I just got a used Epiphone EB-O bass. I LOVE the sound, but what's partially adding to it is the fact that this guy had the bass sitting around for a while collecting dust and the strings feel totally dead. But it gives them a cool muted thump thump sound. Any suggestions of what strings can maybe recreate that classic old sound? Best sound example I can offer is this scene. You can hear the best example starting right at the beginning of the song.
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Best Strings for Classic EB-O Sound?
- Thread starter CCtop
- Start date
If the old strings that are on there right now are giving you the tone you love, what's wrong with the idea of leaving them on there for as long as they keep sounding the way they are?
You may want to check out a recent thread here about flats for a Gibson SG Bass. Some good responses.
Eventually they’ll HAVE to be changed. I want to be ready for when that day comes.If the old strings that are on there right now are giving you the tone you love, what's wrong with the idea of leaving them on there for as long as they keep sounding the way they are?
What you need is another bass to put new strings on now so you can let them collect dust while waiting for the old ones to die.
Do you know what brand and type of strings came on that bass?
Oh, boy! do I resemble that remark!What you need is another bass to put new strings on now so you can let them collect dust while waiting for the old ones to die.
I wish I did. I’m trying to find out from the guy I got it from.What you need is another bass to put new strings on now so you can let them collect dust while waiting for the old ones to die.
Do you know what brand and type of strings came on that bass?
If you can post a couple of pics of the strings - one at the headstock and one at the bridge, including the ball ends, we might be able to ID them.
The Chromes are flats which start with zing and fade to useless thump. The Slinkys are roundwounds that, like all round wounds, are relatively bright and may not bring out the character of the bass. I would choose neither, and get either a set of La Bella 760L 43-104 flats (measure to see if you need the shorts or mediums), or for really dark GHS Precision Flats, or for a little more presence, GHS Pure Balanced Nickels.
Try these. Easy on the wallet, fantastic on the fingers and glorious to your ears.
I have no experience with an Epiphone EB-0, but my real '67 EB-0 sounded the same, regardless of strings. Brand new, bright rounds had absolutely not even the slightest hint of zing with the EB-0. That is to say, unless the Epiphone is any different, strings have no impact on the "Classic EB-0 sound".
If you have 11 basses you could try 10 sets at your leisure and use the 11th for round wounds. Good idea?
The Epi mudbucker is different from an original Gibson mudbucker from the '60's and '70's. The old ones had about 25-30 kohm's worth of wire so that even strung with new Roto Swingbass stainless strings there was no top end. The new pickups have much less wire on them, and so they have a little more top end than the old ones did. I've played both, and yes, strings don't matter much on the old "real" ones, but they do on the Epi's.
