The Last Bass Outpost

"Though they may not be screwed into the magnet, they are magnetic (touch them with a screwdriver) and therefore connected to the magnet even if not directly."

If that's the test, yes they are ever so slightly magnetic (the chrome plate itself is more magnetic, however, and so are the screws of the minibucker in the bridge position). Just doesn't translate in an audible volume difference.  Now you can of course argue that neither the soap bar TBs nor the guitar size humbucker TBs offer individual string adjustment, but you can at least slant them as needed. This you can't do with the TB Plus mockbucker because that rests in a cavity underneath the chrome cover without any screw adjustment for its height.

That was about actual Mudbuckers.  Never been anywhere near these Midtown monstrosities.

Dammit, Gibson, you totally could have made those work if you tried a little harder.

Yeah - you're right about the holes - didn't think that one through, but I think you're wrong about the first bit - see the cherry EB2 - that pup ring looks mighty production-like (even down to the 3 pup screws and the 4 ring mount screws) and we already know that not all LoZ pups had the embossed logo (e.g. the white one). ... actually, that one looks like it might be a geetar pup due to size... ... none of the instruments pictured in that auction appear to have the embossed logo, even the 3-screw + ring mounted ones - check that sunburst geetar for example.

... looking at all of those basses more closely, it looks like the red EB2 has a differant style pup,  darker + ring + 3 screws, than the other... which appear to be mounted with just 2 screws each (top and bottom) vs 3 and do look very similar to this prototype (coulourwise)... so yeah, I take that back above (I wrote my earlier post as I read my coffee and without looking at the pics again, silly me, but I am so excited about this). They must have had some sort of cup they sat in, or a ring clamped around them with bushings to mount them like that.  I think I am still correct about these (more or less)  being what's inside the embossed cover of the production model though, just that LP himself was too impatient for them to sort that out and took matters into his own hands on some instruments apparently. ... though it would make sense from a production efficiency standpoint - if using the cover - to skip the mould when poring the epoxy and just pour directly into the cover.... but when did Gibson ever do things because they made sense?

I'd also like to see more detail on these basses - especially the 8 string, and particularly the bridge. ... Nice to see I'm not the only one sticking trapezes on to standard Gibby bridges on short scale instruments.

I'ma try to compare these DCRs to my measurements later today, but about the mounting - there seem to be 2 options to me.  The first is that those 2 holes at opposite ends of the top are from screw mounting into the body wood under the pup (through the end loops of the coil?).  The other is that this is not all of the pup, let me explain:

Look at the pics with the ruler.  These pups are larger than the production guitar model but just a 1/4" or less smaller than the production bass versions.  It could be that this component fit inside the plastic (in production at least) embossed cover with the 3 mounting bushings.  Note how the entire exterior appears to be poured epoxy (so nicely formed of the front/sides and due to using a mould and a little less so on the rear due to the wires poking out and the open end of the form).

It would be an advantage if you live in a high RFI area.  In my old studio (as well as in my old apartment), guitars/basses and their cables made excellent antennas, usually picking up the local jazz station, but once I got some ACDC from the Classic Rock station (had fun with that via the pedalboard).  

Anybody with deeeeeeep pockets?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LES-PAUL-PROTOTYPE-HAND-MADE-PICKUPS-GIBSON-RECORDING-MODEL-BASS-GUITAR-PICKUP-/310813237742?pt=Guitar&hash=item485de9a1ee

The hand-wrtitten notes on the back are very intersting; just frantically right-clicking and saving all thopse pics/text over on my end.  Gonna compare it to the notes I made about what wire was what and measurements of all coils when I had my Triumph apart years ago.  

Over the years I have seen so many folks rewire these pups and use the wrong wire for ground... and it doesn't help that Gibson wasn't so good at sticking to colour schemes to begin with.  Now we have a reliable benchmark (coil DCR) to compare to when looking at these things.

I am a little too excited about this!


Also, check out his custom built/modded basses at the bottom (also that SG is HOT.... and the archtop acoustics are making me feel so swoony - It's like looking at a prototype of me own Maude)!

can't you adjust the pole pieces to compensate (or are they not adjustable - I don't have any of those basses so I don't recall)?

...[google image] ... yeah, adjust the pole pieces.  I even had to do that on my vintage EB3 - the short scale makes the E a bit week but raising the polepiece under that string (or lowering the others) can balance it out no sweat.