I really love that bass, the nicest bass I've had on a budget The pickups not being humbuckers isn't a deal breaker for me, singles or humbuckers i love it
@@BullyThaKidd maybe thats why they called it a " mini * humbucker lol like half of one...like single coil...LMAO i just bought one...i dig it..cheers Bully
I bought one of these on a local auction site for $100. For that price, it's a great buy no matter what. It's a good build and a fun short scale. I mean, if you like the sound, you like the sound. I get the principle of the false advertising, but the results are kinda the end of the conversation.
i get that it’s a good bass for cheap. but the fact that it was false advertising makes someone think what else are they false advertising. jus tarnishes their reputation in general
I'm an old fart, guitar player/bassist and I just gotta say this: I really like you, Bully Thakidd! You...ARE...AWESOME! Your playing. Your phrasing. Your jazz style. But mostly, your smile and loving personality. Glad I found your channel dear brother. As for the LowEndLobster review, yeah, I agree. Its false and deceptive to sell single coils for humbuckers. It doesn't change a whole lot as far as jammin' and live applications. But when your in the recording studio, it MATTERS a great deal. I've picked up one of these Gretsch short scale basses in GC. They do play and feel great. But I gotta have humbuckers(dual coils). Thats just my preference. God bless you and yours brother Alan.💜🙏☺👍
2:44 thats Gretsch asvertising its two humbuckers? I have made dozens of edits to Sweetwaters descriptions after finding errors. This is just another one. Gretsch does not advertise that they are humbuckers. They adverise this guitar as two single coil pickups. Story done. The distributor made an error. Pick your bone with them. It happens a lot.
I have it and really like it (did not even notice any hum... to be honnest) very powerfull pickups. For travelling, I would even advise the Hofner shorty, I have been playing this bass for long time and really the best option, and soundwise, up to par with costlier bass guitars..
This is a good example of how some companies save money on production costs. Many people bass consumers, will not do an intense inspection on their instruments like Lowend, they just want their moneys worth and honesty not something with bogus parts in any way. however I appreciate the revelation
Good work lol, this guy should make an apology video now. He shows Sweetwaters description and says Gretsch is wrong when in fact Gretsch advertisers this as two single coils. I sort of feel bad for them now.
Extremely deceptive, whether truly malicious or just an accident. Hope they do something to make this right, until then I’ll not buy from Fender. Was considering getting a Jazz, too.
G&L are great, and you can build a bass. I built a one piece ASH body PJ bass with EMG "Geezer Butler" pick ups, & High Mass bridge. I did put a Fender Jazz neck on it. The thing is a tone generator. I built it for $900.00
Like Bully says, tho’ - it’s still a killer bass for anyone wanting an affordable, bad ass-looking short scale. If they want to send out some replacement pickups, I’ll take ‘em, but frankly, I’m happy with it as is.
It makes me happy to finally get an answer to this... I actually returned 2 different ones because I thought they had electrical issues. I bought it specifically for the humbuckers on a bass, as I loved the other bass in had with them. This ultimately resulted in me buying a complete other product. Whether they will admit it, they will ultimately lose a touch of product confidence... But they make so much every where else, they may sweep it under the rug and move on.
The pickups on this bass look exactly like the pickups on epiphone , Ibanez hollow body basses, Horner ignition basses ECT . I wonder if those pickups are sourced from the same company and If they are All single coils.
Class Action Suit? "Have you or one of your loved ones been unknowingly subjected to annoying 60-cycle hum? You may be due compensation. Call the attorneys at Lowend & Bully today!"
I was going to hop on your video and say yours sounds radically different than mine! I've had a Junior Jet II for about 6 years and it sounds so full, punchy and your second pickup when you ticked it over just sounded way different.
Esse é o segredo!!! Em cada mão o instrumento soa diferente... Já vi music man stingray ficar com som de lata, mas com outra pessoa tocando o resultado era totalmente diferente. Por isso eu nunca julgo algo pela capa ou por comentários de outras pessoas.
I bought two of these because I messed up the truss rod during set up. I later took the neck off after about four months of it resting in a stand. I actually was able to adjust the rod correctly and it sounds great. I gave it to my sister. Now we both have blood red G2220's. My daughter wants one too (same color)! They're absolutely beautiful. The shape and look is badass sexy. A yellow or orange model would be awesome not to mention a full scale version. Oh, yeah... and actual humbuckers. 🤦
Thanks to you and the lobster man for keeping it real ,i own one and am now in a dilemma, for an amateur like me it seemed a solid acquisition.But i can not with a clear conscience encourage that type of behaviour,[ deceitful ] ,what to do get a luthier to fit the twin mini humbucker , just don't know ,Thanks for confirming L.E.L s initial call All the Best BoB
Hey Bully , I picked up one of these bass' just this week, I love it it's a nice hybrid I'm definitely keeping it. I got in touch with Andertons to see if they knew anything about it, no, first time they'd heard of this and they were really interested and helpful, so one of the UK's biggest guitar importars is waiting for a response from Fender too. Love your channel dude I'm pretty new to bass so people like you are priceless to me, thank you and love from Wales 🏴🐑🌧️.
Just picked this up from guitar center. At the store I played it thru a $1000 mark bass amp combo. Sounded great. When I got home and plugged it to my Rumble 40, I had humming and buzzing , no matter what I did. My Ibanez SDGR 5 string sounds great thru the Rumble amp. I will be returning to the store to see what they can do. If nothing , then I will have to return it. It's such a convenient little bass. Dam!!!
Having two bridge pickups is irrelevant if you ask me i have pickups I sell as base or neck, depending on the package. The difference is the is the sticker that says bridge and one that says neck
That may be the case for whatever pickups you’re talking about, but there are (often) actual differences between neck and bridge pickups. Often one or the other has more or less windings, for instance, so as to be hotter or more mellow. Obviously, placement can make a difference: the same pickup will sound slightly different in this or that position. But there are also pickups specifically designed for use in the bridge or neck (or whatever) position.
@@erstwhilerambler thats what Im saying, the winding is different. I can apply it to any of the pcikups we sell. I have sets with 5.8 ohms in the bridge and sets with 5.8 ohms in the neck. Same exact pickups but one has a bridge label and one has a neck label lol. What thats telling me is that it has twin humbuckers in it thats all. You can certainly put a "bridge" pickup im the neck postion. They arent the only manufacturer to use twin humbuckers. Its not very startling. Usually what happens is the bridge gets a treble bleed. They will have the same output with different tone spectrums. I am sure there are pickups out there that should only be used in a bridge or neck postion but its not common. The number of windings certainly do not dictate wether or not it can be used in which postion. Thats my whole point. Its not wrong using twins. There are plenty of examples of out it out there.
