Tobias Toby Upgrade Question...

Jan 11, 2011
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I used to own a Toby and thought that it was an extremely good little bass for the price tag. Nice neck, decent fretwork and light as hell. It's just that the electronics sucked. So I have thought about grabbing another one and getting a set of Area J's with I can get for 75 cdn, or a set od Duncan SBJ3's for it and of course upgrading the pots and still as well. Should be an extremely light and punchy bass don't you think? Also, is that pickup spacing on these toby's same as the Jazz bass 70's spacing? Kinda looks like it is

Tobias-Toby-Standard-IV.jpg
 
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String spacing was tight. If you can find an original Toby from the 90's, it's a decent bass. Replace the pickups and pre and it'll open up nicely. I wouldn't touch the new Epiphone Toby's. I owned the 5 string version. I sold it before I got a chance to upgrade it. Was a decent bass. Just low output.
 
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String spacing was tight. If you can find an original Toby from the 90's, it's a decent bass. Replace the pickups and pre and it'll open up nicely. I wouldn't touch the new Epiphone Toby's. I owned the 5 string version. I sold it before I got a chance to upgrade it. Was a decent bass. Just low output.
Im just looking for a cheap platform for some mods. I might even axe the higher end pickups, I have a set of Fender pickups that would work as well. I just don't want to practice soldering on my other toys lol
 
I used to own a Toby and thought that it was an extremely good little bass for the price tag. Nice neck, decent fretwork and light as hell. It's just that the electronics sucked. So I have thought about grabbing another one and getting a set of Area J's with I can get for 75 cdn, or a set od Duncan SBJ3's for it and of course upgrading the pots and still as well. Should be an extremely light and punchy bass don't you think? Also, is that pickup spacing on these toby's same as the Jazz bass 70's spacing? Kinda looks like it is

Not sure of the spacing, but I would go for some bartolini humcanceling classic bass pickups (what I had in my saratoga) and an NTMB+F preamp (comes prewired, you just have to solder the pickups and jack).

Or, I started using a lot of Aguilar stuff lately and love it. You could get some Aguilar humcanceling J style pickups, and if you feel adventures, install an OBP-3 (if your crafty with wiring, you can do pretty much anything with it).
 
Not sure of the spacing, but I would go for some bartolini humcanceling classic bass pickups (what I had in my saratoga) and an NTMB+F preamp (comes prewired, you just have to solder the pickups and jack).

Or, I started using a lot of Aguilar stuff lately and love it. You could get some Aguilar humcanceling J style pickups, and if you feel adventures, install an OBP-3 (if your crafty with wiring, you can do pretty much anything with it).
Aguilar is waaay to expensive for me here in Canada. Just the pickups would cost more than the bass!

Also knowing my luck I would fry the preamp, see I can't solder worth a darn but want to teach myself so I can do this kinda simple stuff myself
 
Aguilar is waaay to expensive for me here in Canada. Just the pickups would cost more than the bass!

Also knowing my luck I would fry the preamp, see I can't solder worth a darn but want to teach myself so I can do this kinda simple stuff myself

Ahh I see.
Well, it really just depends on if you want an active or passive setup, if your going to DYI it or have someone do it, and how much you want to spend.

These new Tobias basses are modeled after Mikes design when he worked for Gibson. They started making them again to try and make some money off his popularity, but he had no hand in the new ones, so there not worth much so I wouldn't put to much into it.

A 90s one would be a good find, or even an MTD Kingston bass (which he designed, but it's factory made over seas, still a killer bass though if your looking to enter into the MTD realm)
 
Ahh I see.
Well, it really just depends on if you want an active or passive setup, if your going to DYI it or have someone do it, and how much you want to spend.

These new Tobias basses are modeled after Mikes design when he worked for Gibson. They started making them again to try and make some money off his popularity, but he had no hand in the new ones, so there not worth much so I wouldn't put to much into it.

A 90s one would be a good find, or even an MTD Kingston bass (which he designed, but it's factory made over seas, still a killer bass though if your looking to enter into the MTD realm)
Finding one of Mikes orginal ones here in Southern Alberta would be next to impossible. Granted if a Gibson Growler came my way I would jump for joy! But that's also not likely here in Fender Town and Ibanez City just next door! Hell can't even find a Spector or Warwick without travelling 200 km with a leprechaun in your pocket
 
Finding one of Mikes orginal ones here in Southern Alberta would be next to impossible. Granted if a Gibson Growler came my way I would jump for joy! But that's also not likely here in Fender Town and Ibanez City just next door! Hell can't even find a Spector or Warwick without travelling 200 km with a leprechaun in your pocket

Thats a drag! I like Los Angeles since theres a few really great shops that have MTDs, Foderas, etc. All the high end stuff you can try out. Plus theres at least 5 builders within 10 miles of me (I contact them for specialty things).

If all else fails, theres always online shopping!
 
I want to get one of these as a beater, with Nordstrand J-Blades, but without the covers, so I can fit them into the original covers. Idk what pre-amp I would upgrade to though, probably a Bartolini one without stacked knobs.
Another idea I had...albeit kinda strange...

Get a set of Seymour Duncan 5 string MM pickups and drop a SD stingray 2 band in that puppy. Kinda like Old Smoothie on roids no??
 
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Are you selling those guts that you speak of?
I'm considering my options regarding the L2K wiring should a prospective purchase of the Tribute not be as dramatic as hoped and possibly grafting the heart into another body could be just the ticket. y'never know...
this Trib is super light and I like more wood on a neck, the shallow D on these Tobys is odd but works fine.
 
OP, what are the 4 control knobs that you have now? I've never actually tried one of these basses.
I don't even own one at the moment, but have in the past.

The knobs are volume, pan knob and tone. This is the bottom 3 knobs. The 4th knob on the top is what they call the tone expresser, kinda a bass boost.

However, I don't care about the electronics, they are crap!! I would be throwing all high end components in if I do the project. I just love the light weight and feel of their necks
 
I don't even own one at the moment, but have in the past.

The knobs are volume, pan knob and tone. This is the bottom 3 knobs. The 4th knob on the top is what they call the tone expresser, kinda a bass boost.

However, I don't care about the electronics, they are crap!! I would be throwing all high end components in if I do the project. I just love the light weight and feel of their necks

Oh ok. The "tone expresser" sounds gimmicky. Curious to know what it actually is.
 
on the Standard IV the passive bass boost is quite useful and the last degree is dramatic, but even with the entire circuitry's limitations I think users aren't taking time to hear the subtleties and rush to dismiss them merely cos it's not LOUD. when I slowly increase the vol. knob and solo the neck PU with the tones set at 0 the sound I hear is the guitar's most basic soul and to me it's all ALEMBIC, that classic lively woody tone. from that base you then get to add all the other colors.