welcome to the Gibson bass website, photos, history and a lot more. check out all the classic models; EB0, EB3, Thunderbird, Grabber, Ripper and Les Paul Bass GibsonBass.com RSS feed  GibsonBass.com RSS feed
Gibson bass homepage Have a look at different instruments - theres a lot more than thunderbirds Got a gibson bass question? Wiring diagrams, serial numbers, pot codes and catalogues Gibson bass guitar website sitemap Other interesting websites

BASSES > EB0 | EB3 | EB6

Gibson EB3 overview | EB3 variations | Sound clips | Technical info | Pricing and publicity | EB3 forum posts

1969 EB3 | 1971 EB3 | 1971 EB3L | 1972 EB3
Used Gibson Basses
Parts to complete guitars
www.ebay.com		 Gibson Bass Parts
pickup, bridge, tuners
www.guitarandbassparts.com		 D'Addario bass strings
All scales and guages
www.musiciansfriend.com		 New Gibson basses
SGs, Thunderbirds, Les Pauls
www.musiciansfriend.com

1971 Gibson EB-3L
1971 Gibson EB-3L bass, ebony finish

Solid mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard with 1 piece bound mahaogany neck. 34½ inch scale. Two humbucking pickups.
1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail - neck humbucking pickup. 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail - bridge cover, and the bridge humbucking pickup 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail - witch hat volume and tone knobs and chicken-head selector switch 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail - split headstock with Gibson logo.
1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Body detail 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Three-ply pickguard 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Side mounted input jack, on 3-ply mounting plate. 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. The gear covers of these Schaller M4-classic tuners are inscribed Gibson 1971 Gibson EB-3L bass. Rear headstock detail

Long scale strings suitable for the EB3L bass

Rotosound RS77LD Jazz Bass Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS77LD - Jazz Bass)

Fender 9120 Nylon Tapewound Bass Strings (Fender Nylon Tapewound - Long Scale - 34)

Fender 9050L Stainless Flatwound Bass Strings (Fender - Stainless Bass Flatwound - Long Scale - 34 - Light )

D'Addario ECB81 XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings (D'addario Chromes Stainless Steel Flatwound - Soft)

Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass Strings (Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass Strings)

D'Addario EXL160 Regular Gauge Nickel Wound Electric Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Nickel Wound Long Scale - Regular)

D'Addario EXL220 XL Nickel Round Wound Super Light Bright Electric Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Long Scale - Super Soft)

D'Addario EXL170 Nickel Wound Bright Round Wound Electric Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound - Soft)

Rotosound RS77EL Jazz Bass Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS77EL - Jazz Bass)

Fender 9050ML Stainless Flatwound Bass Strings (Fender - Stainless Bass Flatwound - Long Scale - 34 - Medium Light)

 This very early split headstock model would have been one of the first shipped. This example has been refinnished, and has lost its serial number. You can read all about the restoration of this bass. Like all split-headstock EB basses it is fitted with Schaller M4 classic tuning keys. In addition to the extra pickup, the EB3 had a few high-end appointments over the EB0 - bound neck, and a three-ply (rather than one) pickguard. The long scale models had slightly longer necks, but they also had the bridge (in this case the two point bar bridge) situated a bit further back on the body of the bass. All EB3Ls came with a height adjustable EB humbucker with surround, EB mini humbucker and chrome bridge cover. Early models like the one shown above also came with a scripted truss rod cover, and some had pickup covers inscribed 'Gibson'.

1970 Gibson catalogueThe EB3L was first announced in the 1970 Gibson bass catalogue, however shipping figures indicate none were availble until the following year. It was the same 34 1/2" scale of the Gibson Thunderbird, and Fender Precision and Jazz basses and was assumed to be in demand by the guitar-buying public. Sales figures never demonstrated this fact, with short-scale (30 1/2") instruments outselling the long scale in every year they were available

For more information about EB3 basses in general, go back to the Gibson EB3 page.


Sound Clips

EB3L strung with D'addario ECB84 Chromes, recorded directly into a mobile-pre external sound card

Each clip is played fingerstyle, often changing playing position half way though - listen out for tonal differences

Position 1 - neck pickup with tone choke
typical EB humbucker muddiness. Great for dub and anything that needs a rumble rather than a bassline Position 2 - bridge pickup
the brightest setting
Position 3 - both pickups
a wide range of sounds can be dialed in in position 3. The second clip here is one of my favourite settings - clear and mellow in equal measure
Position 4 - neck pickup only
good basic sound
Used Gibson Basses
Parts to complete guitars
www.ebay.com		 Gibson Bass Parts
pickup, bridge, tuners
www.guitarandbassparts.com		 D'Addario bass strings
All scales and guages
www.musiciansfriend.com		 New Gibson basses
SGs, Thunderbirds, Les Pauls
www.musiciansfriend.com

Home | Discussion Board | Sitemap Contact Us | Terms and conditions |

new Gibson basses

Gibson SG Supreme bass
Gibson SG Supreme Bass
Natural finish

Gibson's classic dual-pickup, short scale, SG bass, has been updated with a beautiful AAA flame maple top and natural satin finish. With a slim neck for effortless playability, the SG Supreme AAA Maple bass is fast, powerful, and beautiful. A vintage-style TB Plus bass humbucker neck pickup coupled with a bass Mini-humbucker at the bridge delivers trademark tone. A real stunner.

Gibson SG bass
Gibson SG Reissue 4-String Bass
Heritage Cherry or Ebony finishes

Gibson's classic dual-pickup SG bass from the '60s is back! It has the 30-1/2' short scale of the original, as well as its slim, fast neck. Mahogany body and neck. It features a vintage-style TB Plus neck humbucker and a mini-humbucker at the bridge for wide tonal range. Includes hardshell case.

Epiphone Elitist EB-3 Bass Guitar
Epiphone Elitist EB-3 Bass Guitar
Cherry or Ebony finishes

The Elite series are instruments that approach custom shop perfection. They're made with premium woods, fitted with American pickups and circuitry -- even American-made toggle switches and Grover tuners. They are made at a special factory exclusively devoted to their manufacture where they receive a high degree of hands-on luthier attention. The EB-3 is a bass classic, made famous by Jack Bruce, with its SG-style body in bookmatched mahogany, a 30-1/2'-scale neck, a USA humbucker at the neck, and USA mini-humbucker at the bridge.

Epiphone EB-0 Bass Guitar
Epiphone EB-0 Bass
Cherry or Ebony finishes

Authorized by Gibson, Epiphone has brought back a classic of the early '60s. Based on the SG, this guitar-sized (30-1/2' scale) bass is a great axe for anyone not quite large enough for a full-size bass. Though small and light, its sound is huge, and full-size people can play it too.