vbance Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 I've always wanted one and was lucky enough to get this a few days ago. Gunna have to start learning some Free but have been having a go at reggae today, not something I usually play. Straight into a Marshall in GarageBand and I think it sounds pretty good. Got band practice this coming Saturday afternoon and can't wait to see how it sounds through my LM3 into two Barefaced One10's. 20 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 20 hours ago, vbance said: I've always wanted one and was lucky enough to get this a few days ago. Gunna have to start learning some Free but have been having a go at reggae today, not something I usually play. Straight into a Marshall in GarageBand and I think it sounds pretty good. Got band practice this coming Saturday afternoon and can't wait to see how it sounds through my LM3 into two Barefaced One10's. Fantastic! I've always loved these. Back pickup on full, a bit of drive, instant Slade! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Looks a real beauty! Interesting to see that the neck pickup's a bit further back than they normally are - is this one of those rarities from the early '70s? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 14 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said: Looks a real beauty! Interesting to see that the neck pickup's a bit further back than they normally are - is this one of those rarities from the early '70s? Not really, the pickup was moved back for every EB bass post 1971 until its discontinuation in 1979. The OP's one will be late '71 - early '73 due to the two point bridge - the dreaded, much maligned three pointer was introduced in 1973. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbance Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 7 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: Fantastic! I've always loved these. Back pickup on full, a bit of drive, instant Slade! Just gave that a try playing along to Cum On Feel The Noise, great fun. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbance Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 4 hours ago, neepheid said: Not really, the pickup was moved back for every EB bass post 1971 until its discontinuation in 1979. The OP's one will be late '71 - early '73 due to the two point bridge - the dreaded, much maligned three pointer was introduced in 1973. Correct neepheid....it's a '73 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 This is a coincidence! My mate has just got a slightly earlier version of the same thing, about 1970, with the slotted headstock and the neck pickup up against the fingerboard. I'd love to try it, but it's up north and I'm not! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 58 minutes ago, vbance said: Just gave that a try playing along to Cum On Feel The Noise, great fun. There's a lot more where that came from! Terribly underrated player. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnozzalee Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 (edited) I love that pickup configuration - Does everything that a modern bass can't and packs more wallop than a P or J. Should feature on more basses. Edited January 4 by Schnozzalee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 38 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: There's a lot more where that came from! Terribly underrated player. They’ve been playing How Does It Feel on Planet Rock a fair bit recently and that bass line is lovely. Jim Lea is a superbly rounded musician. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 1 hour ago, ezbass said: They’ve been playing How Does It Feel on Planet Rock a fair bit recently and that bass line is lovely. Jim Lea is a superbly rounded musician. That's one of my absolute favourite songs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Gah! This thread now has me looking at EB3s and dammit if GG in Glasgow don't actually have one. https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/pxp231124415836002-11714090--gibson-1970-1972-eb3-short-scale-bass-cherry-pre-ow I don't want another bass, I don't want another bass... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 1 hour ago, ezbass said: Gah! This thread now has me looking at EB3s and dammit if GG in Glasgow don't actually have one. https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/pxp231124415836002-11714090--gibson-1970-1972-eb3-short-scale-bass-cherry-pre-ow I don't want another bass, I don't want another bass... Saw it last time I was down there (start of December) so it's been hanging around for at least a month now. I didn't have a go of it because it's a shortie and I was in no position to buy it so would just be wasting their time. To be honest, while I think the slot headstock EBs are interesting and certainly pretty, they're a bit goofy in other respects - the 19 fret fingerboard makes my teeth itch a little and it's going to be mud city with the pickup jammed up at the neck heel. If was ever to get an EB, it'd have to be a later one ('73 onwards with three point bridge and pickup moved south a little) and preferably an EB4(L), just because the pickup is interesting (multi coil - one per pole piece). But would take an EB-0L. Bridge pickups be damned! Edited January 3 by neepheid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbacco Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 On 01/01/2024 at 17:01, vbance said: I've always wanted one and was lucky enough to get this a few days ago. Gunna have to start learning some Free but have been having a go at reggae today, not something I usually play. Straight into a Marshall in GarageBand and I think it sounds pretty good. Got band practice this coming Saturday afternoon and can't wait to see how it sounds through my LM3 into two Barefaced One10's. fa_brill! == fabulous + brilliant! 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Certainly love mine! