Should I trade a squire p for Epiphone eb 3

[Michael Stanley 2112]

I am on record as being a Fender "hater" (because of customer service issues) and I am a huge fan of Epiphone guitars (and some of the older basses).

All that said, I wouldn't make that trade because I'm just not a fan of the "new" Epiphone basses.

 

[thunesBARROW]

Get the one that plays and sounds best to you. Yes, most players would prefer a P Bass over an EB, but maybe you’re not one of them. If I only had one bass, I’d prefer a P.

 

[godofthunder59]

I

Belive it's an oldie 99 are 2 first digits of the serial #

Then I'd make the trade, the Epi is a better bass.

 

[TheArchitect]

Hey friends, what do you think? Should I do it
I like the feel of the eb3 but have only messed around with a couple times

I would not. A P bass is at least serviceable in virtually any playing situation. The EB0 not so much.

 

[Hounddog409]

Only if you like neck dive and not being heard in a mix

Dumb reply.
Ephiphone over squire every day.

 

[Nunovsky]

If you only have one bass and that's the Squire, I'd say keep it. A p-bass has a highly recognizable tone that adjusts to any situation and the ergonomics are better.
If you have another bass, like a jazz (that can nail that p-bass tone with the neck pu soloed) or another p-bass, and you're looking for a diferent tone, get the Epiphone. I really like the tones you get out of that mudbucker and the added bridge pu makes this bass more versatile while keeping its own personality. As for the ergonomics, it does have neck dive but you can get used to it with a good strap that helps the bass not moving that much.

 

[Lowbrow]

Don’t bother with the Epi EB unless you already have a Precision of some sort. The P is a workhorse; the EB is a pretty bass.

 

[Guitalia]

I would not. A P bass is at least serviceable in virtually any playing situation. The EB0 not so much.

EB-3, not EB-0.

My 2014 (Gibson) EB-3 gets much more use than my 1977 Precision. The Gibson's light weight and shorter scale and tonal versatility (thanks to the two very different pickups) are more important to me than the neck dive, such as it is. Use a wide enough strap, and the neck dive becomes a nonissue.

 

[butterfingers1]

Epiphone stands apart in the bass guitar market in good ways and bad. Beautiful stylish instruments, dark but clear uncoloured tones (for lack of better wording). But the ergonomics are often horrible.

A split-coil precision bass is perfect in every way. But it’s fun having other different ones too, and Epiphones have a lot of difference to offer.

The Epiphone Embassy, with the Thunderbird pickups and tone, is their most normal one. It is the only one that can measure up to a p bass. I recommend it highly.

 

[Spirit of Ox]

The only time I really heard an Eb-3 sound is when Mike Watt was playing one. But of course he can make anything sound good but he ended up modding the hell out of it by changing the pickups and adding an on board preamp.

 

[BassDaddy77]

@S-Bar : Are you looking to trade your Affinity P bass for a specific used EB-3 (as in, you will be doing the trade one-for-one with another person that has the Epiphone)? Or would you be trading at a store such as Guitar Center (where you might have to order a new EB-3 sight-unseen)? Is it an even swap, or is money being added to the equation? Some of these factors would likely influence my decision as well. Reason being, if it's a one-for-one trade, you'll always be able to buy another Squier Affinity P bass after selling the Epiphone (most likely for a profit). But if you had to add money to the Epiphone for the trade in the first place, you might end up losing out.

 

[Ostie]

I have an Epiphone EB-0 and I wouldn’t trade it for a Squier P. It doesn’t sound like a P. That’s what I like about it. It’s the best playing bass I own. Ps are overrated, IMO. The EB-3 does have a lot of neck dive, though.

 

[bassdog]

You would miss that P-bass desperately if you did that trade. Thing is, though, you could easy get another.

 

[swagbotbilly]

Noooooooo

 

[Sharko]

Dumb reply.
Ephiphone over squire every day.

Dumb reply.
Show me your EB3 that doesn’t neck dive.

 

[2thAche]

I would try to play an Epiphone before you consider. Those are two completely different animals in every way except they both have 4 strings. If you already like Fender shape and sound it will be a tough transition IMO.

 

[H K]

For whatever reason Epiphone went with the EB-3L, the long scale version of the otherwise short scale EB-3. I personally would try and find an old Japanese bolt on EB-3, some of the lesser badged brands like Arita and Westwood are around $200-$300 and get you a solid bass that does the EB3 thing proper for not a lot of money!
Though, I would say your trade is pretty good if you like the Epiphone, I personally do not like the long guitar feel of it, to me it the overall feel makes more sense shorter scale, but thats entirely up to you.

Some solid advice and info here

It's kind of funny, isnt it, how different we all are.
What you DONT like about the EB, are exactly the things I really like about it
And that's how it should be! Imagine if we all had to agree on 1 bass for everyone. It would be total war

This is all gonna come down to personal preference for the OP I guess, tomato tomato as they say

 

[H K]

I have an Epiphone EB-0 and I wouldn’t trade it for a Squier P. It doesn’t sound like a P. That’s what I like about it. It’s the best playing bass I own. Ps are overrated, IMO. The EB-3 does have a lot of neck dive, though.

Yeah, I could definitely do without the dive. But slap some ultralight tuners on, a heavier bridge, and a good wide strap and it's completely manageable

 

[Jjacks651]

Hey friends, what do you think? Should I do it
I like the feel of the eb3 but have only messed around with a couple times

That's like asking Should I trade my Z28 for a VW Beetle?
I have a 1967 EB-0. Its not a stand out bass, it gets lost in the mix, the EB-3 may have a tad bit more punch but nothing like your Squire. You may want both, keep both.

John

 

[MobileHolmes]

Thanks Bass Fam you guys always come through

Also I'm a sound dumb here what the difference between a Squier and a Fender is it just craftsmanship because they look the same, feel pretty similar

It’s mostly build quality. I say this as a P fan, but cheap p basses are often pretty good. There is something about the P that makes it hard to screw up. I don’t feel the same way about J basses.

As for the trade, I wouldn’t. A P works for about anything. I find EB style basses in general to be not very versatile.