I'm in the same boat regarding wood finishes and colors. Your project idea sounds solid, though. I'm definitely interested in seeing it as it comes along
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Well, I have good news and bad news for my foray into EB town. The 2014 SG Special I snagged off the Bay hasn't arrived yet, but I played one at GC today while getting my daughter a practice amp and stuff. It just didn't grab me.
However, I did also play a vintage EB-3 they happened to have. Whoa mama. It played and sounded pretty awesome - like it could have been perfection with some tweaking; adjust the pickups' height to get all the strings even instead of hearing e-a-D!-G!, etc. Still, $1400 is a bit too dear for that particular one - the finish has mutated to baby-crap yellow-brown and the knobs go Volume-Tone-Tone-Tone (lol)...
However, I did also play a vintage EB-3 they happened to have. Whoa mama. It played and sounded pretty awesome - like it could have been perfection with some tweaking; adjust the pickups' height to get all the strings even instead of hearing e-a-D!-G!, etc. Still, $1400 is a bit too dear for that particular one - the finish has mutated to baby-crap yellow-brown and the knobs go Volume-Tone-Tone-Tone (lol)...
Well, I played 15 different basses this week. Im looking for a funky 4 stringto put flats on..
(I have a nice Lakland modern j5 string jazz now).
I love all of the music from Daptone (SHaron Jones,Budos band, Charles Bradley,ect) and really want to get that round sound. Just..hear the fundamental with every note.
Found a used SG Special Worn cherry and another Tobacco. This is the type of bass I need in my life. I thought I wanted a P Bass..but God that round sound ,SHhrt Scale and even the bridge pup gets this amazing Jazz type vibe. G>A>S!
Just a few questions:
I have a set of GHS Flats. WIll these fit fine or do I need Short Scale strings?
Any difference between the 120 anniversary and special ? Is it just the year(perhaps) and 12th fret ?
The Tobacco has the 120 at the 12th.(+100)
WHich one should I grab ?
Im pupmed and ready to pull the trigger.
(I have a nice Lakland modern j5 string jazz now).
I love all of the music from Daptone (SHaron Jones,Budos band, Charles Bradley,ect) and really want to get that round sound. Just..hear the fundamental with every note.
Found a used SG Special Worn cherry and another Tobacco. This is the type of bass I need in my life. I thought I wanted a P Bass..but God that round sound ,SHhrt Scale and even the bridge pup gets this amazing Jazz type vibe. G>A>S!
Just a few questions:
I have a set of GHS Flats. WIll these fit fine or do I need Short Scale strings?
Any difference between the 120 anniversary and special ? Is it just the year(perhaps) and 12th fret ?
The Tobacco has the 120 at the 12th.(+100)
WHich one should I grab ?
Im pupmed and ready to pull the trigger.
@PJ Katz I like the Standard, with the inlay at the 12th fret, but others like the Specials so it really is a matter of taste. Both sound good to me but the Standard just felt right so that's what I picked. My advice is to get the one the sounds and feels the best to you.
As for strings, definitely get the short scale set. I use LaBella flats but the GHS are also a great string. Enjoy!
As for strings, definitely get the short scale set. I use LaBella flats but the GHS are also a great string. Enjoy!
I just ordered a dimarzio model 1 (thanks to your info). I was almost ready to sell my SG as I wasn't digging the muddy tone I was getting with my last two gigs. However, I really sat down and tweaked my EQ and think I have it figured out. I want to love this bass because it's so darn comfortable to play and is Soooo much easier on my back then my Maple bodied Jazz frankenbass.
I also ordered a 250k and a 500k push pull pot. At $9 each seems like a no brainer to try it out.
Here's to hoping the model 1 gives me some clarity and punch.....it will be nice to hear the E string too....
I use La Bella silver tapes on my SS Jaguar and other short scale basses, they really rock! I've never been able to find a flatwound that I liked both the sound and tension on. The Silver tapes are much brighter than black tapes which I use on my jazz basses. The silvers are kind of the stainless steel string of the tape wound world. To my ears they sound close to a very broken in set of Chromes (which I've always considered to be a very bright flat that takes a long while to break in).
