The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: doombass on May 11, 2008, 11:07:49 PM

Title: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: doombass on May 11, 2008, 11:07:49 PM
Yesterday I went to a Guitar Show in Gothenburg. I stumbled across a guy who is known for dealing with all sorts of guitar related vintage stuff and junk. He had bought a drawer (actually 4 drawers) off Krazy Kat Music in San Antonio. He had a list of what inventory he had. I immediately spotted two Mudbuckers on the list but more interesting, a Les Paul Signature bass pickup. At first I could'nt seem to find it amongst all the stuff but in the second drawer something caught my eye and a bell rang in my head thinking of this photo from Jules' site:

(http://www.gibsonbass.com/graphics/LPsigbass73.jpg)

So this is what I got. According to the dealer it's NOS and belonging to a LP Sig Bass. What do you think?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/LPsigpup6.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/LPsigpup5.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/LPsigpup4.jpg)
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Chris P. on May 12, 2008, 03:06:11 AM
It's a nice story!

I'm no expert, but it looks a bit smaller than the one on the pic.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Basvarken on May 12, 2008, 04:11:18 AM
Very interesting Daniel!
I might very well be an original. Would this mean that Gibson made two series of the LP Sig bass? The first series with the cream stacked humbucker with rounded edges plus chrome ring and the second series with the square cream humbucker with plastic square surround?

But... the Black Les Paul Bass pickups have eight wires. The one in the picture only has two.
The Elektar pickup on the Epi JCS has only three wires. It has a ground wire that I don't see on this pickup that you've found.

It would be interesting to know what the dimensions are to determine wether it's a guitar pickup or really a bass pickup.

Did you buy it?



Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: drbassman on May 12, 2008, 04:30:56 AM
Did they ever actually produce one with a Triumph style pup?  I've never seen that.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Chris P. on May 12, 2008, 04:39:55 AM
Did they ever actually produce one with a Triumph style pup?  I've never seen that.

that's the big question now, I guess.

of course Basvarken made a very nice replica. Add some pics again, Rob!
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Barklessdog on May 12, 2008, 04:44:05 AM
Do you own a JC yet to mount it?
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Basvarken on May 12, 2008, 04:49:34 AM


of course Basvarken made a very nice replica. Add some pics again, Rob!

it's here (http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=474.15)

The picture on Jules site (that Daniel posted above) was my inspiration.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Dave W on May 12, 2008, 06:48:42 AM
Interesting find. I hope it turns out to be what he said.

I'm also not surprised that Krazy Kat would have drawers of old stuff like that.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: rockinrayduke on May 12, 2008, 08:05:14 AM
Spent many an afternoon in Krazy Kat. I don't think even they know what they've got crammed into the nooks and crannies of that place anymore.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: doombass on May 12, 2008, 08:32:20 AM
It's a nice story!

I'm no expert, but it looks a bit smaller than the one on the pic.

Pics can be decieving. Here are some reference pics. It is slightly smaller than the Triumph pics (resting on the strings even a bit smaller than it appears on first pic).

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/Lpsigpup7.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/LPsigpup8.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/doombass/Gibson/Lpsigpup9.jpg)

Good news is I bought it. Bad news is I just measured the DC resistance and the reading was 9.5 Ohms. That does not bode well since I would'nt think they'd use that heavy gauge wire on the winding.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Basvarken on May 12, 2008, 09:26:39 AM
Definitely a bass pickup. Guitar pickups are much smaller.

They did use thick wire. I have one of those black Les Paul bass pickups and I tried to remove the casing because it didn't function 100%. I saw the very thick wire -for pickups standards- come from under the epoxyd.

If you ever want to get rid of the pickup let me know :P




Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Chris P. on May 12, 2008, 01:28:07 PM
It's much bigger than I thought indeed!!! Nice!!
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: Rhythm N. Bliss on May 12, 2008, 02:17:04 PM
Cooooooool
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: sniper on May 12, 2008, 04:52:59 PM
Very interesting. I was talking to Curtis Novak a little while back about winding some pups with a heavier gauge wire. Turns out he has done it with some "P" pups, some Charley Christian pups and some Melody Maker pups. He says they give his bass pups a bit more bottom without adding the mids or highs that most over wound pups have.

I sent Stan at HAS Sound a bass pup to play with (a Mosrite pup) but it got lost in the mail.  :-[ Thought I was wanting a bass version of a P-90. Oh well!!!

That might not be a bad pup to play around with as is!!!
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: doombass on May 12, 2008, 06:22:46 PM
That's good news. Maybe it is functional after all. I figure I'll have to do the Van Broek test then and rig it on a bass to test it. And Rob, if (not likely) I decide to flip it you got first dibs. I might otoh copycat you and try to track down a used Casady to install it in. An even better object would be something like Dennis Sig with missing original pickup but I guess that won't happen. Les Paul Sigs are getting quite pricey nowadays.
Title: Re: LP Signature. An interesting discovery.
Post by: uwe on May 13, 2008, 04:43:11 AM
Quite a find!