Gibson EB0 - early Les Paul Jnr shaped ones - any info?

[Paul S]

I was having a look at some pics of the early style Gibson EB0 basses, shaped like the Les Paul Junior - like this one (pic from the net somewhere)


and wondered if anyone knew anything much about them. Short scale, single pup. fairly straighforward beasts, I would imagine. I prefer this shape to the SG shape. Do originals change hands for outrageous sums? are they heavy? fat at the nut? Probably yes to both. Does anyone make a copy? There are a lot of things that resemble this - Ibanez Gio springs to mind - but are any of the copies any good?

Gene Simmons has one that he has fiddled with and I have to say I find it rather appealing.

[Big_Stu]

Only thing I remember off the top of my head (though I'm open to contradiction) is that they're the rarest of the EB series because they were only made for one year1959-60 before the SG shaped ones came out.

[The Bass Doc]

BC forum member evilLordJuju will be the font of knowledge here.

[Mykesbass]

Liking that a lot (but then I've got a Gordon Smith GS1 - LP Junior guitar copy so am a fan of that stripped down, no nonsense workmanlike ethic). Would have thought a custom build would be relatively affordable?

[Low End Bee]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eFYFFt3UMhI

Glen Matlock using one with Iggy. I'm an LP Junior fan so I like the look of them too.

[evilLordJuju]

Yeah, they are pretty rare, and expensive in original condition - but ultimately they are a collectors bass, so modded ones are reasonable. There was a body with no parts but an extra pickup route on ebay not so long ago that was reasonably priced. But Gibson just reissued and promptly deleted a similar version in Pelham blue. Can't see one online just now, but a mate got one for £500 a couple months back [url="http://www.gearnuts.com/store/detail/BAEB11PBCH"]http://www.gearnuts.com/store/detail/BAEB11PBCH[/url]. Yes they have that fat early sixties neck, but no not too heavy - pretty small bodies really.

[FlatEric]

Hi there.

I have been lucky enough to have a go on a couple, over the years.
I have a '63 EBO, same plastic covered Mudbucker, which to me, sounds pretty much the same.
More Thuddy than a Thuddy thing!!
Thick, treacle-like bottom end, with little above that.
From memory, as a lot of these type of basses are - Head Heavy.

For looks and Vintage Mojo, you can't beat it - as a gigging bass, not for me.

Hope this helps with your GAS

Cheers.

[Paul S]

Cheers chaps, I appreciate the input. Much as I suspected on all fronts, really.

I think, if I were to ever consider having a custom made bass, it would look quite a lot like this. But somehow contrive it to be lightweight, short scale with no neck dive. I guess a smaller headstock would help.

Ta

[chris_b]

As an ex-EB0 owner, I'd redesign the body to balance properly on the strap. You'd have to make it headless for the current body design to work.

You'd also need to place a proper pickup almost anywhere other than its current position on the fretboard.

[Paul S]

Yes, I was thinking maybe a MM humbucker type in the 'sweet spot' (whatever that is). Get John East to make me up 3 band eq. I like the sound of my SBMM Sb-14 which has this arrangement. I would prefer a headstock, I think. Shortscale with the bridge as far back as it will go, a small headstock al la SGC Nanyo Bass Collection. Very slim shallow neck, so we'd save some weight there. Lightweight tuners. Not that I am seriously considering it but, well, you know.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Paul S

[chris_b]

I think Gibson basses always looked very pretty. They had the knack of designing a good looking bass, but for me, they just didn't get any of the practicalities right.

I read that the CEO hated Leo Fender so much that he wouldn't let them design anything resembling a Fender bass.

For me that was/is their downfall.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1365244991' post='2037114']
I think Gibson basses always looked very pretty. They had the knack of designing a good looking bass, but for me, they just didn't get any of the practicalities right.

I read that the CEO hated Leo Fender so much that he wouldn't let them design anything resembling a Fender bass.

For me that was/is their downfall.
[/quote]

And quite right too! If you're going to make a bass guitar to challenger Fender there's no point in copying them, because that's already been done. Besides Burns here in the UK (amongst others) managed to make some perfectly usable basses that owed nothing to Mr Fender's designs.

[Paul S]

The thing I like about these designs is the symmetry of the double cut away. I had a Washburn Scavenger bass that I really loved but weighed as much as a small planet. This Les Paul Junior/EB0 shape is slightly less pointy but, for my taste, just about perfect. Better proportions, too - the Scavenger was a bit 'fat-arsed'.