Mediocre Polymath

I recently disassembled and reconditioned the original 3P4T rotary switch in a 1973 EB-3, and I can confirm that those old components can be taken apart relatively easily so long as you have the right tools (surgical hemostats are the answer to many things). However, I only did this because the switch is an unusual type and comparable modern replacements don't really exist (just cheap sealed plastic ones that in my experience break within a few weeks). I wouldn't bother with bog standard components like pots.

Ooh, that's a nice thing. How's the stringing/tuning process? The major downside I'm seeing is that every time you played a gig with one of these, you'd have a bunch of curious nerds down at the front trying to figure out how it works. EDIT: I've also just noticed that there's a routed-in plug of wood under the bridge – did you have difficulty routing the (square?) through holes for the mechanism, or is that just an in-fill for the bridge that was there before

I'm very tempted to have a look at tickets, even though I generally hate big shows with a passion. Showing my age (or perhaps lack thereof) but Travelling Without Moving was the first album I ever bought. I didn't play bass back then, and had no real interest in learning, but I remember being obsessed with the interplay between Stuart Zender and Derrick McKenzie on tracks like "Funktion". I recently stumbled across this fantastic recording, which caused me to totally reassess Jay Kay's role in the band. I'd always assumed that he was the lyricist and the charismatic man-up-front, but not particularly involved in the instrumental side of things. This loose rehearsal jam really shows him in band-leader mode, conducting what sounds like just the core group of McKenzie, Zender and Smith through a song that's already clearly fully formed in his head.

It's a lovely preamp. It's not totally uncoloured, but I'm not sure if that's even a thing really. With everything left flat it subtly changes the sound compared to passive in a way I can only describe as "better". I'm currently playing my NTBT-equipped bass while half paying attention to a work teams meeting.

Here's a pic of my bass's Bartolini gubbins from when I was transferring it all to a new body. The layout of the module is slightly different but the general look is the same, as is the colour coding on the wires. This particular module is more than 20 years old now (yikes) and I don't think they make it anymore, so visual differences wouldn't but surprising.

I know nothing of Vigiers, but that module looks a lot like the Bartolini NTBT I have installed in one of my basses. Does it have any writing on the sides? The trim pot on my preamp is the overall output trimmer.

Yeah, I ended up downloading the technical drawings and working out how they work from that. The cost of these systems is a tough one. It feels excessive (I got my ABM tuners second-hand) but on the other hand the design of these things puts a lot more stress on individual components than conventional tuners. The entire force of the tensioned string is generally borne by the threading of a single bolt. It makes the quality of the metallurgy a much bigger deal. I ended up using the ABM tuners because I knew I would be designing the whole instrument around whatever bridge I chose. If I picked a design that failed after a year or two, and I couldn't source an exact, like-for-like, replacement, then that would be a lot of nice wood and 40-50 hours of my life down the drain.

On my build I used ABM tuners, but I recently came across this company, Riviera Gear, which have headless bridge units with a really interesting design. The tuning thumbwheel is on the top, so you don't need to have them on the edge of the body or over a recess.

I've made one and have been vaguely thinking about making another. I posted a build diary here, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

My local too. I remember back in the very early 2010s walking past there and seeing a mint Warwick custom shop Chrome-Tone five string thumb in the window. Generally I quite like cash converters as a place to get old and weird stuff. I like it specifically because it's all a bit ropey and shit. You can get bargains because it's really hard to search for anything and most things are labelled wrong. I have a Sony TA-1055 stereo hi-fi amp that I got as "guitar amplifier, silver" and a 1970s fancy swiss made Goldring turntable that was labelled "record player, Goldman". EDIT. Just noticed that I replied to a post that's older than my nephews. Still getting the hang of this site's ways

I think that might work if it was a more sensibly design short scale, but Gibson EBs have big bodies and a huge headstock so sadly no. I think the Epiphone EB0 case is probably the best shout. It doesn't exist according to Epiphone's website, but Thomann apparently have them in stock.

Yeah, it looks like Epiphone make an EB-3 case, but they're rare as hen's teeth and from what I can see online they're designed to fit the EB-3L as well, so they have about 15 cm of empty space above the headstock with a short scale EB-3.

My dad's EB-3 recently developed a fault with its pickup selector, so he dropped it off with me to fix. That was easy enough (taking apart the rotary switch and bending some worn internal components back into shape) but while it's been in my house, I've had an opportunity to properly take a look at its case, and I've realised this is in an absolute state. My dad bought the EB3 secondhand in like 1975/76, and the shop threw in a cheap fibreboard case that he's been using ever since. It's got mojo for days, but it also has rusting hardware, completely dessicated padding, and angle brackets screwed into the corners to hold it together. I also suspect it was made for a Mustang bass or something more like that, as it doesn't support the neck at all. Does anyone make a short-scale case that would work with an instrument like this? It's a proper mid-1970s Gibson so the headstock is massive and quite steeply angled. Bonus picture of "The Count" in his velvet-lined case.

Yeah, it's definitely a me problem. Well, me and other south east London bassists.