I use and love LaBella flats as well as short scale basses. So the Gibson SG sounds like it's right up my alley when I get ready to add new bass to the group.
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Gibson SG reissue Bass
- Thread starter Big mark
- Start date
I use and love LaBella flats as well as short scale basses. So the Gibson SG sounds like it's right up my alley when I get ready to add new bass to the group.
An original one pickup EBO was capable of great tones. If you get to try one you'll be surprised.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
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- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Thats pretty much it finish and inlays. I have a worn finish one I love it well worth the $.
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I agree and disagree.
I would not say "there is absolutely no comparison between the Epiphone EB-0 and the Gibson SG except they look a lot alike" But I would say the Gibson is better.
This is partly due to the pickups and partly due to the wiring.
I have a 2006 Gibson SG bass. It's really a cool bass, it's light weight, balanced, has booming low end and is a joy to play. I don't use it with my Blues Trio (Mainly use a P or Jazz), but I do use it in my other band from time to time. I think people fall into two categories when it comes to a short scale Gibson SG bass. You either love them or hate them. I don't think there is much in between. If you decide to get one, the first thing I would do is replace the tri mount bridge with a Hipshot bridge designed as a direct replacement for the tri mount. It will give you more mass and tuning stability IMO.
Read all the comments here and thought I would add my 2 cents...
According to the Gibson factory there is no difference between the new SG Special and SG Standard bass apart from the dot markers and the nitro finish.
HOWEVER, before buying mine I tried at least 6 of each at various locations in LA. The one thing that was common was that the Standards sounded bright and snappy - like you just dipped 420 Hz and while that sounds fabulous as a standalone it would not compare to my other basses that do that tone much better (MusicMan's, Spectors and Wals)
In short that is NOT what I wanted from an EB type bass.
The tone of the Specials however were all deeply rich and woody - tons of 220-380Hz, and they got me the growl that I wanted. For the record I have early 60's models EB-0 and EB3 that I no longer want to take on the road, so I knew specifically what I was looking for.
I contacted the factory twice ( I know people there) to ask if the finish could really be responsible to make that much of a difference and they confirms "yes" They assured me that pups and hardware are identical - same part numbers etc. - so there you go!
As for the dot markers, EB basses have DOTS not trapezoids so that was another plus. The Standard fret markers just looked wrong.
Regarding the Epiphone - don't waste your money unless you don't have that much to waste in the first place - the Gibson is a much better player, sounder, feel all the way round. I wouldn't bother - we are not talking about savings of many hundreds of dollars here.
The good news is that this is one of the only times you may find that the better and more authentic bass is the cheaper one! I elected to spend $650 less on the SG Special. I love this bass!
Compared to my "real" EBs it is very similar. The originals feel a little less precise all round, of course they have some wear, but the sound differences that people talk about here are most likely due to the magnetic half life of the older pups. I know that you can have these magnets "zapped" to bring them back but I feel they would only then sound like the new SG basses!
I am not sure of the poster who said that the original EB-0 is capable of a great range of tones, because in my experience it just does that "one" thing. Very deep, almost reggae and barely able to do the McCartney sound without an outboard 1176 or an LA-3a (think "Something")
On the subject of pups... if you buy one it is a good idea to dismantle the front pickup (CAREFULLY!!) and ensure that the coil is stable - it is held in place with foam rubber padding around the edge and if that is not evenly set it can wreak havoc with your sound and create mechanical buzzes. These pickups were not typically "sealed" units, so maybe ask a luthier if you feel nervous.
Oh... and I am not looking to try to change pups or bridges or hardware as I am not trying to make it something that it is not. It is a reissue and I want it to have the same character as my originals. If I need something different I would reach for one of my many other and diverse basses. Having said that I would not buy this as a single "do everything" bass. For that I would reach for a P bass or perhaps a Stingray.
Overall - great bass! I love it and have been reaching for it at home as my primary noodle bass for over a year.
Also, I recently used it on a tribute album where I was trying to re-create an original EB-3 sound and it killed it over my actual EB-3!! (going through a Marshall of course!)
I can't say enough good stuff about the flat finished and cheaper SG-Special!
