• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

**EB owners**

#2
Hey I dont own one, but I looked into these before SO ill give you my $0.02 .

I havent ever really heard anything bad of them, and have been told that they can get a wide array of tones. Supposedly they have excelent balance aswell.


I love the SG shape so these basses are right up my alley, and if I hadnt fallen in love with my Warwick, woulda most likely gotten one of these.

~JB~
 
#4
I don't own an Epiphone EB-3, but I've got its short-scale single-pickup sibling, the EB-0. It's incredibly neck-heavy, it's not got much in the way of treble, the bridge saddles rattle, the three-point bridge attachment is slightly off (meaning that the front point acts as a pivot unless I have the bridge at a strange angle), and I need to sort out the neck because there's a lot of fretbuzz unless the action is stupidly high.

So there you go - I'm not exactly full of praise for it. On the other hand, I like it a lot! Confusing, huh? I was able to fix or live with the problems I mentioned above, and love the fat, thuddy tone, which is very different to my usual Jazz bass preference.

I've also got a Tanglewood Scorpio, which is a wierd little beastie with a Godin SD-style body, EB-3 pickups, telecaster control plate (with a pull-up pot to give treble cut(!)) and a short-scale neck topped with a Warwick-esque headstock. It has taken over from my EB-0 as my thud machine (I prefer the neck, although the G string is a bit close to the edge), but I still get the EB-0 out once in a while - it looks cooler!
 
#5
I've had an Eb3 for 9 months. It's a lot of bass for not much money. It tends towards a big booming sound because of that massive humbucker up the front.

It's well made, with a very thin fast neck, which it good if like me you;ve got small hands. One drawback is the very heavy neck - you have to hold it up all the time, which is a pain.

Build quality is excellent, nothing feels dodgy.

It looks the dog's bollocks, which is important, and sounds big. If you want something that stands out from the P-bass crowd, it's a very option option.
 
#6
If you want an SG style bass, I believe the absolute best money can buy is the ESP Viper 254. It comes with two EMG humbuckers, (passive but great sound) an active 3 band EQ, string through bridge, set through five piece neck, graphite comp nut, and is very well balanced. It's better by far than the Epiphone, and having played Gibson EB's for over 25 years, this is very comparable, if not superior to those in sound, playability, appearance, and survivability.

My ESP Viper...
 
#10
Are you talking the standard Epi EB-3 or the Epi E3 Elitist? I have not tried the Elitist but have heard only good things. I'm a Gibson/Epi fan and own several models.
I used to own an Epi EB-3, sound was good, tho' not like the 60s model, build was very good. My major problem was neck dive. If you take a bass body designed for a short-scale neck and attach a long-scale, and leave the strap attachment points the same, you are gonna have neck dive. The balance is thrown off. The only help is a leather strap with a rough underside to kinda grip your shirt. Or you could move the strap button but I don't think that would help. I sold an otherwise cool bass for this reason.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back