Squier Mini Precision bass mods Ep.3: EMG Geezer Butler GZR-P

Рет қаралды 1,561

Күн бұрын

In this unsponsored video, we will explore the sounds from the EMG Geezer Butler (GZR-P) Precision style pickup installed in this Squier Mini P short scale bass. Will it sound better than the stock pickup? Let's find out together.
The bass was recorded direct through a Line6 Pod Go with my usual GK800RB model settings. Stock nickel roundwound strings.
Level matched, but no EQ or compression was added in post.
Headphones or quality speakers are recommended to best appreciate the sonic differences.
00:00 Intro
00:21 Background
01:57 Track comparison
05:18 Assessment
jonathanwong.bandcamp.com

Пікірлер: 63

@1966Graham 5 ай бұрын

Great video - thanks for doing this. The EMGs unlock a wider tonal spectrum, which could let us dial in a bass tone with better precision via subtractive EQ (cutting specific frequencies). From your video the stock pickups, with their limited range, sound more like painting with a restricted palette.

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Very well put! Cutting certain frequencies with EQ almost always sounds cleaner (better) than boosting certain frequencies. Fewer artifacts and less noise! Thanks so much for watching!

@chrismorris3897 5 ай бұрын

We are of like mind on this one! This is exactly what I'm looking at building!

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Right on! Thanks for watching! I hope you like the result of your mod!

@slawaschwed 3 ай бұрын

Thanks a lot for the test. Very useful indeed. 👏

@jonathanwong458music 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and for the encouragement!

@slawaschwed 2 ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music I've just tried to install those, but I'm gonna be sending them back. You could've mentioned, that those picks are slimmer and deeper than the originals and you cannot use the original springs/foam neither the original knobs. Doesn't matter, my bad - got over enthusiastic.

@jonathanwong458music 2 ай бұрын

@@slawaschwed The packaging (black foam) from the EMGs are meant to be used as the new foam. You can also use whatever foam you can find and cut it to fit. The EMGs are straight shafts and you'll need knobs that fit. Sorry, I didn't mention this, but cutting new foam to size is part of any new pickup installation. But thanks for the feedback. I will try to incorporate that info in the future.

@TedParnell-Best-rt5er 5 ай бұрын

Hi Jon, I could even hear the difference on my phone speaker😊 great demonstration of the value of better pickups! BTW the drummer looks familiar

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Haha, I hired my clone. Cheaper than hiring a session drummer:)

@MrSparks54 5 ай бұрын

Right off the bat, the EMG has a much higher dynamic range throughout, even to my 69 year old ears. BTW, I picked up a new G&L SB-2, hottest non-active pickups I've ever had. Thanks Jonathon!

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Yeah! Those G&L MFD pickups are SUPER hot. I just grabbed a Fallout bass and the signal is strong! The EMG geezers are definitely more aggressive than what most people would consider a 'vintage P tone'. Not for everybody, as these almost sound active! But I do like them in the Mini P! Thanks for watching!

@MrDanalaimo 5 ай бұрын

Thanks, Jonathan! I agree with you about the tonal upgrade and the ease of installation stallion is a big plus to me. However, the price/value ratio is out of whack, especially considering I bought my Mini P used. I will continue following as this upgrade is very appealing to me

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Next pickup I've planned to record is the Tonerider P. It's around $50-60 which may be in line with price:value. Otherwise, you'll be looking at Amazon-esque p/us such as Wilkinsons or Fleor. I had the Wilkinson in the Sonic Bronco series and it was nothing special so not sure if it would actually be a sonic upgrade.

@MrDanalaimo 5 ай бұрын

The Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound is on my radar. And as you pointed out, the stock pickups are very okay

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

For sure, Re stock pickup. They're less pleasant to listen to with the tone knob dimed, but with it rolled back

@StevenDoyleLuke 5 ай бұрын

Have never been fan of EMGs but this demo is impressive and the pickups are worth the price (Will send pics from NAMM in a few days . . . )

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Yeah man! Certainly rocks the Mini P up a few notches! For the reasonable asking price and not needing the solder anything, I think these have found many customers! I'm not sure if there is any data to suggest that soldered wires to pots is more reliable long term than the EMG style connectors.....but I'm sure EMG has won over customers who are not interested in soldering things together. The only issue would be finding replacement parts/pots if you're on the road.

@StevenDoyleLuke 5 ай бұрын

Hey Jonathan, I have a bunch of photos from NAMM to send to you - Danelectro, Silvertone, etc. How would you like me to send them to you??@@jonathanwong458music

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Cool! Can use jdubsbass (at) hotmail (dot) com Thx!

@florabee9283 5 ай бұрын

I could hear the difference without looking at the screen to see if I "should" hear the difference! Those EMG really do what the box states. Another pickup that I have been wondering about is the Wildepickups (Bill Lawrence) Bill n'Becky Wilde Pickups P-46. I have some of the Wilde Keystones in my Strat and Tele, but never have heard anything about their bass pickups.

