand...

Yes. I cut the sheets to just cover the pup. I had to put in several layers.

Oh, and I was thinking about your "feedback" issue. There is a known issue regarding the tone and volume controls: When the Tone is below 7 or 8, there is a sudden, disproportionate boost in loudness when the Volume is turned past 8-1/2, or so. Not sure if this applies, but if the conditions were right and your amp gain was set high, you could have some feedback problems.

I play flats and keep the tone mostly above 8, so it doesn't really affect me.

(Hope it works out that you don't need to swap pickups. I am happy with the tone I get. With a G-B amp, I can get decent range of tones, even with flats).

Cheers!
 
#384
Bass Dao said:
Yes. I cut the sheets to just cover the pup. I had to put in several layers.

Oh, and I was thinking about your "feedback" issue. There is a known issue regarding the tone and volume controls: When the Tone is below 7 or 8, there is a sudden, disproportionate boost in loudness when the Volume is turned past 8-1/2, or so. Not sure if this applies, but if the conditions were right and your amp gain was set high, you could have some feedback problems.

I play flats and keep the tone mostly above 8, so it doesn't really affect me.

(Hope it works out that you don't need to swap pickups. I am happy with the tone I get. With a G-B amp, I can get decent range of tones, even with flats).

Cheers!
Click to expand...


Thanks. I am keen not to swap pickups now. This should be able to be sorted.

So you don't worry about covering the screws that show through the cover with the foam?

My feedback issue is with the tone ABOVE about 8 and volume pot full and the neck pickup selected alone. It has rounds on it and I am playing through a GK MB Fusion 500 and a GK Neo 212.
 
#385
veebass said:
Thanks. I am keen not to swap pickups now. This should be able to be sorted.

So you don't worry about covering the screws that show through the cover with the foam?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you are saying about covering screws.

Here are the steps:
1> Remove the pickup cover; careful not to mar the finish.
2> The foam sits between the top of the pickup and the underside of the cover. There is plenty of room in between (too much, actually, so you add foam to reduce that gap.)
3> Once you have enough foam, the cover is a bit of a press fit to completely cover the pickup. You need enough tension in that press fit to stabilize the pickup, but not so much as to strip the screw holes when they are tightened in place.

I had to iterate a few times (testing in between), and I ended up adding more foam than I previously thought, to get good isolation.

Maybe talk to a luthier if you aren't sure. I did first take mine to a luthier (as I wasn't sure about mucking up the finish) and he assured me it was a simple operation and walked me through the steps.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!
 
#386
Bass Dao said:
I'm not sure what you are saying about covering screws.


Cheers!
Click to expand...

The screws that come from the top of the pickup and show through the holes in the cover.
If I cut a square of foam the size of the top of the pickup it will cover the screws and show through the holes- does that matter? Or should I cut little holes in the foam for the screws to poke through?
 
#387
veebass said:
The screws that come from the top of the pickup and show through the holes in the cover.
If I cut a square of foam the size of the top of the pickup it will cover the screws and show through the holes- does that matter? Or should I cut little holes in the foam for the screws to poke through?
Click to expand...
It should be okay if the foam fits inside a square which inscribes the pickup holes. I don't remember the exact geometry, but there's certainly enough contact area inside the screws to dampen the rattle.

Also, I was thinking that before you change out the pickups, you might want to check the pots and capacitors and wiring just to rule out simple, less expensive stuff.

Hope this all make sense and is helpful.

Cheers!
 
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#388
veebass said:
I have just bought a 2014 Signature which is shipping to me now.
Here is a pic. More pics when she arrives.
I am looking forward to this as it has the SG Bass pickups. I gig a number of TBirds, Les Paul Basses and an ES 335 Bass which have various incarnations of the TB+, so I like that style of pickup. But I am told the ones in the SG are a bit different. The Midtown is a great option because I don't like short scale basses.
View attachment 3043871
Click to expand...

I love the blue. #37 for you.
 
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#390
What strings are you all using? I have tried a few different ones. I hate the sound of GHS Boomers that are on there now. I liked the Fat Beams that the Boomers replaced. Next up is a go with Pure Blues. I like the sound of Nickel - any suggestions for me to try?
 
#391
PillO said:
What strings are you all using? I have tried a few different ones. I hate the sound of GHS Boomers that are on there now. I liked the Fat Beams that the Boomers replaced. Next up is a go with Pure Blues. I like the sound of Nickel - any suggestions for me to try?
Click to expand...
I love Chromes. I stringed my Midtown with a standard set of ECB81 (0.45) and to my taste the bass sounds as it should, well balanced.
 
#393
Can I join your club, for a short while? I have a 2013 Standard in Cherry Red. I haven't really played it since I bought it new, so I've taken the regretful step to try and sell.
 

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#396
cellkirk74 said:
I just put a set of Thomstik Jazz Flats on my Midtown, replacing the Fender Flats that were on it the last 3 years. They sound great on it, pronouncing the midrange.

Not much going on here anymore, eh?
Click to expand...

I've got TIs on my Midtown too--great match for that bass.

As for not much going on, yeah since these basses are discontinued the supply for new buyers is gone. But they can still be found used here and there.
 
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