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Any resident vintage EB-0 experts?

JimmyThunder

JimmyThunder

Feb 19, 2008
3,089
3,627
New Hampshire
#1
Last night I picked up a cool vintage Gibson EB-0 that I'm very psyched about. I play classic reggae so the boomy mud isn't a negative for me.

I am trying to pinpoint the date of manufacture, and am baffled.

The Gibby serial number is either '66 or '68, depending on which source you go to. Yes, I understand this is the least accurate way to try and date a 60's Gibby.

The pots date to '67.

Here's the confusing part...it has the screw holes for the (missing) thumbrest/cover (not the finger rest, but the chrome cover mid-body) which I understand was discontinued in late '67 in lieu of the addition of the 2-point bridge and it's corresponding cover. I have the 2-point bridge (with mute) but there's no cover, no holes in the wood where the cover would have been mounted (photos lead me to believe), and no sign that an older-style bridge was replaced.

Any thoughts?
 
#3
Barkless Dog said:
You should be able to figure it out from this site-

http://www.gibsonbass.com/EB0.php

Serial numbers here-
http://www.gibsonbass.com/serial.php
Click to expand...

Yup, but more specifically, go to [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] and check out the 'Resources and FAQs' section. By browsing through the various sections (Pickups, Tuning keys, Bridges and covers, Neck joints, Serial numbers, Potentiometer codes, EB cutaways) you should be able to narrow down what year yours was built... approximately, at least! ;)

Good luck - let us know what you find out!

- Buskman (proud owner of a '70 EB-0! :bassist:)
 
#4
Righto, that's where I've been getting some of my info from, and the source of some of the confusion.

That site says my bridge was "Introduced in around 1967"
and the bridge cover, "From around 1967-80 these covers (now chrome) were fitted to all EB..." but I have that bridge without ever having a cover installed. No holes in the body where they would have been screwed down. And elsewhere on the site "From late '67 the infamous 2 point bridge, with chrome plated bridge cover was used on all EB basses, and the thumbrest was discontinued in favour of a bridge cover."

That site also lists my serial number as right in the middle of the '66 range. (#510XXX)

The official Gibson website has a PDF of the Blue Book on it, which lists my serial # as a '68.

Over on Invalid Link Removed their pot code guide says the pots were made in 1967 (#13767XX).

So the conclusion I am drawing from all of this is that it's a '67, but was perhaps made in a brief window when they were still installing the thumbrest and had transitioned over to the new bridge but were not yet installing the bridge cover.

However I'm not sure about that because it seems strange that they'd do the bridge without the cover, and also that BOTH sources of the Gibson serial would be wrong. Unless somebody pulled off a REALLY super-clean mod job I think all the parts are original, so it's obviously not a '66 if the pots are '67s. It's possible that it's a '68 and somebody added the thumbrest afterwards, but that doesn't explain the lack of holes for the bridge cover.
 
#5
To me, it sounds like you have a '68. Those '67 pots, depending on what week they were made (the last two numbers, which you listed as 'XX') could have been used on an upcoming year's bass.

Not quite sure what to tell you on the lack of screw holes for a bridge cover, though... :hmm:

There's the old saying on Talkbass: "No pics, no bass". Let's see what we're talking about here! :)

BTW - Thanks (yet again) to Gibson for establishing such an organized & sensible numbering system for their instruments! :rollno: :D
 
#9
jlane72t said:
Sadly the blob of solder covers those last two numbers, I wasn't censoring those for privacy's sake.

Just brought it home at 11pm last night so haven't had time for photos yet, but will tonight.
Click to expand...

Both pots should have the same #... are both covered up?

Can't wait to see pics... enjoy!

Also, I'd recommend some TI flats for that bass (especially for Reggae). The have a nice low mid center that (combined with the 'mudbucker') really sounds great. I put a set on my EB-0 a few months ago and couldn't be happier! :cool:
 
#10
From the 1966 catalog:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Mine (a 67) corresponds to this.

lbu4ce9ugh.jpg
 
#12
jlane72t said:
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Click to expand...

Very nice, man! Congrats!!!

I'm definitely thinking you have a '68 there. A big factor are those Kluson 538 'elephant ear' tuners. 'No longer used after 1969', according to gibsonbass.com. Also, the two-point bridge on yours was introduced in 1967. These points, plus those (late? early?) '67 pots as well as the placement of the bridge cover/thumbrest makes me think this...

Sweet bass though, regardless of what year it was made. Enjoy - and play the heck out of it!
 
#13
Thanks. Yeah, I'm real happy with it. I'm used to playing a Jazz fretless with my fingers...when I strapped this baby on and grabbed a pick I became a completely different player.

I suppose the missing bridge cover holes will always be a mystery...unless I find another with a backstory.
 
#14
Just found this while browsing archived posts on vintageguitars.org.uk...

There was a short time when they had the old handrest, but the new style bridge. It was most likely in late '66 and or early '67. Dating these things to precise months is hard, and the introduction of new features is usually phased in - there would have most likely have been a period where both types of handrest were being used - how long is anyones guess.

Heres a quote from a 1978 Seth lover interview that describes quite succinctly how some of these things happen

"you see, those guitars are built up and come down there in racks--so many in a rack. Well, they could get all assembled, down to the final tester and somebody testing it, he looks it all over--gee, there’s something that doesn’t look right in the finish--they have to send it back. So that could show up months later, you know by the time it got around through the finishing...it depends just how much they had to tear down and put back together to complete that. So that could extend the life considerably."
Click to expand...

Does at least provide some explaination how I could have a '66 serial and '67 pots. Went thru finishing in '66 and then sat around until after the year turned.
 

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