Which GB?

[BassIsThePlace]

As per the title, I'm researching GB basses, interested in opinions on which is best and why?

[stingrayPete1977]

Calling the EBS_Freak!............

[pantherairsoft]

Check out the GB Porn thread for more info.

On current models, as the preamp section is now the same between the Rumour and the spitfire, the only real tonal differences are down to the woods you choose! The pick up placements are fairly similar as well.

The main difference is the feel. The body shapes balance very differently, and the only way to decide which is 'best' is to try both and see which suits you the most.

The Rumour tends to be the most highly thought of, I however can't get on with the shape, and so went with the Spitfire, which I the most comfy and well balanced 'Jazz' style body I've ever had my hands on.

Shep

[Chris2112]

For me, I'd have to go with the Rumour by default, as I can never get over how naff Mark King's Spitfire sounded on the "Ohne Filter" dvd.

[Mike Brooks]

Circuit is the same in both but can be tailored to how you want it so sound. Pickup placement is upto you, I had the neck pickup on my Rumour 4 put closer to the neck compared to standard and I also had the body made about an inch wider the whole way round, was never of fan of the very slim body horns which was a feature back in the early Noughties.

You need to try both body shapes and see what works for you but they are customisable to your requirements to a certain point. Neck dimensions again are upto you.

Enjoy the process!

Mike

[BassIsThePlace]

[quote name='Mike Brooks' post='912347' date='Aug 1 2010, 11:15 PM']Circuit is the same in both but can be tailored to how you want it so sound. Pickup placement is upto you, I had the neck pickup on my Rumour 4 put closer to the neck compared to standard and I also had the body made about an inch wider the whole way round, was never of fan of the very slim body horns which was a feature back in the early Noughties.

You need to try both body shapes and see what works for you but they are customisable to your requirements to a certain point. Neck dimensions again are upto you.

Enjoy the process!

Mike[/quote]

Thanks! And thanks to everyone else.

So, when you say customisable, could I get the neck to around say, similar dimensions to a jazz? Is the standard rumour neck that bigger than a jazz?

[pantherairsoft]

Where neck profile etc is, there I no 'Standard'.

I'd recommend giving Bernie a call, he's a top bloke and a good laugh. He'll be able to tell you what he can do for you... Which in my experience, is almost anything.

Shep

[EBS_freak]

Pretty much covered on the website www.gbguitars.co.uk but the two models are the Spitfire (Bernie's take on the bolt on jazz bass shape) and the Rumour (Bernie's through neck original shape that has developed over the years from the early Goodfellow models to the what it is today). Consider each as a starting point with a little movement for customisation (e.g. scale lengths)

Between the two models, there is no best, just different and you have to try them to see if either of them, if any, work for you. Spitfires are traditionally cheaper than Rumour but if you have a neck through Spitfire, be prepared to jump into Rumour price territory. I have both - and they both equally work for me. Bernie has been a pro player for much his life and having used many basses, knows what works and what doesn't. These are reflected in both of his designs.

Due to both models now sharing the same preamp, both models have the definite unmistakable GB sound about them. The differences come, as Mike suggests, with the wood and the construction - e.g. through neck vs bolt on neck. Having tried a fair few GBs, I would say the notes from a neck through tend to have a stronger fundamental in the note but whether this is due to the difference in woods again, it's hard to tell. You can never 100% tell what a bass is going to sound like until it is strung up - even if the basses are made from identical wood types. Wood being organic means that 2 pieces will never be identical but all GBs share that same tonal characteristic - thanks mainly to the preamp and pickups. Anyway... I'm going off subject.

Again, as stated, as GB make their own preamp, each can be tailored to choice - an aspect which is pretty unique to GB. For most people, they work as stock but I know a few people (a pick player stands out as one) who have had some tweaks to fit in with their playing style. Again, others have changed the stocked humbucker/humbucker combination for single coils. There is virtually no limit on electronics choices as they are all taken care of in house.

Bernie is favouring two neck profiles at the moment... a flat u profile and a more traditional fat c profile. That said, there is virtually no limit on what can be done there. Take your favourite neck and Bernie will replicate that for you. As for the Rumour neck being bigger than the Spitfire, well.. they can be made identical if that's you want. I always feel that the Rumour feels a smaller, faster bass... In reality, it isn't, it just has a dinkier body that gives me the illusion that it is.

As for Mark's sound on Ohne Filter... well, he was going through an Ashdown. (Interesting to see that the pictures of L42 tour this year show Mark's signature amps with a Mark bass amp sitting on top. Bet you can guess which amp he is really using) I find a lot of people dissapointed when they get their GB home and try it through their stuff compared to what they heard at Bernies. You really do need a wide reaching amp to get the full sounds out of the GB... and that's why Bernie raves about EBS - they make his basses sound pretty stunning... if that's the sound you are after. It's no accident that alot of GB owners play through EBS amps.

[Fat Rich]

Bernie brought about 7 or 8 basses to the London Bass bash a few weeks ago, they're all stunning basses that play and sound fantastic.

Bernie's a very approachable guy, tell him what you'd like and I'm sure he'll do his best to make it. He gave us all a talk on neck construction and set up, and set up almost everyone's basses for free afterwards. Top bloke!

I would probably go for a Spitfire as it's a little larger but the Rumour is a work of art, the more you look at it the more beautiful details you spot.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Fat Rich

[Rich]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='912497' date='Aug 2 2010, 08:49 AM']As for Mark's sound on Ohne Filter... well, he was going through an Ashdown. [/quote]