Gibson SG Bass

I have an SG bass. It's great, but it's not going to get that jazz burp, especially with the stock pups. The bass just isn't built for that kind of sound.

In my SG Bass, I modded it with a real mudbucker and thunderbucker max. The thunderbucker is about as close as I see an SG Bass getting to the jazz burp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnOgookanhg

 

That's a nice mod on the venerable short scale mahogany sound. Actually, the stock SG bass doesn't sound that different (though not as good as the posted clip).

To the OP: I think you asked the correct question - old school thump vs J bass burp. Short scales definitely have their own sound, plus the pickup placement on the SG (and a lot of other shorties) favors the bass pickup sound at the end of the neck. The new Warwick Rockbass Star series are semihollow short scales that use more of a traditional J pickup placement. I haven't played or heard one, but it would be my bet for getting to both sounds you described.

The alternate might be to swap some more defined pickups into an SG bass - DiMarzio Model Ones were the original mudbucker replacement - better definition and harmonics, but still old school. I've always like the Model One in the neck position of EB and SG designed basses. You might just keep the original bridge pickup that comes with the SG.

There are some decent youtube demos of the SG that could give you a better idea too. Here's one:
Good luck.

 

Mine is all stock and sounded pretty one dimentional but still awesome with flats, but I just switched to sunbeams and that added a lot of tonal range.

 

I think you could approximate a woody thump on a Jazz better than you could approximate a Jazz tone on an EB 3. Might I suggest an ESP?

 

I agree, you'll never get Jazz burp from an SG. I've got the stock pups on mine, and if you have access to even basic EQ you can easily dial out any muddiness you hear. The SG has a very unique sound, if you want something that sounds like a Fender then get a Fender.

 

I don't care for the Dimarzio Model One. It's far too "polite" and, in my mind, the mudbucker-style pickup is supposed to be a wild, untamed beast.

Novak produced a revised mudbucker that sounds halfway decent. Though I still prefer beautiful, glorious, juicy, thick MUD. Yeah.

 

Original Gibson Mudbuckers are grindy because of the insane overwind on the pickup coupled with a strange inductor circuit in the bass.

 

Mudbuckers are wound to 30k. I firmly believe it's the most ludicrous pickup ever conceived.

 

In regards to jazz burp, the solo-d bridge pickup isn't a sound I'd really ever use.

 

Ditto. Soloed bridge pups aren't really my thing. But more power to the people who like it.

Still, not going to happen on an SG bass.

 

Had a 70's EBOL for years when they had slotted heads and coupled it with an Acoustic 370 + 301 cabinet. MUD FOREVER. Spare mudbuckers(bought back then and put in a P-basses BEFORE Sheehan was public knowledge) did measure crazy numbers. I've a couple of Aztec muds( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Artec-Custo...p-30K-Ohms-Chrome-/160986728029#ht_3397wt_758 ) now that measure close but no installs yet to listen.

Now we have a faded SG with a decent Kahler install. Has old-school thump.
Even with my "sound like a Ric" patch, this SG will NOT do the growly thing with stock pickups.

 

I had an SG bass for a few days. It was kinda cool, but I was not a fan of the sound (I like J basses) and just couldn't get anything decent out of it so I got rid of it.

 

I don't know what model this Gibson is, I saw these guys two weeks ago in Vancouver and his tone was amazing, makes me want a Gibson.
check out the 15:00 mark in this clip, I could use this and be just as happy as I would with a J bass.

 

Looks like an EB-0 man that is a monster tone from that Gibby.

 

I thought it might be an EB-0, I'm as hardcore Fender as there is, but man I have to get me an EB-0, his tone live was huge.

 

I saw a really good bassplayer play one of those. I was impressed with his sound.

 

There's something to be said about a mudbucker in the middle position of an EB bass. Very good tone to be found in it.

 

I played a couple of the newer Gibson EB3 basses at a local Guitar Center. They are a shorted scale and wired Vol, Vol, Tone. They had a nice clarity to them and weren't as muddy as the Epiphone Eb3. If I played 4 string basses I would consider one. The neck pickup gives the notes higher up the neck a nice sweetness.

 

that is an EB4L. long scale and pickup was not a mudbucker. IIRC offset pole peices like a p bass stuffed in that pickup casing and clearly closer to the p bass sweet spot than the traditional gibson neck mudbucker placement.