Are epiphone basses any good?

[Celtic59]

Gibson has been smart to keep Epiphone a valid and relevant company. Something Rickenbacker has been stubbornly foolish about, and something that Fender is dropping the ball on with their current Squire products. Also, I think the "Epiphone" brand on the head-stock has more appeal than other "sub-brand" products, they have a rich tradition of quality instruments at a fair price. My vote is Epi over Squire in the entry market. Those EB and T-Birds look pretty darn good, and the hollow-body basses are being used on stage and in studios by top players, says it all.

 

[Liam Wald]

Most Eppiphone instruments are very good.
IMHO the exception is the Zenith Bass. That was one of the worst basses that I have ever owned, It was clunky, heavy, and didn't sound good to my ears.
I think that I might have been drinking a lot the day I bought it and ended up selling it within two weeks.

 

[matty1039]

I've had three Epi passes. None of them were comfortable to play (an EB-0, EB-3L and Thunderbird) and had neckdive issues. The tone was not worth the trade off. They were all heavy too. Which I found surprising about the EB-0. I expected it to be lighter. And a Thunderbird is a big bass. I did not have the case for it but I expect is was the size of a door.

They all looked cool as all get out, but I landed on other brands mostly due to comfort and weight. I still have an infatuation with all things SG, but I know the basses are not my cup of tea.

 

[Lo-E]

Epis are good basses. They're well made workhorse instruments. They're not boutique heirlooms, but they don't need to be.
I know several full-time pro players who have shelved their more expensive basses and are mostly gigging with Epiphones. It doesn't matter what it costs if it's good.

 

[pcake]

i've been trying EB0 basses recently, and i quite like them.

 

[Orpheus55]

I have had great luck with Epiphones; the Viola is an excellent little bass, and the EB3 I now play (modded with the Supertone bridge) is a great player. Yes, it has neck dive and is a bit heavy, but the electronics are surprisingly good.

 

[Pelham Bleu]

Epis are great values, especially used. I upgraded by Epi T-bird with Lollar pups and it sounds great. I A-B'd it against a pal's Gibson T-bird and thought my Epi sounded better (punchier mid range tone) however the neck on the Gibson wasn't as chunky and played more smoothly.

 

[BassNamedRosie]

SleepySlacker, I had an Epiphone EB3 quite a few years ago and as I understand the EB0 is pretty much the same except for the absence of the rear pickup on the EB0.

Thinking back, a few thoughts:
An EB looks hot
Versatility wise, I would rather opt for the EB3 due to the bridge pickup. Combination of the two pickups work well with a pick, especially if you dirty up the amp a bit.
Tone was pretty nice, a bit too much mids but worked well in a band setup. I played in a metal band back then but the EB works well with more chilled stuff as well.
EB's are top-heavy but thats nothing that a decent strap can't fix - besides, you get used to it, so it's all good.
The neck is lovely, the narrower neck makes for good fast playing.
Get a thumb rest, and fingers become a treat (although, the front pickup works pretty well as a thumb rest).

Also had a T-Bird. Nice bass, well made, good feel. Soundwise, EB is better.

With regards to the Gibson alternative, I have played on a Gibson SG bass a few months back and to be honnest, the price tag was not worth it. I would much rather go for the Eppiphone and in time, order a Gibson pickup and fit it. We did it with an Epiphone Les Paul (guitar, not bass). Bought it, kicked the stock pick-ups and fitted Gibson 57 Classics... That guitar kicked ass, so I am confident the same will apply to bass.

Post some pics when you get the bass please!

I kind of want to get an EB 0 bass, but I dont see getting enough money to get a true gibson in the near future, so Ive been considering an epiphone one.

 

[Shishard]

i love my Epiphones. I have an SG short scale and a Thunderbird. Tend to play the SG more, the Tbird is a hoss. Also have the Gibson/Epi Tobias. All are in heavy rotation.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Epiphone makes good stuff. I wish I had kept my Epi T-bird instead of "upgrading" to a Gibson T-bird.

