NBD for Goldmember

Thanks for the compliments, gents! I'm finding a groovy tone at 10 on neck and 8 on bridge.
An interesting characteristic on this bass: when both pickups are on equal volume settings,
there is a slight drop in volume...kinda like what I get with a Fender Jazz. Fret work is shmooth,
shmoother than a pancake. Gibson did a splendid job on detail with this bass.

Jamming to "Magic Carpet Ride"
 
Strung it up with some new short scale Chromes (45-100) a few days ago, and after some stretching, they are sounding oh, so groovy.

d-addario-ecb81s-chromes-bass-guitar-strings-short-scale-regular-light-045-100-11.gif.jpg

Interesting note: the silk almost clears the nut upon installation, but after a few days of stretching, there's just enough space. No problem clearing the Babicz bridge at all.
 
Hello Fellow Shwingers!

Goldmember is celebrating a new bass day: 2018 SG Bass. It's groovy, and weighs under 7 pounds. Trust me when I say that there is NO MUD. This has two state of the art modern humbuckers. I'm digging the feel of it, the sounds of it, the shmell of it...OH, the shmell. It's like candy. I'll post more soon, as I begin the love affair with this SG. I have wanted one for so long.

View attachment 14777

View attachment 14778

View attachment 14779

View attachment 14780

Nice bass - arguably my favorite bass and if I ever get another bass I'd like one of these. I had one when I was a teenager. Was helping a guy with a studio and he worked some deal or another out so I could get it.
 
Strung it up with some new short scale Chromes (45-100) a few days ago, and after some stretching, they are sounding oh, so groovy.

giphy.gif
 
Congratulations GM!

Now I want to hear a complete review. Your remarks above are interesting, but tell
us more.

Does the Gibson bass balance?

Do the new pickups sustain well?

How many kilos does it weigh?

Can you get brighter bass tones from it as well as the traditional Gibson thump?

If this one is not your first bass, how does the Gibson compare with others you
have played?

I am a Fender bass guy... imprinted on the J-Bass at an early and impressionable age,
now a recent convert to the Precision bass. So I'm a fan of the 34 inch scale (86.36 cm)
...I have played my music partner Libby's Hofner Bass, which has the short scale also.
I'm always over reaching myself when I try to play on the short scale. But I'm sure I could
get used to it, given a lovely instrument like yours.
 
Congratulations GM!

Now I want to hear a complete review. Your remarks above are interesting, but tell
us more.

Does the Gibson bass balance?

Do the new pickups sustain well?

How many kilos does it weigh?

Can you get brighter bass tones from it as well as the traditional Gibson thump?

If this one is not your first bass, how does the Gibson compare with others you
have played?

I am a Fender bass guy... imprinted on the J-Bass at an early and impressionable age,
now a recent convert to the Precision bass. So I'm a fan of the 34 inch scale (86.36 cm)
...I have played my music partner Libby's Hofner Bass, which has the short scale also.
I'm always over reaching myself when I try to play on the short scale. But I'm sure I could
get used to it, given a lovely instrument like yours.
Goedenmiddag COL Mustard!

I'm happy to update you with more details!
  • Does the Gibson bass balance? Yes! With the body worn at the upper right hip, the neck balances to a horizontal plane.
  • Do the new pickups sustain well? The T-Bird neck PU sustains beautifully, and is, indeed, a high fidelity pickup. By nature of its placement, it will lack some highs, but blending the mini T-bird bridge takes care of that.
  • How many kilos does it weigh? 3.12979 kilos!
  • Can you get brighter bass tones from it as well as the traditional Gibson thump? Yes! This is my preferred tone! Bridge at 10, and neck at 8. Any higher on the neck, and you get some cancelation, with loss of mids (like a Jazz). Of course, you can go bridge 10 and neck 0, and get somewhat of a Rick sound. ;)
  • If this one is not your first bass, how does the Gibson compare with others you
    have played?
    Prior to the SG, I have owned and played my 2014 American Standard P with maple neck, and Ibanez SR300, both with Fender flat wounds. The P, as you know, has a clarity and growl, and the Ibanez spans just about the entire range of tones, from a close P to a close Jazz tone. However, it was the Ibanez that started me thinking about a shorter neck, as well as the "thump." That, along with listening to Steppenwolf and Cream. I'm not a slap player, and my sound doesn't require the clear highs of a P. The SG/EB-3 is amazingly versatile, sauf slapping and popping. The 30.5 neck is a dream: rolled edges and finely finished frets. Unlike my P, I don't have dead spots between the 5-7th fret of the G string! Also, prior to playing the SG, I would almost always run my P and SR300 through the SansAmp. With the SG, I love the tone so much that I'm now using only light compression and the "Splitter" on my Zoom to reduce frequencies below 80hz. This, through the Fender Bassman TV 10, is my perfect sound. :)
    I had the opportunity to play a 1969 EB-3 at GC a few weeks ago. The original neck mud bucker is amazing for the one thing it does: thick, growly bass in a very hot signal. The new SG, as you have read, is much more modern, but still has the deep thud. I can say that the '69 had a nostalgic effect on me, which is hard to resist, but honestly, I wouldn't trade my SG bass for it. ;)
 
Last edited:
Goedenmiddag COL Mustard!

I'm happy to update you with more details!
  • Does the Gibson bass balance? Yes! With the body worn at the upper right hip, the neck balances to a horizontal plane.
  • Do the new pickups sustain well? The T-Bird neck PU sustains beautifully, and is, indeed, a high fidelity pickup. By nature of its placement, it will lack some highs, but blending the mini T-bird bridge takes care of that.
  • How many kilos does it weigh? 3.12979 kilos!
  • Can you get brighter bass tones from it as well as the traditional Gibson thump? Yes! This is my preferred tone! Bridge at 10, and neck at 8. Any higher on the neck, and you get some cancelation, with loss of mids (like a Jazz). Of course, you can go bridge 10 and neck 0, and get somewhat of a Rick sound. ;)
  • If this one is not your first bass, how does the Gibson compare with others you
    have played?
    Prior to the SG, I have owned and played my 2014 American Standard P with maple neck, and Ibanez SR300, both with Fender flat wounds. The P, as you know, has a clarity and growl, and the Ibanez spans just about the entire range of tones, from a close P to a close Jazz tone. However, it was the Ibanez that started me thinking about a shorter neck, as well as the "thump." That, along with listening to Steppenwolf and Cream. I'm not a slap player, and my sound doesn't require the clear highs of a P. The SG/EB-3 is amazingly versatile, sauf slapping and popping. The 30.5 neck is a dream: rolled edges and finely finished frets. Unlike my P, I don't have dead spots between the 5-7th fret of the G string! Also, prior to playing the SG, I would almost always run my P and SR300 through the SansAmp. With the SG, I love the tone so much that I'm now using only light compression and the "Splitter" on my Zoom to reduce frequencies below 80hz. This, through the Fender Bassman TV 10, is my perfect sound. :)
    I had the opportunity to play a 1969 EB-3 at GC a few weeks ago. The original neck mud bucker is amazing for the one thing it does: thick, growly bass in a very hot signal. The new SG, as you have read, is much more modern, but still has the deep thud. I can say that the '69 had a nostalgic effect on me, which is hard to resist, but honestly, I wouldn't trade my SG bass for it. ;)

Excellent review Goldie. Very well done.
 
Very pretty guitar. When the dust settles tell us what you think of the mini humbucker in the rear?
I have a mini humbucker and I never had a place for it. I was going to stick in my rear but I just can't find the right rear to stick it in. It sounds great and a forever spot has not popped up yet.
 
Back
Top