Did the first 1958 EB-2's come with a Telescoping Endpin to play it upright???

[Grog]

I just ran into this 1958 EB-2 on Reverb. It is pictured with the same telescoping endpin that came with the original EB-1's. I have a question sent to the seller asking about it. I don't know if this was added. Could the very first EB-2's have came with this option? He has no photos of the end of the guitar.

https://reverb.com/item/165675-gibson-eb-2-1958-sunburst-lifton-case

[Granny Gremlin]

If so I don't think we knew that.

Frankly, I'd forgotten that some EB-2s were early enough to have the single coil mudbucker and banjo tuners; just never see them around.  It's certainly rare and therefore the price is actually not bad.

The 58 catalogue mentions (implies ) the telescoping leg for the EB1 ("can be played in either a standing or guitar position") but not for the EB2.  Not conclusive, but something.

http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gibson/catalogues/1958_14.php

It is also possible that this was added aftermarket or as a custom request (no biggie- just change the endpin and include the rod, right?)... though, I don't think the original leg would have been black (powdercoat?). ... now that I think about it, they don't show it attached or mention it in the text so maybe that's not even what that thing in that one pic is.

[Grog]

Just got an answer............


New Message


Hi George,

You have a new message on Reverb.com regarding your Gibson EB-2 1958 Sunburst Lifton Case.




The bass actually does not have a strap button with it it only has the screw on telescoping endpoint to play upright. Which is extremely fun by the way.

Thank you for your time,
Rob Schlautman
Lidgett Music



Rob Schlautman



I've had a '59 for quite a few years. It's one of the last of the single coils. But I've never seen or heard of one with the EB-1 endpin. My first '69 EB-1 had the endpin missing. I hunted around for years trying to find one. I ended up with a fifties endpin that was cut down to fit in a case. It was exactly like the one pictured. I wonder if they used up the last of the endpins on the first EB-2's that were produced............

On the other side of the coin, Dave Rogers has a '58 EB-1 with a Humbucker, I found that rather odd also.
http://davesguitar.com/dgs_collection/eb-1-58/

[66Atlas]

Anything's possible with Gibson I guess, but if it was a stock feature with the first EB-2's wouldn't they have designed the case with a storage compartment large enough to hold the pin? Or at least some way to fit it in the case?

[uwe]

Never heard of an end pin on an EB-2 but as Gibson had them on their EB and the mando basses even prior to that - why not if you asked nicely for it? Given the sluggish sales of EBs, I'm sure their stock of unused end pins was plentiful. Also makes sense if you play the bass horizontally, yet don't want that guitarist and singer coming too near!

[Grog]

I figured that this would be the only place on earth, where I could find anyone else that would be interested in how many things you could screw into the bout of a '58 EB-2! 

I also remember seeing a Gretsch with a short end pin at Willie's years ago.

https://reverb.com/item/423197-gretsch-vintage-6072-hollowbody-country-gentleman-bass-with-rare-upright-endpin-1963-orig-case

[Dave W]

You never know. It could have been planned as a production feature and a few could have shipped that way. More likely it was by request.

[amptech]

My '63 Gretsch 6070 has telescopic endpin. Still, if I took it off it really won't fit in a case unless it's for a double bass. Huge!

How common could it be to play a big hollowbody as an upright? I've seen a couple of pics around, though.

[Pilgrim]

My '63 Gretsch 6070 has telescopic endpin. Still, if I took it off it really won't fit in a case unless it's for a double bass. Huge!

How common could it be to play a big hollowbody as an upright? I've seen a couple of pics around, though.

Well, Leo was beguiled by the then-typical playing mode of guitarists and banjo players in using their thumbs. That begat the tug bar, widely misunderstood by those who fail to study history.

I think it likely that many others assumed that bass should be played vertically, like an upright bass. Doesn't surprise me to see various endpin arrangements. 

And let's not forget that the manufacturer is often ahead of the practitioner. It's not unreasonable to think that many bass players who tried electric basses made their own reflexive assumption that they should play it upright with an endpin. I'm confident that there were requests for endpin devices.

[Chris P.]

Maybe the first Bassmans were the right size to put your P on, to play it upright?

[Dave W]

Maybe the first Bassmans were the right size to put your P on, to play it upright?

Seriously, Leo intended from the beginning for it to be a bass guitar. Gibson and Gretsch may have been more hesitant to jump in headfirst.

[eb2]

I've owned two 1958 EB-2's, both with the single coil mud buckers. They both had regular strap buttons on the butt end. And I owned a 56 EB(1) with the peg. I've never seen an early Eb2 with a peg set up.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is legit though. I've seen Eb2's with and without the choke from the same period. I've seen several Eb0's with stock bridge coverish things and a couple with Tbird bridge set ups that looked stock. And I saw a 58 eb2 with a 57 letter code, choke and chrome bridge and studs. This was back when you couldn't give these away for $100 so I'm guessing Gibson did whatever.

[RedVee]

Is putting an end pin on a hollow body a feasible mod after production?

[uwe]

Look at how many early sixties bass players would play their electric bass relatively upright, at a, say, 60 degree angle and even higher (measured from an assumed horizontal position of the bass) hanging from their strap. It obviously came natural to them. Bass necks were held more horizontally only over time. As were guitars. Johnny Cash was an exception! 

[Grog]

Is putting an end pin on a hollow body a feasible mod after production?

The block going down the center should give it  solid wood to mount it on. I'm not sure about the Gretsch, if it is hollow or semi-hollow.