Yet another cheap bass Q (Giannini)

daan · August 07, 2018, 04:46:40 PM

So I checked out a new (to me) guitar store today. They had a "Giannini" Tele bass copy that was nice.
https://www.musicgoroundstpaul.com/p/888777/used-giannini-gb-3-bass-guitar-black
Here's a link to the actual thing, since I can't seem to get pics to attach today...
Anyway, what is it with me and black Fender copies? I have 2 already, and really wanted to not like another one, but this played better than all the other basses at the store... Anybody here familiar with these, or the Giannini brand? I already have an "Austin" p copy, I wouldn't be surprised if both were made in the same Chinese factory... The G had a nice neck, it sounded good and didn't seem to be heavy. I think I'm gonna go back and grab it when I work tomorrow!

Dave W · August 08, 2018, 12:17:53 AM

That's a new one on me. There's a Brazilian company called Giannini that has made acoustics since well before I started playing, maybe they have an import line. If it sounds good and feels right, hard to go wrong at that price.

I didn't realize Music Go Round has opened another location. Doesn't look like they have much inventory yet.

Pilgrim · August 08, 2018, 10:16:50 AM

Agreed, very hard to go wrong at that price. It reminds me a lot of the Jay Turser JTB-401 I had for a while, which was in the same price range.

daan · August 09, 2018, 04:16:59 PM

So I went and bought the bass today before work. My wife is gonna kill me when she sees the CC bill, but I figure it's better to ask forgiveness, than permission...

Plus I didn't want to feel like I missed it, and not be able to find another one, or something... I traded my Austin P for it. I got all of $60 for the Austin $:-\$ but since I only paid $45, plus the $1 for the EMG pickup I put in it, I shouldn't complain...
Comparatively, the Giannini has a MUCH nicer neck-it's all maple (Austin had a rosewood-ish board) the nut width is 1-3/4" (Austin was 1.6") I prefer bigger necks, and always thought the neck on the Austin was too narrow, plus the depth wasn't real big either. the frets on the G are noticably smaller, though. No actual fret wear, though. I thought the AUstin sounded better, but that's because I changed it to what I like (EMG Selects, like my other bass). Maybe I'll change the G, but it's fine for now. I played an old P bass with the single coil pup like this, that had a "Quarter Pounder" in it, that I liked, so maybe when I save up the $ for one (that I'm sure will cost more than this whole bass did

) I can change that out. THis bass has the dime-size pots, and the volume is a little scratchy, but otherwise there's nothing actually WRONG with it, I just haven't soldered anything lately, and am getting a little itchy. The bridges on both these looked identical. The body on the G is slightly thicker, but overall it weighs less than the Austin. Again, I bought another black Fender copy. I wanted something different, but this one plays and feels REAL nice, I shouldn't complain. Especially for $80 out the door...

I looked up the Turser basses Pilgrim said, and mine looks the same. Other than the butt-ugly headstock mine has.

So is there a big difference between the sound of these single coil P's and the split ones? And when I googled "Tele bass" those all seemed to have the big chrome humbuckers. Do we like those around here? Not that I'm planning on getting one any time soon, I just realized I don't think I've seen one of those (HB Tele bass) in person ever.

Dave W · August 10, 2018, 08:09:24 AM

Quote from: daan on August 09, 2018, 04:16:59 PM
So I went and bought the bass today before work. My wife is gonna kill me when she sees the CC bill, but I figure it's better to ask forgiveness, than permission... Plus I didn't want to feel like I missed it, and not be able to find another one, or something... I traded my Austin P for it. I got all of $60 for the Austin $:-\$ but since I only paid $45, plus the $1 for the EMG pickup I put in it, I shouldn't complain...
Comparatively, the Giannini has a MUCH nicer neck-it's all maple (Austin had a rosewood-ish board) the nut width is 1-3/4" (Austin was 1.6") I prefer bigger necks, and always thought the neck on the Austin was too narrow, plus the depth wasn't real big either. the frets on the G are noticably smaller, though. No actual fret wear, though. I thought the AUstin sounded better, but that's because I changed it to what I like (EMG Selects, like my other bass). Maybe I'll change the G, but it's fine for now. I played an old P bass with the single coil pup like this, that had a "Quarter Pounder" in it, that I liked, so maybe when I save up the $ for one (that I'm sure will cost more than this whole bass did ) I can change that out. THis bass has the dime-size pots, and the volume is a little scratchy, but otherwise there's nothing actually WRONG with it, I just haven't soldered anything lately, and am getting a little itchy. The bridges on both these looked identical. The body on the G is slightly thicker, but overall it weighs less than the Austin. Again, I bought another black Fender copy. I wanted something different, but this one plays and feels REAL nice, I shouldn't complain. Especially for $80 out the door...

I looked up the Turser basses Pilgrim said, and mine looks the same. Other than the butt-ugly headstock mine has.

So is there a big difference between the sound of these single coil P's and the split ones? And when I googled "Tele bass" those all seemed to have the big chrome humbuckers. Do we like those around here? Not that I'm planning on getting one any time soon, I just realized I don't think I've seen one of those (HB Tele bass) in person ever.

