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New Gibson EB bass
- Thread starter Primakurtz
- Start date
Well, OK, I finally gave in. Just ordered a black one from Sweetwater. Henry J may be a goon, but the photos and descriptions won me over. Thanks, gang!
Good Luck!!
I have five Gibsons and have been lucky so far.
I received a natural one, what a POS. Pots were bad, and yes that could happen to any bass.
But the kicker was, the pickguard for the neck pickup on the E string size is cut 1/8" off from the pickup so you can see the color of the bass. I've seen others and they are the same. It is in excusable not to be able to create a pickguard that fits. I sucked at wood shop and could have cut a better guard...Oh, and the brand new strings had corrosion on them...check it out below along with the pickguard.
Bottom Line: BUYER BEWARE
Quality controls SUX on this new Gibson, a shame
I have five Gibsons and have been lucky so far.
I received a natural one, what a POS. Pots were bad, and yes that could happen to any bass.
But the kicker was, the pickguard for the neck pickup on the E string size is cut 1/8" off from the pickup so you can see the color of the bass. I've seen others and they are the same. It is in excusable not to be able to create a pickguard that fits. I sucked at wood shop and could have cut a better guard...Oh, and the brand new strings had corrosion on them...check it out below along with the pickguard.
Bottom Line: BUYER BEWARE
Quality controls SUX on this new Gibson, a shame
Good Luck!!
I have five Gibsons and have been lucky so far.
I received a natural one, what a POS. Pots were bad, and yes that could happen to any bass.
But the kicker was, the pickguard for the neck pickup on the E string size is cut 1/8" off from the pickup so you can see the color of the bass. I've seen others and they are the same. It is in excusable not to be able to create a pickguard that fits. I sucked at wood shop and could have cut a better guard...Oh, and the brand new strings had corrosion on them...check it out below.
Bottom Line:
Quality controls SUX on this new Gibson, a shame
Gibson had a legendary name, and some well-loved products, but the inconsistency with QC is going to get them one of these days.
Like I said, I am pretty lucky with the five I have, which are newer.
But for quality to be as poor as I've seen, and I have returned several for POOR finishes, it is UNACCEPTABLE FOR A MADE IN THE USA instrument to be so inconsistent especially in aesthetics.
I think Gibsons sound great and I keep coming back, but after this EB POS, I don't know that I will give them another try.
That's the beauty of Sweetwater's showcase - fewer nasty surprises. Sorry for your troubles, and I fully agree they are inexcusable.
Good Luck!!
I have five Gibsons and have been lucky so far.
I received a natural one, what a POS. Pots were bad, and yes that could happen to any bass.
But the kicker was, the pickguard for the neck pickup on the E string size is cut 1/8" off from the pickup so you can see the color of the bass. I've seen others and they are the same. It is in excusable not to be able to create a pickguard that fits. I sucked at wood shop and could have cut a better guard...Oh, and the brand new strings had corrosion on them...check it out below along with the pickguard.
Bottom Line: BUYER BEWARE
Quality controls SUX on this new Gibson, a shame
The factory strings? Really, that bothers you? Who keeps the factory strings on anyway?
If you worry about the factory strings I think you are much more nitpicky than me. I would probably be satisfied with that bass with that pickguard - and I would change the strings immediately anyway.
I use flat wounds...The reason was just to mention the crap they use.
And as far as the pickguard, not on a $1000 bass. Believe me, I learned to accept a lot from Gibson but this was the last straw. And remember, the main issue was a dead POT from the onset = No Testing and BAD quality control.
Bad pots and corroded strings would seem to indicate that the bass was exposed to some not-so-perfect conditions...this may not be Gibson's fault at all.
If you take those items out of the equation, and consider that the pickguard is likely outsourced, then the woes you've experienced with your purchase cannot be totally laid at Gibson's feet.
Sure, they should not have let the pickguard out the door, but when you have a big run of instruments ready to go to the market I suppose it can be a tough decision to hold off and wait for the pickguards to be re made.
If you take those items out of the equation, and consider that the pickguard is likely outsourced, then the woes you've experienced with your purchase cannot be totally laid at Gibson's feet.
Sure, they should not have let the pickguard out the door, but when you have a big run of instruments ready to go to the market I suppose it can be a tough decision to hold off and wait for the pickguards to be re made.
I would tend to agree that the corroded strings and bad pots are POSSIBLY not Gibson's doing BUT all 4 of the basses that are in Sweetwater's gallery have the same pickguard issues.
That is definitely not a deal breaker, since it doesn't actually effect anything but it raises enough doubt to make it an "in store" buy only for me.
That is definitely not a deal breaker, since it doesn't actually effect anything but it raises enough doubt to make it an "in store" buy only for me.
Just got my black one today. Happy to report she is just perfect. Maybe Gibson listened, and made some quality improvements. Pics and reviews forthcoming.
I love the strings Fender puts on American standard basses. I keep them on until they need a change.
All righty then - as promised, a review.
Cons:
The rosewood fretboard is great - a big, thick slab of nice wood - but the edges were just squared off. I gave them a quick roll, which made a big difference.
Neck dive - not terrible, but still annoying for me. I had a set of Hipshot lightweight tuners on hand. These, plus moving the bottom strap button up 2 inches, made it balance perfectly. I was not real pleased about having to modify a new 1000 dollar bass to make it gigworthy. However...
