scrumpymike

Since selling my LP Junior DC a few months back I've been without a Gibson bass for the first time in 30 years. Fixed my withdrawal symptoms with this nice 2014 SG 120th Anniversary Special off the forum. I've given it a thorough set-up and it's a really nice player - probably as good as the more expensive 2008 SG re-issue I sold and immediately wished I hadn't. Not totally sure about the flat cherry finish yet; definitely understated but it's kinda growing on me. Just thinking about what to do - if anything - about the 3-point bridge. I can live with all its deficiences except having the string windings on the saddles. What do you guys recommend? [i]Pic's not posting - I'll have another go![/i]

Love it!! I've had the hots for a Ricky since I first laid eyes on one - Pete Quaife of the Kinks maybe?? - but I think I've missed the moment (too big and heavy for me now).

Good grief Andy - anybody would think that you actually ENJOY doing all this!! Seriously though, I've been following each posting like some addicted 'soap' fan - can't wait for the next episode! The chambering question is an interesting one and I guess the key is 'control'; you can obviously engineer cavities to enhance the final sound but on an unknown, one-off project like this the safe bet is probably to in-fill them.

AFAIK Gibson now fit the Babicz as their OE bridge (from 2015 model year). I've just bought a 2014 120th Anniversary Special and am thinking of doing a bridge upgrade. I've managed to set the bass up perfectly but having the string windings on the saddles is just unacceptable - to me anyway. Once that's sorted and I've cut the nut slots down on the E and A strings we should be ready to rock'n'roll!! How can one of the two 'iconic' brands ship a premier product (i.e. made in the USA) product that has design flaws and hasn't been set up to factory spec? Beats me!!

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1484728002' post='3217752'] Indeed! To be fair though, it was a country project so expectations might not have been that high! [/quote] Steady on now! As William Shakespeare often said: "Country matters." (I think he had something else in mind though.)

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1484682316' post='3217498'] That's a nicely made piece of kit though. And the improvement in playability is the key. I love the SG sound but the dive does spoil the experience a bit. [/quote] Having the top strap button on the heel also shifts the fretboard away from you so that you have to reach further than you should need to on a compact s-s bass.

A man after my own heart! Your prototype is much neater than mine (it'll be a bit less obvious after I've finished in satin black). Wanted to test the theory first before drilling any extra holes in the body of the bass, so the only fixing point is the original strap button screw. Certainly makes a big improvement in playability. Unfortunately my 'finished' version won't benefit from machine tooling as I haven't got any! [url="http://[URL=http://s1149.photobucket.com/user/scrumpymike/media/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/URL]"][IMG]http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/o598/scrumpymike/011_zpsjezhyvim.jpg[/IMG][/url]

That's nice!

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1484650023' post='3217103'] I had the Jake in the studio for the first time yesterday, DI with a Grace preamp and through a miked Fender BXR 1x15. The artist and producer wouldn't stop banging on about the sound, it was exactly how I hoped it would be. [/quote] Result!!

Classic!

[quote name='timmo' timestamp='1484402389' post='3215224'] At least no pets have played it. Has anyone been put of buying a bass because they own a cat ? [/quote] Not unless the cat smoked.

Hey M-monkey, just out of interest, did you see how the auction ended?

I bet that will be nice and it's a good price including case. I had the Gibbo LP DC and the balance was slightly better than my SG but still not great - which is why I ended up selling them both.

This short review might be useful: Eden’s WTX-264 straddles the region between the micro-micros and micros. Like the others in the first group, its power is in the 200-plus range, delivering 260 to 300 watts. Like the second group, the WTX-264 has a few more features, and a price ($449) that goes with them. The front panel of the WRX-264 is filled with knobs and jacks, with six knobs across the top and six jacks (and a Mute switch) right below. The gold-toned front and rear panels, black knurled knobs, flat-black metal jacks, and backlit Eden logo gives it the look and feel of old-school audiophile equipment. Eden’s trademark Enhance control is included on this unit—working much like a contour control on other amps—boosting the highs and lows while cutting the mids. And Eden’s controls are like hot sauce, with a little going a long way. The WTX-264 uses what Eden calls a “unique, class D power module” that can run off of any power rating you might find—110 or 220 volts, 50 or 60 cycles. Just unplug one power cord, pop in another and you’re ready to go, right off the plane. On the back, you’ll find both a speakON jack and a pair of 1/4" output jacks. While playing my P bass through the WTX-264, the sound was present, warm, and authoritative. This little amp provided solid punch, yet didn’t get boomy. Likewise, dialing in a bit of Enhance warmed things up without adding any mud. The Bass Boost control on the WTX-264 is a bit unusual, somewhat like the loudness control on some home sound systems that bumps up the lows at low-volume settings, but backs them off when things get louder. Likewise, the Mid Shift control serves double-duty, with a center at either 550 Hz for warm mids or 2.2 kHz for a more present tone. For a price of $449, the WTX-264 offers a voice of its own in a small, sturdy package.

"Sound - not what I'm used to." Same here - I've only used TE for decades and currently have a couple of AH300SMC heads. My first impression with everything centred on the Eden was an unexpected - though not unpleasant - kind of fretless vibe going on, most noticeable on the D & G strings. Further tweaking revealed that there's seemingly endless depths of bass boost available - though I'd question whether much of it is usable. The most important thing for me is that I soon found a sound close to the 'magic' punchy pre-set on my TE amp - close enough to put a smile on my face and probably the closest you could expect to get from any D-class amp.

Got mine today and had a quick play at home through my Ashdown 210H Neo and TE Compact 115 (individually and together) at medium volume. It's the first D-class I've ever used and I must say that it's exceeded my expectations. The sounds, functionality and quality are really impressive and the volume - even thru a single 8ohm cab - will be enough for a lot of the stuff I do. Big bargain I'd say. Can't wait to try it thru the BF One10 I've ordered - should be a really nice minimalist rig.

Also meant to mention that the Mikro scale is that bit shorter-than-short at 28.6".