I have a Gibson SG Bass. After listening to these mods, all I can say is I totally appreciate the mini humbucker in the bridge position on my bass.

@jinjxmusic

Жыл бұрын

I'm with you. I absolutely love the sound of neck pickups for an "upright" vibe... though you're right: when I've played the Gibson and Epiphone EBO/SG types that have both a bridge and neck it's nice to use the blend knob to REALLY get the most out of them. Especially the short scale options - even the occasional bassist may hit a wall with these though make that double for the "real" bass player that needs to really be able to nail several sounds.

Great video as always, the DiMarzio definitely adds a bit more "growl", but I personally like the more buttery tone of the Artec. Hopefully one day somebody makes a comparison video between the DiMarzio and the Stonewall mudbucker!

Stock pickup has better attack & more punch than the Dimarzio. It also has that wooly tone you buy an EBO for in the first place. My opinion, the Dimarzio would be great if adding a mud-bucker to your Fender, but not needed for the EBO.

Thanks Lobster! This just the kind of shootout that nobody's ever done before. Artec sounds just like the 60s muddy Gibson monsters. DiMarzio reminds me of Billy Sheehan. Both very cool. Anyway, I feel that I get just that little bit of definition and dynamics with the original pickup. And there's still plenty of those dubby fluffy lows available. Turning the tone *down* with the original pickup has the effect of boosting the mids slightly. It happens because of the resonance of a passive tone control. With a full band blasting it's sometimes just what is needed. The EB-0 is not yout do all end all bass. But sometimes you want something that's completely different than your Fender. These basses are meant to be played with FLATWOUNDS =).

Maybe I'm crazy, but I really don't mind the stock pickup. There's a weird hollowness to it that I find kind of appealing.

@sixfix79

Жыл бұрын

Yes I think that’s a good word for it hollowness, totally agree

I liked the stock. the dimarzio's had more bandwidth lower lows and much more high end but I found the stock pickups more narrow frequency range more pleasing to my ears.

I'm so glad you made this video. The Model One does sounds great and it makes a great replacement to get a more diverse tone. If I were to be sticking with one pickup it would probably be this one. However, since I'm adding a pickup I feel like I should keep the mudbucker so it can do the mudbucker thing and let the new pickup handle the other tonal range. My Model One will likely be going into my Squier bass in the neck position ala Billy Sheehan. Once again, great job! I wish these videos were around when I started my research.

Love this series and it makes me want to get an EB0 and mod it.

Thanks for the video!!! this was a comparison I needed.

Great improvement. I think I'll go and get my pots changed as well, and if not for the '51 Precision pickup, definitely for the quad-coil MM-style Nordstrand in my custom bass.

These are GREAT videos Lobster! I still surprisingly prefer the original over both the Artec and the model one. In my eb0, I put in the musiclily hotrail in the bridge position (yes it's a guitar pickup - very popular in Squier Bronco mods!). With both the original and the hotrail together, it's a beast. It has the mid-range punch and clarity that was lacking, but preserves the low end. It's also great strung with flats, Chromes work fabulously!

What a fantastic video with the epiphone bass

Great Mod as Always Lobster! I Think this pickup sounds better than both stock and Artec ones. You can only get rid of the mud sound if you move the pickup to the center (like Serek, G&L or even Gibson DC Bass). This Dimarzio pots gave me some ideas to mod a Tagima XB31 5 string (A passive MM, with vol/tone). Keep it up Lob!

@justinkline1294

Жыл бұрын

I think I saw Mike Watt play a modded 60's SG with the neck pickup moved to the center. And he doesn't seem to sound muddy (really, ever, though, no matter what bass he has his hands on -- so I don't know . . . ).

I feel the DiMarzio pickup would benefit from a different value capacitor at it's rolled off tone pot configuration. But the DiMarzio has more... thump, for lack of a better word.

Great stuff, Lobster! I would love to see a mod series that involves a '51 Telecaster Bass. I got one from Thomann that I am dying to mod!

I have a modified version with an all parts bridge pickup 2volumes 1 tone I've heard that Di Marzio model is an improvement over the stock Sidewinder, Gibson had a EB-0 L which was a long scale version with the pickup moved almost to the middle position, Wish Epiphone or Harley Benton would reproduce a modern version with the pickup exactly in the middle, probably would sound awesome. Keep up the good work Mr.Lobster 🦞

Thank you for posting this. Being honest - I prefer the sound of the alnico sidewinder with the tone to 10, though rolled to 0, I prefer the DiMarzio. Cool tones all around.

