Fender USA Tony Franklin Hardware Upgrade - Fixing the Neck Dive w/ GOTOH - LowEndLobster Fresh Look

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Fender USA Tony Franklin Signature Bass Review: • Fender USA Tony Frankl...
Gotoh GB640 Res-O-Lite Tuning Machines: g-gotoh.com/product/gb640/?la...
Gotoh 404BO-4 Bridge: g-gotoh.com/product/404bo-4/?...
Hey Everyone! Today we're upgrading my Fender USA Tony Franklin Signature Fretless PJ bass with a Gotoh bridge and tuners. The Tony Franklin Signature is an incredible fretless bass that suffers from some balance issues due to heavy tuners. We'll check out the weight reduction and balance improvements that these hardware upgrades provide. Let's check it out!
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with SIT Foundation Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at sitstrings.com/
Info on my signal chain, setup and more: • Lobster's Filming & Re...
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[@FretlessMonster]

It’s good. But to my ears there’s a change of tone. The 70’s hardware - including the bridge - had the magical warm tone! 🤷‍♂️💙🔥

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Tony! That's why I didn't drill the two additional holes, I wanted this reversible. You rock!

[@michaelmcdonald8344]

I had one major hope when I clicked on the thumbnail, and it was that I'd find a comment from Mr. Franklin himself bemoaning the resultant tone from the bridge swap. If it wasn't so hot outside, this day would be perfect!

[@flipper2gv]

Also think there's a slight reduction on the fundamental

[@TenFalconsMusic]

@michaelmcdonal8344 ☝Doobie Brothers👍

[@TacticalHyena]

bro you're playing that fretless beautifully, great to see someone make a connection with an instrument

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you!

[@markfichman3303]

Love the upgrades. This bass used to be the best value in the Fender catalog at $1699.

[@rqkeating]

What an excellent upgrade. Never underestimate the value of a well balance instrument.

[@michaelkeefer4293]

I'm guessing swapping the tuners alone would have saved more weight, but the new higher mass bridge added some of that weight back. Still, fixing the balance issue alone even with no weight savings would make the bass much more comfortable, and it wasn't excessively heavy to begin with. Even though the weight and balance are not bad on my Jazz bass, I'm still tempted to give these upgrades a try. Thanks for the review!

[@pipomaggi]

beautiful playing, Lobster. can't go wrong with a Jaco piece on a fretless bass 👏👏👏

[@jacostingray]

Yes!!

[@jacostingray]

Continuum- Nicely done!

[@jamestom2510]

Love Tony and this is going to be good !!!!!!

[@mikeforbass]

Your happy makes me happy.

[@shanejohnston4329]

Hi Lobster, love the show. Through my phones that bass upgraded, sounds Beautiful. full of possibilities. It also looks fantastic.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

. A roasted maple neck (during production) would take a bit of neck weight off.

[@precbass]

Nice fretless playing Lobster.Very nice indeed.

[@greengrapejelly]

I recently put one of those new Gotoh bridges on a pbass and I love mine.

[@jonathanchevallier7046]

Nice upgrade and demo ;-)

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Thanks for Sharing Lobster 🦞 much appreciated 🇬🇧🎸🎶🎵

[@philippeconway8636]

Absolutely beautiful bass. I can’t believe how much of a weight savings that hardware made. Great video, as always, Lobster. Love the shirt BTW.

[@michaelblaney4461]

Yep one of the basses on the list.

[@poochiecheeks627]

that is such a good fretless tone

[@ItamarMedeiros]

Almost didn’t recognize you without the beard! Great mod as usual! Keep up the good work!

[@cetorbett]

Nice Continuum!

[@foganewgon]

I'm gonna have to try this! I have a Fender TF and I love it, but the minor neck dive is a bit of an annoyance.

[@jamestom2510]

WAHOO WHAT A SOUND........

[@MFitz12]

One could always swap in 3 lightweight tuners and keep the original drop D tuner.

[@LowEndLobster]

This is true! I'm curious if one could even install the drop D on the Gotoh (I believe the D-tuner is an 'add-on' bit that connects to an existing tuner).

[@Jihadbearzwithgunz]

On my 4 strings I love my hipshot extender for drop D or in my case using it on my 4 string tuned to D standard with a drop C.. That being said that's me and for fretless feel like drop D option could cause intonation issues even if slight could effect the entire neck and doesn't make sense too me so I agree with you 100% on these changes and adding a higher mass bridge and lighter weight tuners would help with balance old school way would be tape some fishing weights in the control cavity. Something I remember seeing all the way back to 06 in my music store working days and hearing about from my boss there then

[@paulfrederick8902]

The 3 basses I own, all Fender's are strung as this; one has flats, another with rounds and the last strung B,E,A,D. All with Rotosounds.

[@ramshaar2597]

Clean fretless bass sound .i am still prefare active fretless i am looking for the beast

[@gazfunk]

I have this bass. The first thing I did was get rid of that drop D tuner.

[@andrewbecker3700]

Balance with a bass is very important. Many are fairly awkward. I'm very happy with the balance of my Sterling Stingray ray34 in firemist silver. Nyatoh is a mahogany like wood that's a bit lighter, and becoming increasingly popular in modern guitar construction. I prefer my guitars to be almost neck heavy, but not quite. The SG Modern I started out with, taught me alot about proper balance. There's a reason Angus Young plays SG's.

[@57precision]

Huge flex with Continuum on an unlined fretless. That is not easy.