@@MrBazH well what I can say is these youtubers are off. They arent looking into who is saying they are humbuckers. Is the company saying it? No they are not. This guys flash of description doesnt come from the company itself. Gretsch advertises it as two single coil pickups. The mistake is the vendors who see the pickup and then describe it as humbuckers. This is the problem here. TH-camrs who dont do the proper research before making a video. It didnt take me long to figure this out, hence the reason who hardly anyone but these knuckleheads are talking about it. If you descide to make the move on this guitar. I can make you a couple of killer humbuckers to put it in. Custom set discounted just for meeting me on yourube. Just message me and remind me.
I bought it thinking that it had humbuckers, but honestly I'm not too mad. It still plays extremely well, sounds phenomenal, and doesn't even hum! Of course, I play at low volumes and my comparisons are a squure jazz bass and a modified p, so maybe I don't notice the hum because of that.
@@tubester4567 bass pickups typically aren’t as interchangeable as guitar pickups. They often come in odd specific sizes which means there aren’t many aftermarket options available. You shouldn’t have to buy a bass and pay close to the value of the instrument to get what was advertised in the first place
I have one of these from the late 90’s, made in Korea, while Fred Jr still directed the Gretsch company, under the Fender umbrella. It’s a fabulous short scale bass! And we have ALL heard this very bass on FM radio, many many times! Arguably the most popular bass/drums duo, used a Gretsch Jr jet early in their career! I love my Jr Jet! As a guitarist, it feels sooo natural to play. Mine, at least, is far, far better than an equivalently priced Squier! No contest! (Although, my fav bass is a Squier Classic Vibe jazz bass built up with American Jazz P/U’s, an American standard pick guard and Schaller tuners! It positively rocks! I have pro bass player friends, Jazz bass players too, who just love this Olympic white Squier Jazz bass!) Long live Gretsch! Peace
Uh oh you made one of these also!! Like I put on lobsters video about this situation, you guys should lawyer up!! This is ridiculous!!! When I was watching your review I was thinking man that bridge pickup has a tight burp jazz tone, this explains it
Yep, I have the exact same one in pink. I only play short scales and I like the way it sounds and plays. I am not disappointed and I am definitely keeping the thing, but they shouldn't advertise the thing as a mini-hum bucker bass if it's not. The model has been around for a while. I am curious if the pickups are different in the older ones? I could see a scenario where they changed production and never updated the published specs. Not really an excuse though, Gretsch/Fender need to be on top of that stuff. Anyway, enjoyed a few videos on the channel recently, subscribed!
Funny. I actually went and tried one of these today at my local GC store and noticed the same thing. The sales guy blamed it on the circuit they were using for the bass amps. So, while I liked the idea of this guitar - and was hoping a short-scale would help my old, arthritic hands - the hum and a few other bits caused me to walk away.
Makes you wonder IF they were specified to the contract as Humbuckers and a substitution was made on the production run. Not trying to make a cover story for Fender but it could be what did happen. This years run? Every run ever? Did the subcontractor factory go to a "improved " or "available" pickup and missed a detail? I looked at buying one myself and "mini humbucker" was a selling point in my mind. Does knock a ding in Fenders reputation. The saying in QA is inspect what you expect.
oops! Gretsch/Fender should offer a set of hummers with free installation at your local luthier for anyone that actually has an issue with their marketing screw up.. I'd bet dollars to donuts most would not want to screw up the sound of their bass as it sets :)
Well, it probably had an influence on Gretsch website describing them as single coils now 😅 good jobs to you both I'd prefer humbuckers if I were to buy one, because I own a jazz already
Very shocking of Gretsch (and perhaps Fender), also very revealing how many players couldn't see through a bit of ad/listing text when such a huge glaring issue was screaming at them. Crazy that people did actually return them cos of the noise, yet Gretsch didn't come clean. Even a slight raise in no. of returns should have triggered some problem solving that lead to public announcement and recall.
Theoretically, if you open both pickups at the same time, the humm should be canceled out by both coils (neck and bridge). But man! I feel your deception. I was about to get one and just learn about that issue. As much I think it’s a marvelous instrument, it can’t be suitable for studio. Unless changing the pickups maybe? I don’t know.
I had this EXACT same issue with my bass. I called Fender customer service, and they gaslit me, and fought me for over a year. They then cut the headstock off the bass, and then SAID they were going to refund me, but I had to threaten to sue before they actually sent the check. Fender/Gretsch warranty is WORTHLESS
Picked up one of these a few weeks ago and have videos up of the unboxing and tone demo. Yea its a let down about the misleading advertising but like you I still dig the bass. Thunderous tones. But I'm curious what actual mini humbuckers would sound like in this Lil Beast ya know??
I literally had a Gretsch in my cart waiting for me to pull the trigger. So glad I didn't. From what I've seen from other reviewers with experience with Gretsch, they way more positive interactions with the brand than this one negative. HOWEVER, for me who has never touched one, they are on my "NO FLY" list.
You can't really complain about this Bass for the price, for $299 you really can't buy a brand new bass like it. I am enjoying mine and will deal with issues that come up with it. I am a guitar player and am playing bass with friends right now and it's perfect for that, sounds great and plays like a guitar. I love it. If I want to upgrade to something later I will. I have had no issues with the things people talked about like tuning pegs being loose or it going out of tune so far. It's been really good in general and I have no complaints about it. I had in the past a vintage '60 Fender mustang and I actually like this a bit better because it weighs less but I am a small woman so it's just easier for me.
I’m no expert, and I was looking to get one of these basses, why is this such a bad thing? Sounds good on most videos. Also, what would be the most affordable but good humbuckers to replace the stock ones with?
It would be interesting to get a response from gretch / fender. Are they even aware of this issue or did their supplier rip them off and bamboozle the guitar company. Seems like a good bass anyway especially at that low of a price.
They also got the string guage wrong in specs. I ruined a set of strings due to their site recommending a set of 45-105.Wouldnt fit. It will only accept, and comes with 35-90 I believe. Ot is a great value tho and nice guitar.
