Epiphone Embassy Pro - A Budget Gibson Thunderbird By Any Other Name - LowEndLobster Review

[@FranciscoSantos-nt8jt]

Man, that bass... What can i say. I have the gold (smoked almond) one and, it's my nº1 bass. Extra confort, extra sound, mega bass. It's like a confortable thunderbird without neck dive Light weight, really well build. Best neck i've ever played. Only thing to change is tuners, after all, its 300 euros bass. Really nice video and review, as always

[@frankyb602]

Yeah the tone is great but the tuners suck! Did you change them?

[@steveheissner]

I put hipshot ultra lites on mine. Fit right in with no mods. Nice upgrade.

[@bigsmoke6805]

What's up with its tuners? I really wanna buy this guy

[@FranciscoSantos-nt8jt]

@@bigsmoke6805 Not very stable. But for the price, it's tottally worth to put some upgrades. It's still my nº1 bass.

[@bigsmoke6805]

@@FranciscoSantos-nt8jt You mean they lose the tune too much?

[@DaisyHead666]

I absolutely LOVE the way this thing looks.. I played one in my local guitar store, and it blew me away with how comfortable it is compared to my P-bass. I love the string spacing and the way it just... feels to play in general.

[@sira.scottascot8865]

I bought one of these recently. It was damaged and I got it cheap. I just got home from a gig and I used it tonight. I'm pretty impressed. I like the Pro-buckers. Cheap, light mahogany and those pickups make it a very lively bass.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks for sharing Scott!

[@WUBRGer_King]

I got a green one a few months ago and I'm in love with it. Had been sleeping on getting one for a year after trying one at GC and this video helped me pull the trigger after I kept deliberating. I love how many tones I can get out of it as well as how light it is. Great review!

[@WUBRGer_King]

Update on the situation: I was changing strings and the bridge got ripped out of the body. Second time changing strings too. After getting a replacement with faulty pickups from Sweetwater and then finally a working one, I put some Gotoh tuners on it with a set of Rotosound flats and haven't looked back. Be wary of Epiphone QC, y'all!

[@erstwhilerambler]

Interesting story. Glad you could fix it. I just bought the green one at GC like two days ago on a whim because it was on clearance for $279. I gigged it last night and enjoyed it a lot. It’s my first full-scale, and it plays pretty much as easily as my other two (32”&34”) basses. I wondered about Gotoh tuners. If you see this, I’d love a quick comment about them.

[@TheFootOfGold]

When the knobs are wiggled properly, this bass can make a nice warm sound if not a little muted. I am excited to see this modded if that is what you end up doing to the instrument. Great video man, thank you.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ryan!

[@Gary19702]

Had one of the first generation in black, threw on a set of rotosound 45-105 steels and it came to life sonically, brought out the highs and mids especially well

[@wonnie]

I actually ended up getting this for a friend of mine for his birthday. I was shocked at how light the bass was and it actually sounded pretty nice for what we paid for. This is the review that kinda sealed the deal, because it was between a few other basses.

[@Pokechamp653]

came across this bass in green at a steal of a price as a beginner and now my bass journey begins

[@Blakeadam52]

Played one of these today, (i play in a 90s alternative cover band for context of what im talking about). And this thing had SUCH a good tone for all the stuff we play. A very well rounded instrument for rock sounds has a pretty big sound, and for the price!? Yeah. Probably getting the gold one. 😂😂 always wanted a gold instrument

[@Owen-ne6pe]

i have one of these in wanderlust green and love it, its tbird esque but has its own personality imo.its pretty versatile too more then people would think

[@possibly8180]

I really don't get it when some people think basses with 2 pickups in 2 different positions aren't "versatile". Kind of like how most bassists pigeonhole rickenbackers.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Owen!

