+1
I've come to appreciate basses like the EB-2 over the last few years and learned how to use basses with a big honking pickup at the base of the neck. They suit my present band situation very well for the reasons corinpills mentions.
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How is the sound from a Gibson EB2?
- Thread starter v man
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+1
I've come to appreciate basses like the EB-2 over the last few years and learned how to use basses with a big honking pickup at the base of the neck. They suit my present band situation very well for the reasons corinpills mentions.
As somebody said before in this thread, it all depends on what you're looking for. For me, the EB-2 is kind of a "beautiful accident", in a modern way it doesn't sound as a bass is suposed to sound but with an intelligent use it can tear down the house in it's own way.
If you want to hear it rock:
that sweet distorted sound creates a mess of a heavenly atmosphere. I think "Black Rebel Motorcycle Club" owes a lot of it sound to that semi-hollow body.
If you want to hear it rock:
that sweet distorted sound creates a mess of a heavenly atmosphere. I think "Black Rebel Motorcycle Club" owes a lot of it sound to that semi-hollow body.
^^ This video is an excellent example of how bad an EB-2 sounds on stage. Notice how the bass is all but lost in the mix. All you really hear is a washy, undefined drone.
In the 60's, all the guitars companies made basses patterned after they successful guitar models, instead of making basses patterned after the market place success, the Fender. We all know how that turned out.
That said, the eb2 was well made (it's a Gibson after all), but utterly flawed in it's design It sounds awful, end of story.
That said, the eb2 was well made (it's a Gibson after all), but utterly flawed in it's design It sounds awful, end of story.
I can match the bass sound used in this song perfectly with the EB-2 in the studio. Flat wounds and a pick.
- Feb 16, 2008
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smcd said:
You're right fellow, the bass is not clear at all in the mix, but to say it is "good" or "bad" is matter of taste and opinion. If someone wants a dirty bass texture for artistic reasons I could say if I like it or not, what I couldn't do is to define it as Good or Bad.
Not really. Just because someone eats excrement sandwiches doesn't mean that excrement sandwiches are tasty. It means that person likes to eat excrement sandwiches.
Ditto that tone. It appears BRMC likes a flaccid, undefined bass sound. At least on that record (I hadn't noticed that kind of tone on the first record). Doesn't make it a good thing.
I had a 67' EB-2 with a replacement Dimarzio pickup that just killed for 60's/70's style Brit Rock stuff. I used a pick for the most part with the tone wide open, and found it had tons of booty with a defined note without being too 'clicky' or bright. Really warms up a kick drum as well. Never had so many compliments on my tone.
Definately an individual sound, and not for a lot of folks obviously. Also found that bass quite neck heavy which made it necessary to adjust my technique from playing my Fenders.
Check out the first couple Black Rebel Motorcycle Club albums, or the newest Black Mountain album for some examples of how much this model kicks but!
I'd Definately recommend the Gibson or Epi versions.
Definately an individual sound, and not for a lot of folks obviously. Also found that bass quite neck heavy which made it necessary to adjust my technique from playing my Fenders.
Check out the first couple Black Rebel Motorcycle Club albums, or the newest Black Mountain album for some examples of how much this model kicks but!
I'd Definately recommend the Gibson or Epi versions.
Disagree, especially regarding Chas Chandler's tones. Fat, hollow body old school thump. I checked out your profile. I'm not sure why you'd take it upon yourself to bash an EB2 when you own, arguably, some of the worst sounding basses ever made. A couple of 60's Ampeg scroll basses (beautiful looking yet some of THE worst sounding pieces of crap ever made) and a '73 Tele bass (You're complaining about muddy sound?!).
The EB2 is not a great bass, and it is not that versatile. but it has it's own thing going on and with the proper EQ can deliver nice fat warm hollow bodied tone.
- Feb 24, 2004
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Har! And that EB-2 is right at home with those others! I am definitely guilty of gravitating toward the aesthetics of an instrument, no doubt. The EB-2 falls right in between those Ampegs and that Telecaster. That is, better sounding than the Ampegs, not as good sounding as the Fender.
I'm not bashing the EB-2, I'm telling it like it is. EB-2's sound undefined, muddy, and flaccid. If you want to call that "fat, hollow body old school thump", that's ok.
That P.P. Arnold tune was pretty bitchen.
This argument is freaking ridiculous. Its simply a matter of taste. As a fan of tons of British Invasion I happen to love that sound. Does it work in all contexts? Off course not. By the same token, I think a player on 5 string Musicman with fresh roundwounds would have a tough time capturing the vibe a player of one of these is probably shooting for.
what a bunch of haters around here... i don't know, but what I think is that bass is not there so much to be HEARD as to be FELT... you've got to FEEL it, man...
when i hear a good bassist playing a sadowski, or that kind of modern basses i may say "ok, he's good and the bass sounds pretty good too"
but when i hear a good bassist playing a REAL bass (read, fender p-bass, guild starfire, GIBSON EB-2)
and those vibrations make me feel the groove like no twanky mother****in' 6 or more-stringer can...
sorry but i'm just an old school tone hardcore and i find these kind of fagottry disturbing...
when i hear a good bassist playing a sadowski, or that kind of modern basses i may say "ok, he's good and the bass sounds pretty good too"
but when i hear a good bassist playing a REAL bass (read, fender p-bass, guild starfire, GIBSON EB-2)
and those vibrations make me feel the groove like no twanky mother****in' 6 or more-stringer can...sorry but i'm just an old school tone hardcore and i find these kind of fagottry disturbing...
- Feb 16, 2008
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- John K Custom Basses
what a bunch of haters around here... i don't know, but what I think is that bass is not there so much to be HEARD as to be FELT... you've got to FEEL it, man...
when i hear a good bassist playing a sadowski, or that kind of modern basses i may say "ok, he's good and the bass sounds pretty good too"
but when i hear a good bassist playing a REAL bass (read, fender p-bass, guild starfire, GIBSON EB-2)
sorry but i'm just an old school tone hardcore and i find these kind of fagottry disturbing...
+100
very well put. i think some people need to expand their horizons of what a cool, fat and powerful vintage bass tone is all about.
I love old school sound too and have a vintage Pbass, but the big difference between that and an EB2 is that the Pbass fits into many styles of music whereas the EB2 is more specialized.
Part of that is because it's a hollow body, and part is because the high frequencies are almost completely missing on the neck pickup. That's why some people describe it as muddy. Others really like that particular sound. For the most part, I personally don't care for it, and the high price tag just seals the deal that I'll probably never own one. However with flats it sounds a lot like an upright bass and that IS a useful sound for jazz and acoustic music.
Part of that is because it's a hollow body, and part is because the high frequencies are almost completely missing on the neck pickup. That's why some people describe it as muddy. Others really like that particular sound. For the most part, I personally don't care for it, and the high price tag just seals the deal that I'll probably never own one. However with flats it sounds a lot like an upright bass and that IS a useful sound for jazz and acoustic music.
I friggin' loved it, LOL!!
Doesn't anybody appreciate variety nowadays! At various times over the years I've owned 2 Dingwalls (5 & 6 strings), Lakland 4 & 5 strings (jazz, P, Decade, and their version of a Musicman), Fender Js and Ps, vintage Ibanez P/Js and lawsuit copies, Rickenbackers, modern fretless basses, etc etc.... I would have loved to have had some old Gibson basses! I've looked at 'em for years on the 'bay but yet to pull the trigger. I like having different flavors to choose from, and they all have uses! Not all music needs or wants to have bass that stands out.