The description on Long & McQuade's website indicates the pickups are single coil "Pickups: Gretsch® Single-Coil Bass (bridge), Gretsch® Single-Coil Bass (neck)". Not sure if this was changed recently or not, but this description is accurate as of June 9, 2022. So no misrepresentation by Long & McQuade at least.
Shopping for a graduation guitar...been looking into a fender custom shop......let me tell ya...since this video I don't think I'll ever buy fender again...been to many inconsistencies with 'vague' details on their specs...even in their higher end modles...
Yes Fender pulled a fast one. Gretsch Junior Jet basses are built by Fender. The problem goes beyond false advertising. There is no shielding at all. Gretsch has revised the spec sheet and now says two single coils. Shield those body cavities.
🙀🙀 Bully, from our last Hang, one from the audience said that Gretsch humbucker we're actually pick ups and said they lied. When I read that, now I have to decide whether get it (in pink 😁) or get the Stingray 4HH instead. I'm so confused. I'm watching Lowend Lobster's vid now.
Yeah, Stingray Short Scale. I had the Gretsch and gave it away...because of the noise and I just couldn't get tone satisfied with what I thought were humbuckers. I got the Stingray Sterling about a month ago. Way better and usable tones. I strung mine with flats.
@@moonriver3552 Whether it sounds good is a matter of personal taste. I like it’s playability and it’s distinctive deep growl. Sounds different from my Yamaha BB series bass and expands the bass tones I have available to me. From an ethical position, I agree that Fender has much to answer for, but that’s a different issue from liking the sound and playability of the instrument.
@@yrsoclvr2 This is true. I was just expecting something else. I didn't mean to imply it's not a decent sound. Mine definitely had a pretty annoying noise issue.
@@moonriver3552 Mine buzzes mainly because my music room is poorly shielded. The buzz can be minimized based on where I position myself in the room and which direction I point the bass. I have the same issue with my BB when using the bridge pick-up. In my case the poor shielding in my room exacerbates the intrinsic noise generated by the pickups.
I just told Lobster im not buying one just for shear principal, do you have any recommendations for a good bass in the same price range, thanks......Scott 👍🏆.
i just did a video on this as well time to hold fender and gretsch accountable and make them replace our pickups they have been doing this to this base for about 10 years now we paid for humbuckers and we get nailed with single coils
I bought one 10 years ago. Never did like the pups/pots/selector switch. Replaced pups with Gretsch Blacktop bridge and neck pups. Then rewired it with individual volume for each and a master tone pot, think Jazz bass style. Badass highmass bridge, solid brass nut, nice Gotoh tuning pegs, and tape wounds. My bass sounds amazing. Looks very cool as well. My point? Don't really have one, lol, just bragging. However, being deceived by Fender/Gretsch is a travesty! Completely unacceptable. Looks like they'll be recalling a bunch of basses to upgrade their pups! LMAO!
They are known for purchasing brands diminishing the quality of other brands to persuade consumers away from those brands a d then add the greatest qualities of those now out of business brands to there products how do you think they got all those sounds In the S 800
I decided to buy this bass judging solely by the sound of it. Didn't even know what a humbucker is or sounds like a month ago. After finding out the Lobster video, got a little disappointed and started checking out other bass guitars at around similar price. Didn't find anything else that I like so much as this one, so I went ahead and ordered the bass with the sound that I liked and not judging by ethics. Am I wrong? Maybe. Will I have the sound I liked? Totally
Eh. It's a $300 bass. I really don't give a shit. I got mine for $225. Somebody in Indonesia fucked up and Nobody at corporate bothered to figure it out because it's a low budget bass. Add in low level marketing employees and that's how you get this story.
I'm not a bass player. Well, I play a little tiny bit, but I watched the same video and I was surprised to find out that the "Humbuckers" were single coils. WHATTTTT?? That's some B.S. I'm a humbucker fan. I'd be livid if I found out the humbuckers I was using...we actually singles.
Just for the sake of argument, would you be mad because of being misled? Because if you liked the sound (while assuming they’re humbuckers), what’s the difference? For ex: If you bought it without being able to play it first, then you plugged it in and it sounded crappy to your ears, and then you found out “oh, they’re single coils” then that would make sense. But if you played it, liked it, and then found out “oh, these are single coils?!” that’s different. Basically, is it the sound or the perception that matters more? I’m really not trying to start a fight; I just think it’s an interesting thought experiment.
Still thinking about buying one because the reviews are so good. But, as you say, why are they saying it ha humbuckers when it doesn't. It poses the question, what would it sound like with humbuckers? Still love my 4003 though...
The only way Fendrr is going to replace pickups is if anyone sued them or threatens too over this. If the bass owners let it slide they will never do a darn thing. They should be held responsible because they knew exactly what they were doing !
If you get to play one and put it up against other instruments in this price range - and put out of your mind whether it’s this or that type of pick up, just play it - I think you’re still wanna get this bass because it’s dope. Like Bully says, it’s still a bad ass bass.
They can solve it, easily, and we can move on. It's just another corporate goof they didn't even probably know about at this point, what with layoffs and staff cycling etc etc I am pretty sure literally NOBODY is at the tiller of this product and it's been running on autopilot.
My solution, were I FMIC, would be to offer to send anyone out who can show they bought one of the misadvertised units the correct electronics in a prewired/quick connect harness, pay for shipping and dealer install if desired, but everyone gets to have both sets of pickups and a published apology on youtube by the CEO would be smarmy but appropriate to get this smoothed out and behind us. Then they can change future literature to remove the "bucker" language or offer both types as different, correctly labeled models if people like the humbuckers too.
Now I finally know where the hum from my Gretsch shorty is coming from. It doesn't help that there doesn't seem to be any kind of shielding in any of the cavities either. Although I really liked the Gretsch when I first got her I end up playing my Stingray shorty more and more often... even before finding out about the pickup swindle. For $300 I could live with the just okay tuners, the generic bridge and the crappy 3-way switch, but this new humbucker issue is a bit of a letdown. I bet this is going to affect used prices going forward. Which means we won't even get a decent asking price if we do decide to sell. Well... damn.
