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Epiphone EBO for my Daughter

Shawn Luckman

Shawn Luckman

Feb 27, 2008
2,522
3,978
Bolton,Lancs UK
#1
My 9 year old daughter asked me this week if she could have a bass guitar for Christmas.I was chuffed not only does this give me a reason to spend more time in guitar shops,but who knows maybe she will become a famous bassist and she will hand down her unwanted basses to me ( I Wish ).

Anyway the bass i think would suit her is the Epiphone EBO,mainly because it's short scale thinner than other basses and it looks better than the Squier Bronco.Your views Gentlemen.
 
#4
Hi there, I was actually playing both of these instruments in the local guitar shop the other day:

1) Epiphone EBO - I personally love this bass for old-school blues and classic rock tones. The problems? It's pretty hard to play finger-style quickly on, even for me (intermediate player). Something about the way it's designed means there's no good spot to rest your thumb when plucking the E string. A good setup should make a world of difference, though. Also it's not the greatest for pick play, and forget about playing slap on it.

BEST FOR: Early Beatles, Cream, Blues

2). Squier Bronco Bass - Not as much low-end as the Ephiphone, but I found it a lot easier to play. You could potentially get some cool pick tones out of it. It's also $50 cheaper. I tried slapping and it was pretty decent. Cons: Kind of a thin tone, which can be "EQ-ed" out but down the road you'll want to upgrade to maybe a Squier P bass or something.

BEST FOR: Classic Rock, Alternative Rock, Punk

A third recommendation would be the small-scale Fender P-Bass. This thing sounds MIGHTY, and plays like a dream. The only drawback is the cost ($450 CAD). It would have a lot of growth potential.

Gotta go to work! Hope that helps!
 
#10
The thing is at 9 is a full size axe fit ,even though its short scale?They have many fine basses try a 3 qtr size or a Daisy Rock and just go get yourself a real EBO and give it to her when she becomes a better bassist at the ripe old age of oh maybe 12
 
#11
I own one. It's a pretty nice bass, I personally wouldn't want it as my only bass, but it's fun to play a short scale sometimes. It has a very powerful low end. I play mostly fingerstyle but I think it also sounds great with a pick. Not a good bass for slappers, as has been pointed out. I bought a Dimarzio Model One pickup but frankly haven't had the time to swap it out yet. It is a tiny bit neck heavy but a good strap fixes that. A good bass for blues/classic rock. Definitely something a little different from the standard Fender sound. I also think it looks amazing.
 
#16
Thank you for all your thoughts on this thread,i own a 1964 Hofner Violin bass and let my daughter hold it to give me some ideas for what would suit her.And it was definatly short scale,and she has a guitar that works off a computer game and it's SG shape hence the EBO idea.

At the age of 9 her interest in the bass may or may not last until the new year,and if she does'nt take to the bass then i'll have another bass in my collection. my 4 year old son loves my Rickenbacker 4003 but i think he can wait for a while before he can have one,i had to wait for 11 years.

I have seen the SX basses but they are not available here in the UK.
 
#19
Another good short scale option is the Gretsch Electromatic. I got one for my son at 10 and it was a good fit.

Good construction, good tone, and I enjoy playing it myself. It is definitely not a toy. I've owned the Epi EB-0, and this is a step up, IMO.
 
#20
BobWestbrook said:
I have owned several short scale basses, and IMO the Epiphone EB0 is the worst of the bunch. It's in it's own class for poor tone quality. SX, Hamer, Cort are better choices on the low price end.
Click to expand...

On the other hand you can every once in a while run it to a fluke one that just rips. There is/was one in the Tacoma GC that gave one of the new gibson sg basses a run for it's money, if I had been in the market for a short scale [this will probably never happen, I have big hands and find almost all short scales uncomfortable] I would have got the Epiphone and got a vintage pickup off of e-bay and been very happy.
 

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