 

[Ductapeman]

I just picked up a current EB-3L, and it's not a bad instrument at all-- the frets could use finishing and the tuners and electronics will eventually be replaced, but it's quite playable and reminds me why I liked my old '69 EB-3, my first "real" bass. As for the neck dive, I figure it'll be pronounced on the longneck pretty much however you mod it-- so I'm using an acoustic-guitar strap tied off just above the nut. Works great, feels a bit odd at first, and it's out-of-the-ordinary enough that folks keep asking about it, so it's a bit of an attention getter. But even after all the work is done, a very workable mahogany body and set neck for under 3 bones? Stupid not to buy one--

 

[LAST_C]

I've had an Epiphone Thunderbird for over 10 years. No complaints. I would definitively buy another Epiphone bass in the future.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

I like Epi basses. Nice instruments for their price point!

My TBird ProV is amazing, pickups and preamp and hardware, great. No issues other than I wish they made it in a fretless.

 

[bigtone23]

The QC of Epiphone is really, really good. Much higher than of their parent company. As mentioned, a solid bang for the buck brand. The only catch is if the basses sound and feel good to you. Epi basses take a back seat to Fender/Squier, IMO.

 

[Gorn]

I had a little black EBO with a hipshot bridge that was a monster. Fantastic bass that I sold cuz I told myself I don't like short scales, which I really don't but I should've kept that one. It was excellent.

 

[Count Bassie]

Got a T-Bird Pro-IV in a trade, and it's a really cool bass. Not the classic look exactly, as the bridge and the control layout are different. But it feels great to play, sounds clean and very punchy, and it's got character in the tones. The p'ups and electronics sounds really nice and are very quiet. Classy looking axe, solid as a tank.

It's not even that heavy for what it is, all that Mahogany and Walnut... it's a good-sized plank, but is an easy carry. There are a couple ways to defeat neck-dive, one being to move the strap buttons. I've gotten only compliments on it, appearance and sound-wise.

 

[franvarin]

I kind of want to get an EB 0 bass, but I dont see getting enough money to get a true gibson in the near future, so Ive been considering an epiphone one.

I once had a '72 Gibson EB3 and there have been times when I wished I still had it. What stops me from looking at the Epi EB3 is that the bass I had was a 3/4 scale bass where the Epi version is a full 34". If they made a 3/4 scale version available I would have much more interest. Other than that, I do have an Epi Les Paul ... no issues with it whatsoever.

 

[RyanKW]

Gibson has been smart to keep Epiphone a valid and relevant company. Something Rickenbacker has been stubbornly foolish about, and something that Fender is dropping the ball on with their current Squire products. Also, I think the "Epiphone" brand on the head-stock has more appeal than other "sub-brand" products, they have a rich tradition of quality instruments at a fair price. My vote is Epi over Squire in the entry market. Those EB and T-Birds look pretty darn good, and the hollow-body basses are being used on stage and in studios by top players, says it all.

What do you not like about the current Squier products? (not talking Affninity)

I agree that Epis are great, but Squiers are better right now than ever. I don't see how Fender is "dropping the ball."

 

[40Hz]

I currently own an El Capitan ABG and their Viola Bass. And I've played just about every bass model (plus several guitar models) they've made in the last 10 years. I have zero issues with any of them as far as tone and construction go. But I may not be a good person to listen to since I've always liked Gibson's bass sound which Epiphone has inherited. The Epi TBirds in particular are amazing basses. And not just for the money. They're simply really nice basses.

 

[Bassmaticmatt]

I've got an Epiphone Explorer bass. It plays nice, and feels very solid. Certainly not the "fastest" feeling neck, but that was never the point. My only major gripe is that while it sounds pretty good acoustically, the electronics seem to give it a very dull and uninspiring tone amp'd up.

I felt the same way about my Les Paul so I bass