My guess is that the component mix up probably goes back to Gretch and when Fender purchased the product line, they didn't bother to verify compliance to the published specs. I can see how a large corporation would simply buy a product line and let it keep operating as-is, especially if it were shown to be profitable. The issue is whether or not Fender did it intentionally or not.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that a good portion of what “tone” should be is a placebo effect. Your fingers are the most important part of your tone and you can put any bass on a great player’s hands and it will sound good 95% of the time. Great show and you made that guitar sound great because your fingers are also great👍🏽
I basically agree. (No pun intended, none taken). I get where lobster is coming from and why he is saying he’s not going to review the bass , etc. But in terms of playability, cost, quality, and yes sound, this is still a great instrument. We, including myself, often get wrapped up in such and such a tone - especially when it comes to certain instruments being the “right” ones for certain genres of music - to the point that we psych ourselves into liking something that isn’t as good or disliking something that’s actually great just based on human psychology, not rational thinking. I’ve done it a million times myself.
I was surprised folks were stating that they were mini humbuckers when I knew they were not. I guess I came to know about and check these basses after the marketing error was fixed. By the way, Fender don't 'own' Gretsch, Fender and Gretsch reached an agreement to give control of the marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of guitars to Fender, while the Gretsch family would maintain ownership of the company. BTW: What do you mean "kind'a white" when referring to the mix up?? 🤨
@@kzm4275 What are you basing that opinion on, exactly? Nothing? Because you can get a set of k-bird mini humbucker rails on Guitar Fetish for ~$60 These stock pickups probably cost less than $10 to make-- out of rail magnets, like a mini-humbucking T-bird style pickup. Lowend Lobster already covered this, took his pickups apart, and showed us what was inside. I did too, which you can find on my blog.
Bully Thakidd, Did you know that you have a health issue with your liver? The dark areas around joints, such as fingers, knuckles, knees, elbows and darkening around the eyes and cheeks are sure signs of liver trouble. Just a heads up shout at you, I don't know if you drink alcohol or partake of anything else that is bad for the liver, but you may want to slow down a bit. Peace out.
The instrumwent sounds good for 300.00$ ... but what I find wrong was that Fender/Grestch tried to cheet us ... bur I think this is the 2000's ! No self respect!
You are incorrect when you say Fender owns Gretsch. Gretsch is owned by Fred Gretsch ! When Baldwin bought out Gretsch then folded, Fred Gretsch vowed the family would own the company again. It was 17 years from the time Baldwin took it over, till is was re-acquired by the Gretsch family ! Gretsch is solely owned by the Gretsch family ! They have a distribution deal with Fender to market and distribute Gretsch products ! Gretsch leases space upstairs in the Fender Factory in Corona CA. for it's Custom Shop ! This bass was designed and produced by Gretsch. It was marketed, and the description was put fourth by Fender. Apparently, the marketing people at Fender did not bother to look into the Gretsch specs. on this guitar. When they looked at it, they just assumed the pickups were mini humbuckers as they looked exactly the same as other mini's in other Gretsch guitars. Apparently, both have egg on their faces. As Fender didn't even bother to check the specifications before going forward with their advertising campaign, and Gretsch failed to pick up on their mistake as well. Now everyone are pointing fingers at each other. You probably won't hear anything or no statement will be released until the legal ramifications of this cluster are resolved !
You are incorrect fender owns gretsch... from the artist relations manager. I didnt bother reading your paragraph... but I'm glad you feel so passionate about information.
Sounds like it’s just as bad as when your girl cheats on you. With your eyes closed, does anything really make a difference? Isn’t it the sound that really counts, no matter what pickup delivers that?
Just save your pennies and buy "VINTAGE" Fender. IMO Fender has gone downhill over the last 25years. The new stuff, if it isn't manufactured in Ensenada, Mexico, Corona, California, or the "Custom Shop" is pure JUNK.
Unless The Lobster has taken off the covers of his bass, your pickups look different. Might it be that The Lobster have Jr I while you have the Jr II? Maybe the older ones had both different pickups AND advertisement? Take them apart and clear this up! :)
I really love that bass, the nicest bass I've had on a budget
The pickups not being humbuckers isn't a deal breaker for me, singles or humbuckers i love it
I feel the same just sucks they aren't what they advertise
@@BullyThaKidd maybe thats why they called it a " mini * humbucker lol like half of one...like single coil...LMAO i just bought one...i dig it..cheers Bully
I bought one of these on a local auction site for $100. For that price, it's a great buy no matter what. It's a good build and a fun short scale. I mean, if you like the sound, you like the sound. I get the principle of the false advertising, but the results are kinda the end of the conversation.
i get that it’s a good bass for cheap. but the fact that it was false advertising makes someone think what else are they false advertising. jus tarnishes their reputation in general
Wow, I will need to rethink this now.
Thanks. Bully and LEL and Jonny
I'm an old fart, guitar player/bassist and I just gotta say this: I really like you, Bully Thakidd! You...ARE...AWESOME! Your playing. Your phrasing. Your jazz style. But mostly, your smile and loving personality. Glad I found your channel dear brother. As for the LowEndLobster review, yeah, I agree. Its false and deceptive to sell single coils for humbuckers. It doesn't change a whole lot as far as jammin' and live applications. But when your in the recording studio, it MATTERS a great deal. I've picked up one of these Gretsch short scale basses in GC. They do play and feel great. But I gotta have humbuckers(dual coils). Thats just my preference. God bless you and yours brother Alan.💜🙏☺👍
I previously have heard complaints about this on other You tube reviews..This proves the complaints correct...
Kudos to you and Lobster for opening this case up. I am in the same boat as you, still love the bass, but am a little disappointed they lied to me
we need to start a class action lawsuit
2:44 thats Gretsch asvertising its two humbuckers? I have made dozens of edits to Sweetwaters descriptions after finding errors. This is just another one. Gretsch does not advertise that they are humbuckers. They adverise this guitar as two single coil pickups. Story done. The distributor made an error. Pick your bone with them. It happens a lot.
I have the same color as yours and I feel like you do.It is still a great little bass but I am disappointed not having buckers as advertised.
I have it and really like it (did not even notice any hum... to be honnest) very powerfull pickups. For travelling, I would even advise the Hofner shorty, I have been playing this bass for long time and really the best option, and soundwise, up to par with costlier bass guitars..
I have been thinking of one of these just for the fun of it but not after learning this! Thanks to you and Lobster for spreading the truth.
