NBD: Cort GB74, MM/J - first day review

[mcnach]

Hi Lucas, welcome to BC!

Yeah, I'm liking that Cort GC74 a lot. I did a couple of gigs with it and tehre's pictures to prove it and it worked evry well. I find the light weight a bit disconcerting for a bit, but I soon get used to it and it's very very comfortable.

I think the pickups can be improved, and I don't like the preamp... so I have a couple of modifications planned. I have all the "ingredients", just waiting for the right time when I have the right combination of time and will

1) replacing neck pickup (Jazz) with a Seymour Duncan SJB3
2) replacing bridge pickup (MM) with a Seymour Duncan SMB4A
3) removing preamp, and wire a passive tone control with a John East midsweep module.

the only thing I have not yet decided is what to do with the switches.
The single/series/single might give way to a single/series/parallel... or not.
The other one... might not do anything at all, or maybe engage a fixed capacitor for "dark switch"... I don't know.

very nice bass, for sure.

[Darkstrike]

I found swapping the 3 way switch to single/series/parallel to be much better, but the pickup still ain't great.

I've no pickup at all in the neck position anymore, thinking of picking up a Delano quad coil for it(I tried a 5er one I had spare in it, and it sounded immense but were the coils were split was right over the D, making it near dead) along with a new preamp(with no neck pickup I have enough room for a 3 band).

Beware swapping battries with the stock pre, it's been known for people to put them in backwards and wreck the pre.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Darkstrike' timestamp='1344266742' post='1761950']
I found swapping the 3 way switch to single/series/parallel to be much better
[/quote]


the question is... which single coil?

I'm sure once I pick one, I will not miss the other, but they do sound different. However, having the midsweep onboard, I doubt it'll matter.

[Darkstrike]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1344275521' post='1762137']
the question is... which single coil?

I'm sure once I pick one, I will not miss the other, but they do sound different. However, having the midsweep onboard, I doubt it'll matter.
[/quote]

Can't remember which mine was now, tbqh, and it's still uninstalled from testing the Delano. They do sound different, but honestly not enough that I'd be worried about picking one over the other. I suppose if you plan on using it solo, closer to the neck would have a tad more meat, but if you only plan on using it mixed with neck, the bridge side would cover a slightly wider freq. range.

Like you say, though, the mid sweep will cover it anyway.

[andyonbass]

Just pulled the trigger on a used U-Retro, its gotta be an improvement over the stock preamp, I dont want to get into changing the pickups though, as I think it might be a bit of a problem finding a MM type pickup compatible with the wider spacing, and anyway, the retro has nearly doubled the value of the bass!



[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1340045943' post='1698276']
Recently aquired a fretless fiver, its a very well put together bass, not too heavy and balances well. The low B isn't great but I have a new set of strings in the post and if they improve matters, I might consider an electrical upgrade, as I agree with the previous posts regarding pickups and circuit.

Here's a pic (courtesy of mykesbass - hope you dont mind )

[attachment=110799:CortBass001.jpg]
[/quote]

[Darkstrike]

If I can fit it without any carving, I have a East MMSR spare that'd I'd love to stick in mine.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Darkstrike

[mcnach]

[quote name='Darkstrike' timestamp='1344634342' post='1767518']
If I can fit it without any carving, I have a East MMSR spare that'd I'd love to stick in mine.
[/quote]


I have not checked, but I'm pretty sure it will fit, there is tons of space in the control cavity.
I can fit a MMSR in a G&L L2000, and that's a lot tighter!

[mcnach]

[quote name='andyonbass' timestamp='1344627729' post='1767418']
Just pulled the trigger on a used U-Retro, its gotta be an improvement over the stock preamp, I dont want to get into changing the pickups though, as I think it might be a bit of a problem finding a MM type pickup compatible with the wider spacing, and anyway, the retro has nearly doubled the value of the bass!
[/quote]


That's going to be a great improvement!

Yeah, wide spacing 5-string MM pickups are not very common. But I'm sure the preamp alone will be a great improvement. The pickups are not the best, but they aren't bad either. The U-Retro is a tremendous preamp. Let us know how you find it!

[Darkstrike]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1344682487' post='1767897']
I have not checked, but I'm pretty sure it will fit, there is tons of space in the control cavity.
I can fit a MMSR in a G&L L2000, and that's a lot tighter!
[/quote]

Lots of space, but the way the controls are laid out made it a bit tricky, with the circut boards connected to the pots. It fit though, I just managed to squeeze it.

What was trickier was rewiring it for the Cort battery compartment and neutrik jack.

Got the 3 knob - 3 band East MMSR pre, the 3 way series/single/parallel switch, and now an empty hole I'll have to get a plug for later, but totally worth it, sounds a million times better, enough that I'm skipping getting a new pickup for it.