• 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.

Epiphone EB-0 v Gibson SG Bass

S

shambobala

Feb 19, 2009
12
0
#1
I've had an Epiphone EB-0 for about 6 months and really love playing it. First thing i did was put flatwounds on it and there it was. That sound! (i.e. vintage warm woody etc......) OK it's a bit of a one trick pony but if that's the sound you need, then it's happy days. I'm under no illusions as to the quality of the parts used to make these basses however, and I'm really just waiting for the night when something breaks of falls off in the middle of a set.

So to get to the point........ How do they compare to the Gibson SG Bass? Does the Gibson justify the extra bread? How does the sound compare. If anyone has had or played both and can make a comparison I would really appreciate it.
 
#2
The Epi EBO is nothing like the Gibson. The pick up's are different, body & necks are different. The Epi will not even fit in the Gibson case! I own both (two Epi's) There is no comparison except they look the same from 15 feet.
 
#4
Just my 2 cents, for what you might pay for a SG you could get yourself a vintage EBO for the same price if not less. The EB's from the 60's are the cream of the crop IMO. Good luck.
 
#5
I played an sg (faded) at a local shop last week. Its a realy nice bass, Great rock bass with nice action and a boomimg bottom end. Not the bass you would want for funk or slap but right up there for rock & blues. The sg is my next bass for sure as my dreams of an alembic are gone due to the cost!
 
#7
GM60466 said:
Gruhn in Nashville has a 1962 EBO up for sale for $2500. Nice bass with a big ballzy sound. The Gibson SG won't have the same boom.
Click to expand...

So what bus would i take to get there from Ireland?

What I'm really asking here is: Will the new Gibson SG give me the sound I can get (and am really enjoying) from the Epiphone but with proper quality parts and build? I don't want something that sounds "better". I play it with flatwounds, a lump of foam under the strings at the bridge and run it through a digital model of a '59 Bassman as my amp just sounds too "hi-fi".

BTW for $2500 I could get at least 3 Gibson SGs or about 15 Epi EB-Os! Hmmmmmmmm............ That's like a lifetime's supply!
 
#8
I think you're making an incorrect assumption.

I have owned a couple of the Epi EB-0 basses and there's nothing wrong with their construction. Once you get them set up properly, they're every bit as solid and dependable as a Gibson. You don't have to worry about it failing in some mysterious and unanticipated way - it will not.

There are differences, with the major one being that the pickup in the Epi EB-series are nothing like the 60's Gibson pickups. They are wound quite differently and sound quite different.

But again, if YOU like the sound of the Epi, then you already have what you want - and you will not get the same sound from the Gibson version. I have a '64 EB-0 and I can tell you that IMO the newer Epi's pickup is actually more versatile and fits most of today's music better than the 60's EB pickups.

Personally, I think the SG-series is quite pretty, but I see no reason to spend money on one if I already have an SG-style bass that sounds good to me.

Bottom line: your bass is fine. If you like the sound, just play it, enjoy it and take care of it. That bass will last for many years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mcnach
#9
I gotta agree with Pilgrim, sounds like you already have the bass you want.
That said: I have the Gibson SG, and I do love it. So much so I got rid of my other basses. Compared to the Epi, it has (to me) a better feel, and a higher level of quality.
Couple of big differences off the top - you have the EB-0, one mudbucker and a bolt on neck, right?
The SG adds the mini-bucker near the bridge and is set neck. And of course better hardware, Grover tuners etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: megahog
#11
SG basses are so sweet, but yet so expensive. If you've got some basic tools and a little budget, you can really upgrade an Epiphone EB-0 into an SG-like bass that sounds great. Specifically, replace the stock mudbucker with a Dimarzio Model One, and add a mini-humbucker for a bridge pickup. Here's a sample (video) of what it can sound like:

Epiphone EB-0 Bass Upgraded with Dimarzio Model One and SG Pickups
 
#14
I played both, several of each model many times over the course of 6 months trying to decide for myself. I did not have the opportunity to compare them to a vintage EB. I compared Epi EB and 3 with recent and new Gibson SG faded, reissue, limited, etc.. basically anything I could find with that body style. Sadly nobody local had a vintage Gibson for my study.

The Epi EB0s felt like they had the thinnest necks, and had the lowest volume output. Necks on all the others felt chunkier, which is not what I like. The Epi EB3 sounded closer to the SG bass. The EB0, with tone turned all the way down, was not as boomy as the other basses, more of a honky midrange woof than a bassy boom. The SG basses were bassier, boomier, with the tone knob down. I have more use for a honky midrange woof than an indistinct murky blob of sound. Lower volume output aside, I personally preferred the tone of the Epi EB0, so that's what I went with. The fun factor of the thinner neck and short scale, plus the tone I preferred, made the difference even more than the price difference.

Unfortunately I didn't search here for threads on the bridges on these models before I tried to adjust mine, so I pulled a bridge post out. I then proceeded to get glue smeared all over the front of my new bass while securing the post back in place. As much as that bothers me, if I'd paid $1000 for a Gibson and done that I'd really be steamed. In conclusion, whatever you decide, read up on how to best adjust the bridge before messing with it.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back