This is a good example of how some companies save money on production costs. Many people bass consumers, will not do an intense inspection on their instruments like Lowend, they just want their moneys worth and honesty not something with bogus parts in any way. however I appreciate the revelation
HumbuckerGate, LOL. You guys are like Woodward and Bernstein taking down Fender. Good work. Keep em honest.
"HumbuckerGate!" Now thats fuhh-nee.☺👍
Good work lol, this guy should make an apology video now. He shows Sweetwaters description and says Gretsch is wrong when in fact Gretsch advertisers this as two single coils. I sort of feel bad for them now.
Extremely deceptive, whether truly malicious or just an accident. Hope they do something to make this right, until then I’ll not buy from Fender. Was considering getting a Jazz, too.
Look into the G&L JB. It’s Leo Fender’s personal factory and totally independent from Fender. Everyone says their JB sounds better.
@@pwokaren Is it short scale?
@Alexandria Occasional Cortex great point! Thank you 🙏🏻
G&L are great, and you can build a bass. I built a one piece ASH body PJ bass with EMG "Geezer Butler" pick ups, & High Mass bridge. I did put a Fender Jazz neck on it. The thing is a tone generator. I built it for $900.00
I also own a G&L L-2500 5 string bass, and it is AWESOME!
Like Bully says, tho’ - it’s still a killer bass for anyone wanting an affordable, bad ass-looking short scale. If they want to send out some replacement pickups, I’ll take ‘em, but frankly, I’m happy with it as is.
It makes me happy to finally get an answer to this... I actually returned 2 different ones because I thought they had electrical issues. I bought it specifically for the humbuckers on a bass, as I loved the other bass in had with them. This ultimately resulted in me buying a complete other product.
Whether they will admit it, they will ultimately lose a touch of product confidence... But they make so much every where else, they may sweep it under the rug and move on.
Blame Fender for that though, they own Gretsch
The pickups on this bass look exactly like the pickups on epiphone , Ibanez hollow body basses, Horner ignition basses ECT . I wonder if those pickups are sourced from the same company and If they are All single coils.
Class Action Suit? "Have you or one of your loved ones been unknowingly subjected to annoying 60-cycle hum? You may be due compensation. Call the attorneys at Lowend & Bully today!"
it's my money and I need it now!
I was going to hop on your video and say yours sounds radically different than mine! I've had a Junior Jet II for about 6 years and it sounds so full, punchy and your second pickup when you ticked it over just sounded way different.
Esse é o segredo!!! Em cada mão o instrumento soa diferente...
Já vi music man stingray ficar com som de lata, mas com outra pessoa tocando o resultado era totalmente diferente.
Por isso eu nunca julgo algo pela capa ou por comentários de outras pessoas.
Very obvious when you are listening for it. Maybe, that’s why it sounds so good. If I knew it hummed, I would never stop hearing it.
once again some of the coolest basses to come out lately.... no 5 banger bummer
I bought two of these because I messed up the truss rod during set up. I later took the neck off after about four months of it resting in a stand. I actually was able to adjust the rod correctly and it sounds great. I gave it to my sister. Now we both have blood red G2220's. My daughter wants one too (same color)! They're absolutely beautiful. The shape and look is badass sexy. A yellow or orange model would be awesome not to mention a full scale version. Oh, yeah... and actual humbuckers. 🤦
Thanks Bully
Thanks to you and the lobster man for keeping it real ,i own one and am now in a dilemma, for an amateur like me it seemed a solid acquisition.But i can not with a clear conscience encourage that type of behaviour,[ deceitful ] ,what to do get a luthier to fit the twin mini humbucker , just don't know ,Thanks for confirming L.E.L s initial call All the Best BoB
Hey Bully , I picked up one of these bass' just this week, I love it it's a nice hybrid I'm definitely keeping it. I got in touch with Andertons to see if they knew anything about it, no, first time they'd heard of this and they were really interested and helpful, so one of the UK's biggest guitar importars is waiting for a response from Fender too. Love your channel dude I'm pretty new to bass so people like you are priceless to me, thank you and love from Wales 🏴🐑🌧️.
Just picked this up from guitar center. At the store I played it thru a $1000 mark bass amp combo. Sounded great. When I got home and plugged it to my Rumble 40, I had humming and buzzing , no matter what I did. My Ibanez SDGR 5 string sounds great thru the Rumble amp. I will be returning to the store to see what they can do. If nothing , then I will have to return it. It's such a convenient little bass. Dam!!!
Been seeing a lot of used Gretsch Junior Jets for sale online. What about switching out the pups for actual buckers? Any recommendations?
For a decent genuine humbucker short scale I've heard that the Squier Paranormal Rascal Bass is fabulous.
Having two bridge pickups is irrelevant if you ask me i have pickups I sell as base or neck, depending on the package. The difference is the is the sticker that says bridge and one that says neck
That may be the case for whatever pickups you’re talking about, but there are (often) actual differences between neck and bridge pickups. Often one or the other has more or less windings, for instance, so as to be hotter or more mellow. Obviously, placement can make a difference: the same pickup will sound slightly different in this or that position. But there are also pickups specifically designed for use in the bridge or neck (or whatever) position.
@@erstwhilerambler thats what Im saying, the winding is different. I can apply it to any of the pcikups we sell. I have sets with 5.8 ohms in the bridge and sets with 5.8 ohms in the neck. Same exact pickups but one has a bridge label and one has a neck label lol. What thats telling me is that it has twin humbuckers in it thats all. You can certainly put a "bridge" pickup im the neck postion. They arent the only manufacturer to use twin humbuckers. Its not very startling. Usually what happens is the bridge gets a treble bleed. They will have the same output with different tone spectrums. I am sure there are pickups out there that should only be used in a bridge or neck postion but its not common. The number of windings certainly do not dictate wether or not it can be used in which postion. Thats my whole point. Its not wrong using twins. There are plenty of examples of out it out there.
Thanks for that, Joe. Interesting as I'm a beginner considering the G2220 but bemused by the pickup saga.
@@MrBazH well what I can say is these youtubers are off. They arent looking into who is saying they are humbuckers. Is the company saying it? No they are not. This guys flash of description doesnt come from the company itself. Gretsch advertises it as two single coil pickups. The mistake is the vendors who see the pickup and then describe it as humbuckers. This is the problem here. TH-camrs who dont do the proper research before making a video. It didnt take me long to figure this out, hence the reason who hardly anyone but these knuckleheads are talking about it. If you descide to make the move on this guitar. I can make you a couple of killer humbuckers to put it in. Custom set discounted just for meeting me on yourube. Just message me and remind me.