Thanks for sharing Lobster 🦞🎸🎶🎧

Thanks for this comparison. It makes me want a semi hollow bass with the pickup in the middle between bridge and neck to see if it might clean up some of the wooly aspects of the Casady pickup, while still keeping a clean, deep bottom end. Hearing the Les Paul bass that Casady’s bass is patterned after made me wonder about that.

Hey, LEL, I just got a killer deal on a used Epi EB-0, as it came with a DiMarzio M-1 pup, a 3-point badass bridge, and new Grover tuning machines. I originally didn't recognize the upgrades, as I bought it online. I am searching for a tone control circuit, as the EB-0 I got has no tone pot! It only has a single volume pot @500k ohms, and it has plenty of oomph! I played it live tonight with a guitarist and though really pleasing low end, I really want to be able to change it tonally on the fly. The p-p pot idea intrigues me as well. So, yes I am a fan of the DiMarzio M-1 pup, and glad my EB-0 has that! I also have an Epi EB-3 to replace the 1970 Gibson EB-3L I sold/traded for a Gibson Firebird. Might the tone control in the Epi EB-3 's humbucker be adequate for the Epi EB-0? Just orderded that DiMarzio p-p pot...Thanks! .

"Baseline bassline". Genius.

Sounds great. I have a 1965 EB-0. Added the Model One. Original pickup is ok, but not balanced. The Model One is better. Still nothing but MUD though. Which I love. But I would like some brightness. The vintage originals, just sound so much different than the modern Gibson EB/SG basses. Gonna try the 500k push/pull pot.

Definetely the DiMarzio has a tad more aggresive and well rounded tone. A buddy of mine has an Epiphone Rivoli re-issue from the 90s that came with that pick up and that beast slayed it regardless of the genre.

This video proves to me forevermore that no matter the mods, this bass with its sole humbucker pickup in the neck position will never produce a sound I’ll ever feel is worth spending the money. I don’t have to experiment with that or mess with that to know, definitively. Thanks for doing that for me.

Hey lobster, do you know what would be helpful? Make a video teaching how to solder. I’ve never done it and I don’t want to ruin a guitar learning.

You could build a shim from sections of pickup mounting rings to place under the pickup to get it higher - sounds kind of janky but I had to do that on a Firebird once and it actually turned out really slick once I was done. Of course if you had a pickup mounting ring that was the right size you wouldn't have to piece it together, but I doubt that exists LOL.

If I had one of these basses then I would replace the stock tone control with 2 tones, a treble cut (standard tone) and a bass cut to try to remove some of the inherent mud. The other option would be a Fender TBX which acts as a treble or bass cut depending on which position from the centre detent you turn it

I want to see a further mod series with this bass where you put a P and J pup in there alongside the DiMarzio!!!! 😈😈😈

@lrglucas97

Жыл бұрын

THIS

The pickups sound good in their own way. One things for sure with all these pickups, they like producing the low end! I could see a bass like this being a root note supporter.

@ampthebassplayer

Жыл бұрын

The strength of the fundamental makes it perfect for driving synth tones and octave pedals.

I've modified my EB0 with grover tuners, babicz bridge and model 1 pick up. The bridge and tuners were needed. The model 1 sounds good but I would have been just as fine with the stock one really. (i have the EB0 specifically for that woolly short scale sixties sound)

Great series Lobster. An extreme neck pick can actually work well if executed properly. The Ovation Magnum basses had that massive 4 coil one butted up against the neck at those sounded very good, albeit that was a 34" bass so the sound was tighter because of that. The recent Eastwood copy used a mudbucker and completely missed the mark. You need to get you're hands on an old Ovation Magnum to review. Not a slap bass but a great playing bass for everything else.

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Sunn! I love those old magnums, great idea.

@sunn_bass

Жыл бұрын

@@LowEndLobster I sold my Magnum and also Guild B302 many years ago. The only two I ever regret selling.

Nice video, the new pickup makes a huge difference, especially in parallel mode. For another mod you could add a 2nd Model One in the bridge position.

@jamapx

Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing. A bridge pickup and a copper block in the electronics cavity to compensate for neck dive.

DiMarzio used to make the Will Power neck, which was one of Billy Sheehan's signature pickups before the new relentless. It had the same size as the Model One, it'd be cool if you could get one of those to compare.

