Gibson Les Paul Jr. Revisited - A Fireside Chat with an Old Friend - LowEndLobster Fresh Look

[@jeffmason8401]

I got this in blue at $550. Only change I have made is putting in the Babicz bridge. It has basically become my most used bass over time. I gig outdoors a lot for the main band I am in and with the push pull, I get more flexibility than you might expect. I returned to being on my church's worship team last week and used this there for the first time, and everyone loved it, made a great impression. This is a seriously underrated bass.

[@LowEndLobster]

Wow! What a deal! So glad you're enjoying yours, Jeff!

[@robjgolde3221]

The stock pickup really did sound good, especially at the price point. But this Serek pickup with those flats is (chef’s kiss).

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rob! I agree

[@aldito7586]

I agree...

[@johnmanis2554]

This is such a great bass! I purchased one six months ago, swapped the bridge and absolutely love it! The balance, weight, and flavor is so nice..... I'm surprised by the name on the headstock. Glad you brought this gem out for a fireside chat!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks John! Glad you're loving yours. These are special instruments for sure.

[@BassmanSkye]

Man that bass is AWESOME! I get excited every time I see it pop up here.

[@Loki_Morningstar666]

I wish I would have bought one when they were still making them. I plan on picking up a used one eventually.

[@gsyl655]

I've watched quite a few of your videos and you seem to be having the most fun when reviewing/playing this bass. It sounds great.

[@fredstevens799]

Hey Lobster! Thanks for showing off this cool axe! (again!). I got one (in red) when I saw it reviewed in a mag, with the old Jr. double-cut shape I love. It is actually a tribute to the '59 EB-0 bass which had this shape and a single "mudbucker". Like the 6-string LP standard and custom (single-cut) the body shape changed to the "devils-horned" double-cut SG shape in '61 while retaining the same model name (to confuse the innocent). Most folks (my former self included) assumed the EB-0 was an SG-shaped single humbucker instrument period. I have an SG-shaped 2 pickup EB-3 re-issue that I also love... well, truth told, I love ALL my basses! BTW, I put flats on this old-school gal and what an improvement!!! I also have its sister double-cut 6-string from this tribute run (I got the 2 p-90 '58 "LP Special" version in blue). It had serious issues with the bridge which I swapped out with a StewMac drop-in replacement that online described the original problems to a "T" (somebody been there?). Fixed it good, now it feels and plays (and looks!) great. Thanks again for the re-review!

[@petelamontmusic]

I have one in red and love it! Such a comfortable bass, like you said about it being an old friend. I really like the pickup position compared to where it is on the EB series, much more useful.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Pete! I agree

[@mechart87]

Literally went to pick up a Fender Pawnshop Mustang and one of these happened to be there. The Gibson was lighter and sounded So Much Better! For me, this is a passable Firebird tone without the ergonomic issues. Love it! The Hipshot bridge was definitely worth it to get rid of the buzz on the A string.

[@rickrolli7091]

What a crazy toned bass. I can see why you like it so much.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Rick!

[@jacobrichter9104]

Love the look with silver cover on that pickup - and the tone too! Very nice Lobster - I'm going to start hunting for one now! 🦞

[@johngeddes7894]

I love that tone. Hipshot products are incredible. Never knew there was a LP Jr DC. bass. 100% win!

[@Gell1967]

The Serek Lazen B-90 is a sweet sounding pickup, well rounded in series or single coil, much better demo than the one on Serek's channel which doesn't do the pickup justice. It would great if you could have a Varitone switch (a la Gibson's EB3) so you could choose Series/Parallel/Single Coil modes. The bass looks cool & sounds cool, what more could you want? Rock on Lobster

[@Gell1967]

I would contact Serek and see if they have more sound samples of the B90 & LZN B90. Personally the sound LEL gets with the bass & pickup configuration is great, a single coil I think would make it sound similar to the original DC pickup, which to my ears sounds inferior to the LZN B90

[@markcain460]

Don't be afraid to play that bass with the claw!! I think the tone may be outstanding.

[@conngary06]

Just purchased the Worn Brown Les Paul Jr Tribute Bass. Your fantastic review made the difference. Thanks.

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! Enjoy!