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnozzalee Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Just out of interest, did they do a factory fretless version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 1 minute ago, Schnozzalee said: Just out of interest, did they do a factory fretless version? It's (70s) Gibson, so who knows/probably/maybe/nae sure? My gut tells me they didn't get into factory fretlesses until the Ripper, and the EB was already in the twilight of its first run by then, but I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 (edited) 7 hours ago, neepheid said: Saw it last time I was down there (start of December) so it's been hanging around for at least a month now. I didn't have a go of it because it's a shortie and I was in no position to buy it so would just be wasting their time. To be honest, while I think the slot headstock EBs are interesting and certainly pretty, they're a bit goofy in other respects - the 19 fret fingerboard makes my teeth itch a little and it's going to be mud city with the pickup jammed up at the neck heel. If was ever to get an EB, it'd have to be a later one ('73 onwards with three point bridge and pickup moved south a little) and preferably an EB4(L), just because the pickup is interesting (multi coil - one per pole piece). But would take an EB-0L. Bridge pickups be damned! I'm normally opposed to the bridge pickup on most basses but on these old EBs the bridge pickup alone works perfectly for me. Instant Jack Bruce, Slade, Free etc. They're not nasally thin pickups at all. Edited January 3 by Cosmo Valdemar 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnozzalee Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 Yep ^ I went for a John Birch in my teens, but it wasn't as good. I think I moved to a Goodfellow and then an EB3 Supreme, https://i.imgur.com/4UN5LTC.jpg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 Andy Baxter has one up for sale if anyone is feeling flush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 11 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: I'm normally opposed to the bridge pickup on most basses but on these old EBs the bridge pickup alone works perfectly for me. Instant Jack Bruce, Slade, Free etc. They're not nasally thin pickups at all. At the moment I have a 2021 SG Standard and a 70s Eros EB-3 I'd say the same, I usually don't go anywhere near a bridge pickup, except I like to dial in a bit of the neck pickup to round it off a bit. But maybe that is because of the pickups - what would any of you shorty Gibson aficionados say was the difference between the early EB-3s and SG in terms of tone? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 3 minutes ago, Paul S said: At the moment I have a 2021 SG Standard and a 70s Eros EB-3 I'd say the same, I usually don't go anywhere near a bridge pickup, except I like to dial in a bit of the neck pickup to round it off a bit. But maybe that is because of the pickups - what would any of you shorty Gibson aficionados say was the difference between the early EB-3s and SG in terms of tone? I know you've got that Eros, please stop reminding me 😭 If I remember correctly, the Gibson reissue (bizarrely called the SG) had modern Thunderbird pickups underneath the old-fashioned covers, but I could be wrong. The ones I tried didn't sound like an old EB to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 1 minute ago, Cosmo Valdemar said: I know you've got that Eros, please stop reminding me 😭 If I remember correctly, the Gibson reissue (bizarrely called the SG) had modern Thunderbird pickups underneath the old-fashioned covers, but I could be wrong. The ones I tried didn't sound like an old EB to me. When the time comes you'll be the first to know, Ben Currently having a Schaller 460 bridge fitted as the pointless bit of 2-point tin was doing my head in. I've never played a proper old EB. Maybe I should. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnDaBass Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 (edited) 7 hours ago, Paul S said: At the moment I have a 2021 SG Standard and a 70s Eros EB-3 I'd say the same, I usually don't go anywhere near a bridge pickup, except I like to dial in a bit of the neck pickup to round it off a bit. But maybe that is because of the pickups - what would any of you shorty Gibson aficionados say was the difference between the early EB-3s and SG in terms of tone? I have a 1969 slot head,walnut EB-3 (bought from new); 2017 SG; 2 x Les Paul Jr DC cherry with round wound and worn walnut with Chrome flats. The EB-3 has a sidewinder Pup while the SG has a stand humbucker design( correctly explained by @Cosmo Valdemar) and the Les Pauls have TB humbucker design Pups. The EB-3 & SG has their neck Pups right up close to the fingerboard while the Les Pauls have the Pup 10 ins from the 12th fret( so-called the short scale sweet spot) The EB-3 has VVTT with 4 postion switch which engages an inductor to produce a very deep tone for the solo'd neck Pup. The SG has VVT and does not achieve the same low end as the early EB-3. The SG is a very flexible bass with a wide range of tones on offer. The Les Paul has VT with a coil tap switch on the volume control. When the coil tap is engaged it achieves the same range of tones as the SG but does offer a very deep option not availbe on the SG. The closest I have got to the tone of the 1969 EB-3 is by installing an Artec Mudbucker sidewinder design PUP in the neck position of a new Epiphone Newport reissue. The Newport is VBT and the balance control really offers a huge range of tones (after modifying the phase of the TB bridge PUP). I tend to use the neck PUP solo'd mostly but adding an amount of bridge PUP adds a broad pallette of tones. I only use the neck PUP solo'd on some specific songs ( Bruce, Free,Slade). Hope this helps? Edited January 4 by JohnDaBass error 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 @JohnDaBass quick question about the slot head eb3, do the frets have binding nibs? I got photos of a friends one and trying to guess if it's been refretted. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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