@chrismorris3897

Жыл бұрын

Sound demos I listened to made it sound just a we bit better, better articulation, less muddy lows, you can still find them

Hello Lobster. Did the original knob fit on the DiMarzio pot? Thanks and keep up the good work!

Bully was saying he did not like these types of basses because you can't slap on it. However you seem to do an exellent job of it Lobster. lol Can you get these Di Marzio pick ups for the EB-3; meaning the larger Humbucker and the smaller jazz style pick up near the bridge? It would also be interesting to lower the neck pick up a bit and also add another lHumbucker pick up for the bridge.

I'd love to see a review of the Epic Custom Shop P bass pickups. I tried to put a link in my last comment but it vanished.

I like this one so much more than the artec, they're less muddy....whether that's the "correct" sound I dk

To get an idea of how muddy EB0 basses actually are, even when I play these on my phone I can clearly tell various bass tones apart. But the EB0? Dead silence.

Nice job! I think the di Marzio isn’t much better or different vs the stock. They both are supposed to fix the excess bass of the old mudbuckers. But they lose that interesting “squashed” mudbucker top end that the Artec keeps.

@henrybonruiz

8 ай бұрын

So the Artec is better?

Also, amazing t shirt crip mac

WOW! The Artec was better for this bass!

@bflo1000

Жыл бұрын

Artec smokes them both. Even better than the HB on my SG. These other 2 don't.

Are these mud buckers just for Gibson basses or can they fit in other basses that have humbucker routings

Sounds more like the way i expected the stock pickup to sound...the only thing i dont like is the looks, chrome just looks right on that bass

HI. In a harley benton bass RB 414 Bk Rickenbaker style, the DiMarzio DP 120BK neck pickup, does it fit or is it too big?

Deeper - thicker tone on the Dimarzio Model 1.

6:17 series 7:57 parallel

I think I like the Artec a Lil better

So is the sidewinder design of the Artec / stock pickups not humbucking?

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

It is humbucking, but it only has a single set of poles but two coils set where a traditional humbucker is two coils and two sets of poles. I hope that makes sense

@Chris.Wiley.

Жыл бұрын

@@LowEndLobster It does indeed. Thanks for the explanation.

Day and Night

Are those pajamas?

Can't you split the coil the same way they do with guitar humbuckers ?

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Yes, absolutely with this one

@Exercise-01

Жыл бұрын

@@LowEndLobster I never understood why would you put a massive humbucker that high in the neck where you already have that natural low end. No wonder they call it mudbucker. A single coil or maybe a mini humbucker would be much better in my opinion.

@sunn_bass

Жыл бұрын

​@@Exercise-01 Billy Sheehan used to use the Model One in his older basses along with a P bass pickup in the usual location before the D9Marzio Will Power pups and the current DiMarzio Relentless pups. He uses the neck pickup going into a clean low end amp and the P pickup for the treble end and distortion in a separate rig. This works well for him. As for us regular folks, the extreme neck pickup basses like this are for nostalgia and also are one trick ponies for that one muddy bass sound. I have an older Epiphone beetle bass clone for that Hofner sound, but its similar in that its a one trick pony. If I didn't get it dirt cheap I wouldn't have bought it. Like this bass, i wouldn't go out of my way for one, but if i came across one at a cheap enough price I'd probably get it.

@Exercise-01

Жыл бұрын

@@sunn_bass Yeah it's a 70th thing. Back in the day for some reason they liked as much low end as possible.

@sunn_bass

Жыл бұрын

@@Exercise-01 Yup. Mud is a sound that many classic songs had. I think that sound is hard to use today though, not because its necessarily bad, but a change in recording techniques. Most modern music is overly compressed and in my opinion muddy as a result. Modern music lacks dynamic range as a result and all of the instruments are squooshed together. Old school records have way more dynamic range and the instruments where much easier to separate while listening to the recording. I can easily pick out the bass and guitar lines on those old recording, even in complex songs. Sometimes its hard to do that on newer music because of the compression. I love a lot of new music but wish they used less compression so there would be more dynamic range.

