NBD: 2001 Gibson SG-Z

[neepheid]

As some of you may recall, I sold my G-3 a while back.  Well, I've replaced it with a 2001 SG-Z.  It's pretty mean looking and it's a bit like a growlier version of my IV.  Can't really tell much difference between single coil and parallel, but then again I can't really tell much difference on my G&L either   Very light weight (probably the lightest bass I own currently) and a surprising lack of neck dive with a grippy strap (I remember with the same strap the bottom end of my old Epiphone EB-3 would try to go up as the neck made a slow descent towards the floor)

[exiledarchangel]

Nice bass!

Can't really tell much difference between single coil and parallel

Its simple really: single coil mode hums, parallel don't!

I believe those pups are TB+? I'd like to hear some soundclips, especially on single/parallel mode!

[Chris P.]

I always have to think of Mike Watt's EB3s as I see those basses. Nice!

[Dave W]

Beautiful bass. Never could get any bottom out of the three I tried, including one I had an extended trial with. IIRC, Uwe had the same experience and replaced the pickups in his. Hope yours is better.

(@exiledarchangel: the pickups aren't TB Plus.)

[the mojo hobo]

There is something about these that I find very appealing. I've always wanted one in cherry, but never had the opportunity to play (or even see inperson) one.

If is has a weak bottom I think I could find a Model 1 in my basement.

[TBird1958]

Beautiful bass. Never could get any bottom out of the three I tried, including one I had an extended trial with. IIRC, Uwe had the same experience and replaced the pickups in his. Hope yours is better.

(@exiledarchangel: the pickups aren't TB Plus.)

 Not doubting you Dave, what might the pickups be then?
Regardless, it's actually a very atractive bass BTW.

[uwe]

I think they called them Z Pick Ups, they are nowhere near as loud and growly as TB Plus nor as bassy - I have a one-off SG long scale bass with TB Plus pups and the difference to the SG-Z is quite stark.

Busy right now, I'll share some observations later on. Beautiful basses they were, no doubt.

Uwe

[Dave W]

Yep, they were called Z-bass pickups. Jules has a page here.

[Nocturnal]

I really like the look of these basses. Congrats on the new bass!!

[neepheid]

Cheers guys.  I quite like the sound of it, I gigged it at the weekend and had no bother cutting through the rest of the band  (although this thing does spit out a heck of a lot of mids so it's hardly surprising).  If I remember correctly it was neck pickup only, series mode I used on Friday. 

I have been spending some more time playing through headphones and I can make out a little difference in single coil mode if the pickups are used together.  Single coil mode hasn't hummed for me yet, the same with my coil tapped G&L.

I am enjoying the bass, I don't find the sound wanting (obviously it's never going to be a dub/reggae bass with these pickups and where they are situated) but for your rock type stuff it does just fine.

I'm going to put some fresh strings on my IV so they're similar in that respect then do some A-B-ing.

[uwe]

I have a cherry and a black one (yes, I do not collect for fins, I know, but the flesh is sometimes weak). The black one drove me nuts with its lack of sub bass, so I had eventually a mudbucker in neck pos stuck in, you can now play dub with it alright!  

Cruel to be kind:



The cherry one - for whatever reason - delivers over an Ampeg SVT rig with fridge and an extra  18" cab, in neck pup mode only (loudest setting of the mini toggle) and bass boosted on the SVT via the boost button just enough bass to get away with it (the black one never did prior to the implant). Still considerably less than a TBird, P Bass, Jazz Bass or Ric would, none of which is a sub bass monster. An no comparison to an SG RI or Standard either (but then those have close-to-the-neck pups)

I guess it's a couple of things: there is little wood on the bass (thin neck and body), here a comparison of SG-Z body and neck with my one off SG long scale (pre-owned by Herr Carlston, apologies for the awfully glary pics, I did this in a rush, the SG-Z is the one in the lighter cherry, an unusual tone I haven't seen on any other Gibson),





the pup positioning is extremely towards the bridge, farther back than on either a TBird or an LP Bass, again a glary shot to compare with the one-off SG:



the pups are built for clarity (with a nice high middish peak) rather than ooomph and the toggle switch passive electronics seemingly deball the sound even more.

Other than the lack of deep bass, the basses sound fine and those fidgety toggle switches can give you lots of nice mid range nuances, I'm sure they would have made great fretless basses where the lack of deep bass is not so detrimental to general usability.

[ilan]

delivers over an Ampeg SVT rig with fridge and an extra  18" cab, in neck pup mode only (loudest setting of the mini toggle) and bass boosted on the SVT via the boost button just enough bass to get away with it (the black one never did prior to the implant).

Reminds me of the frustration I had with my first Ric before I learned about the bass-cut capacitor.

[uwe]

What they got absolutely right with the SG-Z was the look IMHO. It is the most beautiful SG shape bass ever made, even when compared against the sixties short scale originals. Love the sleek look (never mind how the lack of wood has drawbacks too), my one-off for all its sonic superiority looks clumsy in comparison, and the pg is art. If they had given this bass active electronics (in which case the lack of ooomph would have been easily compensated) it might have done a lot better. As it was, it became a commercial disaster.

The fretboard wood btw is pao ferro, for once Gibson tried something different.