Pros:
Lightweight. Extremely resonant. Mine seems to be a single piece of ash, and the maple neck is beautiful. I love the thin satin finish on both body and neck.
The pickups are wonderful! I am using the neck pup in single coil, with the bridge pup in humucker mode. Huge, fat, clear, detailed tone. It produces a nice hot signal - no preamp required on this bass.
The Babicz bridge is great. It just seems to be a perfect match with the rest of the bass. I was quickly able to get the action low, and intonated properly with a set of broken-in TI Powerwounds. Yes, the stock strings are awful.
At a gig, I loved it. Sounded great, felt very natural. The body shape works fine - feels kind of like a thinner Jazz. I'll post a pic, since I have yet to see one in action. I think my body is a lot weirder than the bass's:
In sum,
I love it and will play it a LOT. I wish it had arrived with lightweight, better-quality tuners and a rolled fretboard; however, those details may have pushed the price above my comfort zone. Henry J. may be a loon, but I'm glad he released this one.
Cons:
The rosewood fretboard is great - a big, thick slab of nice wood - but the edges were just squared off. I gave them a quick roll, which made a big difference.
Neck dive - not terrible, but still annoying for me. I had a set of Hipshot lightweight tuners on hand. These, plus moving the bottom strap button up 2 inches, made it balance perfectly. I was not real pleased about having to modify a new 1000 dollar bass to make it gigworthy. However...
Pros:
Lightweight. Extremely resonant. Mine seems to be a single piece of ash, and the maple neck is beautiful. I love the thin satin finish on both body and neck.
The pickups are wonderful! I am using the neck pup in single coil, with the bridge pup in humucker mode. Huge, fat, clear, detailed tone. It produces a nice hot signal - no preamp required on this bass.
The Babicz bridge is great. It just seems to be a perfect match with the rest of the bass. I was quickly able to get the action low, and intonated properly with a set of broken-in TI Powerwounds. Yes, the stock strings are awful.
At a gig, I loved it. Sounded great, felt very natural. The body shape works fine - feels kind of like a thinner Jazz. I'll post a pic, since I have yet to see one in action. I think my body is a lot weirder than the bass's:
In sum,
I love it and will play it a LOT. I wish it had arrived with lightweight, better-quality tuners and a rolled fretboard; however, those details may have pushed the price above my comfort zone. Henry J. may be a loon, but I'm glad he released this one.
Not sure about the Japanese (market), but I was going to say, it def looks like a Mosrite to me... which, isn't necessarily a bad thing...
All righty then - as promised, a review.
Cons:
The rosewood fretboard is great - a big, thick slab of nice wood - but the edges were just squared off. I gave them a quick roll, which made a big difference.
Neck dive - not terrible, but still annoying for me. I had a set of Hipshot lightweight tuners on hand. These, plus moving the bottom strap button up 2 inches, made it balance perfectly. I was not real pleased about having to modify a new 1000 dollar bass to make it gigworthy. However...
Pros:
Lightweight. Extremely resonant. Mine seems to be a single piece of ash, and the maple neck is beautiful. I love the thin satin finish on both body and neck.
The pickups are wonderful! I am using the neck pup in single coil, with the bridge pup in humucker mode. Huge, fat, clear, detailed tone. It produces a nice hot signal - no preamp required on this bass.
The Babicz bridge is great. It just seems to be a perfect match with the rest of the bass. I was quickly able to get the action low, and intonated properly with a set of broken-in TI Powerwounds. Yes, the stock strings are awful.
At a gig, I loved it. Sounded great, felt very natural. The body shape works fine - feels kind of like a thinner Jazz. I'll post a pic, since I have yet to see one in action.
In sum,
I love it and will play it a LOT. I wish it had arrived with lightweight, better-quality tuners and a rolled fretboard; however, those details may have pushed the price above my comfort zone. Henry J. may be a loon, but I'm glad he released this one.
nice review. from the one or two video demos I've seen of this model it seems to sound pretty great. I can imagine owning one someday, and im betting it will end up proving a lot of the haters wrong.
I love the look of the Thunderbird and many other Gibson products, but I still have a hard time looking at this one. It just looks wrong, tho perhaps not necessarily ugly. The same features with an elongated Les Paul Jr shape would have worked better for me.
Exactly--it looks like my very first bass I got when I was 11, a Montgomery Wards house brand! I like that vibe, actually...
I played one yesterday. Not impressed at all.
The lack of grain filler on the body looks kinda cool, but a sunburst body front with a black back and a natural neck... Sorry, looks really cheap.
Sounded ok, but the action was so high the bass was nearly unplayable. This could be a climate issue and not Gibson's fault necessarily that a retailer doesn't bother to set up a bass before hanging it on the wall.
I liked the weight, the bridge and the $899CAD price. Not much else.... And I am a big fan of Gibson.
The lack of grain filler on the body looks kinda cool, but a sunburst body front with a black back and a natural neck... Sorry, looks really cheap.
Sounded ok, but the action was so high the bass was nearly unplayable. This could be a climate issue and not Gibson's fault necessarily that a retailer doesn't bother to set up a bass before hanging it on the wall.
I liked the weight, the bridge and the $899CAD price. Not much else.... And I am a big fan of Gibson.
Just curious, considering that Fender has used sunburst bodies with natural necks since the 1950s, and that is one of the most common combinations there is in all price levels, what makes it look cheap?