[@SICMetal74]

I had a BC Rich Mockingbird Bass that the neck dive was unfixable just due to the design of the bass. It was a work out keeping the neck up.

[@brucesahroian1482]

Lobster!!! I never used a "over the shoulder" style guitar strap! Instead, I used (made by Fender) a thing called a "go-go belt! This attaches to the back of the instrument (sorry gotta drill holes) and I never had neck dive or anything other than a bass in a perfect position to play!!!

[@paulriopelle2962]

I put a Fender High mass bridge and black Dimarzio relentless P and J pick ups in my Bass.

[@ampthebassplayer]

We stan for standard tuning.

[@wren23_bass-synths]

I switched out the bridge on mine for a Badass ll. I haven’t decided on which tuners yet because I don’t want to to any extra drilling or resizing the hole.

[@lockharthorsburgh8601]

Very nice bass, glad to see the tuners fixed the balance issue. I'm curious about the drop-tuner: how accurate are they (or is it something the user needs to set up)? I do tend to switch back and forth between standard and drop (actually half a step down from "real" standard), so I'm intrigued by the possible benefits, although it doesn't feel like a chore to retune between songs. I suppose the real benefit would be if someone wanted to change tuning in mid-song . . .

[@Intenzity]

Lobster, love your stuff, learn a lot, get a lot of great details about all these basses I would never otherwise come across. But dude. Neck dive is just not that big a deal. Never have I ever had that issue be a deal breaker for me on any bass in...well, a long time. At most..it is slightly annoying, but its not that big a deal.

[@abouc]

This bass is perfect if you're ever hired to write theme music for a comedy about a man made entirely of rubberbands

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL giving me ideas

[@fabioasramos]

Continuum!

[@mikeburford3005]

Fretless, and beardless!!

[@JK_35]

Dumb question but how do i even order off the Gotoh website, I can find the product but nothing comes up to buy or order. (in Canada)

[@handybunny]

Hey Lobster, Have you ever played/owned/reviewed a Nash bass?

[@LowEndLobster]

I have not

[@handybunny]

@@LowEndLobster you should try one!

[@ericjohnson6105]

So how much weight was saved overall? EDIT: OK, saw about 1/2 pound of savings.

[@JoseAntonio-gl6fo]

A beautiful instrument. But, at almost three thousand euro.... neck dive. ¿Has the real Toni Franklin's bass that neck dive and this is a faithful copy even in defects? ¿There would be less Toni Frankliness if you build an almost faithful, but perfect balanced instrument according to its price? I like so much the musician and the signature bass, but it's three thousand euro ... and upgrades needed. Good video, insteresting and funny, as always.

[@TheMaartian]

I play short scale basses exclusively now, but this gives me some excellent pointers for when I go looking for a fretless shorty. Maybe a custom version of my T.C. passive Stingray shorty? 🤑

[@JimHawkins808]

Sire offers a fretless version of the U5. I purchased the fretted U5 thanks to Lobster's review - love it!

[@d-studio.productions]

I have 5 string sire v7. Which tuners can u sujest me to instal in order to reduce a neck dive?

[@LowEndLobster]

For the V7, check out the GB528 from Gotoh. I have a video swapping them on my 5 string P5 and it helped a LOT!

[@d-studio.productions]

@@LowEndLobster The problem is that this particular model is very pricy for me. Are there any cheaper alternatives available? Or in other cases I'm gonna have to drill holes?

[@LowEndLobster]

Nothing really cheaper unless you go guyker

[@nonohmic766]

What strings do you have on in this video?

[@LowEndLobster]

The strings are listed in the video description

[@mark6302]

my friend got a cat, his name is Tuxedo B. Cat. The B stands for Burrito.

[@LowEndLobster]

That is most excellent!

[@tigerscott2966]

Nice bass... $2,000 is a lot for any bass...

[@averagetim6190]

Made of body odor 🤣

[@rileyyyyh]

never heard a bass player complain about neck dive… go back to guitar

[@joethebar1]

Some people have to spend money. Totally unnecessary upgrades. Neck dive isn’t even a thing; I’d never have known about it if not for lobsters.

[@TenFalconsMusic]

When playing gigs (or for long sessions in general) having to support the neck does become a bit taxing for your fretting arm. A nice, wide leather (suede on the body side) usually takes a lot of the dive out.

[@LowEndLobster]

This is true, Falcons! I use a much better strap for live gigs and playing, I use this strap for balance demonstrations only so the strap won't have an impact on the natural balance of the bass. I highly recommend a wider padded strap though for long standing gigs for sure (and does help with balance!)

[@cfibb]

Sometimes useful (and totally worth it) upgrades. Neck dive is a thing existing long before LowEndLobster's KZbin channel or his birth. Some people have to whine regardless.

[@57precision]

Your left hand is for fretting, not holding up the bass. So yes, neck dive is a thing.

[@Bass.Player]

Intonated? No intonation on a fretless...

[@TenFalconsMusic]

Sorry, but you do need to intonate a fretless. Ask any bass player.

[@57precision]

Wrong. You want your left hand posture to be as similar to a fretted bass as possible, and this means all the notes at the 12th fret are on a straight line perpendicular to the neck and right between the dots. You are still responsible for playing in tune though.

[@vladconstantin6312]

Hey ! I've been a fan for a long tine , do you have any plans for a warwick thumb in the futere ? ( I know you had one a long time a go ) thanx!🦞

[@LowEndLobster]

Yes I hope to snag one!