With it's mix of styling that is part Firebird and part Jazzmaster, the LTD GB-4 certainly has a look. But beyond its unique shape, the GB-4 sports high quality Seymour Duncan Soap Bar bass pickups and a powerful active 3-band control layout that offers an amazing range of tones. From heavy rock to funky slap, the GB-4 is way more than just a pretty face.
We're fans of the narrow 1.5" J-bass type necks, and for that reason we bonded pretty quickly with the GB-4. Setting all the EQ to neutral and the balance control to even, the natural tone of the passive Duncan pickups is warm and relatively laid back. It's a definitely a J-bass vibe, but not overly aggressive or spanky. Some of this is also partly due to the choice of Swamp Ash for the body, which leans out the mid frequencies and provides a sweeter top end.
But delving into the controls unlocks a lot of additional potential. The Duncan 3-band EQ consists of a midrange control and a stacked bass and treble control, all with center detents. We found pushing the mids and treble just a touch really woke up the GB-4, creating a very lively and dynamic playing experience. From there, small tweaks of the balance knob can easily shift the GB-4 from slightly metallic trebles to fatter rounder P-bass tones. The bass control can really pump up the low end, totally changing the character of the bass, or conversely lean it out. Overall its a very effective control set, and gives the GB-4 multiple musical personalities. Special mention goes the to pull volume control which engages the "slap tone" EQ. This is a specific EQ contour tailored for slap bass. And dang it, it works! The slap EQ juices the right frequencies to make slap playing easier and better sounding for just about anybody. If you've ever wanted to play slap bass, the GB-4 will help you sound like a pro.
At first glance the ESP LTD GB-4 might strike some as gimmicky. But the proof is in the playing. The body is very comfortable -- as offset guitars tend to be -- and the pickups and controls offer a range of tones that can cover any set list, or inspire endless creativity. The GB-4 is unique and different in all the best ways.
Vintage White is a discontinued finish and is no longer in production. Photos of are of the actual bass.
The LTD GB-4 features
- Swamp Ash body with Vintage White finish, 9.2 pounds
- 34" scale 5-bolt maple neck
- 1.5" nut width
- 15.75" fretboard radius
- Block inlays
- 21 frets
- Seymour Duncan SSB-4N neck pickup
- Seymour Duncan SSB-4B bridge pickup
- Volume and Balance controls
- Seymour Duncan STC-3M3 active EQ
- Pull "slap" EQ contour on the volume control
- Gold plated hardware
- GOTOH 404B-O4 bridge
- Made in Indonesia
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