Tone Control for Epiphone Eb-0

[Paleobass]

I love my short scale EB-0, but would love to get more out of the stock tone control it comes with. I have heard that significant adjustments can be done inexpensively with the addition of new and/or different capacitors? Anyone know any detailed instructions on this? Thanks in advance!

[leswatts]

Can you tell me what year your eb-0 is?
I have an original 1965 gibson eb-0, and it has a .01 capacitor to ground near the output jack. It's sort of like a tone control turned down all the time...it rolls off the highs a lot.

Simply clipping one lead of this gives much more midrange, and makes the existing tone control much more effective.

And it's free to do.

But later models may be wired differently, which is why I asked the year.

There are also many other things to do, all of which are inexpensive...but the one I mention is easiest and has a huge effect on tone.

Les

[kyral210]

I don't think you can do that much with the tone pot to make a huge versatility to the sound...

[Paleobass]

Les, thanks for the reply regarding your '65 EB-0. This is the Epiphone version, which I purchased used and is probably no more than 4 years old. I will check to see if there is anything in the wiring that looks like what you describe, and thanks again. I suspect like most epiphones the electronics are not going to match a classic like yours.
Kevin

[leswatts]

Les, thanks for the reply regarding your '65 EB-0. This is the Epiphone version, which I purchased used and is probably no more than 4 years old.

YW!
The newer epis seem to have more highs to me. The stock old gibson eb-0s rolled off above about 800 hz due to the massive 25,000 turn pickup and that extra .01 cap. Lifting the cap gets good response to about 2kHz, a big change.
Still, they don't call it a mudbucker for nothing!

I have seen several references to the tone control not doing much in the newer epis. I'm kind of curious as to why, as I suspect the .01 shunt cap is not there anyway in those models. Tell me what's in there.

In my other passive instruments I prefer a varitone switch rather than a tone control. You could do that too, if the .01 cap is not there. Lots more tonal possibilities. I didn't put one in the eb0 though, because it's an all original vintage instrument. Clipping one cap lead was as far as I wanted to go. The less I mess with it the better!

Les

[The Golden Boy]

If you clip the cap, the tone pot is no longer in the circuit (or isn't functioning as a "tone pot.")

It can't function better.

You can change the functionality of the tone pot by playing with the value of the cap- there's also things like adding a resistor in the circuit, or use a different value pot (500k vs 300k)- and use a linear taper pot rather than audio.... As well as using a "treble bleed" cap on the volume pot...

[leswatts]

If you clip the cap, the tone pot is no longer in the circuit (or isn't functioning as a "tone pot.")

Hi, goldenboy.

I'm not talking about the tone control cap. You see, on the old eb-0 there was an additional cap, shunted across the 250k/.047 tone circuit. It's a .01. That's the one I clipped.

With it cut, the still hooked up 250k/.047 has more effect.

Again, from the sound of it. I don't think the epi has that cap.
It significantly cut highs, even with the tone at 10.

Les

[The Golden Boy]

Originally Posted by leswatts

Hi, goldenboy.

I'm not talking about the tone control cap. You see, on the old eb-0 there was an additional cap, shunted across the 250k/.047 tone circuit. It's a .01. That's the one I clipped.

With it cut, the still hooked up 250k/.047 has more effect.

Again, from the sound of it. I don't think the epi has that cap.
It significantly cut highs, even with the tone at 10.

Les

I just looked at my 71 EB-0- I've got an .01 cap soldered to the ground of the volume pot. It looks like it's underneath the ground wire, so an original component- but I don't remember unsoldering it Who all knows what I've done in that thing over the past 24 years or so...

[leswatts]

I just looked at my 71 EB-0- I've got an .01 cap soldered to the ground of the volume pot.

Right...that's the one. Unhooking pretty much doubles the bandwidth, and allows the tone control to actually do something, since there are now midrange tones to cut.

One wonders why this was done. It had so little in the way of harmonics that it would simply disappear in a mix. Although it was popular at the time, major artists would prefer the EB-3 with it's extra pickup and highs.

I think I have a guess at why...with the mudbuckers location and other construction details mine has a sour spot centered around the seventh fret on low e and a where there is a high off sounding harmonic structure... kind of like a cracked bell.
It's at it's worst with round wound strings (of course not used in 1965). The cap pretty much knocked this out.

But with the cap lifted and flat or ground wound strings, I find the EB-0 has just a fabulous sound. On the right music, with the right kick drum, it just has a killer thunderous punchy sound that cuts through in a mix. It's not for everything of course... really a specialty sound. It will never be a j bass.

Now...does the epi have this cap.... I can't find a schematic
on the web.

Les

[Grizzey]

Looking at my Epiphone EB-0, 2006 model.
Solitary tone capacitor, no volume cap.
Not sure about the cap value...

[leswatts]

Looking at my Epiphone EB-0, 2006 model.
Solitary tone capacitor, no volume cap.

Thanks, Grizzey.

Ok so my extra (.01) is unhooked. I guess golden boy's is unhooked, and the epis don't have it. Makes sense, as I considered the sound almost unuseable with it in.

As far as other ways to increase the tone control effect, well,
things could be done...but I always leave tone and volume at ten anyway. The last thing these things need is a high cut IMO.

Les