I’m not a fan of single coil pickups so if I bought that bass thinking that it had humbuckers I would be pretty pissed off.
I bought it thinking that it had humbuckers, but honestly I'm not too mad. It still plays extremely well, sounds phenomenal, and doesn't even hum! Of course, I play at low volumes and my comparisons are a squure jazz bass and a modified p, so maybe I don't notice the hum because of that.
Yep
@@deanaf P is a humbucker...so is the J with both pickups on.
I dont know nothing about the bass or guitars but cant you replace the pickups with a better one? Or the one its supposed to have?
@@tubester4567 bass pickups typically aren’t as interchangeable as guitar pickups. They often come in odd specific sizes which means there aren’t many aftermarket options available. You shouldn’t have to buy a bass and pay close to the value of the instrument to get what was advertised in the first place
I have one of these from the late 90’s, made in Korea, while Fred Jr still directed the Gretsch company, under the Fender umbrella. It’s a fabulous short scale bass! And we have ALL heard this very bass on FM radio, many many times! Arguably the most popular bass/drums duo, used a Gretsch Jr jet early in their career! I love my Jr Jet! As a guitarist, it feels sooo natural to play. Mine, at least, is far, far better than an equivalently priced Squier! No contest! (Although, my fav bass is a Squier Classic Vibe jazz bass built up with American Jazz P/U’s, an American standard pick guard and Schaller tuners! It positively rocks! I have pro bass player friends, Jazz bass players too, who just love this Olympic white Squier Jazz bass!)
Long live Gretsch!
Peace
Uh oh you made one of these also!! Like I put on lobsters video about this situation, you guys should lawyer up!! This is ridiculous!!! When I was watching your review I was thinking man that bridge pickup has a tight burp jazz tone, this explains it
Yep, I have the exact same one in pink. I only play short scales and I like the way it sounds and plays. I am not disappointed and I am definitely keeping the thing, but they shouldn't advertise the thing as a mini-hum bucker bass if it's not. The model has been around for a while. I am curious if the pickups are different in the older ones? I could see a scenario where they changed production and never updated the published specs. Not really an excuse though, Gretsch/Fender need to be on top of that stuff. Anyway, enjoyed a few videos on the channel recently, subscribed!
Funny. I actually went and tried one of these today at my local GC store and noticed the same thing. The sales guy blamed it on the circuit they were using for the bass amps.
So, while I liked the idea of this guitar - and was hoping a short-scale would help my old, arthritic hands - the hum and a few other bits caused me to walk away.
Makes you wonder IF they were specified to the contract as Humbuckers and a substitution was made on the production run. Not trying to make a cover story for Fender but it could be what did happen. This years run? Every run ever? Did the subcontractor factory go to a "improved " or "available" pickup and missed a detail? I looked at buying one myself and "mini humbucker" was a selling point in my mind. Does knock a ding in Fenders reputation. The saying in QA is inspect what you expect.
oops! Gretsch/Fender should offer a set of hummers with free installation at your local luthier for anyone that actually has an issue with their marketing screw up.. I'd bet dollars to donuts most would not want to screw up the sound of their bass as it sets :)
Well, it probably had an influence on Gretsch website describing them as single coils now 😅 good jobs to you both
I'd prefer humbuckers if I were to buy one, because I own a jazz already
Very shocking of Gretsch (and perhaps Fender), also very revealing how many players couldn't see through a bit of ad/listing text when such a huge glaring issue was screaming at them.
Crazy that people did actually return them cos of the noise, yet Gretsch didn't come clean. Even a slight raise in no. of returns should have triggered some problem solving that lead to public announcement and recall.
Mine's dead quiet.
Theoretically, if you open both pickups at the same time, the humm should be canceled out by both coils (neck and bridge). But man! I feel your deception. I was about to get one and just learn about that issue. As much I think it’s a marvelous instrument, it can’t be suitable for studio. Unless changing the pickups maybe? I don’t know.
I had this EXACT same issue with my bass. I called Fender customer service, and they gaslit me, and fought me for over a year. They then cut the headstock off the bass, and then SAID they were going to refund me, but I had to threaten to sue before they actually sent the check. Fender/Gretsch warranty is WORTHLESS
Lol
@@JoeKyser why is that funny?
Picked up one of these a few weeks ago and have videos up of the unboxing and tone demo. Yea its a let down about the misleading advertising but like you I still dig the bass. Thunderous tones. But I'm curious what actual mini humbuckers would sound like in this Lil Beast ya know??
I literally had a Gretsch in my cart waiting for me to pull the trigger. So glad I didn't. From what I've seen from other reviewers with experience with Gretsch, they way more positive interactions with the brand than this one negative. HOWEVER, for me who has never touched one, they are on my "NO FLY" list.
You can't really complain about this Bass for the price, for $299 you really can't buy a brand new bass like it. I am enjoying mine and will deal with issues that come up with it. I am a guitar player and am playing bass with friends right now and it's perfect for that, sounds great and plays like a guitar. I love it. If I want to upgrade to something later I will. I have had no issues with the things people talked about like tuning pegs being loose or it going out of tune so far. It's been really good in general and I have no complaints about it. I had in the past a vintage '60 Fender mustang and I actually like this a bit better because it weighs less but I am a small woman so it's just easier for me.
I’m no expert, and I was looking to get one of these basses, why is this such a bad thing? Sounds good on most videos. Also, what would be the most affordable but good humbuckers to replace the stock ones with?
You're right - they don't need humbuckers. The pickups sound find the way they are and mine are extremely quiet and single mode.
How do you get that growl from your Bass? It’s beautiful.
It would be interesting to get a response from gretch / fender. Are they even aware of this issue or did their supplier rip them off and bamboozle the guitar company. Seems like a good bass anyway especially at that low of a price.
Fender keep lying and lying about it, they are aware of the problem
they aren't so stupid to not know what they are putting in their products
All things aside, it's a great bass, I play everyday, however this is some serious sideways deceptive bs, I still got my receipt tho..
They also got the string guage wrong in specs. I ruined a set of strings due to their site recommending a set of 45-105.Wouldnt fit. It will only accept, and comes with 35-90 I believe. Ot is a great value tho and nice guitar.