The first edition Telecaster Bass (about 1968-71) was a reissue of the original Precision Bass (1951-56), with the single coil pickup. Yours is a copy of that, except for the headstock, of course. They used the Tele Bass name in the late '60s since they were already using the Precision name for basses with the split coil pickup. By '72 they changed to the large humbucker by the neck, allegedly to compete with Gibson's mudbucker. But the Fender big humbucker doesn't sound like the Gibson. I had one (a '77) for a while. Lots of loud angry midrange that drowned out the lows and highs. I sold it for more than I paid for it. If I ever bought another Tele Bass, it would be with the single coil version.

Willie's has a single coil '71 and a humbucker '74 right now. Stop over there next time you're in St. Paul. You can buy the both of them for a mere $8,250. Do that and your wife won't even notice the Giannini on the CC bill.

I don't like any of the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. They may sound good solo but in my experience they get lost in the mix in a band.

Daniel_J · August 10, 2018, 01:34:01 PM

Yup, that's a "Brazilian" Giannini bass guitar.
The headstock is definitely from the current chinese made models, but I've never seen that tele style before.

Giannini is a Brazilian musical instrument manufacturing company founded in 1900 by Tranquilo Giannini, an Italian luthier who immigrated to Brazil in the late 1800's. They started building acoustic guitars only, but went on to manufacture strings, amps, pedals, keyboards, violins and electrics guitar and basses.

Giannini is still run by the same family, and is the most traditional instrument maker in the country. It was the first in Brazil to offer steel strings guitars starting in 1960's (in Brazil, nylon strung classical style guitars have always been the norm) and the first to produce electronic keyboards in the early 1980's.
They have been exporting to the US and Europe since the late 1960's, and even have their own comercial, marketing and distribution office in New York.
In regards to electric guitar and basses the company haven't been building in their own Brazilian plant since the mid 1990's when manufacturing costs got cheaper in Asia. Aside from a brief period between 2006 and 2007 when they produced a series of in house Brazilian made guitar and basses using local wood suplies, all electric guitars and basses are made in Asia.
Nowadays the local plant produces mainly their higher-end handmade acouctics. And a lot of that is targeted to the export market.

Giannini most internationally successfull product is the Craviola, a 12 steel string guitar with a kidney shaped body. It's a internationaly patented product and it has been seen in the hands of famous musicians, most notably Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Andy Summers and Linda Perry.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/489470_d5b13c32aa2f4d13b77e8e3343805378~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_599,h_431,al_c,q_90/489470_d5b13c32aa2f4d13b77e8e3343805378~mv2.webp

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/489470_471cef69a408413b9215b2ce6bd89d9a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_500,h_375,al_c,q_90/489470_471cef69a408413b9215b2ce6bd89d9a~mv2.webp

daan · August 13, 2018, 06:53:58 PM

"Lots of loud angry midrange"

Is there an example of what that would be good for? Or do I not see these around because "nobody likes that"? Not meaning to be argumentative, just wondering.

"I don't like any of the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. They may sound good solo but in my experience they get lost in the mix in a band."

What do you like the sound of? SD makes a vintage correct pup in this shape, or I guess I could try any one of the 6736635774786 versions of Strat pickups that APPEAR to be the same shape... not that I NEED to change anything. I A/B'ed the Giannini with my JB Player and liked that sound better. Hmm, I bet I could scare up a EMG pup in that form factor...

daan · August 13, 2018, 06:55:37 PM

Oh and thank you daniel J for the good info!

Dave W · August 13, 2018, 11:08:51 PM

Quote from: daan on August 13, 2018, 06:53:58 PM
"Lots of loud angry midrange"

Is there an example of what that would be good for? Or do I not see these around because "nobody likes that"? Not meaning to be argumentative, just wondering.

"I don't like any of the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders. They may sound good solo but in my experience they get lost in the mix in a band."

What do you like the sound of? SD makes a vintage correct pup in this shape, or I guess I could try any one of the 6736635774786 versions of Strat pickups that APPEAR to be the same shape... not that I NEED to change anything. I A/B'ed the Giannini with my JB Player and liked that sound better. Hmm, I bet I could scare up a EMG pup in that form factor...

Some people like that. Some other people like scooped midrange. I don't like the tone when there's too much or too little. Keep in mind that the big humbucker Tele basses sold well for a year or two and not much after that. Mine was a '77 yet it had 1 meg pots from 1973, Fender must have planned on much more production than actually happened.

In general, I like pickups wound reasonably close to vintage spec. A little overwound or underwound can be great, but too hot and it starts being too midrangey to my ears. Plenty of output but stops sounding like what it's trying to be. The SD QPs and similar from other companies change the formula by using bigger polepieces instead of way overwinding. Nothing necessarily wrong with big polepieces if that's part of the pickup design, but forcing them into a pickup form that wasn't designed for them doesn't sound good to me.

Strat pickups are close to size but a bit smaller. There are a number of pickup makers offering original single coil ('51-style) Precision pickups, you're not just limited to SD. Fralin, Lollar, Nordstrand, Rio Grande etc.