NBD: Gibson SG bass

[johnk_10]

i just picked up a Gibson SG bass and so far, i really like it. compared to the beautiful all original vintage EB-3 (1968) that i sold recently, it's actually quite a bit heavier (which i don't prefer) at 8lbs 7 oz. my '68 was 7lbs 5oz (which was great).
there are few things that i do like better about it though......
first, the neck is a little chunkier than my '68 which feels better to me considering that it's a short scale bass and makes an easier transition from playing long scale basses. i also prefer the vol/vol/tone setup over the vol/vol/tone/tone and 4-way inductor/pickup selector switch.

one thing that really bothered me about the new ones though is Gibson's selection of the grover tuning keys. while they're smooth and precise, to me, the shaft on the clover leaf button is way too long, and to me looks pretty goofy on the SG bass's small headstock. that's the major reason that i hadn't purchased one until now.

i remedied that by installing some Schaller compact bass keys and then installed some Musicman stingray cloverleaf on the new schallers. (the musicman head shafts are even shorter in length than the stock schaller compact key's are. now it looks like what i'm used to seeing on an EB-3.

it's not as obvious in the pics below, but in real life, to me, it makes a huge difference in the appearance of the bass, plus, the new heads are nickel plated (like the vintage ones) and the string ferrules have a lower profile and look nicer than the grovers.

 

[rodl2005]

Very nice John. Congrats. One of my favorite basses at the moment is this 2014 Gibson EB 4
I got it for a great price and it's light, resonant and with the coil taps, has an amazing array of sounds

 

[Crusher47]

Very cool, Congrats!

 

[petrus61]

I'll always have a soft spot for these ever since recording with a 62' EB-0 I had on extended loan from a good friend. I even modded my P bass soon after with a 70's Gibby mudbucker. I've only played a small number of the Gibson SG's. They definitely cop the vibe, though I can't say the few I played were in the same realm as the 62 sonically. I did some electronics work on a friends late 60's EB-3 it sounded fantastic aside from the previous owner using solder to correct fret wear (!) and mounting a Badass bridge to it without recessing it into the body.

 

[johnk_10]

since i generally play with the volume on the bass at around 80% (which leaves me some room to boost my volume for certain songs without having to touch my amp), the dual pickup volume controls make it impossible to maintain a variable level on the fly without upsetting the balance between the pickups, so i replaced the bridge pickup volume control with a rotary 3 way switch so the controls are now master volume, pickup select and master tone. it still looks stock but for my purpose it's a better set up.

 

[theRocco]

Hi John and congrats on your new Gibson bass! I was dreaming about your Vintage EB3 but just couldn't raise the dough--it was just like my first real bass I had back in the '70s. Oh well, I bet the new owner is happy!

 

[coryt]

Can you tell us exactly which Schaller and Musicman parts you used? I think you're right about the stock tuners being too big and would like to look into doing the same modification myself.
Thanks, and it looks great!

 

[marcinkus]

Could you post a photo of the back of the headstock? Any visible hole?

 

[johnk_10]

no visible holes.

 

[Mastermold]

Very nice!

 

[PlanZero]

Why did you sell the vintage one?!?

How much did you get for the 68? I'm looking at a 68 melody maker and I'm curious what they're realistically selling for nowadays.

 

[funkytoe]

since i generally play with the volume on the bass at around 80% (which leaves me some room to boost my volume for certain songs without having to touch my amp), the dual pickup volume controls make it impossible to maintain a variable level on the fly without upsetting the balance between the pickups, so i replaced the bridge pickup volume control with a rotary 3 way switch so the controls are now master volume, pickup select and master tone. it still looks stock but for my purpose it's a better set up.

Hi John, Can you elaborate a little more about the three-way switch mod? I have been considering modding my 2006 SG bass wiring for the same reason you mention. I even considered a complete re-wiring of the controls, replacing them with an old Ripper bass wiring harness and moving the output jack to the bottom of the bass. But, I stopped myself before drilling any new holes in my bass. Still thinking about it. But is sounds like your mod might be the way to go. Can you give us a little more detail on the type of switch used, process, etc.? I also saw this proposed wiring mod and was curious what you think of it. Invalid Link Removed