Jack Bruce, an EB3 and a diode.

[Chris P.]

From his website:

"During the 1960s, Jack plugged his EB-3 into a stack of Marshall amps (Marshall 4x12s with Marshall 100 heads).  His desire for greater volume induced him to crank up the volume control, unwittingly producing the heavy, distorted tone that became so popular in the ensuing years.  Later, Jack had instrument technician Dan Armstrong install a diode into the EB-3's wiring to produce the same effect without overdriving his amplifiers."

[exiledarchangel]

Yup, you could get there by replacing your tone control's capacitor with a low forward voltage diode. It sounds like a farty fuzz thing, and you must have hot pickups.

[Chris P.]

Okay... Kinda EB-0F

[Dave W]

Okay... Kinda EB-0F

The fuzz on my former EB-0F sounded terrible. Jack got the effect he wanted, and fortunately it sounded a lot better.

[amptech]

The fuzz on my former EB-0F sounded terrible. Jack got the effect he wanted, and fortunately it sounded a lot better.

I put an arbiter fuzzface cct. in my EB0F, sounds better I think.
Rarely used though, but with the attack low you can use it as a boost to push the front end of the amp a bit.
I can see that the original ´maestro´cct. is not for all.

[Granny Gremlin]

Most ' schottky' diodes will do.  You can use 1 for a half-wave distortion effect (not my bag personally) or 2 in parallel (one inverted polaritywise) for full wave distortion.  You will loose a little bit of volume when you use it either way you go.

I receomend having it on a switch vs a pot because it sounds best full bore.

Yes, you need hot pups for it to work (should be no sweat with the mudbucker - haven't tried that yet actually).

Same idea as the 'Black Ice' onboard passive distortion, but don't pay $20 for one of those; I sell Schottky 1N5818s locally in TO for 75cents each (+ install if required) and you can get them on ebay for about as much (or even less if you buy in qty).

[Grog]

The fuzz on my former EB-0F sounded terrible. Jack got the effect he wanted, and fortunately it sounded a lot better.

My EB-0F sounds like an electric fart................., but it's a gas to play!

[Pilgrim]

There's something very nice about the short scale EB-0 layout and balance.  It's really a light, fun instrument.

[dc10bass]

I play in a Cream tribute called "Tales Of Cream" and use a 1962 Gibson EB-3 through a 1969 Marshall Major into two 4x12 cabs.
When I go through the 2nd channel of the Major it gives me that major overdriven "Live" Jack Bruce Cream sound.
...If I go through the 1st channel I have to have the volume up a lot to give me that growl.

...I tried a Marshall Plexi 100 watt clone that gave me a nice growl at lower volume.

That EB-3 is a fun bass to play!

[4stringer77]

Wow that's cool as hell. You can sing Jack's vocals and everything? You play "those were the days"? I always wondered how you're supposed to count in that one.

[uwe]

I play in a Cream tribute called "Tales Of Cream" and use a 1962 Gibson EB-3 through a 1969 Marshall Major into two 4x12 cabs.
When I go through the 2nd channel of the Major it gives me that major overdriven "Live" Jack Bruce Cream sound.
...If I go through the 1st channel I have to have the volume up a lot to give me that growl.

...I tried a Marshall Plexi 100 watt clone that gave me a nice growl at lower volume.

That EB-3 is a fun bass to play!

How can anyone person be JAE and Jack Bruce and not go insane? Are you Paul McCartney too?  

[Pilgrim]

"Jack Bruce, an EB3 and a diode."

When I read the title of this thread I flashed back to Johnny Carson as Carnac the Magnificent...



The question I had in mind was "Name an old face, a old bass and an old gate."

[Dave W]

My favorite Carnac moment

[westen44]

They were really good at making something out of nothing with those shows, although I must say this is quite a distance from the Jack Bruce/EB-3 original topic:

[Pilgrim]

They were really good at making something out of nothing with those shows, although I must say this is quite a distance from the Jack Bruce/EB-3 original topic:

We are nothing if not expert in creating diversions!!