...but regarding the factory strings, which are great, they remain a mystery. No-one seems to know what they string these with. They are supplied with short scale 45-65-85-105, but they are not D'Addarios, not Rotosound, not Dean Markley, not Cleartone, could be GHS, or maybe a custom from DR? ...total mystery!!
Hope that this has been of help to someone!
According to the Gibson factory there is no difference between the new SG Special and SG Standard bass apart from the dot markers and the nitro finish.
HOWEVER, before buying mine I tried at least 6 of each at various locations in LA. The one thing that was common was that the Standards sounded bright and snappy - like you just dipped 420 Hz and while that sounds fabulous as a standalone it would not compare to my other basses that do that tone much better (MusicMan's, Spectors and Wals)
In short that is NOT what I wanted from an EB type bass.
The tone of the Specials however were all deeply rich and woody - tons of 220-380Hz, and they got me the growl that I wanted. For the record I have early 60's models EB-0 and EB3 that I no longer want to take on the road, so I knew specifically what I was looking for.
I contacted the factory twice ( I know people there) to ask if the finish could really be responsible to make that much of a difference and they confirms "yes" They assured me that pups and hardware are identical - same part numbers etc. - so there you go!
As for the dot markers, EB basses have DOTS not trapezoids so that was another plus. The Standard fret markers just looked wrong.
Regarding the Epiphone - don't waste your money unless you don't have that much to waste in the first place - the Gibson is a much better player, sounder, feel all the way round. I wouldn't bother - we are not talking about savings of many hundreds of dollars here.
The good news is that this is one of the only times you may find that the better and more authentic bass is the cheaper one! I elected to spend $650 less on the SG Special. I love this bass!
Compared to my "real" EBs it is very similar. The originals feel a little less precise all round, of course they have some wear, but the sound differences that people talk about here are most likely due to the magnetic half life of the older pups. I know that you can have these magnets "zapped" to bring them back but I feel they would only then sound like the new SG basses!
I am not sure of the poster who said that the original EB-0 is capable of a great range of tones, because in my experience it just does that "one" thing. Very deep, almost reggae and barely able to do the McCartney sound without an outboard 1176 or an LA-3a (think "Something")
On the subject of pups... if you buy one it is a good idea to dismantle the front pickup (CAREFULLY!!) and ensure that the coil is stable - it is held in place with foam rubber padding around the edge and if that is not evenly set it can wreak havoc with your sound and create mechanical buzzes. These pickups were not typically "sealed" units, so maybe ask a luthier if you feel nervous.
Oh... and I am not looking to try to change pups or bridges or hardware as I am not trying to make it something that it is not. It is a reissue and I want it to have the same character as my originals. If I need something different I would reach for one of my many other and diverse basses. Having said that I would not buy this as a single "do everything" bass. For that I would reach for a P bass or perhaps a Stingray.
Overall - great bass! I love it and have been reaching for it at home as my primary noodle bass for over a year.
Also, I recently used it on a tribute album where I was trying to re-create an original EB-3 sound and it killed it over my actual EB-3!! (going through a Marshall of course!)
I can't say enough good stuff about the flat finished and cheaper SG-Special!
...but regarding the factory strings, which are great, they remain a mystery. No-one seems to know what they string these with. They are supplied with short scale 45-65-85-105, but they are not D'Addarios, not Rotosound, not Dean Markley, not Cleartone, could be GHS, or maybe a custom from DR? ...total mystery!!
Hope that this has been of help to someone!
Funny, I don't see the Gibson SG Special (or faded) on the Musicians Friend website. I was inspired to grab me one; something I don't know?
The Faded/Special series is discontinued and remaining stock was being blown out for $686, an excellent price. MF has been out of stock for quite a while. As of last week Zzounds and American Musical were the only on-line sellers I could find that still had them listed as being in stock, and then only in red. Now, they have sold out. You might try Ebay or look to see if one of the more obscure sellers still has some but most likely that ship has sailed...
I snapped up the sg special a couple months ago. I really like the bass and have it strung with short scale strings. You could use this as your go to bass no problem as the tone range is broad. Myself, I call it my rock bass. my fender jazz my utility bass and my artcore my warm toned flat strung bass.
Just picked up the SG Special @ GC, Love it. Only difference between this bass and the $1600 SG Standard is the finish, neck inlays, and the Bridge. Oh and the $1,000 I saved.