[@Owen-ne6pe]

@@possibly8180 i thinks is cuz they eq and only really like a certain sound so when a bass is the opposite they think it can only sound like that

[@erstwhilerambler]

I bought it in green two days ago, gigged with it last night. I’m running those Ernie Ball cobalt flats on mine. They’re clanky to my ear because I’m so used to “real” flats (LaBella or Chromes). These EB ones are indeed much closer to a round wound sound, as advertised - which I thought would sound appropriate for this bass and the band I’m playing in.

[@JonnyDibble]

Man, that finish is so nice! I really liked the old one I had, sounds great with a bit of distortion too. Great video us per sir x

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! I loved the orange pickguard on yours

[@DeeshBassChannel]

I use a Tech21 VT DI with mine. It really makes these pickups come alive.

[@TrendingFrog]

Love your reviews too Jonny!

[@JonnyDibble]

@@TrendingFrog thanks very much! ☺

[@willistaylor4077]

I could imagine this being used in a 60's rock covers band. A lil bit of Kinks, etc.... 😊😀❤️🎵

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Willis!

[@erstwhilerambler]

It works incredibly well in that context. We do everything from the aforementioned to AC/DC to Tom Petty, JCM, etc. to some basic funk numbers, even classic and modern country… It is quite versatile and sounds great in all of the above! Very lightweight, no neck dive, tuners have been fine… Great instrument!

[@Owen-ne6pe]

i’m glad this got 4 claws out 5 i think its that good for the price

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Owen! I agree. It's not perfect, but at the price point the quality is great and it's much more unique than your run-of-the-mill P or J clone.

[@Owen-ne6pe]

@@LowEndLobster yeah its def not perfect but i feel like if you want a vintage sounding instrument this is a great option.its way cooler then your average squire!

[@cliffords2315]

Yea,......I think Epiphone put this same style of bass out back in the late 1960s and it was very decent then, this looks like a good one.

[@rattmann3170]

I got one as a backup for my Thunderbird. Liked it so much I sold the Thunderbird and kept the Embassy PRO which now serves as a backup to my Dingwall NG3. The pickups on that Epiphone are unbelievably good and sound nothing like any of the Gibson T-birds I've had in the past. They sound much better IMO, more clarity with great thump,

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you for the great comment!

[@postrockmike9199]

Ooooh, does it cop a similar enough tone to the NG3 to be OK for a backup? I'm looking at one as a backup to my Combustion.

[@rattmann3170]

@@postrockmike9199 No. Not even close. It sounds like a Thunderbird... sorry. :-( It's a great bass for dive bars, etc. if you're flexible about your tone. But it sounds nothing like a Dingwall.

[@postrockmike9199]

@@rattmann3170 Fair enough! I wasn't expecting miracles, but hoping for a similar ballpark. I'll keep dreaming of getting a D-Roc then!

[@henryjames2628]

I just ordered one from Sweetwater.. Based on your review to have some fun with and a 7lbs 10oz what a great long night bass

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Congrats dude!

[@fernandogarajalde4066]

Add an inductor coil (approx. 1.0-1.5H) to the tone circuit and you get a budget Gibson Thunderbird! I don’t see an issue with that excessive low end as modern amps and DI pedals can compensate for that.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Fernando! Great ideas

[@CarlyonProduction]

I’m not familiar with this. What is the inductor coil and what does it do sonically? Cheers!

[@steveheissner]

I installed a set of hipshot ultralite tuners on mine. Also replaced the strings with d'adario xl. Sounds great with a simple upgrade of the strings it came with.

[@machinotaur]

I got one of these and I love it. Tweaked the truss rod a bit, put some Ernie Ball flatwounds on, it's fantastic. I still may put some kind of risers on the bridge pickup to balance it more with the neck since it can't get close enough stock, but with the blend I like it's perfectly serviceable.

[@jasonclark8013]

Yes, EB Cobalt Flats are my perfect string for this bass!