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!! The EMGs do sound quite different than the stock p/u. Unfortunately I do not have any experience with the Bill Lawrence pickups you mentioned.

@Denmarbla725 Ай бұрын

I found the problem with the hum / buzzing sound . It looked like the EMG tone pot was turned and touching the side of cavity so I turned it a bit , and also at the same time I checked the ground under the bridge and the ground wire was deep in a groove so I pulled it up and set it so to make perfect contact with bridge . The Squier mini is quiet as a church mouse again . Thanks Jonathan !!! I’ve ordered an EMG kit for my Ibanez Mikro bass . A few days and I’ll give it a try . After that I’m trying to see if EMG has a pickup kit that will fit on a Glarry Childs 36” bass . Overkill but I’m curious how the $64 Glarry will sound with EMGs . Just don’t know what size or kit to look for on that one 😊😊

@jonathanwong458music Ай бұрын

Outstanding!! Glad I was helpful!

@cici4753 5 ай бұрын

I think it depends on the type of genre. If I mostly play Jamerson style with tone off, then the stock pu sounds ok. For rock or anything harder, the EMG's would be a great choice.

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Agree! I try to match the track to illustrate your exact point. I think the EMG geezers are great for that rock P sound. They have loads of output and almost sound active! Thanks for watching!

@bert_buikema 5 ай бұрын

Hi Jonathan, I agree with your conclusion. Which is better? That's a matter of taste. When playing with the tone at 100%, as I usually do, I find the GZR-P a bit too aggressive sounding. A bit more middle of the road works for me I guess. Thanks.

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Yes, taste is what it comes down to. Though I did find these EMGs to be a sonic improvement, in reality, I don't think I will actually use the tone wide open in what I typically play bass on. Agree, it's very aggressive for me, but it certainly cuts! The tone at 25-50% was very useable, though. But if that is the sound one is after, there are other less aggressive pickup options that would probably have a more complex and warmer midrange. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@Denmarbla725 Ай бұрын

Hi Jonathan , I just listened to this video again and I may just offer the GZR EMG solderless system to swap with the Squier mini stock . I can do it myself and hope it solves my problem of no working tone knob . I’ll get better pickups and a tone knob that works . One question though … do you feel the solderless is as good and reliable as soldered ? I’m no good at the soldering 🤕. Thank again !!!!!

@jonathanwong458music Ай бұрын

I’ve never had problems with the EMG connectors but the pots can go bad (or crackly) just like any other pot. If you need a pot replacement, you’ll need the EMG specific ones to work with their connector/harness system. That’s the drawback. The installation is pretty straightforward. The thing to be careful of is putting the cable in the right way (there’s a small triangular arrow). It can easily be installed upside down if one is not paying attention! The included foam packaging can be used under the pickups.

@alrightythen214 5 ай бұрын

Hmm! Sorry if I missed this but what strings have you got on there? La Bella have a custom set of flats for this bass but I've found all the others I've tried on this bass seem to come with dead spots. Thanks again keep it up. Andrew

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

I will be demo'ing the Labella (specific for the mini P) flats in a future episode. They have the specific string wound length for a 28.6" scale. Other flats will have longer than ideal string wound lengths. Doesn't mean you can't use them though. Just not ideal and higher risk of string breakage/unwinding. Stay tuned - in a few weeks probably. The strings in the video are the stock nickel roundwounds. They're likely some fender-licensed nickels. They're not the Fender 5250s, however. They're slightly heavier and feel different. Thanks for watching!

@jonmatthews4254 5 ай бұрын

Thanks Jonathan, would you have time to compare other pickups, perhaps cheaper? I'm thinking Artec, GFS, Warman and Alan Entwhistle, (which I quite like), etc. Which would get closest to the P bass sound?

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

I can certainly try if that's something viewers like yourself would want to see! I put an Artec soapbar and Wilkinson P in the Sonic Bronco in the last series and they were both middle of the road/nothing special to write home about. Was there a specific model you're after? I buy (or borrow) everything you see in these videos - where's the best place to get them? Thanks for watching and for the suggestion!

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

PS! Next up is a Tonerider Precision Plus alnico V which is around $50-60 CDN. More affordable and I’m told people have been happy with it. Stay tuned!

@bobt5778 4 ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458musicI had the same experience with Wilkinson. Fact is you mostly get what you pay for, although I have a set of Alnico PJ's from Guitar Madness on eBay that were better than expected @ $27.00.

@Arcade1959 5 ай бұрын

Tonerider also makes PUs for Precision

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Yes. In fact, those are next to be installed and tested!

@Kim-yl7yg 3 ай бұрын

Hi Johnathan , How and where do you attach the ground wire to the bridge ? Thanking you in advance.

