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Gibson Midtown Club.

#465
Hi, just want to start by saying I love this bass!!! So, yesterday I noticed the volume knob doesn’t engage at all till it’s turned up till around the 8/9 position so I messaged the store and this was the response

Hey Rick
That’s pretty standard on a Gibson, it’s a logorithmic pot where the effects are minimal until the last 3rd of the pots movement


Is this info correct? Seems a bit precarious in a live situations as the leeway for adjustments is so finicky.

is this the standard for the Midway?

look forward to any responses.
 
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#470
tellheryousawme said:
This is a common problem on many passive instruments.
The action of the volume knob is strictly related to the tone knob. If you set the tone fully open you will notice the vol knob works pretty normal. But if you close the tone then the vol will just work on the top. Then lowering it you have a kind of knee, dramatically reducing the output.
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Thanks, great info, Just checked this, your absolutely correct! Hmmm I can live with this, such a great bass, I wouldn’t want to change a thing if it isn’t faulty. I’ve owned a Grabber and still own an EB 2017 and they’re okay basses but If l could only own 1 bass and this was it I wouldn’t be disappointed. I feel this will take go to bass position for most gigs above my Fender custom shop Jazz, an Am Pro Jazz, my 4 & 5 Am Std P basses , a Stingray 5 the EB mentioned above, a Jack Casady and a couple of other basses. The honey moon phase is going strong and feeling my predominantly Fender player status has just been toppled.
 
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#473
tellheryousawme said:
You have to determine your priority: volume or tone.
If you need to have volume continuous fine setting you will keep tone knob fully open, then eq on the amp.
If you prefer tone to be alive, then keep vol full.
Personally, I give priority to tone, as it is much easy to adjust vol by right hand fingers ;-)
Click to expand...
tellheryousawme said:
You have to determine your priority: volume or tone.
If you need to have volume continuous fine setting you will keep tone knob fully open, then eq on the amp.
If you prefer tone to be alive, then keep vol full.
Personally, I give priority to tone, as it is much easy to adjust vol by right hand fingers ;-)
Click to expand...
I play in a blues, funk, & jazz band (GHS Prec. Flats, Genz-Benz Streamliner, Eden 1x12). This is exactly how I use the Midway controls. There isn't much subtlety in the volume control (like there is with a guitar such as a Strat or LP). With a couple of guitars or horns, keyboards, and full drum kit, I just need to cut through the mix. I get a great tone (so I am told) with both pickups and full volume and tone. As you say eq on the amp is much more effective -- at least it is on the Streamliner.

One exception here is if I have a solo, before we start the song I will back off the volume to 8 (always with full tone) with a compensating bump of the amp. Then in the approach to my solo, I dime the volume, going back to 8 when I am through. It takes a bit of planning, but works well now that I am in the habit. I choose my solos carefully, maybe one or two per performance.
 
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#474
Yes both my gigging amps have a foot switch, my main rig is my fender 100t and the other a GK Mbf 800. Comes in handy for soloing or passages using harmonics. I also have the Epiphone Jack Casady bass with the 3 position tone switch which I use for boosting or backing off the signal. I haven’t gigged the midtown yet but have noticed it has a higher output when soloing either of the pickups and more subdued when the selector switch is in the middle and running both pickups. I’ll be experimenting with these options as well.
 
#475
rickbass1 said:
Yes both my gigging amps have a foot switch, my main rig is my fender 100t and the other a GK Mbf 800. Comes in handy for soloing or passages using harmonics. I also have the Epiphone Jack Casady bass with the 3 position tone switch which I use for boosting or backing off the signal. I haven’t gigged the midtown yet but have noticed it has a higher output when soloing either of the pickups and more subdued when the selector switch is in the middle and running both pickups. I’ll be experimenting with these options as well.
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The Midtown neck pickup soloed is what I use most often. Sounds full and warm.
 
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#477
Just got this 2014 Gibson Midtown Signature! I got it used in fair price but when it arrived in C# tuning and I changed strings I heard some rattling! Well I knew about the pickup rattle and started from there. Nothing. Then I checked all the parts. Nothing. Then I realized it comes from the truss rod! I could knock the neck and hear the rattle! Damn. So I tought I should try to tighten the truss rod. Well, the gibson truss rod key didnt fit inside the hole... :banghead: I had to carve the hole a bit with knife to get it there. A little bit of loosening the rod worked! But the rattle came back this morning. Again, small adjustment and it was gone. We’ll see how this goes. Im glad I know great luthier that lives near me, If this doesnt go away I have to take this bass there.

OK! So! Otherwise, I love the sound Im getting here! Really FAT neck pickup! Both pickups on its still fat but more defined. Bridge pickup alone was quite interesting. I actually reversed the pickup to get more bass out of it. Now its a bit better! 10minutes mod with screwdriver! I made a small comparison video of the mod! Second last clip is a bit too loud. All the samples are bridge pickup alone just changing playing positions. Also the E-string is a bit off tune :roflmao:


And heres pictures too!
 

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#478
JesseMalaska said:
Just got this 2014 Gibson Midtown Signature! I got it used in fair price but when it arrived in C# tuning and I changed strings I heard some rattling! Well I knew about the pickup rattle and started from there. Nothing. Then I checked all the parts. Nothing. Then I realized it comes from the truss rod! I could knock the neck and hear the rattle! Damn. So I tought I should try to tighten the truss rod. Well, the gibson truss rod key didnt fit inside the hole... :banghead: I had to carve the hole a bit with knife to get it there. A little bit of loosening the rod worked! But the rattle came back this morning. Again, small adjustment and it was gone. We’ll see how this goes. Im glad I know great luthier that lives near me, If this doesnt go away I have to take this bass there.

OK! So! Otherwise, I love the sound Im getting here! Really FAT neck pickup! Both pickups on its still fat but more defined. Bridge pickup alone was quite interesting. I actually reversed the pickup to get more bass out of it. Now its a bit better! 10minutes mod with screwdriver! I made a small comparison video of the mod! Second last clip is a bit too loud. All the samples are bridge pickup alone just changing playing positions. Also the E-string is a bit off tune :roflmao:


And heres pictures too!
Click to expand...

Wow! This is the first Midtown that I see with block inlays intead of dots, beautiful!!!
 
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