Paul S Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 There is one of these just popped up on eBay. Don't see them very often. MIK 1998. Does anyone have any experience of them? I'd hazard a guess they have the same pickup as their EB-0 and EB-3, which has never really done it for me. 32" scale, apparently, and 3.4kg (I asked). Did the Epiphone version have the retractable end-pin as per Gibson? Couldn't find a reference to one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 Is the seller sure about the scale length? The original Gibson model is the more conventional 30½" scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted November 15, 2023 Author Share Posted November 15, 2023 I think I've read before that these had 32" scale. I asked him to confirm and he said it did. I think short scale like the Gibson would be better tbh. The more I think about it the less appealing it becomes, really. It would need a very powerful mudbucker for the Jack Bruce/Felix Papalardi sound and I don't think anything off the peg comes close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted November 18, 2023 Author Share Posted November 18, 2023 They must be rarer than I thought if no-one has added anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted November 18, 2023 Share Posted November 18, 2023 On 15/11/2023 at 16:11, Paul S said: Did the Epiphone version have the retractable end-pin as per Gibson? I’ve no experience of one of these, but from this listing it seems they would have originally come with the ‘spike’ included. https://www.forsyths.co.uk/guitars/bass-guitars/195894-ned-callen-fretless-bass-second-hand-c-1970s.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted November 18, 2023 Share Posted November 18, 2023 1 hour ago, Paul S said: They must be rarer than I thought if no-one has added anything! What can I tell you? The only thing I know about them is that they exist - never seen one in the flesh let alone played one. Rarely come up for sale in second hand channels so I think it's fair to say it's a niche instrument. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted November 18, 2023 Share Posted November 18, 2023 1 hour ago, mr4stringz said: I’ve no experience of one of these, but from this listing it seems they would have originally come with the ‘spike’ included. https://www.forsyths.co.uk/guitars/bass-guitars/195894-ned-callen-fretless-bass-second-hand-c-1970s.html I think you could buy one of the really cheap SG style short scale basses and just trim it to shape. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 I had a fretless one about four years ago - as you said, 32” scale, not 30.5” like the Gibson EB-1 and although it played well enough it seemed really cheaply and sloppily built. For example - the hole where the endpin was supposed to screw into the body wasn’t even machined on the centreline and there was no metal fitting, just threads cut into the wood. i spent a fair bit of time making a proper machined piece with a flange which let me move it to centre and had M10 threading to accept the strap button and the telescopic endpin that I was also going to machine. I lost interest in keeping it after that though, even though I’d fitted a Hipshot bridge and better tuners to it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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