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New Gibson EB bass

#521
Whenever this thread pops up I feel I have to drop another $.02. In agreement with all the rave reviews, and almost feel sorry for those who never got one if they're discontinued. Sonny nailed it, I'm in complete agreement with most of what he said. I also love the finish. Makes me not worry about this thing, and almost invites my beating it up :). This bass seems to need a beating, if that makes any sense. I'm sure it will age with tons of personality. This bass is currently my main player. Painting the pickguard made a huge difference for me. And I recently flipped the truss rod cover (other side is white), so my EB is now a perfect tuxedo bass.

Love this bass, despite 2 complaints. While I am getting used to the bridge, it still pisses me off a bit. Feel like it's creators just wanted to reinvent the wheel, and it takes a bit of getting used to. Truth be told, it's tough to just raise or lower it a fraction of an inch. Whenever I go to adjust it it's like, "Whhooah.... didn't mean to do that" :), and then I have to guess at the readjustment. People who have fiddled with it probably understand. And, I have to admit that I'm still having the chorus problem. I changed strings more than once, fiddled with my setup, pickup height, did everything suggested. I'm thinking of actually taking it for a pro setup, which is something I've never in my life done. Maybe someone else might know better than me? Anyhow, despite my peeves, this it the bass I'm about to pick up right now to learn Hots For Nowhere, which we're going to play a the next Zep gig I'm doing :). Started working on it last night. Very fun song to play.
 
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#523
ggvicviper said:
I actually tried this at Sam Ash yesterday, the 5er version. Didn't like the feeling of the B at all, and the bridge pickup lacked bottom, even in terms of a bridge pickup positioning. Still don't like it, but you guys enjoy though.
Click to expand...

I just A/B'd my Jazz and my Gibson as they're both sitting next to me. Was going to post my opinion, but then thought better to just drop a couple of quick samples here. Recorded direct here's the order.

1. Gibson bridge pickup HB
2. Gibson bridge SC
3. Fender Jazz bridge pickup

I disagree with your assessment.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#524
Joe Nerve said:
I just A/B'd my Jazz and my Gibson as they're both sitting next to me. Was going to post my opinion, but then thought better to just drop a couple of quick samples here. Recorded direct here's the order.

1. Gibson bridge pickup HB
2. Gibson bridge SC
3. Fender Jazz bridge pickup

I disagree with your assessment.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

I'm glad you like your Gibson. I should clarify more that I was speaking mainly in terms of the B string. The front pickup didn't have this problem, very boomy. Just the back. Nice noodling, btw.
 
#526
I was reading up on the RD Artist as a friend has one from 1978 and was surprised to read the circuitry was designed to minimize the attack and emphasize sustain or similar to a compressor. It got me thinking if this approach was typical of Gibson active basses. I had sort of an "aha" moment reading that because I never found they responded as I thought they should when I "dig in". I like average to light gauge strings which twang with a little fret buzz and I can't remember ever picking one up in a store which set up this way.
 
#527
I just played one last weekend at my local guitar center. I was really impressed and I didn't even know about the coil splitting, have to go back and try it again. I'm gonna try to hunt down a gold one in person. In the pics the gold is ugly in a good way.

A sales dude at GC told me that his gibson rep told him that these are being replaced with a new model early next year that will...

Have the same pick ups

May or may not retain the same headstock

Will have a body "like an ibanez soundgear"

Any one else know anything about this?
 
#531
Joe Nerve said:
I just A/B'd my Jazz and my Gibson as they're both sitting next to me. Was going to post my opinion, but then thought better to just drop a couple of quick samples here. Recorded direct here's the order.

1. Gibson bridge pickup HB
2. Gibson bridge SC
3. Fender Jazz bridge pickup

I disagree with your assessment.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...


We need more of this kind of thing here on TB. Thanks, and great job!
 
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#532
brianbrave said:
But - it's a bass you have to try out first.... before you buy.
Click to expand...

Hmm... This made me think. Some people feel the need to check out any bass, before buying. I usually don't get the chance to do do that. I believe most people who bought this bass bought it without being able to check it out. Only complaints I hear about this bass are from people who only checked it out in stores. Pretty sure just about everyone who's purchased and gigged it is very happy. Not hearing a whole lot of complaints from the actual owners.
 
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#533
Got a great Black Friday deal on a gold one from WWBW aka musiciansfreind aka music123. Called in and had the quote emailed to me but they sold out before I finished the check out process. They told me they have more expected on the 7th. Aren't these things discontinued? Would gibson still be cranking these out or have some in stock?
 
#534
AgressivePassiv said:
Got a great Black Friday deal on a gold one from WWBW aka musiciansfreind aka music123. Called in and had the quote emailed to me but they sold out before I finished the check out process. They told me they have more expected on the 7th. Aren't these things discontinued? Would gibson still be cranking these out or have some in stock?
Click to expand...

According to Gibson's website they're still current: Link Removed
 
#536
I have acquired one and the set-up was kinda bad, out if the box,but the bass was going to my guitar tech for a once going over and to have it set-up like i want it, I did have TI flatwounds installed, after it was fiddled with, it is a nice bass to play, the neck is pretty comfortable to play, kinda like a modern P-Bass, the pick-ups are pretty high output, almost like the ones on my Money bass, and there pretty clear, not at all like the mudbucklers of past, if you want the Fender Jazz bass tone pull both volume knobs out and adjust to taste, the bass is pretty light and pretty comfortable to play for a 4 hour gig, the finish on the body is kinda second-rate but i guess it is the intent for this price point, I like the finish on neck .... like all basses it takes time to get used to something new, oh the only thing I noticed is the pick-ups, have some weak foam under them, they are not expanding or pushing the pick-up back up when you adjust the position, I'm going to get different foam to remedy that issue

15672795370_7f533071dc_z.jpg
Untitled by Invalid Link Removed, on Flickr
 
#540
I picked up a used one. It's the four string version, which is fine with me since I don't play fivers at this point and don't see a need to have one. The foam under the pickup issue is pretty obvious on mine, and the other quirk that I'm more amused than irritated by is the weird shaping where the horns meet the neck. Whoever was wielding the rasp in the Gibson plant when mine was made must have been a complete woodworking rookie. The transition is awful. Otherwise, everything looks pretty good. You either like the thin finish or you don't. I like it, and I'm even getting used to the tort pickguard, although we all know tort is bad for tone. It's light weight and it can roar. Adjusting it gets pretty close to a Jazz sound, but it doesn't do a P sound that I have found yet. It's still got rounds on it, so maybe that's the issue. In a bit, it will have TI Jazz flats on it, since I like those a lot. There are no dead spots on the neck that I have found yet, so that's one up on the Ric. The body vibrates for a long time. It balances well in a Fenderish way, but with the neck up a bit more than a Fender and with less help. I think it is a well designed, well thought out bass that could have had a little more effort put into certain finish aspects, but none of the issues are fatal. If Gibson drops it from the lineup, I think it's a mistake. Two years isn't long enough for it to catch on. They could have addressed the little finish niggles and priced them a little higher, perhaps, too. I don't make their decisions, though, and I'm happy with the one I have.
 

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