[@blee3621]

4:35 playing starts

[@LowEndLobster]

The hero we need

[@ernestsalbahista9598]

It does give you that old school, funky or motown kind of sound, which would really be a great arsenal if you're into old music, great looking and sounds awesome, I rarely like Gibson or Epiphone when it comes to basses but this one I think does the job by the sound of it 😊😊😊

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ernest!

[@RayLilith]

This exact config is what I'll be purchasing, this sounds soooo good with the flatwounds. Love it!

[@100DollarHeadache]

I'd love to get one of these to have a mudbucker installed in the bridge, the body refinished in gloss black, the neck stripped and oiled, (the headstock cleared over if it won't wipe out the silkscreen), and a new pickguard shape created. But unfortunately, the band I'm in tunes to B standard and I'm already planning a custom build for a B standard instrument. If I ever have a side project, or find one of these for $500 or less, I would be able to justify making this a project.

[@marunikusbakufu]

Just rewatched this vid. Your passion for this instrument and your words about it are poetic and high brow! Bravo! 😆

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

yep, Im going to get one of these. For a one and only bass in my small studio it seems compelling. If Lobster here is saying it is Id say it is.

[@LowEndLobster]

Sweet! Enjoy it! They're awesome basses!

[@michrun]

Another great video Lobster. I have the same bass in blue with a Babicz 3 point bridge and, thanks to you, that same Serek pickup. Got mine when they were marked way down. Had to clean up the fret ends but it's now one great bass that is So much fun to play and sounds fantastic as you demonstrate here.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you Michrun! Dude awesome! Great mods and I'm so glad you're enjoying the Serek pickup. Just sounds sooo gooood!

[@erezk2170]

I just swapped the stock strings for GHS flats and they are smoooooooth. The E and A strings sound almost like an upright double bass if I have the tone control at 50%... I suspect the D and G would come a long over time. Love it. Btw, did you notice an improvement in the sound with the hipshot bridge upgrade?

[@LowEndLobster]

Awesome! Thank you :). I believe I swapped the bridge ASAP after getting it sometime in early-mid 2020. Can't attribute any tonal changes to the bridge, but I appreciate the heft and adjustability of the unit

[@roblewis3147]

I know this has nothing to do with the video,but my first bass was a epiphone embassy. I've always loved epiphone bass's, i still have my embassy and i have two more,an epiphone Thunderbird pro series 4 and the dreaded SG. I hardly ever play any of them any more (except for the thunder bird) but i have a collection of bass's and i just love having em around. Oh by the way, just came across your channel,and it's great. You have another subscriber sir.✌🏻

[@Tvrtko1995]

My joy is almost similar tone range with Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat and Hipshot bridge. Try that one with Pressurewound strings. Killer bass. !

[@PeekaPeep]

I agree about that Hipshot bridge. Got the exact same one installed on a recently-inherited 1974 EB-3L I'm still in the process of overhauling (new custom-made wiring harness from Kelling Sound on E-Bay, new custom-made brass nut from AxeMasters, and a new set of D'Addario ETB92s are all that's left to do on it). Damn shame Gibson won't just cave in and get a licensed deal done with Hipshot when it comes to that awful 3-point "floating" bass bridge they should've left buried at the end of that 70s decade for good! If not for them and Babicz (latter of which Gibson has slowly begun to work with in the hardware dept in recent years), hardly anybody would ever give their basses the time of day anymore. By the way, that Les Paul Jr. bass was indeed a short-scale beast! Bridge and pickup upgrades definitely made quite a difference on that one, YOU STILL LISTENING OUT THERE GIBSON📣!?!?!?

[@philbosher6959]

Great sounds from that little bass.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Phil!

[@Rick_Petrone]

Congratulations, Mr.Lobster! got a very rare instrument! As they say here, "a white fly"!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Ricardo :)

[@ChrisSmith-bz1gl]

I love my stock lefty.

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

love the tone of the high end.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Gringo!

[@misterbreakit2006]

Hi lobster, what a great instrument! Beautiful classic sound. Also, I miss Transcription Tuesday. When's the next one?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Breakit! Next week :)

[@Solelova67]

Sounds so good Great Bass especially with the mods you made Lobster!

[@jeffjones1359]

That’s a classic tone! I really like Jake Serek’s basses too. He’s building some real nice instruments. A long while ago I played an EB3 for a short time and this reminds me a little bit of that. I liked the scale but the tone just didn’t do it for me. It was a comfortable neck though. I’m still looking for the ultimate short scale! And I really liked your preamp series! I didn’t get a chance to tell you. Not enough time in the day lately…

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jeff!

