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Epiphone EB 3 Reissue

kuys

kuys

Jun 29, 2010
708
28
#1
I picked one up for very cheap a few days ago from a friend that needed to make rent and I'm loving the bass so far but It's bottom end seems to be severely lacking. The E string buzzes like hell and in a few spots it's definitively dead. I've tried adjusting the bridge but can't seem to do much to help it. My skills when it comes to instrument repair are minimal at best.

I'm more or less asking fellow EB 3 owners if they had a similar issue and if with the proper setup they were able to work out the issues or at least bring them down to a reasonable level.

I also have a 74' Fender Mustang that has an amazing bottom end but a really sterile sound, while if I go nuts on the EB 3 I can get some serious grind out if it. I'd like to keep it but if this buzz and bottom end issue can't be sorted out I may chuck it to the pawn shop and try to recoup my money and stick with the very nice mustang if albeit very sterile sounding.

Any suggestions or experiences with this bass?
 
#3
these are both cheap basses - that you are having some issues with them shouldn't be a big shock. The Epi EB3's have been written about many times on this list, and are fairly well known to be poorly made. The old Mustang is a student bass - Fender made those as a cheap alternative to the P-bass. If it's stock, it's worth something to a collector, but not much as a player. You'd be better off getting a nicer bass.
 
#5
The Mustang is NOT a student bass...you're thinking of the Musicmaster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Mustang_Bass

The Mustang is one of the better short scale basses around, and many people love them. IMO the Mustang is well worth keeping - with Labella Deep Talkin' flats on it. That will cure the sterile sound problem.

The EB3 should have a stronger bottom - probably a change of strings would fix that. The buzz may be in the bridge...if that's where it is, try making sure all the saddles are well settled in place. You might also have to try nail polish on the intonation screw threads where they go through the saddles to lock them down.
 
#6
I am actually awaiting an EB-3 In the mail any day now. So when i get it i will comment here if i have similar luck. As far as ive seen and read, these basses are built very well. its the age old design flaws that are still problem areas with them. Might want to add a hipshot supertone bridge to it. Thats my first plan for the bass.
 
#7
kuys said:
I'm more or less asking fellow EB 3 owners if they had a similar issue and if with the proper setup they were able to work out the issues or at least bring them down to a reasonable level.

Any suggestions or experiences with this bass?
Click to expand...

I had a '69 EB3 & I've also had an Epi EB3. The difference between the two with the neck pups is like night & day. the only way you'll get close to capturing the original Gibby sound is to get one of the original pups when they come up on Ebay. Even the new Gibson SG bass reissue sounds different to the old Gibson EB3 pup.

No change of strings or set-up will help this either.

You'd also better research what you're looking for as there's been a few dodgy Ebayers selling Epi repro's as original Gibson vintage ones. They look completely different on the reverse.

Dunno about the neck buzz, not a problem I came across. Maybe a high spot on a fret? It's a relatively cheap bass so maybe could do with a fret dress?
 
#8
Gonna take them both in for maintenance in a few days. Any recommendations on a bass that has the tight bottom end of the Fender but can be pushed into a really gnarly grind like the EB-3?
 
#13
The Epi just isn't anything at all like the original Gib. Besides the pup, the neck is long scale, not the short scale of the original (unless you bought one of the older elite epis). They're decent, I've played a few, and you probably should be getting more lows than you're reporting.
 
#14
bassyRyan said:
The Epi EB-3's lack bottom because their neck humbucker is simply a guitar pickup with every other pole piece snipped off...a far cry from the traditional EB mudbucker.
Click to expand...


not true. it's a bass pickup and has four pole pieces. it's built the same way as the gibson humbucker but uses cheaper parts and is not wound to the original specs. a pale imitation other than the looks.
 
#15
A Gibson SG Reissue bass might fit the bill as would a Fender Mustang, if you want short scale. Mustangs have huge bottom end, check out the original bass player from the band Brazilian Girls. Mustangs are highly underrated basses in my opinion.

For long scale a Skyline Lakland Decade would be a great choice as would a Gibson Les Paul Standard bass, both would run around $1200. Both are great basses, very versitle and hot pickups that really cut through.
 

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