Epiphone EB-3 Bass Sound Questions.

[Nolan Farr]

Hello, I have been able to save up enough money to buy a new bass and I was wondering about the sound of the Long Scale (34" length) Epiphone EB-3 Bass.. The sort of music I play is faster old school sounding punk and Im looking for a tone that would sound growly and not too dull (that old short scale EB bass sound). I currently play a fender jag which has a 34" scale length. I always play with a pick. I want to know if I would be let down by the tone of the Epiphone, or in other words if the tones of the two guitars are drastically different from one another. Would I be able to achieve that tone from the Epiphone? I love the feel and shape of the EB basses so if there is any alternatives that would fit what I'm looking for better that would also be appreciated. Thank you.
PS. I do not downtune I use EADG

 

[Rocker949]

Hello, I have been able to save up enough money to buy a new bass and I was wondering about the sound of the Long Scale (34" length) Epiphone EB-3 Bass.. The sort of music I play is faster old school sounding punk and Im looking for a tone that would sound growly and not too dull (that old short scale EB bass sound). I currently play a fender jag which has a 34" scale length. I always play with a pick. I want to know if I would be let down by the tone of the Epiphone, or in other words if the tones of the two guitars are drastically different from one another. Would I be able to achieve that tone from the Epiphone? I love the feel and shape of the EB basses so if there is any alternatives that would fit what I'm looking for better that would also be appreciated. Thank you.
PS. I do not downtune I use EADG

If you're playing a Fender Jag and want to move to an Epi EB-3, I think most people would say you're moving down instead of up. Unlike many people, I'm not biased against Gibsons and Epis. But you don't see too many people going on stage playing an Epi EB-3. Not only is there the stigma of it being an Epiphone, but from what I've heard it really has neck dive. Contrary to popular belief, not all Gibsons and Epis have neck dive, but apparently this particular bass really does. As for the sound, I've never played one, though. It sounds like maybe what you really might be happier with would be a Gibson SG Standard, but they cost a lot more, are no longer made, and are short scale. Nevertheless, there are many choices out there and looking for what you really want can be fun, too.

 

[awilkie84]

If you're playing a Fender Jag and want to move to an Epi EB-3, I think most people would say you're moving down instead of up. Unlike many people, I'm not biased against Gibsons and Epis. But you don't see too many people going on stage playing an Epi EB-3. Not only is there the stigma of it being an Epiphone, but from what I've heard it really has neck dive. Contrary to popular belief, not all Gibsons and Epis have neck dive, but apparently this particular bass really does. As for the sound, I've never played one, though. It sounds like maybe what you really might be happier with would be a Gibson SG Standard, but they cost a lot more, are no longer made, and are short scale. Nevertheless, there are many choices out there and looking for what you really want can be fun, too.

Well, he could be using a Squier Jag. Having owned Jags, EB-3s, Ps, Js...the EB-3 is not the tone for punk. Get a P-bass or a T-bird with the bridge pick-up solo'd, IMO.

 

[CFrink]

If you are willing to spend a little more, then I can't recommend the Gibson EB-3 enough instead of epiphone. It's much more resonant and has better control of the sustain. However, if your playing "punk, but, like, faster than regular punk," as you said, you won't be able to hear the difference on stage. So unless you plan to do a lot of studio recording (or just really like listening to yourself play on your own) then the EB-3 is pretty great. As for neck dive, it's a pretty easy fix. You can just rig it with a 3 point harness system, or add a counterweight to the body.

In short, the EB-3 gets so much unnecessary hate, and whether you get the Gibson or Epiphone, it's still a good buy. They are fantastic for the price, and respond really well to upgrading the parts. An EB-3 with a handpicked bridge or pickups is a force to be reckoned with.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Hello, I have been able to save up enough money to buy a new bass and I was wondering about the sound of the Long Scale (34" length) Epiphone EB-3 Bass.. The sort of music I play is faster old school sounding punk and Im looking for a tone that would sound growly and not too dull (that old short scale EB bass sound). I currently play a fender jag which has a 34" scale length. I always play with a pick. I want to know if I would be let down by the tone of the Epiphone, or in other words if the tones of the two guitars are drastically different from one another. Would I be able to achieve that tone from the Epiphone? I love the feel and shape of the EB basses so if there is any alternatives that would fit what I'm looking for better that would also be appreciated. Thank you.
PS. I do not downtune I use EADG

I own an Epiphone EB-3 and like it - for what it does. Too dull is exactly how I'd describe the front pickup - to the point of not being able to make up pitches in a band mix. Conversely, the back pickup is bass-shy, being right against the bridge: unfortunately, growly it is not - very smooth in fact. You'd be left with two pickups that need radical eq (in opposite directions) to sound good (and they do to my ears at least), and don't mix that well because the neck one overpowers the other (you need to dial its volume knob to around 2, very finicky operation without modding the electronics, which I'm going to eventually).
Drastically different from your current bass? Euros to doughnuts that it would be very much the case.
Fit and finish are very nice for a guitar of that price class. It neck-dives like a Stuka: I use two straps in a complicated arrangement, but I'd advise a buyer who's less averse to irreversible modification to skip lightweight tuners and leather straps and just move the strap button to somewhere behind the bass, over the control cavity or under it at the wood diaphragm between the cavity and the edge of the body.

 

[Old Blastard]

Heard a guy in a punk band about three months rocking an Epi Jack Cassidy. A variety of sounds and growl on tap. Most responsive to fingers, Inthink, but he was vertical g great sounds with a pick.

I love my Jag deluxe (MIJ) that has buckets of growl.

 

[rumblejunkie]

Hello, I have been able to save up enough money to buy a new bass and I was wondering about the sound of the Long Scale (34" length) Epiphone EB-3 Bass.. The sort of music I play is faster old school sounding punk and Im looking for a tone that would sound growly and not too dull (that old short scale EB bass sound). I currently play a fender jag which has a 34" scale length. I always play with a pick. I want to know if I would be let down by the tone of the Epiphone, or in other words if the tones of the two guitars are drastically different from one another. Would I be able to achieve that tone from the Epiphone? I love the feel and shape of the EB basses so if there is any alternatives that would fit what I'm looking for better that would also be appreciated. Thank you.
PS. I do not downtune I use EADG

Epiphone Thunderbird will not only sound the part , but look it too .

 

[Tlaw]

I do have an EB3 with a set unusually thin strings (0.30 up to 0.90 ) and this set sounds right about correct. For sounds like Cream / some old tim'ey blues or King Crimson - It'll do it's job. On the plus side, if you have small hands, the neck is quite narrow, and it's profile and thickness is pretty neat. The neck dive ... is something you can learn to live with or you can figure a dank counterweight (am currently working on such a contraption that would be integrated with the straplock - sort of a chrome plated cover that would go under the bass and add more stability). For a more "brutal" sound approach, an Epi Thunderbird is my second choice.

Cheer's