[@kudokudami16]

I might have to get one eventually for my marceline cosplay

[@anyoneelsebutme5757]

Look up Cort Gene Simmons basses

[@pilummurialis6490]

You can buy build kits for much cheaper and make your own bass body

[@kudokudami16]

@@pilummurialis6490 eh I'm not good at working, nor do I have the tools to

[@LowEndLobster]

Do ittt Kudo!

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes ;P

[@eimizeos]

I think this is the first time you review a bass I own / have owned. It feels weird (but nice) to hear it in your hands, the difference in sounds comparing to what I used to hear from myself. Anyway, great review, as always. And a great bass, too. Recommended.

[@michaelkeefer4293]

Cool! A sub-$1K bass that doesn't have noise issues! That seems to be pretty rare. That bass looks nice, sounds decent and is priced well, it's no wonder it is selling out.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Michael! Indeed these definitely seem well built and play well for the price.

[@MisterStabby]

Epiphone’s really been stepping up their bass game as of late. Some really cool TBirds, a fretless jack, RIPPER REISSUE! (1,000$ cmon) A Mike Dirnt Grabber in the works, (love Dookie Mike) and these Beauties. Had to check the lobster for advice of course but I might get one (even though they bumped it to 500$)

[@Dice1138]

For gloss lacquer necks I always buff them to a mat finish using Micro Mesh Pads. After that I find they play a lot smoother.

[@LowEndLobster]

Interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[@PorchBass]

@@LowEndLobster amusingly on my ibanez ehb, the back of the neck and around the knob area are going shiny from use.

[@giantrobot95]

I recently modded a bass with a T-Bird pickup using a dunable D-Bird pickup. Killer pickup. Highly recommend.

[@PeekaPeep]

I'd like to hear this bass with black-nylon tapewounds and Hipshot Ultralite tuners installed next time you break this one out, buddy! 😁👍

[@cliffords2315]

i have Five Long scale Fender basses, but no short scale (medium scale actualy) they are great for playing Blues Rock like Andy Fraiser and Jack Bruce during his Cream days. Through a cranked SVT would kick butt

[@stephen_lamonica_bass_covers]

Got one a few months ago on clearance for $270 (metallic green). What a steal!

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Thanks Lobster 🦞 excellent review

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Paul!

[@marcelvereycken]

Since I bought me an Embassy I only play on this one. Have several high end guitars but for me this one I like the most. Every bass player can see on this video how good this guitar is playable.

[@popart13]

love your demo style, all bases (basses} covered honest well done

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@SgtPnkks]

Neck woods on an epi bird depend on model... Bolt on birds are maple, the thunderbird pro (active bird) is maple/walnut, the "60s/vintage" model with the same bridge and pickups as the embassy (but more typical V/V/T knobs) is mahogany/walnut And the one I have (Classic-IV Pro... Which is the one that came with Gibson pickups) is mahogany/walnut

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Thank you for the info

[@laszloszaniszlo9662]

It costs $499 now (March 2024) and made in Indonesia… Not a change for the better. Still, I might give it a shot. Good review, as always.

[@robertyoung7027]

Been watching for a long time.. I bought a Sire V3 on your recommendation, my other Sire is a V7 .. super happy w the sire basses! But on your recommendation I also purchased this Epi Embassy Pro and bro.. mine came in the metal flake blue/green and this bass is phenomenal for $400. I received it intonated and set up perfectly, the fretboard has beautiful woodgrain.. just got it today.. mine says made in Indonesia on the back, guess Gibson has moved production there? I love ya bud.. thanks for all the reviews!

[@MrSparks54]

Not a bad piece of Chinesium. I never liked Gibsons weird bridge configurations or mudbuckers but that bass sounds ok for the money. Thanks Lobster! 🦞

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Sparks!

[@philipmcadam5339]

Thanks Lobster for the excellent review.

[@LowEndLobster]

Glad you enjoyed it Philip!

[@phipschi4255]

never thought i'd say that as i generally dont like bridge pickups but this bridge up sounded really nice and meaty!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Georg!

