The Last Bass Outpost

Just called RS and talked to Roy. What a great guy! I've got a set of their Fralin Bassbuckers and a new set of pot, caps, and knobs on the way. We talked tone and output, and you'd probably not be surprised to know that he said many of the same things that we have discussed here regarding Epi LP pickup tone. He said he had briefly owned a late 80's Gibson Les Paul Standard bass and that its US-made pickups weren't much better than what Epi put in their later copy of it. I'll have to ream the pot holes and get new knobs because all the Epi stuff is metric, but I have no problem swapping out the crap pots in there now.

He also cautioned against buying new Gibson pickups because they're overwound to the point of ridiculousness with 16-20k outputs being common! I may be heading to Nashville next month, and was going to see what I could find there, and I'm glad to not have to drop what I'm sure would be a small fortune for pickups if Gibson had any bass models in stock and then have them be worse sounding than what's in there now.

 It wasn't a sales pitch either. He made sure to let me know that their Bassbuckers do NOT sound like a Les Paul, but I think I can "make do" with vintage t-Bird toned pickups.

I'm psyched because I bought this bass for three reasons:

1. I just got a much better job, but will still contract at the TV station, but on my terms.

2. My old band may be getting back together.

3 .Between this forum and my love for the Supersuckers, I've been destined to have a kick ass Gibby-themed axe in my arsenal for years and just now realized it.

There's an identical one on Nashville Craigslist for $300, case included.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/msg/1615889524.html

Hopefully, he still has it if you're interested. I don't like the burst myself.

My old drummer's dad has one of those that he bought new. He said that after about twice as much money in parts and repairs as it cost to buy it, he had himself a good bass. I played it once; heavy as hell with an odd mix of Gibson-meets-Fender tone, but it had Dimarzio's in it.

Ernie Ball flats are quite easy to find, since they are actually D'Addario Chromes in different packaging.

I didn't know that. That's funny, especially since the Ernie Ball's cost about half what D'Addario rounds cost and 2/3's less than their flats. You can find Group II flats everywhere, but Group III's, the 'low tension gauge,' are extremely rare, at least in music stores locally. I've never bought strings off the internet because I haven't had the need. My skin ph doesn't react to the strings much and it usually takes years of heavy play for me to kill a set.

The band I am currently producing recorded all of it tracks live in their rehearsal space with only vocals and embellishments dubbed later.  I am very happy with the sound.

The paint on my Epi's neck is fine, but the one I tried at the asshole's store had that weird "tacky" quality to it that seems to grab your fretting hand. Most Ric's with Jetglo finish are the same way to me. The best one I ever played had its neck sanded clean. The only neck gripe I have with mine is that the cold dry winter air has shrunk the fretboard and the fret ends are very sharp. It's not an issue playing it, but I cut my hand several times setting the trussrod.

That is not knocking the original Epi pups which I think make sense for the market they are aimed at. Most Epi users are budget-conscious and it is fair to assume that that also translates to their rig. And the Epi pups (who have been considerably souped up since they first came out, initially they sounded less loud and less middish, but also a lot lamer and docile) make one hell of a racket - you have no issues hearing yourself with them in a rehearsal even over a less than powerful rig. The sound ain't exactly pretty, bit grindy, but no one will say the bass isn't loud enough.  When I was young, to me that was real important!  

Head=Nail.

BTW, I'm open to suggestions for pickups that are drop-in replacements that will utilize the chrome covers and be fatter sounding with a more useable top end.