Rumor has it that Gibson will be selling those pickups from their site. But who knows when.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
That would be a no! But you knew that. They should be honest--it's a promo, not a review. Reminds me of all the food programs where people fix things or travel to places, and they're amazed at how wonderful everything is. That is not even possible. It's a fact that some things people fix are just nasty and don't taste "fantastic" to everyone.
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Therapy.Hey, what are we? Dog meat?
Really? Had to go there? Thanks for the visual.
John has to be one of the most underrated bassists ever.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
The new metal can NR pickups are on the dark side of the tone continuum, but not as dark as the standard reverse black plastic TB+ pickups.
I did a shoot out last week (posted a bazillion pages ago in this thread) that included a 2021 NR, a VP and a 2012 Gibby Tbird among others (2015 and Goth were also included). All were strung with the exact same strings. The VP came out as the brightest sounding the 2012 Anniversary Tbird with the TB+ pickups came out as the darkest of the bunch and the NR was about in the middle of the pack.
Installing a new Gibby NR pickup in a VP would warm the sound up a bit in the bridge position but you might loose a bit of the growl that’s so sweet in the VP. When modding basses I like to try and leverage each components strong point. The VP excels at grit and grind, and that’s largely due to the bridge pickup. The new NR bridge pickup excels at a deep dark rumble.
If you have a new NR bridge pickup I’d strongly consider putting it in the VP neck position. There’s no hard and fast rule that dictates bridge pickups must go in bridge positions. A bridge pup in most cases is going to be hotter than the matching neck pickup but that can easily be overcome by lowering it a bit in the body or better yet, using that funny little thing called a volume knob.
I have no doubt that a NR bridge pup in the neck position of the VP would sound monstrous when soloed! Blended with the VP bridge pickup (bridge on max volume, tone on max, neck rolled on as needed for effect) it would be a very full range earth pounding machine. Quite possibly a sonic improvement over the VP and the NR, the best of both worlds.
My concern with putting a NR pup in the bridge position on the VP is that you’ll be limiting the amount of deep dark lows it’s capable of. Sure it’ll warm up the bass, but probably not much more than you could easily do with your tone knob or an amp adjustment.
I love trains in Europe. Haven't taken one here since I was a wee tyke.
Did you just steal my biography? (Not my dad's, but mine.)
Question for those that might have an answer or opinion…
Do these…
Sound anything like these…
Those transformers look pretty small on the new model.
Do these…
Sound anything like these…
Those transformers look pretty small on the new model.
I really don’t want to get into a debate. Some like the guy. Some don’t. I agree he is a good player.
In this vid he likes the tone. But he harps on finish flaws on a borrowed bass that simply should have been returned to Gibson at the outset. And how was the setup on this bass? I suspect that if he played mine, he’d find it a joy to play. Even with the three-point bridge (which is fine on mine, although I’d rather have a more vintage correct claw and two-point) which he certainly doesn’t like. Overall, I don’t think he is very knowledgeable about some of the basses he reviews. He seems to favor Sterling SBMM Stingrays like the budget SUB. I have one; it’s not that great.
Scott teased us with that. It seems like months ago now. Still waiting…
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,895
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- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
I have 2021 Gibson NR pickups in my VP, traded them with Scott. We each felt that what we traded for was the best pickup. For me, through my rig the Gibsons sound much fuller especially in the bass/lo-mid/mids but they don't have as much top end zing as the 760s do. I don't think of them as being "dark" so much, rather that they are a bit more present.
Gibson are chrome, Epi are Nickel
The ProBuckers in my Epi Embassy seem hotter than the pups in my 67(?) NR, but ya gots to remember neither of the NR's pups has been 'worked' on and the bridge/superfluous pup doesn't get used at all. It may have 'died'* from neglect.
EDIT: *it occurs to me that "atrophied" might be a better term
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I wouldn't personally play a yellow bass but it looks nice. Price is right and with some work it could be a decent player, as it sounds like he's going to do. Would definitely have to get the pu's in phase. It's like my '63 Burns of London Vista Sonic with its "Wild Dog" setting. (out of phase - sounds thin and anemic..) Possibly ok for a guitar - not for a bass. I reversed it and it sounds much better.
Also thought his playing the short except of the Anderson's guy attempting to say something positive about how bad it sounds out of phase was.., well played. An example of how Anderson's (as a company selling that bass) didn't want to criticize it. That's where Lobster is more objective - he's not selling that bass.
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That's the thing, isn't it. In my rig I don't even consider the TB+ dark.I have 2021 Gibson NR pickups in my VP, traded them with Scott. We each felt that what we traded for was the best pickup. For me, through my rig the Gibsons sound much fuller especially in the bass/lo-mid/mids but they don't have as much top end zing as the 760s do. I don't think of them as being "dark" so much, rather that they are a bit more present.
Gibson are chrome, Epi are Nickel
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I should have figured he wasn't favorable on the NR... Personally I don't disagree with anything he said about it - he addressed all things both positive & negative. He ideally uses the same short, but not too short bass-line for all pu settings which gives an accurate impression of the differences. He also provides finger-style, pick and slap examples. Slapping I can always do w/o, but for those who slap - he has good technique so gives an accurate impression of the bass slapped.
Bottom line, if I were in the market for a bass he reviews - I would very much appreciate his detailed assessment and would take it into serious consideration before shelling out my money.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,588
- 221,963
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
That's a really good price for the B15N.
