NAMM 2014: Geezer Butler launches pickups and basses

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Black Sabbath legend's first official gear unveiled

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The all solderless GZR-P set
The all solderless GZR-P set

The all solderless GZR-P set

NAMM 2014: Black Sabbath bassist and bonafide rock legend Geezer Butler will be at the NAMM show to launch two separate signature product ranges. First up, some suitably monolithic pickup sets.

EMG GZR-P and GZR-PJ signature bass pickups press release

EMG Pickups along with legendary artist Geezer Butler have collaborated to develop the GZR-P and GZR-PJ signature bass sets.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bass player started working with EMG founder Rob Turner in 2011 looking to find the classic bass tone he had in Black Sabbath's early days.

As Geezer and Black Sabbath moved from studio to touring in 2013 the final component of getting the classic Geezer tone was in play, the rigors of a world tour.

To recapture Geezer's early Black Sabbath tone, it meant a new EMG vintage style passive P & PJ design with a few modern touches. The all solderless P set uses Alnico 5 pole pieces and custom wound coils for just the right amount of punch and grit.

The J (PJ set) also uses Alnico 5 poles and features two custom wound split-coils that both eliminate the noise and hum usually associated with early 70's bass pickups and allow for more power and volume than any other standard single coil J giving this set remarkable balance between the P & J.

The result is an unmistakable early Geezer Butler bass tone with deep, tight low end that you can hear on "Iron Man", "War Pigs", and "Paranoid" just like 1970's. Said Geezer, "I never felt comfortable giving my name to any other pickups, but this time these have blown me away."

GZR-P Set and GZR-PJ Set will be available in March 2014.

Geezer - Mr Butler to you - will also be on the Lakland stand to promote his new signature basses. More details on those as we get them.

MusicRadar Team
MusicRadar Team

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