This is video number 2 today I have seen about this. There are a couple mis sells on pickups i only know because I build and sell them
The description on Long & McQuade's website indicates the pickups are single coil "Pickups: Gretsch® Single-Coil Bass (bridge), Gretsch® Single-Coil Bass (neck)". Not sure if this was changed recently or not, but this description is accurate as of June 9, 2022. So no misrepresentation by Long & McQuade at least.
Lol. It changed. Thanks for checking though
@@BullyThaKidd ah ok, I agree that it’s very strange that Gretsch would make such an “honest” mistake…
@@Kerwonderful uh huh... strange indeed
Shopping for a graduation guitar...been looking into a fender custom shop......let me tell ya...since this video I don't think I'll ever buy fender again...been to many inconsistencies with 'vague' details on their specs...even in their higher end modles...
It is false advertising no matter how you look at it.
Have you ever compared this to the epiphone viola short scale?
what hum bucker would recommend if I wanted to upgrade this bass tp something really good?
seymore duncan or emg
make sure you check the sizing of the pickups because these arent standard sized
it fits Gospel music very well
Thanks for independently confirming their Fraud.
Surprised me in the first place when I read there were humbuckers in it.
Yes Fender pulled a fast one. Gretsch Junior Jet basses are built by Fender. The problem goes beyond false advertising. There is no shielding at all. Gretsch has revised the spec sheet and now says two single coils. Shield those body cavities.
🙀🙀 Bully, from our last Hang, one from the audience said that Gretsch humbucker we're actually pick ups and said they lied. When I read that, now I have to decide whether get it (in pink 😁) or get the Stingray 4HH instead. I'm so confused. I'm watching Lowend Lobster's vid now.
stingray is berter!
Yeah, Stingray Short Scale. I had the Gretsch and gave it away...because of the noise and I just couldn't get tone satisfied with what I thought were humbuckers. I got the Stingray Sterling about a month ago. Way better and usable tones. I strung mine with flats.
@@moonriver3552
Whether it sounds good is a matter of personal taste. I like it’s playability and it’s distinctive deep growl. Sounds different from my Yamaha BB series bass and expands the bass tones I have available to me.
From an ethical position, I agree that Fender has much to answer for, but that’s a different issue from liking the sound and playability of the instrument.
@@yrsoclvr2 This is true. I was just expecting something else. I didn't mean to imply it's not a decent sound. Mine definitely had a pretty annoying noise issue.
@@moonriver3552
Mine buzzes mainly because my music room is poorly shielded. The buzz can be minimized based on where I position myself in the room and which direction I point the bass.
I have the same issue with my BB when using the bridge pick-up. In my case the poor shielding in my room exacerbates the intrinsic noise generated by the pickups.
Side note, do you play Contra Returns, there is a player on there by the exact same name, BullyThaKid
I just told Lobster im not buying one just for shear principal, do you have any recommendations for a good bass in the same price range, thanks......Scott 👍🏆.
Squiers
i just did a video on this as well time to hold fender and gretsch accountable and make them replace our pickups they have been doing this to this base for about 10 years now we paid for humbuckers and we get nailed with single coils
I bought one 10 years ago. Never did like the pups/pots/selector switch. Replaced pups with Gretsch Blacktop bridge and neck pups. Then rewired it with individual volume for each and a master tone pot, think Jazz bass style. Badass highmass bridge, solid brass nut, nice Gotoh tuning pegs, and tape wounds. My bass sounds amazing. Looks very cool as well. My point? Don't really have one, lol, just bragging. However, being deceived by Fender/Gretsch is a travesty! Completely unacceptable. Looks like they'll be recalling a bunch of basses to upgrade their pups! LMAO!
Seems like they’re single coil with mini humbucker covers. Maybe that’s what they meant? Idk
i tried one few weeks ago and found it did not have the expected fat sound of a humbucker
They are known for purchasing brands diminishing the quality of other brands to persuade consumers away from those brands a d then add the greatest qualities of those now out of business brands to there products how do you think they got all those sounds In the S 800
Totally on point, very common in the capitalist society we live in
I bought one after seeing these videos.
On the Gretsch site, it is advertised as a humbucking pickup, not a humbucker pickup…..there are more than one way to skin the 60-cycle hum cat.
I decided to buy this bass judging solely by the sound of it. Didn't even know what a humbucker is or sounds like a month ago. After finding out the Lobster video, got a little disappointed and started checking out other bass guitars at around similar price. Didn't find anything else that I like so much as this one, so I went ahead and ordered the bass with the sound that I liked and not judging by ethics. Am I wrong? Maybe. Will I have the sound I liked? Totally
Bro Whats the best bass choice for around $125 - $150 price range?
Probably something Glarry or Donner, but I’m not really sure.
Those single buckers r the reason i didnt choose that bass instead i chose the ibanez mezzo.
Eh. It's a $300 bass. I really don't give a shit. I got mine for $225. Somebody in Indonesia fucked up and Nobody at corporate bothered to figure it out because it's a low budget bass. Add in low level marketing employees and that's how you get this story.
I'm not a bass player. Well, I play a little tiny bit, but I watched the same video and I was surprised to find out that the "Humbuckers" were single coils. WHATTTTT?? That's some B.S. I'm a humbucker fan. I'd be livid if I found out the humbuckers I was using...we actually singles.
Just for the sake of argument, would you be mad because of being misled? Because if you liked the sound (while assuming they’re humbuckers), what’s the difference? For ex: If you bought it without being able to play it first, then you plugged it in and it sounded crappy to your ears, and then you found out “oh, they’re single coils” then that would make sense. But if you played it, liked it, and then found out “oh, these are single coils?!” that’s different. Basically, is it the sound or the perception that matters more? I’m really not trying to start a fight; I just think it’s an interesting thought experiment.
@@erstwhilerambler I'd be angry about being mislead. It's the principal of the matter.
Still thinking about buying one because the reviews are so good. But, as you say, why are they saying it ha humbuckers when it doesn't. It poses the question, what would it sound like with humbuckers?
Still love my 4003 though...
The only way Fendrr is going to replace pickups is if anyone sued them or threatens too over this. If the bass owners let it slide they will never do a darn thing. They should be held responsible because they knew exactly what they were doing !
Could someone upgrade the pickups to real mini humbuckers? It's one of the basses I'm currently interested in purchasing.