[@philipmcadam5339]

Thank you for the awesome fresh look.

[@LowEndLobster]

Glad you enjoyed it Philip!

[@oldasrocks9121]

I wholeheartedly advocate for Jake's basses and pickups but the pickups are right at the $$ summit for handwounds. These Jr's are around $1K used, I'd replace the bridge first and stabilize the strings and see what the stock pickup can do.

[@michaelkeefer4293]

That thing is seriously old school and I love it!

[@mofateam1]

Hi, thanks for that interesting review...Did you have to change the pickguard for the Serek?

[@paultraynorbsc627]

Good morning Lobster 🦞 🎸🎸

[@erezk2170]

I love my Gibson Les Paul jr. it has a very distinctive sound and is a lot of fun. question: are the knobs "tight" there is a little wiggle in mine and i saw the same on at GC (used)

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! My knobs are tight and have no play

[@marunikusbakufu]

Love Gibson and Epiphone basses (even the dreaded SG bass). They are so warm and fat sounding. Nice!

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! My second bass ever was an Epi EB-0. Neck dive city hahahaha. First time I actually played it was on my first performance ever in a pit orchestra. Neck dive + close quarters + music stands are not a good mix ahaha

[@jasondorsey7110]

@bflo1000 I've played sg basses, both gibson and epi, and from my experience not all have neck dive, if that's a concern, definitely try before you buy

[@LowEndLobster]

Epi EB0 review tomorrow ;)

[@marunikusbakufu]

@@LowEndLobster Really?!?! Give it a fair shot Lobster! I don't think they are as shitty as you've alluded to in other vids. C'mon, they're definitely superior to anything from Hard Luck Kings!

[@LowEndLobster]

The Epiphone EB0 was my 2nd bass ever hahaha. I have some.... Interesting memories with that bass hahaha.

[@FederinzC]

Very nice, thanks for the video! Did you have any experience with this bass in a band setting, with the stock pickup or the B90? How does the Serek pickup fare in a band mix?

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! I'll bring it to my next band practice. A bunch of people have done this mod and I've heard nothing but good things.

[@floydlay9189]

Lobby,,it's like a warm blanket!

[@LowEndLobster]

with a cup of cocoa!

[@aldito7586]

The bass sounds great LEL !!!

[@pclindholm]

Awesome tone man

[@LoKoSFermincho]

Hey Lobster, thanks for another amazing review! This is gonna be a hard one to get but do you think you'd ever be able to review a Washburn Taurus T24/T25? I played one a long time ago and I could never get over how much I loved it! I'd be very interested to see what your thoughts would be on it. Keep up the great work and stay awesome!

[@thesnapperkeeper]

The replacement pickup sounds awesome

[@gwawd]

A beautiful outcome! How did you wire the replacement pickup to the existing harness?

[@dylangoode9393]

Great review Lobster! If you were to put roundwound strings on it what would be your choice? Thanks!

[@18JR78]

Can we hear it with roundwounds next? Thank you!

[@arihannula3944]

Really liked the video and surprisingly good sounds. Excellent work! I checked the Serek pickup too. There are options to choose, and i wanted to ask your advice which is the one for this bass: neck or bridge (or does it matter?) and 18 or 19mm string spacing?

[@LowEndLobster]

Thank you! I'd recommend reaching out to Serek. I honestly don't know which one this is haha

[@SlashnKashmir]

What do you think about LTD FBJ 400? It looks great on paper

[@LowEndLobster]

Never played one yet!

[@russellzauner]

0:00 so why does this not have a serek pickup in it yet?

[@russellzauner]

1:05 lol okay then

[@russellzauner]

There's a gibson EB completely intact husk except electronics out there for $250+ship that I've been on the fence about. If restored I can maybe get 375-450 for it so it's been a hard sell. Roland Go Mixer Pro expected by Friday. I'll throw up a thing so people can be completely reviled...there's no point in having a redemption story or two if you don't look like absolute dogshit when you started... ;-)

[@russellzauner]

4:35 oh my big ol round and rubbery mmmmmmmm that's some smooth and thicc low end

[@russellzauner]

5:30 this note....lol so bassy, so punchy, so penetrating. this must be making your teeth tickle in the room

[@LowEndLobster]

This bass in its current form is near perfect. Tone for days and it's so warm

[@thebassbuilder]

Sounds great!

