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SG & EB Bass Club

#11,261
CoryB said:
I have a scale length question. My 2016 Epi EB-0 is supposed to be a 30.5 inch scale, right? Just like all of the others.

I was measuring to check something else and decided to measure the scale length. From the string break point of the nut (basically where the nut touches the fretboard) to the center of the 12th fret should be 15.25 inches. Yes? Mine measures 14.875 (14 7/8) inches, checked with three different yardsticks. Which gives me a scale length of 29.75 inches. So 3/4"shorter than it should be.

FWIW, the overall length of the low E is 29 15/16 inches from the nut to the center of the saddle. That is the longest of the 4 strings.

Am I measuring incorrectly? Is my bass defective? What's going on here?
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Well, the Epi EB-0 has been returned to Guitar Center. Upon close inspection during cleaning, the paint on the sides of the nut had finish cracks going towards the body and there were even a couple of crack lines across the headstock overlay as well. While I couldn't flex the headstock, it appears to have taken a fall or some other damage. I didn't see those before I bought it because the thing was filthy dirty.

Maybe Epis are more robust than Gibsons, but that finish (and who knows what else) cracking just didn't sit well with me.

Oh well, I'll send back the upgrade parts and just spend more time with my '64 EB-0 instead.
 
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#11,262
CoryB said:
Well, the Epi EB-0 has been returned to Guitar Center. Upon close inspection during cleaning, the paint on the sides of the nut had finish cracks going towards the body and there were even a couple of crack lines across the headstock overlay as well. While I couldn't flex the headstock, it appears to have taken a fall or some other damage. I didn't see those before I bought it because the thing was filthy dirty.

Maybe Epis are more robust than Gibsons, but that finish (and who knows what else) cracking just didn't sit well with me.

Oh well, I'll send back the upgrade parts and just spend more time with my '64 EB-0 instead.
Click to expand...
Well that stinks. Sorry to hear about the bad experience. Fortunately, you've got your '64
 
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#11,263
Bandmate unearthed this shortscale relic from her storage space and asked for help restoring it. From the SN I gather it's a 1969. The other two-pickup EBs I see from that era have four knobs. Can anyone tell me anything about this two knob + selector switch oddity? I'm wondering if it may have been an EB-0 that was modified at some point.
 

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#11,268
scottm said:
Thanks!
The store had it labeled Gibson EB5 5 String Dark Cherry Stain.
Not sure if that is true because I've heard it referred to as the Red Wine Stain here on the forum before.


-ScottM
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Looks like my old wine red Les Paul Deluxe guitar. Such a looker it was, though ultimately, looks weren't enough and after about 10 years I moved on.

Meanwhile, I really like that Les Paul Junior Tribute DC bass of yours. I'm all set with basses and am actually slowly downsizing, but if I were getting another one, one of those would probably be it
 
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#11,269
dmt said:
Looks like my old wine red Les Paul Deluxe guitar. Such a looker it was, though ultimately, looks weren't enough and after about 10 years I moved on.

Meanwhile, I really like that Les Paul Junior Tribute DC bass of yours. I'm all set with basses and am actually slowly downsizing, but if I were getting another one, one of those would probably be it
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I've owned two Les Paul Junior Tribute DC basses, and one of the guitar version as well.
All three have been some of my favorite instruments I've ever owned. Very comfortable great sounding instruments.

-ScottM
 
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#11,270
LetItGrowTone said:
Glenn Cornick said he played his EB-3 with all knobs up and the selector switch always in the same position, but he couldn't remember which. ...e.g. Stand Up Bourée (where his bass tone is most clearly heard)...
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ajkula66 said:
I'd say 2 which is the bridge pickup only. It *could* be 3 (both), but if the electronics were stock with a choke in place then at least one of the pickups would have to be dialed down IME.
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Yes, it seems to be bridge pickup only.
 
#11,271
LetItGrowTone said:
EL34s can be more beautiful, and that's hard to give up. But the way they get soft is most noticeable on diads/chords, and for me these must be clear.
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I was, and am, very happy with JJ from Eurotubes.

But I want to tell you that I've had amazingly good luck with Psvane Horizon series. Over some time I've bought every type of tube I need (3 preamp and 3 power amp types) from Amazon (have gradually become ashamed to admit that, but I digress) or from psvane.co (in China, but no price advantage from that site). Their EL34, KT88 and 6550 are each "harder" and cleaner than the corresponding JJ, in particular (see my quote above), their EL34-AT. So that's my new winner for clean EL34. Of course it gets more flavorful as it's turned up. (JJ E34L is a great alternative. To me it has a little edge that sounds a little bit like a Roto 66, one of my favorites for that.)

I said clean, but I want to tell you that the 6550 has enough "signature" to be recognizable as a 6550. Very nice. My 40 year old GE 6550A - which I loved for hard and clean - are no longer useable, :crying: , but I don't think this Psvane is inferior at all.

All of these tubes can "spit" a little at first, but that burns off after a few minutes. Bias stability and matching have been very good. (I monitored with a 4x bias probe and took notes.) Longevity unknown so far.
 
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#11,275
LetItGrowTone said:
Glenn Cornick said he played his EB-3 with all knobs up and the selector switch always in the same position, but he couldn't remember which. I figure that you EB experts can be somewhat sure of this setting by listening to channel 1 (left) of Stand Up Bouree (where his bass tone is most clearly heard),
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I could be wrong but I remember Glen Cornick saying on some interview that he played his Jazz bass on Bouree.
 
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#11,279
ajkula66 said:
What's a "clean tube amp" in your book ? Sheer curiosity on my end...
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The only tube amp I have in service now is a Traynor YBA-100. The tone controls are in the Ampeg-ish universe and the output circuitry is the "Ultralinear" type. And as I posted earlier, I'm using the "hardest" output tubes I know of, Psvane Horizon, EL34, 6550 or KT88.
One reason it's cleaner than most is that the "phase splitting" function is done with op amps (and so perfectly cleanly as far as I know). The semi-parametric mid and the effects loop are also done with op amps.

I think an SVT is very clean until it starts getting soft. Mine has a little bit of hum so it's currently disassembled.

I have a not-yet-assembled Mojotone HIWATT clone which should be very clean (also mainly because of the driver section). I can't make myself follow the provided schematic exactly, but also can't decide what changes I'd like to make. A little bit of Laney Supergroup would be interesting.
:-)
 
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#11,280
LetItGrowTone said:
The only tube amp I have in service now is a Traynor YBA-100.
Click to expand...

I've never played a Traynor amp of any kind so I'm clueless here...and not just here...:roflmao:

Not a fan of SVTs, although I most certainly understand what people love about them.

That HiWatt clone sounds interesting. I'll be waiting for an update...

My only "clean" tube amp is a rather obscure oldie known as Carlsbro TC100. The loudest 100W head I've ever come across and stunningly clean until pushed *really* hard. Very basic schematics with 3xECC83 and 4xEL34 but there's something about it that I can't put my finger on which makes it stand out from the other British amps - and I've played/owned just about every single one - from that era...
 
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