EBO/EB3 - From another angle
 

Lately, as one who owns and regularly plays: P Bass, TL-5, J Bass, I have had a real hankering for that Gibson tone or mud as some may refer to the sound. Outside of the EB-1 which I cannot afford or find the choices are reduced to EBO and EB-3 and here is my reasoning:

I may be wrong but I doubt it! (Charles Barkley) - But I could swear that I hear something that is much closer to a traditional double bass sound when I listen to those basses. Specifically, Papilardi (EB-1) but Jack Bruce as well. Through the mud and guts I hear a sub-harmonic grace that would be analagous to a marshall and a Les Paul to a saxa-phone. Does that make any sense?

Question: does the short-scale enhance or inhibit this sound? Seemingly, the ability to bend notes up and down may be easier on a short scale, anyway I digress - IS THERE ANOTHER LOON OUT THERE THAT MAY BE SYMPATICO WITH WHAT I'VE STATED?

I'm only familiar with the tone of the original shorties, but yes, there does seem to be some magic in that hat. I think the Les Paul/Marshall or the Sax is a good analogy. So though it might seem so at times, you are not alone :-)

I have an EB1 and an EB3. If you're looking for pure uninhibited mud, get an EB0. The EB3 has a tone choke in the circuit that effects the "mudbucker" in every setting on the varitone switch. You could disengage the choke from the circuit in the EB3 but then you detract from what I think is the best feature of the EB3 which is the mini bucker.
Shorties are great for the D and G string in a way that long scales don't measure up to in terms of heftiness.
I played upright in college in orchestras and jazz bands and if I would have attempted playing a Gibson in any of those ensembles, nobody would have mistaken it for a stand up bass. They are strong in the low end but that's where the similarity ends. Mudbuckers do their magic best when overdriving tube amps at high volume.

I know what you mean. My '66 EB-0 has super old flats and gets an uprightish tone. I just play it fairly clean through a solid state amp.

There's certainly a magic to those basses. One of the best recorded tones I ever got was from an early 60's EB-0. I will never knock those basses...they are what they are and nothing sounds like one. I went through a huge Jack Bruce kick years ago, even going so far as to install a Gibby EB pup in my P Bass (and not because Billy Sheehan had one). I really someday would like to own one, new or old.

I will be going the Epiphone way with this - so, your stating that the EB-3 is the way to go....tha is a "long scale neck" I believe...I know the mahogony is key to that gibby sound....but, is the EB-3 long neck akin to its short-scale brother in that you can really bend those notes with ease?

Nah man, I said EB0 was the way to go. If you get an Epi, replace that pickup cause it won't sound like the real deal. Short scale is definitely better for bending and get either lighter gauge strings or roundcore strings.

SUD Thx for that.........What do you think of adding the bridge bucker PU eventually to the EBO?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...0BASSES/eb.jpg

My EB-0 project bass I did several years ago. I added a Rio Grande Pitbull and Big D varitone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...SSES/chair.jpg

Cool stuff Barkless. Boomer, there's a big diff between a bass with one pickup slammed up at the end of a fretboard and one with an additional pickup over by the bridge. A lot of people aren't prepared to handle the huge bass sounds that a classic EB0 will produce. I think an amp with at least a pre amp tube in the equation is a must, otherwise you'll just clip out at high volume on a solid state rig. You could get an Epi and then throw in a mudbucker repro by Curtis Novak for that authentic sound. But I kinda think that's like putting lipstick on a pig. I'd just save up for the real thing. 70's EB0 basses can be nice and Allen Woody used them to good effect. Buy this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1972-GIBSON-...item4d0a2d7b5f

If you can save up enough, look for an old EB-2. They have all the features of an EB-0 plus a few, and the hollow body adds an "uprightness" that's unmatched. It's a huge sound! There are virtually no highs available (except maybe on a EB-2D, dunno), but strung with a light gauge flatwound like TI's you'll be in faux-upright heaven with a cutting midrange and the world's fattest bottom. I'm not sure what reissue duplicates it in a lower price range, or even if there is one.

I use an EB2D, strung with flatwounds, and it has got some upright-ish character, but I find my muffled (big piece of foam tucked underneath the bridge cover) P-bass more upright sounding.

Gibson EB2 (sixties): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIDnqk-v_E4
Epi Rivoli (90's RI): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMUyV2EiZ8A
SG-RI bass (2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=222-jqwfucU
P (1962): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfPnmEnWlo0
Yamaha BEX4C (2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGVNHgO_9gI

And finally the genuine upright: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z7jSazYjGg

I don't claim to be an amazing bassplayer, but since it's all played by the same guy, in terms of performance it's all consistent. All flatwound as well.

Epi Elitist EB3
 

If you want a well made EB3 on a budget, try to find a '61 reissued Epiphone Elitist EB3. The last I checked, they sell in $700-800 range depending on condition. I played mine exclusively on an album with my last band.

The mini-humbucker at the bridge really makes the bass a lot more versatile than an EB0.

I only sold mine because of some nerve damage to the left side of my neck and left shoulder from a surgery. I couldn't handle the neck-dive anymore after that. Still miss that bass sometimes.

The Elitist EB3s have U.S. made electronics. I heard for several Gibson dealers that the MIJ Epiphone Elitist line had far more consistent fit and finish than the comparable U.S. Gibsons.

my god do they.

my 62 eb-0 will be taken from my cold dead hands.

I've got an Epi Elitest EB3 and for some reason I just cannot get the darn thing to sound good. It's a beautiful bass, excellent fit and finish, but either there is a problem with the electronics or the pickups just suck. In particular, my tone knob on the neck mudbucker does not seem to have any effect on the tone whatsoever ( is that normal?) The mini bucker at the bridge produces a good burp, but it's thin sounding and doesn't have enough low end to use on it's own. On top of all that, if I put the varitone in a position where both pick ups are active, backing off from full up on either pickup basically eliminates the one that's not full up... is this normal? Are authentic Gibson pickups the ticket? I don't know but that Elitest EB3 is a beautiful bass looks more like a 60's EB3 than a Gibson SG bass, but mine sure doesn't get the sound I want.