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Got a classic creamy tone. A real killer.

[@kanedgytheguy8105]

new bfr bass if you can get your hands on it

[@LowEndLobster]

I saw! Not a fan of the MM 5's because the G string always falls off the edge of the fingerboard for me

[@kanedgytheguy8105]

@@LowEndLobster yeah that's a fair assessment

[@nunezgabriel98]

Hey brother, love the vids as always but had a question that I thought you could help with. I’m really interested in a Supro Huntington 1 or 2 bass but can’t find one ANYWHERE. Any advice on how to make sure I can snag one when it’s available?

[@LowEndLobster]

Hey Gabriel! Wish I could help. There's a couple used ones on Reverb, but other than that I'm not sure. Production setbacks due to supply chain issues from covid are hitting most manufacturers pretty hard

[@nunezgabriel98]

@@LowEndLobster I saw the hunting ii fretless on reverb. Would be badass to own but I’m not good enough to gig a fretless bass yet by any means hahaha. Maybe one day 👍🏽

[@somewhereman8]

The Supro basses (and guitars too I think) have been discontinued, sadly. I really want one too.

[@etinsley]

Was the Serek pickup a drop-in replacement?

[@beatfrombrain]

Hey Lobster. I'm a lefty and the Tribute DC does come left handed, but I'm having a heck of a time finding one. Any suggestions?

[@PeekaPeep]

Here's a suggestion: just get a RH one, reverse the strings (HIGHLY recommend getting a Hipshot 3-point Gibson replacement bridge before doing this), swap out the nut for a LH one, and have a strap button installed on the other horn. Gibson's not been known for catering to the southpaw crowd on a regular basis (like most other well-known brands out there unfortunately 😒) , so I don't see that changing anytime soon. However, their double-cut guitar/bass models do make it easier for us lefties to tweak them a bit more in our favor. Truth be told, I'd rather have one of those LH 2013 Gibson EB basses (reminds me of a G&L L-2000, but TOTALLY passive which I honestly prefer). Until then, I'm definitely holding on to my 1974 EB-3L in the meantime. I feel your pain buddy, but sometimes you just gotta make do with what is available. It's still a RH world and an unforgiving one at that... 😑

[@CharlesNegroe]

What is the finish on the hipshot bridge? chrome or nickel? I'm going to do the same mods but I want to match the bridge to the tuners. Thanks in advance lobster :D

[@LowEndLobster]

Great question! The finish on mine is Chrome, but the tuners are indeed Nickel with chrome ears (I don't think they do matte for the ears). Hope that helps!

[@LeftyJazzBass74]

Is the Serek pickup a drop in replacement?

[@LowEndLobster]

It is! This one is in a T-bird housing that fit perfectly.

[@LeftyJazzBass74]

@@LowEndLobster Thanks man, I reached out to serek as well. I may grab one !

[@18JR78]

Roundwound sound/review?

[@kudokudami16]

Idk why but I feel like that would be good for some doom metal.

[@Butter1532]

Love the PUBG shirt lobster

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks! I've been playing since it came out. It's so dead now lol

[@Butter1532]

@@LowEndLobster Yup I use to play. Hell now I play bass lol. Had to put away the mouse and keyboard 😂. I love your vids man. Literally easily the best bass youtuber imo. Keep on rocking brother.

[@jordangalash4289]

I’ve watched a lot of these reviews and I think it needs to be pointed out that the intro promises cats and the cat content has been pretty lacking. More cat reviews please.

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Jordan! You're absolutely right! Bebe will be back in this Friday's video :)

[@weenorburger2485]

beard review when?

[@daviddesmond2143]

One of these days you are going to ask for a like to lose your claw and you will just end the video saying you did not get a like. Good April Fool prank.

[@LowEndLobster]

LOL Thanks David

[@lex3729]

Ectrodactley is a seriously tragic condition, it's certainly not a fit subject for mockery.

[@LowEndLobster]

Indeed it is! I'm not mocking it though :)

[@streamerlx4927]

You do not need 40+ basses. Except they're all p basses. Okay, one Rick is acceptable

[@MrSparks54]

The crappy 3 point bridge was the thing that kept me from considering it but with the Hipshot option I may reconsider. Thanks Lobster! 🦞

[@LowEndLobster]

Thanks Sparks!