I say all that because I'm a tape lover, they just seem to strike the perfect balance of tension, tone, volume and left hand forgiveness. I've tried La Bella, Rotos, Fender and D'addaros and keep coming back to the La Bella's. Once I get a new nut installed on my blonde SG I'm thinking about giving the La Bella gold tapes a spin. I haven't tried tapes on any of my Gibsons yet and I suspect the SG will be a perfect candidate for the test. The gold tapes are supposed to be even brighter than the silvers and very close to nickel rounds in tone. I guess that would make them the cobalt string of the tapewound world. Should look nice on this one...
I had no idea tape wounds could be considered bright. Shows I need to learn more! I'm ordering the silver tapes right now.
Edit: just ordered the white nylon La Bella tape wound strings.....wait to try them with the SG.
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Be sure and let us know how you like em! The whites come in copper, silver and gold core colors all with clear tape wrap. I'm assuming you got the silver core whites - they really need to drop the word "white" from the title, it gets very confusing.
Sweet, I hope you like that pup as much as I do. I'll be interested to hear how you like the series/parallel switching, also, as that's still a mod that I haven't done yet! Where did you source the push/pull pot, btw? I definitely notice more tonal differences betwen the 2 pups now, too. The neck pup no longer hugely overpowers the bridge pup, so they work together better, imo. There's still huge lows, but there's more clarity to the notes.
Got one from GC. Now, do I NEED short scale strings or will my standard GHS flats be ok?
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I've managed to fit long scale round wound strings on my SS Musicmaster bass, but it definitely pays to go with SS strings. I just bought a few sets from basstringsonline.com.
Ebay seller arkansasmusicworks is where I got the 500k push/pull pot.
Nice to hear about the better balance with the model one pick up. I'm kind of half toying with this idea all Billy Sheehan....thoughts anyone or blasphemy? (Photo courtesy of another TB'er...)
I got my Special and I *like it*, but the strings are so dead I can't tell yet if I *love* it... It's light, playable, I got the action pretty low and can probably go more, but the output is very low. Also, I kind of wish I'd sprung a little more for the Standard (used, not the huge new price) because the inlays go nicely with the 120th banner. I'll put new strings and adjust the pickups and see what I can see...
Congrats! Post some pictures when you get the chance. Not sure you're missing much with the standard vs special, just some cosmetics. Store prices for the standard seem a bit overpriced. If I had the choice of a new special or used standard for similar price, I would go for the special.
Will do ASAP. Would have last night, but we had a bit of a family emergency.
Anyways, what I am wondering is if the deadness is just in the strings or if it's in the open, woody character of the lack of finish? I wouldn't assume that, except that the deadness is very similar to the one I tried at the store, and by contrast the EB3 that I liked the sound of, was a typical Gibson glossy finish. Wish there was a 2014 standard nearby to play.
Are you thinking of putting the humbucker in a P-style bass, or just adding a P pup in the SG?
I'm sure strings will probably take care of the dead issues.
I too wanted to brighten the sound up a bit, so I switched to a new set of rounds and didn't like the sound at all, so I switched to DR flats and I like the sound much better (but be warned I don't like rounds on any bass I own).
I hardly ever used a pick with my fender P bass or jazz bass, but find I get a much punchier tone with a pick on some songs that I normally wouldn't use a pick for.
I'm still adjusting to the sound of the SG, I actually had it for sale twice, but decided to warm up to it since I got a great deal on it (traded it for a fender parts bass that I didn't have much money into). The bass is soooo comfortable for me that I really want to make it work.
Hence I have a Dimarzio Model One in the mail, as well as a selection of different flatwounds to try.
BTW, I'm sure some here on TB will tell you finish will effect tone, but I wouldn't really consider that your issue, try new strings first.
Sorry, I didn't clarify that. SG bass mod.
P pick up between the bridge and neck SG pick ups. I've seen some earlier EB basses with the mudbucker in the middle position. Thinking that will give a less muddy tone. Then I thought, why not go for a p pick up?
I got this bass on the cheap with a trade, so willing to experiment. Especially since I want it to be my #1.
Yeah, it's very light and comfy, but at the moment my main bass just has my heart in sound and feel - it just weighs a couple pounds more and my shoulder is unhappy with me for it. =0) If the SG doesn't end up winning, I may at least keep it around for a change of pace sometimes. I do like what it does!
Interesting, to be sure! As long as you aren't worried about potentially having a bass you don't like the sound of, I say go for it!
Wow. Digging those mods. What pickup is in the bridge of the light blue les Paul junior? Looks like a single coil P bass pick up? I presume you just put the original mudbucker cover back over the top of it?
