Gibson Midtown Pickup Advice

[veebass]

I've never seen Grovers that haven't been stamped, have they been changed for lightweights?

Nor have I but they appear genuine and original. In fact they are identical to the Grovers on my ES 335 Bass except they are not stamped Grover on the base plate.
I have all the Gibson paperwork for the purchase of the bass new from a Gibson dealer and the serials all match up.
So the bass is genuine,

[Christine]

Nor have I but they appear genuine and original. In fact they are identical to the Grovers on my ES 335 Bass except they are not stamped Grover on the base plate.
I have all the Gibson paperwork for the purchase of the bass new from a Gibson dealer and the serials all match up.
So the bass is genuine,

I don't doubt the bass, I know you're no fool, I just wondered if the tuners had been swapped out. If they are identical then maybe they are just a hybrid or even a manufacturing anomaly

Aside, I don't understand Gibson's approach to aftersales service on basses, you would think they would help you out with a genuine faulty product even if it was out of warranty even if they charged you RRP for the part; after all they seem to sell guitar pups

[Grog]

I remember seeing a new in box mudbucker-sized Gibby pickup in the display case at a local music store back in the early 80s. I was considering it for an Ibanez V / Fender mongrel I was experimenting with, but wound up with a Model One instead. It may have been an EB-4L version, but I really can't access that part of my memory for sure.

I have a New, in the store packaging mudbucker from the late sixties/early seventies. I've seen several like it on eBay in the same packaging. If I find it I'll post a photo. Oddly, that's the only part/pickup that I have seen for replacement sale..............

This isn't mine, (it's buried somewhere in my junk) but it's identical to what I bought years ago...........

[veebass]

I don't doubt the bass, I know you're no fool, I just wondered if the tuners had been swapped out. If they are identical then maybe they are just a hybrid or even a manufacturing anomaly

Aside, I don't understand Gibson's approach to aftersales service on basses, you would think they would help you out with a genuine faulty product even if it was out of warranty even if they charged you RRP for the part; after all they seem to sell guitar pups

I know you are not suggesting that. 
I am really unsure about the tuners.

[Dave W]

I know you are not suggesting that. 
I am really unsure about the tuners.

Here's a sold Midtown Signature from Elderly without Grover stamped on the tuners.

Hard to know whether yours were made by Grover or another company copying the Grover style to Gibson's specs, but there's no reason to think yours aren't the original tuners.

[veebass]

Here's a sold Midtown Signature from Elderly without Grover stamped on the tuners.

Hard to know whether yours were made by Grover or another company copying the Grover style to Gibson's specs, but there's no reason to think yours aren't the original tuners.

Thanks. I was confident- but it doesn't hurt to see another exactly the same. Mine's a 2014 stamped one as well.

[gearHed289]

Does Grover actually make their own tuners? I've seen their name on a lot of Gotoh GB7 tuners. Their Titan looks like a Schaller M4S. And the ones Gibson has been using look like the generic one's available at Stew Mac (also seen on the Bach bird). https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Electric_Bass_Tuning_Machines/Adjustable_Tension_Bass_Tuner_Set.html

[Dave W]

Does Grover actually make their own tuners? I've seen their name on a lot of Gotoh GB7 tuners. Their Titan looks like a Schaller M4S. And the ones Gibson has been using look like the generic one's available at Stew Mac (also seen on the Bach bird). https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Tuning_Machines/Electric_Bass_Tuning_Machines/Adjustable_Tension_Bass_Tuner_Set.html

Grover is still a US company but they've been made in Asia for at least 30 years, maybe closer to 40. They're made to Grover's specs, including the Schaller style ones, and they work fine. There are plenty of cheaper knockoffs out there.

[Alanko]

Old topic, but hey!

I've just received a Midtown neck pickup to upgrade my Rivoli bass. "Upgrade" may be too strong a word, but I was finding the Artec sidewinder was just too hot and restricted, tonally, to be much fun.


The Midtown pickup is strange. Mine isn't microphonic until the cover is installed. At a guess the cover is made of ferrous metal. If I hold the cover over the pickup, without touching any part of the pickup directly, the pickup will reproduce any light taps or knocks on the cover. Install the cover on the pickup and it will reproduce every tap and knock very clearly. I'm figuring out a way of padding the pickup slightly to isolate it, mechanically, from the cover. A plastic cover would be even better.

Remove the cover and tap the pickup itself and there is no noise. The coils seem well embedded in clear epoxy. Overall the pickup is well made, with a chunky brass backplate.

[Dave W]

Old topic, but hey!

I've just received a Midtown neck pickup to upgrade my Rivoli bass. "Upgrade" may be too strong a word, but I was finding the Artec sidewinder was just too hot and restricted, tonally, to be much fun.


The Midtown pickup is strange. Mine isn't microphonic until the cover is installed. At a guess the cover is made of ferrous metal. If I hold the cover over the pickup, without touching any part of the pickup directly, the pickup will reproduce any light taps or knocks on the cover. Install the cover on the pickup and it will reproduce every tap and knock very clearly. I'm figuring out a way of padding the pickup slightly to isolate it, mechanically, from the cover. A plastic cover would be even better.

Remove the cover and tap the pickup itself and there is no noise. The coils seem well embedded in clear epoxy. Overall the pickup is well made, with a chunky brass backplate.

Would wax potting between the cover and pickup help?

[Alanko]

I think it would, yes. I know some Telecaster players pot the bridge and pickup as a single unit to cut down on microphonics (I think Dan Erlewine discusses this in one of his books).