@jonathanwong458music 3 ай бұрын

On the EMG set, there is an included plastic coupler-style cap that joins the existing bridge wire to the wiring harness connector. No soldering required! But it’s a pain to take it out again/undo, as the cap is a tight snap.

@Kim-yl7yg 3 ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music Thank you.

@jonathanwong458music 3 ай бұрын

My pleasure

@Kim-yl7yg 3 ай бұрын

Hi Jonathan , where did you buy the pick guard and did EMG pots not fit the original knobs?

@jonathanwong458music 3 ай бұрын

Hi! I purchased the tort pickguard from ebay seller earlpilanz. I've had a few made from them, and they've all turned out great. (I'm not sponsored, nor do I have affiliate links). The EMG knobs were designed for the included straight shafts and the original knobs were push-on for splined/slotted shafts. So, no, did not fit as you need a set screw for the EMGs.

@Kim-yl7yg 3 ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music Thank you Johnathan. You're always so helpful.

@jonathanwong458music 3 ай бұрын

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

@gregorystevens5173 5 ай бұрын

You've been sentenced to five years on a deserted island and are permitted to bring one bass with you. Which would you choose: The Mini P w/ EMG GZR-P or a stock Fender Player Mustang?

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Interesting question! No contest for me: I'd bring a stock Fender player mustang. For me, there's one main reason - I prefer the 30" scale of the mustang. That's what I'm used to, what my hands gravitate towards and I find the 28.6" scale of the Mini a bit cramped. My red PJ mustang (using the stock P pickup) was my main gigging and recording bass for a while and I modelled my custom F bass after many aspects of it. In defence of the mini though, I do like the fact that it fits inside an electric guitar gig bag (which the mustang doesn't, typically). So I carry my mustang around in a full size bass gig bag. Thanks for watching and asking!

@Denmarbla725 Ай бұрын

I forgot to ask , do the EMGs have a capacitor on the tone pot ? Hard to see .

@jonathanwong458music Ай бұрын

Yes! The included tone pot has a built in capacitor. The instructions say it’s a 47 cap. Everything you need is in the box! No soldering iron required! It’s a good package that way. Even the output jack! If I recall it has p/u screws too.

@Denmarbla725 Ай бұрын

Just an update , I installed the EMG GZR kit on the Squier mini and it sounds great now . The tone knob works perfectly the way it should . The pickups sound amazing . Thank you for all the help . So appreciated!!!!!!!!!

@jonathanwong458music Ай бұрын

@@Denmarbla725 So awesome to hear! Those EMGs sound pretty great!

@Denmarbla725 Ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music Just this morning while playing it I hear a cracking sound when I move around . Seems I’ve read somewhere about that with the EMG solderless but I don’t recall a reason or solution .

@jonathanwong458music Ай бұрын

@@Denmarbla725 it's hard to diagnose without looking at it. The cavity in the mini is pretty tight. Possible that pots and wires got knocked or pushed around when re-installing the pickguard? If you're able, could just unplug and start over. If there's no contact with the cavity, it's possible you have a bad connector harness or a bad pot. Hope you can exchange it if that's the scenario. But I'd start over first. Is there ground hum when you move around? Ensure the bridge ground wire is securely connected in that included clamping cap.

@antolin22 4 ай бұрын

Hi, what size of strings you used? Thanks and regards!!!!

@jonathanwong458music 4 ай бұрын

In this video, I’m using the stock included nickel roundwound strings. In a future episode, I will be demoing the ‘made for mini P’ labella flatwounds. Stay tuned.

@antolin22 4 ай бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music Many thanks!!! I wait for this video!!!! Great

@thevoiceofgrandmother 17 сағат бұрын

I bought a set of GZR-PJ for my Mini P Bass since it was the only set available near me :( Do you know if I can just use the P pickups from the PJ set and would they be the equivalent of the ones you've got on? I emailed EMG but didn't get a reply :(

@jonathanwong458music 16 сағат бұрын

I believe the P from the PJ Geezer set is identical to the P alone (which is what I used for the video). I don't see why they would be different. Only difference would be in the wiring, where you would omit the second volume pot for the J pickup. Hope you like the pickups and thanks for watching!

@thevoiceofgrandmother 15 сағат бұрын

@@jonathanwong458music your demo edged me over the line to buy it. thanks so much! i'm excited. funk on friend!

@jonathanwong458music 15 сағат бұрын

Best of luck and I hope you like it! The control cavity in the Mini is pretty tight, so be careful with the cables and those EMG quick connectors so nothing gets bent or kinked! I heard from another viewer where the pots got slightly turned upon re-installing the pickguard resulting in bad connections and noise.

@Arcade1959 5 ай бұрын

I'm having trouble hearing the difference, sorry. The original PU remains very good. One question, is the output power the same for both PUs ?

@jonathanwong458music 5 ай бұрын

Everybody hears things differently. Are you using headphones or quality speakers? The output is actually similar. There’s only a 1dB difference with the EMGs being a little louder. Thanks for watching!