If you get to play one and put it up against other instruments in this price range - and put out of your mind whether it’s this or that type of pick up, just play it - I think you’re still wanna get this bass because it’s dope. Like Bully says, it’s still a bad ass bass.
They changed the specs to "single coil" on the website. They must have heard you.
They can solve it, easily, and we can move on. It's just another corporate goof they didn't even probably know about at this point, what with layoffs and staff cycling etc etc I am pretty sure literally NOBODY is at the tiller of this product and it's been running on autopilot.
My solution, were I FMIC, would be to offer to send anyone out who can show they bought one of the misadvertised units the correct electronics in a prewired/quick connect harness, pay for shipping and dealer install if desired, but everyone gets to have both sets of pickups and a published apology on youtube by the CEO would be smarmy but appropriate to get this smoothed out and behind us. Then they can change future literature to remove the "bucker" language or offer both types as different, correctly labeled models if people like the humbuckers too.
@@russellzauner or send me 50$
@@russellzauner I think this is the perfect solution, and I would like to see a groundswell of customer complaints leading to this end.
Now I finally know where the hum from my Gretsch shorty is coming from. It doesn't help that there doesn't seem to be any kind of shielding in any of the cavities either. Although I really liked the Gretsch when I first got her I end up playing my Stingray shorty more and more often... even before finding out about the pickup swindle. For $300 I could live with the just okay tuners, the generic bridge and the crappy 3-way switch, but this new humbucker issue is a bit of a letdown.
I bet this is going to affect used prices going forward. Which means we won't even get a decent asking price if we do decide to sell. Well... damn.
BTW: Subscribed!☺👍
I just bought one a week ago for gospel
Gretch started out as a drums manufacturer and then they began making guitars,...however, their bass guitar line is something left to be desired.
I don't agree this bass is nice. Great for beginners with small hands. But it isn't advertised like it should be.
My guess is that the component mix up probably goes back to Gretch and when Fender purchased the product line, they didn't bother to verify compliance to the published specs. I can see how a large corporation would simply buy a product line and let it keep operating as-is, especially if it were shown to be profitable. The issue is whether or not Fender did it intentionally or not.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that a good portion of what “tone” should be is a placebo effect.
Your fingers are the most important part of your tone and you can put any bass on a great player’s hands and it will sound good 95% of the time.
Great show and you made that guitar sound great because your fingers are also great👍🏽
I basically agree. (No pun intended, none taken). I get where lobster is coming from and why he is saying he’s not going to review the bass , etc. But in terms of playability, cost, quality, and yes sound, this is still a great instrument. We, including myself, often get wrapped up in such and such a tone - especially when it comes to certain instruments being the “right” ones for certain genres of music - to the point that we psych ourselves into liking something that isn’t as good or disliking something that’s actually great just based on human psychology, not rational thinking. I’ve done it a million times myself.
@@erstwhilerambler very well said👍🏽
I was surprised folks were stating that they were mini humbuckers when I knew they were not. I guess I came to know about and check these basses after the marketing error was fixed.
By the way, Fender don't 'own' Gretsch, Fender and Gretsch reached an agreement to give control of the marketing, manufacturing, and distribution of guitars to Fender, while the Gretsch family would maintain ownership of the company.
BTW: What do you mean "kind'a white" when referring to the mix up?? 🤨
Yes ,you do.
In my case, I would've gotten my soldering gun and modded the factory pickups with real humbuckers.
They are supposed to be firebird minihums, so you're looking at spending another $300 on pickups alone
@@asherplatts6253 If they were supposed to be firebird mini humbuckers, they would not charge 300 for the whole bass in the first place
@@kzm4275 What are you basing that opinion on, exactly? Nothing?
Because you can get a set of k-bird mini humbucker rails on Guitar Fetish for ~$60
These stock pickups probably cost less than $10 to make-- out of rail magnets, like a mini-humbucking T-bird style pickup. Lowend Lobster already covered this, took his pickups apart, and showed us what was inside. I did too, which you can find on my blog.
Bully Thakidd, Did you know that you have a health issue with your liver? The dark areas around joints, such as fingers, knuckles, knees, elbows and darkening around the eyes and cheeks are sure signs of liver trouble. Just a heads up shout at you, I don't know if you drink alcohol or partake of anything else that is bad for the liver, but you may want to slow down a bit. Peace out.
This is unacceptable
wtf!
Hi
The instrumwent sounds good for 300.00$ ... but what I find wrong was that Fender/Grestch tried to cheet us ... bur I think this is the 2000's ! No self respect!
You are incorrect when you say Fender owns Gretsch. Gretsch is owned by Fred Gretsch ! When Baldwin bought out Gretsch then folded, Fred Gretsch vowed the family would own the company again. It was 17 years from the time Baldwin took it over, till is was re-acquired by the Gretsch family ! Gretsch is solely owned by the Gretsch family ! They have a distribution deal with Fender to market and distribute Gretsch products ! Gretsch leases space upstairs in the Fender Factory in Corona CA. for it's Custom Shop ! This bass was designed and produced by Gretsch. It was marketed, and the description was put fourth by Fender. Apparently, the marketing people at Fender did not bother to look into the Gretsch specs. on this guitar. When they looked at it, they just assumed the pickups were mini humbuckers as they looked exactly the same as other mini's in other Gretsch guitars. Apparently, both have egg on their faces. As Fender didn't even bother to check the specifications before going forward with their advertising campaign, and Gretsch failed to pick up on their mistake as well. Now everyone are pointing fingers at each other. You probably won't hear anything or no statement will be released until the legal ramifications of this cluster are resolved !
You are incorrect fender owns gretsch... from the artist relations manager. I didnt bother reading your paragraph... but I'm glad you feel so passionate about information.
Sounds like it’s just as bad as when your girl cheats on you. With your eyes closed, does anything really make a difference? Isn’t it the sound that really counts, no matter what pickup delivers that?
Just save your pennies and buy "VINTAGE" Fender. IMO Fender has gone downhill over the last 25years. The new stuff, if it isn't manufactured in Ensenada, Mexico, Corona, California, or the "Custom Shop" is pure JUNK.
You better add Japan to this list. My boxer got for sub 800 is pretty damn good
Unless The Lobster has taken off the covers of his bass, your pickups look different. Might it be that The Lobster have Jr I while you have the Jr II? Maybe the older ones had both different pickups AND advertisement? Take them apart and clear this up! :)