[@phipschi4255]

@@LowEndLobster I was wondering if you would like the review the new Fender Boxer Precicison bass from 2021, i think you'll love the neck!

[@TheGAMEGod_YT]

I hear 👂 something in the distance… gradually getting closer… a voice… speaking to me. It’s saying … LETS GOOOOOOO !!!!!

[@LowEndLobster]

LET'S GOOOOO! I accidentally dropped this at midnight instead of 8 AM lol

[@TheGAMEGod_YT]

@@LowEndLobster Gods plan 🤷‍♂️ 🙏 😂

[@martinheath5947]

I have always wondered how a passive blend control works without any volume dip. Please can you do a video showing us the wiring configuration in this bass 😊 I like the tone!

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey Martin! Absolutely. I will be modding this, and we'll take a look at the stock electronics when I open 'er up :)

[@martinheath5947]

@@LowEndLobster Nice one 👍

[@keithpasculli7465]

I just purchased this exact bass!! Scheduled to get delivered in two weeks. Love the tone. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be jonesing for a Chinese Epiphone I would have scoffed

[@LowEndLobster]

Congrats Keith! Let me know what you think when you get it.

[@keithpasculli7465]

Will do and great review of this bass

[@keithpasculli7465]

Well I have been playing this bass for a couple of weeks and I am really impressed and happy with it. I concur about the treble response but I can easily work with it. Really impressed by the tone and playability and the controls feel much better and function better than most basses in this price range. This bass and the cool Harley Benton Ric tribute bass are my regular players in the rock band I play in.

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Thank you for sharing. Enjoy the bass! EMG mod vid coming soon for mine!

[@keithpasculli7465]

Cool!! Looking forward to seeing that. I like the placement of the neck pickup in particular as it is roughly in P bass position

[@PorchBass]

A 32" model with flats would be on trend. Serek pick ups inbound?

[@LowEndLobster]

No Sereks for this (now that would be an expensive mod hahaha), but we have the new gear here!

[@mackslovelace]

I wonder how this bass would do with the same Hipshot upgrades he just did to the Newport bass. Also maybe a tone pot/cap upgrade.

[@LowEndLobster]

Definitely going to give that a go when I revisit this bass later this year.

[@erstwhilerambler]

@@LowEndLobster We are ready for the upgrade video! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@kevmac1230]

Ain't she sweet? I love this bass.I put a Hipshot bridge and a Starr Guitars Embassy Pro wiring harness and it sweetened the pups.Definitely a keeper, can't stop playing it.I have waited for your take and I'm not disappointed.Nice playing!

[@4stringz.]

I bought one in cherry when the first run came out a few years ago and LOVE it. In John Entwistle’s bass book, of the original he wrote, “Epiphone’s answer to the Thunderbird. Nice bass-shame about the control knobs”. 🤣

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Thank you for sharing! and LOL on the Entwistle quote XD

[@ericc.2789]

Great vid as always. You should look into reviewing the Aria Pro II Detroit. A gorgeous instrument that you don't see very many reviews for here in the States.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Eric! Great suggestion, I've seen em but haven't had the chance to snag one yet. I'll do my best to get one at some point

[@erstwhilerambler]

I bought the green one (“wanderlust” they call it) on a whim when I found it on clearance for $279 at GC two or three days ago. I played it a while and then switched the stock strings for some EB cobalt flats (i.e., the flats that sound - and practically feel - like rounds) so it wouldn’t immediately lose its “top end sparkle” 😂 (My other basses are strung with LaBella and D’A Chromes. EB cobalts are really an entirely different animal, just FYI.) Last night I took it to the gig, played about half the show with the Epi and half with my usual bass, and liked this one quite well. It’s a little difficult to get a truly convincing “classic country” sound (shouldn’t be according to the specs, but I struggled a bit), but for the rock songs, it killed it. Heavy tone in a very lightweight package. Anyway, that’s my comment. Thanks for this and so many other thorough reviews 🙏🏻 and please do a tuner and bridge swap - and maybe the capacitor/pot swap so many have recommended. TBH, I have no idea what that is or does and would be a little bit afraid of doing the work, BUT zig you walk us through it and it sounds good, I might work up the courage! I wonder what mini clovers would look like on this guy? Hint hint. 😊