Stock pickup still has got more volume and punch .. There’s seemingly no point in swapping it with the Dimarzio unit; aesthetically wise, moreover, the chrome cover is nicer than the black plastic one of the Dimarzio

To me this wasn't worth it to mod over the stock but the Artec one was.

stock better than model 1

Ok, back to artec xddd

Definitely an improvement. It’s a shame that this bass doesn’t use the pickup in the center sweet spot like a P Bass to open up the mids and highs better. Seems like a one-trick-pony bass whose sound is an acquired taste. It may sound decent post effects processing. Great slapping on a not-so-slap-happy bass. Not sure what could be done to make this bass more desirable or beyond entry level. It’s cool that you have shown so many options for those who want to spice this bass up.

@riogrande163

Жыл бұрын

I mean, if you need more high end, there's always the EB-3... That said, starting in the 70's the Gibson EB-0 had the single mudbucker moved closer to the middle, it might be more to your liking!: kzread.info/dash/bejne/g6qHyJSGqKW6dZc.html

@thefool2007

Жыл бұрын

@@riogrande163 thanks. I had a late 60’s EBO (with the open tuner headstock) 30 years ago. It sounded much better. I realize that materials/construction were better. And I know about the EB3 with dual pickups. I like the looks of this Epiphone and had hoped that a better bridge, pickup, and electronics upgrade would move the overall sound to much better. Again, my EBO had a set neck and better build quality, so it was an unfair comparison. Thanks for the feedback.

@ileutur6863

Жыл бұрын

@@thefool2007 The sweet spot is actually a littlw further than that, thankfully Leo figured that out later 😉

@riogrande163

Жыл бұрын

@@thefool2007 All good, that 60's EB-0 must have been awesome! It seems that the only way to get the true vintage Gibson mudbucker sound is to spend the dough on an actual vintage mudbucker, oh well....

@thefool2007

Жыл бұрын

@@riogrande163 I agree with you. It’s not easy to pull off by way of the budget/upgrade route (like a Squier with Fender or other aftermarket parts added). My poor Gibson EBO had a flimsy headstock with very heavy tuners. I was carrying it around in its original case when the handle broke off, causing the bass to fall to the ground (which was unfortunately, the street). When I opened the case, I found the headstock had sheared off and splintered. That was the end of it.

The dimarzio take the mud to sludgy levels, too boomy without definition, the Artec sound way more defined and crisp

For the record, I'm a guitarist who owns two Gibson SGs. And I gotta say...I just don't get this bass. It seems so antiquated and compromised, whether in Gibson or Epiphone guise.

@scottbrower9052

Жыл бұрын

Let's take a neck-heavy guitar and turn it into an even more neck-heavy bass. Oh and let's go with a weird saddle.

@billsmith2212

Жыл бұрын

Do you have a fireplace ? Growing up , I used an EB-0 with flatwounds and 2-15's . Then with an 18" in a folded horn cabinet . During that time , half rounds came out . Slight improvement . If you want a mudslide , definitely buy one . The treble end is generally tinny . For short scale , check out the Scott Whitley SWB-PRO . Imported from Chowny in the UK . There is also a medium scale neck through model .

@notzipfy916

Жыл бұрын

Oh, the Gibson EB-0 is… it’s amazing, epiphone just kinda sucks

@MadMagicPaul

Жыл бұрын

It’s not compromised. It’s focused. It does one thing that no other bass does. Listen to Jack Bruce live with Cream. It sounds massive and like no other bass. It’s not for every musical situation, but when it fits, it is perfect.

@senny4405

2 ай бұрын

I love my EB1, 2 and 3 bass guitars

Total frog to begin with, the D just amps the toad.

the stock pickup sounds like a literal tin can the model one sounds way better

It's an EB Oh. I think your idea of a sidewinder pickup and a mudbucker is confused. The design of the original neck pickup on Gibson basses changed over the years. The sidewinder pickup is a humbucker with the coils side by side horizontally not vertically. The original EB/EB-1 brown cover pickup was a sidewinder and was a single coil. The Epiphone stock pickup is a humbucker. Not all humbuckers have four wires.

@LowEndLobster

Жыл бұрын

Very interesting info on the older EB pickups. Thank you!

I'd like to see this with a Gibson bass , I know cost is a factor and is not practical. I think the Gibson can be a decent bass a bit of a one trick pony.

I been playing bass for over 35 years and even though I think this bass in general is one of the worst basses ever (the epiphone one). Still prefer the sound of the original pickup over both pickups. But still no good. Maybe if you modd it with a mini Humbucker in the bridge, but still not worthy cause I would never take it to a gig even with the most expensive modds