Epiphone EB-0 re-fit suggestions? Help Please!
 

I had the good fortune to have picked up a EB-0 recently. The previous owner had stripped out the electronics and pick -ups and literally gave away the body & neck. I want to restore it to playability and am looking for practical suggestions from TB on pickups and electronics.

I want to keep this passive and relatively low-cost, but am open to any suggestions or recommendations.

Thanks for your help!

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here are some pictures, cause we all like pictures!

one more
 

here is another.

Well.. You could use it as a paddle. That's passive and low cost :)

thanks for that:rolleyes:. I guess I had that coming as I did ask for practical suggestions. Perhaps I can re-phrase it to "practical suggestions that will make it into a playable bass guitar."

better?

You can get PUPs either off the bay or from all parts that are pretty good. Even electronics for the original EB0s show up on the bay at times.

You may also be able to get parts from the Gibson repair and restoration center located in Nashville. Tom Money is the boss and he is really good to work with.

I will be sending my modded Epi to them to wire it like the EB3s. He says it will cost about $300 to do the wiring properly but it will be worth it.

In the end if you decide not to keep it give me a shot at it. I am a lover of fat bottomed girls and would love to restore it.

thanks Crabtree. appreciate that. i will check all parts, but i having heard that the original pickup etc was not very good, i am reluctant to replace with the same. And while i appreciate that gibson would likely do a great job at replacing everything, i am handy enough with tools to feel that i can take this on and save the labour costs not to mention shipping.

I've read that seymour duncan makes a good replacement pu - any suggestions for electronics? as the pics show, the previous owner totally stripped everything out...

I have an EB-0 and researched this quite a bit. For pickups, you can get an Artec or Gotoh with the chrome look. The Artec is hot like the old EB-0 pups, while the Gotoh has an impedence that matches the stock Epiphone. The Seymour Duncan is a popular and great sounding replacement. It lacks the chrome, which some people don't like, and it doesn't have the "mud" quality of the old mudbuckers, which some people definitely DO like.

You'll need volume and tone pots. The Gibson style is to use 500k pots for both. A bit of wire and a switchcraft jack and you're good to go. Stew Mac may have a kit, i've never checked. Ebay will have the whole harness every once in a while when people strip their EB-0s and mod them out.

thanks for dat. I will check into Stew Mac. I am up in the great white north (we even had snow today...) and was not aware of this company.

Frankly, I am not sure what sound I am seeking. This was an unplanned find and I am delighted to have a chance to have a beater bass that I can leave out without worrying if my kids drop it.

That said, I do want to have something that I enjoy playing so I don't mind sinking some cash into it...

Here is my bass It came with the pick up,body & bridge. i added a Rio Grande Pitdull pickup and a Big D Varitone.

Here is the before picture
It was a 69 gibson eb-0 with a new neck grafted on.

IMHO, while the Artec pickup is about your cheapest option the Dimarzio Model 1 provides the best, least muddy sound. I'd also recommend CTS 500k ohm pots and a Switchcraft 1/4" output jack.

People carp about 'em but I think the stock EB0 bridge works just fine.

Between Stewart McDonald, Musician's Friend, and AllParts you should be able to find everything you need. The Model 1 pup is about $80, the pots are about $5 apiece, and the output jack is about $4, or a bit less than $100 for everything (less strings).

AllParts even has cheap tuners if you need 'em.

Agree with the bridge comment. I tried modifying mine to two point but reverted. Stock is fine.

Didn't notice from my phone last night, but the OP bass has an extra hole; looks like someone had intended to add a switch, possibly for phasing.

The three point bridge is very difficult to work with if you like to closely adjust the height of each string. I replaced mine with a hipshot supertone. It fits fine works great and gives the control I needed.

If you just want a fun, playable bass, i would definitely go with the Seymour Duncan Model 1. It was made from the beginning for people who wanted a usable tone from their EB basses.

You can't come into an Epiphone thread with that!! That's custom shop gorgeous, nice job.

If I had an EB-0, I'd be very tempted to put one of these in it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vYiNpBAr3Q

Or maybe one of the Bisonic clones.

Barkless that is one fine finish job. however the cost of the refinish alone would exceed what i have budgeted for this. mind you it does look sweeeeeet... maybe next year (i must have a dream to pursue afterall).

thanks for the suggestions old axe, i appreciate the suggestions. these are things i can actuallyafford to do now and i have already started looking around. i am going to check one of my local music stores as well, but it looks like i canget all ineed from stew and all parts.

and yes, there is indeed an "extra" hole. the previous owner tried to put in a phase switch, but botched it all up. the actual hole is very poorly done, like something done with a jigsaw when intoxicated. i plan on filling it and painting over it (hmmm maybe a deluxe job like that sweeeeet white sg of barkless... no must control myself)

those pu in the video sound great, but i think i will stick with the model 1 for now.

again, thanks all for the suggestions. i will post some pics and clips when i have it all finished, likely in May given my schedule...

Thanks, don't forget you can often pickup things cheaply used on ebay or through the grape vine, like Rio Grande Pickups or even Gibson pickups. Just keep searching on ebay every day. You still can get some great deals. My Eb-0 ended up cost about $500 when done. Someone gave a set of Sperzel Locking Lightweight tuners for the bass.

Just because you are on a budget does not mean you cant get quality parts for your bass.