[@j.c1574]

I cant choose between this one, the epiphone thunderbird , and the Gretsch junior jet 😫 I really want a shortscale but those other basses are so cool too

[@kevinturvey8213]

sounds superb - not muffled at all, especially when played with a pick

[@jdmarino]

I almost never like the tone of any bass you review when it's at 100%. But I like this one. Keeps it in low end. That's all I have to say about that.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks John!

[@revlewisrees9880]

This one of the (many) basses I’ve been looking at (because it’s in my price range). It definitely has what I’d consider to be a Gibson tone; which is refreshing in a market that’s trying to emulate Fender.

[@hetul784]

You have a great point man! But honestly I find less and less people trying to emulate fenders I see manufacturers just making the super Modern, Bright, mid-less basses more and more and it's a little sad because at no point in time I found a 3band EQ any more useful or convenient than a classic passive tone knob.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rev!

[@taitoradephx]

Awesome review and demo, thank you!🦞

[@ernestsalbahista9598]

Saw this bass on one of local music stores here in the Philippines and was always curious how this sound cause aesthetics alone it looks beautiful, sound may not be my cup of tea but I think it'll still be a decent bass to play, hope I'll get to own this one someday 😁😁😁 great review and content as always Lobster 🤘🤘🤘

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ernest!

[@mistergoat7357]

Thanks man! Always dug the styled these

[@50beowulf]

I would love to see a detailed review on the Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro. I'm also curious if you ever explored the mod possibilities of the Embassy Pro?

[@christocr]

Very nice. One of the few "Gibsonesque" basses that I wouldn't mind having in my stable. It's a pretty good looking shape as well. I wonder if Serek got some of their design (body shape) ideas from this bass? Very similar.

[@user-xd7rc9mj3x]

My suggestion would be to add a few driving bass lines that the Thunderbird and Embassy are known for.

[@russellzauner]

It's 1700 bucks less than a Serek or vintage Coronet. I think it sounds pretty great - very smooth. But people are buying these just to get the pickups. :-)

[@ramshaar2597]

Sound good looking good i am in love with this red beast .

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Ram :)

[@rcb_matt]

Did you end up doing any mods on this bass? I had a trade offer on one and it really has me thinking. I know you always do cool mods.

[@57precision]

Coming at us with the slow number 4 claw! This is an exciting bass, it's cheap enough that you can throw some actually good TBird pups in there and still not break the bank. And you don't have to deal with awful Thunderbird ergonomics. Short upper horn has me nervous, how's the neck dive? Guess it can't be any worse than a Thunderbird.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Brett! It's well balanced. Not perfect but no t bird guillotine either. Overall very nice instrument that is well rounded and has a full tone

[@Barry101er]

Would look great with the Newport headstock, imho ;)

[@LowEndLobster]

That it would!

[@sira.scottascot8865]

Right? The batwing.

[@Barry101er]

@@sira.scottascot8865 Yes the Batwing. I think they missed a trick there :)

[@markyurick6699]

Really like the idea of a decent epiphone bass, but I would have preferred a reissue of the RD body style. The Ripper and Grabber body styles would work also. Looks like a good quality instrument for the money, just not my cup of tea. Nice playing and good review. Really looking forward to your review of the Sire P5.

[@Jpeterson7]

I would never even consider changing the pickups on this baby. They sound that good. Anybody experiment with different strings? Hipshot Ultra-lites would be nice on this baby.

[@LowEndLobster]

I learned my lesson on these haha

[@Jpeterson7]

@@LowEndLobster - I noticed that as the video went on, the more you were surprised by the sound! I'm ordering one tomorrow, but the black one cost 100 bucks more than the other colors, so it's either red or almond for me.

