So I bought a Gibson bass again

[ilan]

My 77 Jazz and 75 Precision have 5-ply guards and I like the double white stripes, like a tort guard has. Oddly, on the P it's an original 70s Fender guard. I've seen a few others like it, I think Fender were trying 5-ply and decided against but some were sold with the 5-ply guards. To me, it's what makes it special and "mine" without altering the bass. Only I notice it.

[Rob]

I think it the little nuances (like that) that cause musicians to favor certain instruments over other similar ones.

[ilan]

I tried putting a Ric toaster temporarily under the cover (wired directly to a cable, no solder joint was harmed in the process). Wow.

My conclusion is that this is a wonderful bass that I am definitely keeping, with an unfortunate pickup that kills 90% of the bass's potential - and I want all of it.

I've placed an order for a splittable Retrovibe HotMud pickup. If I don't like it, I'll just install the toaster under the hood.

[Granny Gremlin]

so, uh, whatcha gonna do with that mudbucker then, eh, bud?

[uwe]

The mudbucker signal is too indirect for most forms of modern bass playing. But it gives lovely extra phatness when played in combination with the TB pups on my "gunshot baby". It's a "halo of deep frequencies" no active circuit with a sparate bass volume could provide as nicely.

[ilan]

Uwe, I'm not going to route for extra pickups, and the single pickup has to be usable. I don't want to turn it into a Fender or a Ric - I have plenty of those already. I want the full potential of this bass, and I have just heard a taste of it and it's promising.

[amptech]

Uwe, I'm not going to route for extra pickups, and the single pickup has to be usable. I don't want to turn it into a Fender or a Ric - I have plenty of those already. I want the full potential of this bass, and I have just heard a taste of it and it's promising.

If you like a rick in there, a single coil mud will take you in the same direction. I have even made a pickup testbed with an epi EB-0 body and a long scale maple neck for swapping/testing pickups quick and compare. I think that everybody should try to split their muds before buying anything, it's very easy to do and it is reversable. You can even put a push pull pot and make it switchable, still it's pretty much stock.

As for the five ply.... Sure you wanna go that way?? A bold move, I must say. I put a three ply on an EB3 once, it was never the same after

[ilan]

I think that everybody should try to split their muds before buying anything, it's very easy to do and it is reversable

I'm not sure I know how. 

[Granny Gremlin]

I'm not sure I know how. 

Disconnect the wires that connect the 2 coils.  They can be seen easily when the cover is off. Theres your 4 leads for coil splitting etc. It s been a while since i been in there but IIRC they are in the middle by the bottom edge.

[ilan]

Until the Retrovibe arrives, I took the mudbucker out of the bass and put a J pickup under the cover, just to see what it sounds like. It's not going to stay there. The Ric toaster sounded better. The J is thin - not Ric-with-the-cap thin, but too thin for my liking, not much character, and I want some of the low end of the original mud.

[Dave W]

I'm not surprised.

[amptech]

Until the Retrovibe arrives, I took the mudbucker out of the bass and put a J pickup under the cover, just to see what it sounds like. It's not going to stay there. The Ric toaster sounded better. The J is thin - not Ric-with-the-cap thin, but too thin for my liking, not much character, and I want some of the low end of the original mud.

I say get that soldering iron out! The single mud will not let you down, it's nice and deep but with more precense and clarity than in humbucker mode.  It's very easy to do, as said before. And it's free

[ilan]

I say get that soldering iron out! The single mud will not let you down, it's nice and deep but with more precense and clarity than in humbucker mode.  It's very easy to do, as said before. And it's free

I have opened the mud, removed some of the insulation tape, but couldn't see the wires and didn't want to damage a vintage pickup. I will experiment with the new pickup and maybe then I will build up the courage to split the mud.

[ilan]

Another Gibson newbie Q - what exactly happens in the Varitone tone choke position on an EB-3?

[doombass]

It forms a midrange notch on the mudbucker output.