sound difference between 60's and 70's EB3

[chromium]

ok, here we are again with some brandnew samples (Chromium will handle the samples again):

What I did is hook the big green wire up (without soldering). I left the little green/blue wire as it is.

Here is how you hear the samples:

1) varitone 1: hooked (original)
2) varitone 1: unhooked (mod)
3) varitone 4: hooked
4) varitone 4: unhooked

as you can hear the change from varitone 1 (hooked) to varitone 1 (unhooked) isn't as huge as on your bass. Also my varitone 4 (hooked) sounds more full and bassy than yours.....I still think it is very strange.

Here is Barend's latest soundclip - comparing the before-and-after effects of his "choke bypass" modification:

   

What I don't understand is how the little green wire will change the sound if I would remove it? any idea how it will affect the sound?

I knew I left the back cover off my bass for a reason!   

I rigged up my bass temporarily with a wire to approximate the one your tech added to your bass (thus bypassing that 220K resistor in the filter), and recorded before and after samples so you can hear the effect of it.  I will call this the "bluewire" mod from here forward.

The samples are in this order:
1)  Position 1 - Stock
2)  Position 1 - The "bluewire" mod
3)  Position 4 - Stock
4)  Position 4 - The "bluewire" mod

     

You can hear how leaving that wire in place will sort of "open up" position one - giving you a broader frequency response and less attenuation of the mudbucker's signal.  Position four still sounds weedy and thin on my bass, but you can hear how the choke filter's frequency shifts a bit with that filter resistor bypassed.

So now we have the bluewire mod!  Thank your tech for that one.  Pretty sure he put that in your bass to make positions one and four behave equally with the "choke bypass" mod in place.  But it certainly has a cool effect all of its own on a stock EB-3!  I like the sound of my bass with that mod, so I might end up making that a permanent fixture.   

Once again, this is the "bluewire" mod:

Also you told me to hook the big green wire it to two lugs (?)...see quote below. I hooked it to only one. It didn't matter to which of the two that you have pointed out. In both cases the (hooked) sound was the same.

In reference to your question about the choke's green wire spanning both pins on the varitone: you can connect it to just one pin, but make sure there is some other wire connecting those two pins on the switch if that is the case.  The schematic calls for that, and it makes it so the choke engages on positions 3 *and* 4.


None of this really serves to clear up the issue concerning the sound differences between our apparently similarly-wired basses, but I wouldn't discount lots of potential factors that might contribute to subtle variations in sound:

- Differing setups of our basses
- String brands/types/gauge
- Subtle variations in our pickups (?)
- Subtle variations in construction (your's has the later neck joint, mine the earlier)
- Slight differences in electronic component values/tolerances (choke, resistor, cap, etc..)
- I've been recording thru an ancient Alembic F-2B preamp (presumably set flat) into an M-Audio 1814, and you have recorded direct into your sound card
- ??  other stuff  ??

Each of these factors on their own may not account for much, but in aggregate they might have a marked effect on the sounds of our basses!

[barend]

like that name "blue wire mod"! you can hear the difference. Position 1 sounds less muddy and position 4 sounds a little bit different too (although a subte difference).
But with this mod you can't have the "EB-O mod" (?). I mean if you still want the original (or blue wired) position 4 sound...I mean the best of both worlds.

One more question. I noticed that with the original wiring the bridge pickup (position 2) has much more volume than the neck pickup (position 4). Is that also so on your bass? With the EB-O mod is the other way around: position 2 has less volume than position 4. 

Position 1 on the original wiring is way too loud.

]
In reference to your question about the choke's green wire spanning both pins on the varitone: you can connect it to just one pin, but make sure there is some other wire connecting those two pins on the switch if that is the case.  The schematic calls for that, and it makes it so the choke engages on positions 3 *and* 4.

I noticed that position 3 behaved different with the hooked (original wiring) and the unhooked (mod) wiring.
I think that with only connecting the big green wire to one pin (doesn't matter which one) it behaved like stock. You still have the choked sound also on position 3. So you don't hear much difference with pos 2 and 3 when all volumes are at 10. With the EB-O mod you have a more bassy sounding position 3. You hear the difference when all volumes are set to 10.

[Chris P.]

Well, my take:

I guess you have to split the yellow cable in two, solder one half to the red cap for trebly bass and solder the other half to a bridge stud for more bassy highs. Unhook the cap from the mod and bypass it with a push pull switch at the volute. Then use the second pin of the five way switch and connect it to the green and the red wire and bypass that with a unhooked chrome pick up cover. Then shuffle the rocker switch into the little black panel of the inner switch and hook it up through some new wires to a cable television receiver and overrule the 500K pot.

[ramone57]

that's such an elegant solution, Chris!   why didn't you chime in earlier??

[chromium]

Chris - that's genius!   You can play Green Onions and pickup re-runs of Matlock at the same time


Wait a minute... I think I've seen that mod before!

[Chris P.]

 

Talking about Green Onions. I have tickets for Booker T. & the MGs in Holland next year. First time in thirty years they visit us!

[Dave W]

Or you can just buy an EB-0, wire the pickup direct to the jack, and use a one foot long cable to reduce capacitance. All your problems solved, though it does slightly limit your stage moves.

[chromium]

Or you can just buy an EB-0, wire the pickup direct to the jack, and use a one foot long cable to reduce capacitance. All your problems solved, though it does slightly limit your stage moves.

That would call for some serious Robert Fripp stage antics!


Just so you know, I'm compiling all of this technical data into a book that will be available later this year.  I hope you all will buy a copy, because I want to make it into Oprah's book club with record bestseller sales!

[ramone57]

can we pre-order?

[Chris P.]

That'll be a best seller! All housewives will buy one and buy an EB0 or EB3 too. Gibson will be so popular due to Oprah and those housewives, they come up with several reissues and new models.

[Dave W]

Go for it!  An Oprah best seller would be a sure-fire way to get Henry J's attention focused on increasing his bass sales.

[uwe]

Is that a sluthead I see pictured there?

[Dave W]

It seems to be suffering from limited access to the upper frets.

[chromium]

Oh no!  Rubber reacts with nitro, doesn't it?!  Damn- that's gonna leave a mark...

[barend]

  I can understand this reaction....maybe we were too serious with our EB3 experiments, but I have learned a lot about my EB3 and the wiring from these post. I am glad I have found this forum for this reason and other things I will learn from reading the posts.

I want to thank Chromium again for his time and good insights!

I end with with a quote of myself, maybe some other EB3 owners can jump in and answer this question.

One more question. I noticed that with the original wiring the bridge pickup (position 2) has much more volume than the neck pickup (position 4). Is that also so on your bass? With the EB-O mod is the other way around: position 2 has less volume than position 4.