[@bevinmodrak4997]

I'm looking forward to the mods. I can't help but wonder if those pickup covers are muffling the sound just like a neck pickup on a tele does with that metal cover. Remove the covers or even cooler would be to put those Gretch accutronic covers could help and give it a very distinctive look.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks a very interesting thought Bevin!

[@kevmac1230]

I like this idea.However I looked for Gretch humbucker covers and the H style came up and they are an inch short in the width.

[@bevinmodrak4997]

@@kevmac1230 depending how handy you are, or perhaps know someone, I would think the existing ones could be modified. It's all about the eddy currents. There was a great article in one of the guitar mags about doing something similar. But yeah I know it's getting to the risk reward territory now.

[@kevmac1230]

@@bevinmodrak4997 A person with a bit of skill with a Dremel tool could no doubt do the job.I unfortunately am lacking in experience.Maybe a bit of practice on some junk.I'd be interested in the article.

[@thefool2007]

Great sound. Pickups sound decent soloed which at this pricepoint, isn’t always the case. Both pickups on is where the magic lives IMHO. Has a nice growl.

[@michaelblaney4461]

Hey Lobster I had one of the older ones in yellow , I liked it but it was to different for me to get used to . I'm primarily a Fender/ G&L / Sire guy. For some reason I'd like to get a Gibson EB3 for that Gibson sound.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Michael! I kind of want a Gibson SG as well, but I'm happy with my LP Jr. Tribute. I don't like the Epi EB-3s with the full scale neck and the tiny body. Neckdive city!

[@michaelblaney4461]

Yes I like that LP JR too. I like the Gibson over the Epipone Eb3

[@joelawson33]

You don't want the eb3 bro. Trust me. It was on my bucket list forever for some reason. Not anymore.

[@michaelblaney4461]

@@joelawson33 yeah I see them and never justify the cost of the Gibson .

[@void0094]

Can you please compare this to your Rickenbacker? Both of these basses are unique.

[@Owen-ne6pe]

i think the only things those two have in common is the way the bridge pickup sounds

[@PushSueAside]

Great video. Thank you for sharing. Cheers

[@RALAN-cm4vi]

new ones now two years later are $499 but production moved to indonesia

[@arc323is]

Damn! First of all, I love your playing here, very slick stuff. On a related note, how's the action / playability? To my ears, it's an incredible sounding bass, especially for the price. I like a dark thick tone. I bet Donny would like it too.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Chris! Action and playability are great. No issues setting up for me!

[@rmccain99]

We need a tone styler for tone control and two three-position switches for series/parralle and single coil.

[@chrisbroome6423]

I have one of these in the green and it is a pick machine. Rock af. My only gripe was the tuners, which were easily upgraded to a gotoh set.

[@Owen-ne6pe]

which gotoh set did you use?

[@LowEndLobster]

Nice! Thanks for sharing Chris!

[@chrisbroome6423]

@@Owen-ne6pe just the regular old Y key style, picked them up secondhand so I don’t know the exact model. They did require the slightest opening of the holes in the headstock, but not the end of the world. The stock ones were just not very user friendly imo

[@thebassbuilder]

I like it! Sounds and looks good

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Meyers!

[@paulsummerside]

Some nice tones

[@paulbogan3400]

I wish they'd have used these pickups in a short-scale bass (tried the Newport and was underwhelmed -- saw your review and it seems like you weren't any more impressed than I was). Problem is, the 760 Probuckers aren't sold separately. You've modded several basses, so I'm curious if you can suggest something that'd get into that T-Bird "angry piano" territory that could be installed in something a bit more player-friendly.

[@connorkeogh5149]

Are you ever going to mod this?

[@ianchisholm9260]

What Pickups would you upgrade to ? .. I do like the sound of the bridge pickup …

[@LowEndLobster]

You will see ;)

[@davidassatrian8365]

Would be keen to see you mod this one!

