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1973 Gibson EB-4L
1973 Gibson EB-4L bass, cherry finish

Solid mahogany body, rosewood fingerboard with 3 piece laminated maple neck. 34½ inch scale.

The EB-4L was launched in 1972. It had no short scale counterpart and was very much an attempt to bring the EBO into the seventies. With its 'superhumbucking' pickup, longscale maple neck, and tone selector switch.
1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail - super humbucking pickup. Note the position of the pole pieces. 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail - bridge cover 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail - witch hat volume and tone knobs, input jack and pickup selector switch 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail - headstock with Gibson transfer
1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Body detail 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Bridge detail, in this case the newly designed 3 point bridge 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. As with all gibson guitars and basses built after 1970, the words 1973 Gibson EB-4L bass. Rear headstock detail

The Gibson EB-4L features heavily in the 1972 catalogueThe EB-4L gets pride of place in the 1972 catalogue with a 2 page spread (compared to half a page for other models). The main feature was the new switchable pickup design. The EB4L super-humbucker actually contains 4 coils, one around each pole. Externally the difference can be seen in that the top two pole pieces are nearer the bridge, the bottom two nearer the neck. This design seperates the top two strings (coils) from the bottom two, and allows them to be heard in (i) series, (ii) series/parallel, (iii) series/parallel plus tone choke. For more details of the actual wiring, please see the Wiring diagrams.

The above bass is fitted with chrome-plated hardware throughout: Schaller M4-S machine heads, three-point bridge, with cover, witchhat knobs and decal logo - typical fittings for all but the earliest EB4Ls

Other 1000 EB4Ls were manufactured, 93% in 1973. They were available in the usual early seventies bass colours, cherry, and walnut, though one was shipped in ebony in 1975. The EB4L shared the fate of the EB0 and EB3; all three had terrible sales from 1974, and the last instruments were shipped in 1979.

Sound Clips

Sound clips are recorded directly into a computer sound card with no amplification. Recorded with round wound strings, and played fingerstyle. Each clip is around 200KB in size

  • 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 1.
    All four coils in series
  • 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 2.
    Series/Parallel - two coils in series, in parallel with the other two coils in series
  • 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 3.
    Series/Parallel + tone choke. Two coils in series, in parallel with the other two coils in series, with additional tone choke
  • 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 1, treble turned to 0

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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.