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		 Bass Strings
flats, rounds, all scales
www.musicsupplystore.net		 New Gibson basses
SGs, Thunderbirds, Les Pauls
www.musiciansfriend.com		 SG Reissue bass
Review of a classic Gibson
www.guitarfact.com

1969 Gibson EB-3
1969 Gibson EB-3 bass, cherry finish

Solid mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard with 1 piece mahaogany neck. 30½ inch scale. Two humbucking pickups.
1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail - neck humbucking pickup. 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail - bridge cover, and the bridge humbucking pickup 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail - witch hat volume and tone knobs, input jack and chicken-head selector switch 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail - headstock with Gibson logo and crown inlays.
1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Body detail 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Bridge detail, in this case the 2 point bridge, and the bridge humbucking pickup 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. The serial number is at the top back of the headstock 1969 Gibson EB-3 bass. Rear headstock detail

Short scale strings suitable for the EB3 bass

Ernie Ball 2837 Slinky Silhouette 6-String Short-Scale Bass Strings (Ernie Ball 2837 Slinky Silhouette 6-String Short-Scale Bass Strings)

Rotosound RS88S Trubass Standard Gauge Short Scale Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS88S - True Bass (Black Nylon))

D'Addario EXL160S XL Regular Short Bass String Set (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Short Scale - Regular)

D'Addario EXL220S Electric Bass Strings XL Nickel Super Light Short Scale (D'Addario EXL220S Nickel Super Light Short Scale)

Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass Strings Short Scale (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS77S - Jazz Bass)

Fender 5250XL Short Scale Bass Extra Light Strings (Fender short scale Nickel Steel roundwounds)

Thomastik-Infeld JF324 Jazz Flatwound Short Scale 4-String Bass (Thomastik-Infeld JF324 Jazz Flatwound Short Scale)

 The 1960s EB3 was very popular with the British bands of the time. Jack Bruce, bass player with Cream had a very distinctive style which was closely associated with the short scale EB3s he played. The sixties instrument was characterised by its one piece mahogany body and neck, and comparitively small body (only slightly larger than a same-period SG guitar) and of course its sound. Peak production was from 1969-1971; around about 2000 guitars shipped each of those years. It was a still popular instrument in the early seventies (examine a 1972 model here) but sales fell rapidly during 1973-4.

The instrument pictured is quite typical for its vintage; large neck humbucker and bridge humbucker, two point bridge with mute and bridge cover and Kluson 538 'elephant ear' tuners. Typical 1969 neck joint, and type 2 cutaway* Weight 3.7kg. Width at nut 1 5/8".

The 1969 EB-3 had series 1 circuitry

Sound Clips

Sound clips are approximately 250kb played on a 1969 EB3, with fingers rather than a pick.

* Gibson EB basses had subtly different cutouts small changes in the bevels as opposed to the actual size of the horns - there is no obvious way to name these differences, and no refernece to them in any Gibson literature, so they have been described here simply as types 1-5. For a comparative look at the variations, see the EB bass cutaway page

Used Gibson Basses
Parts to complete guitars
www.ebay.com		 D'Addario bass strings
All scales and guages
www.musiciansfriend.com		 Thomastik-Infeld bass strings
Excite the senses!
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.