[@stephenclarke9512]

Great review as usual lobster, however, that's way way too muffled for me ,don't much like it's tone, but hey, I guess when you mod it , it will sound different, don't like the glued neck either, but for the money it is what it is😩

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Stephen!

[@JimRunarHansen]

just ordered one and i can’t wait to hammer it 😎

[@sunn_bass]

Great review. Been eying this bass. I like the old school sound and it should be great for playing some styles. I missed what strings your using? Flats should sound sweet on this. As for tuners, die cast tuners are kind of hit or miss when abusing them. I've beaten the snot out of some and they survived, a few seem to snap just looking at them. Die cast is not inherently bad, its the quality of the casting and the alloy used. My worst luck with tuners were the M4 Schaller tuners on old Kramer Aluminum neck basses. I've snapped a few of those and seen other folks snap them. Those Aluminum necks were so heavy and broke many tuners, and I love Schaller tuners.

[@zlobert9877]

Would you reccomend this over the epiphone thunderbird vintage pro(i noticed the vintage pro sounds a bit more trebly like a jazz bass in comparison with the classic pro which has more low end,that i like more)?

[@LowEndLobster]

I really haven't played either of those Epi T-birds, so I couldn't say. For the price though, the Embassy is a solid bass if you're into the Gibson-y tones.

[@johngeddes7894]

You need to get your hearing checked out. This is a VERY mid-forward sounding bass. The bridge pup is as articulate as a Jazz bass. A nice warm neck pup blends well, and covers the Motown sound in spades. Get ahold of me when you decide to change pickups. I will buy them from you.

[@LowEndLobster]

The EMGs didn't fit :(

[@johngeddes7894]

Dang

[@johngeddes7894]

Just want to add that if you compare these Pro Buckers’ sound to your Casady bass, the Pro Buckers are less wooly. If you want to go brighter, then you can check pot values. Put in a 500 k linear taper volume, or a 500 k audio taper tone pot and if that’s not enough,, there’s always a capacitor swap. These are blade style pickups and have incredible capability. Set up with the components to showcase their full potential is key. That’s what customizing does, or should. Bring out the best possible tone. Complaining about it doesn’t prove much; esp. at this price point. Wax potting is known to darken the pickups, and these ARE wax potted. Tune this guy up and it might blow your hair back!

[@jimkalfakis9893]

Very nice. And super value, for sure. Does anyone know the fretboard radius?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! Great question - 12" radius

[@SimpleAndyRock]

I saw you reviewed both htis and the Stingray 34? Would this be considered to be in the same league as the stingray, for a bass for gigging and recording???

[@AmishThursday]

I bought one when they first came out. The red one. Sold it on Craigslist a year later. Could never get the action set right. The bridge caused me issues. Could never get the strings low enough and had minor trouble with neck relief. I’ve set up dozens of brands of basses but this one was tough. Got sick of trying. Plus was never fond of the tone. In a rock band mix my band mates weren’t impressed. And I ran it through a line 6 system. Through subs and mains. Tried tweaking the tone. Meh .. it’s one of those basses that sounds good in your bedroom through headphones but other than that. Yeah. … no

[@job1778]

Priced right, playing thru a Markbass amp would juke it up I am sure.

[@connorkeogh5149]

Did you ever give this bass an upgrade?

[@robertomicelli]

Ciao! Did you have to make any bridge adjustments? I've heard some they the some that came out in 2017 had problems with intonations because of bridge placement!

[@LowEndLobster]

Ciao Roberto! I didn't have any issues with intonation or setup. It was surprisingly easy, though I do wish we had individual string height control. That being said I was still able to dial this in comfortably.

[@rickrolli7091]

The tone availability seems to be a bit minimal. Some basic modding will need to be done. $400 price. Easily attainable. Maybe a .1 micro capacitor, Hipshot or Gotoh tuners. Maybe a pickup change to a same look but different wider tone availability set. It doesn't sound like a Tbird. But it's Tbird-esq. Not too many basses have that thunderous Tbird sound.

[@Owen-ne6pe]

if you use something like a sans amp or pre amp pedal with this bass it really pushes the tonal availability a whole lot imo.

[@rickrolli7091]

@@Owen-ne6pe I never really considered something like that. Thanks for bringing that up.

[@LowEndLobster]

We have some plans for 'er, don't worry. I already have the new guts. The video will be interesting ;)

[@Owen-ne6pe]

@@rickrolli7091 yeah i didnt think it would make such a difference but i got a behringer bdi21 recently and it made the tonal possibilities way larger in my opinion

[@rickrolli7091]

@@Owen-ne6pe I agree. Choosing a pickup with the tonal qualities you are looking for, plus the tone you're already receiving out of the instrument will help take you a long ways.

[@goforthpatrick]

I just got one of these. What kind of flats would you recommend? I'd like to retain as much clarity and articulation as I can, but still have that flat wound sound. With the probucker pickups, I'm concerned about it getting muddy with flats, but I love flats. Any suggestions?

[@pearsonusa]

Thank you for doing this review. You're right, it is a bit muffled, but it does seem to produce a solid fundamental tone. I'd love to hear it in a mix with other instruments, to hear how it "sits". Also looking forward to what a future mod project might bring to the table.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Richard!

[@mitutoyo34]

I had to return mine. bummer... I really like the way it looks but it had really bad fret buzz, not even the G.C. Tech could get rid of the very loud frett buzz....🐝🐝🐝

[@sjeffy5137]

Gonna be honest, I played one of these in guitar centre and it was one of my least favourite instruments that I’ve ever touched (topped only by Jackson’s spectra line). Now this could have been a dud, but the pickups sounded dull and muffled, the pots were scratchy and cheap feeling, and I honestly did not like the neck much. Was not helped by guitar centre’s signature skyscraper action. Again, could have been a dud, but I remember hating this thing with a vengeance.

[@LowEndLobster]

Aw that's a bummer. This bass (when not setup by GC) is surprisingly capable, but is definitely targeting the 'I want a tbird but dont' want tbird ergonomics' crowd.

[@sjeffy5137]

@@LowEndLobster Ofc, I’ve always loved the tbird looks but have never clicked with the tone and definitely not the ergonomics, really want to try out a Dingwall D-Roc or whatever the sandberg third is called.

[@jeffscott1006]

Perfect for Americana or blues

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks KJeff!

[@deaddoomed2380]

between this epiphone and the harley benton rick copy what do you recomend??? i was convinced in buy the epi and i found that rick clone much cheaper... :(

[@LowEndLobster]

The HB is neat but is still a $200 instrument. The Embassy isn't perfect, but for $400 it feels solid and unique compared to other offerings in the price segment.

[@klausestephensbass]

Hey man I watch your channel all the time. I own a sterling sub 4 and sub 5 and a gretsch shortscale for fun. I want to get rid of the gretsch and buy something to play BEAD preferably with a 1.5 or slimmer p bass width that can handle BEAD sring/set up and be used with my Darkglass 900v2 head, usually fuzz always on. Would you think this would be a good choice for to mod for BEAD or would should I take my sub4 and mod it or get an aerodyne (love the P sound but want jazz neck) or get a classic vibe ? I wanted to maybe try the darkglass tonecapsule ? Any suggestions in that category for a project bass that doesnt require 1k$? Thanks man.

[@mitutoyo34]

Glued on neck!!! would that be durable?

[@rocker6093]

would you recommend this bass for someone trying to learn bass??

[@jasonbannan4024]

I see they are made in Indonesia now. Epiphone must have many sources.

[@Curt.dammit]

Have you modded that baby yet?

[@LowEndLobster]

The EMG pickups were sized for the Gibson TB pickups which are ever so slightly bigger. The mod here is on hold but we'll get to it and I still have the bass!