Comments on the EB-3?

[Pilgrim]

I recently got an Epi EB-3 (not a Gibson, I know, but still....)

It's heavier than I expected - has a very nice neck - and I'm finding that leaving both pickups on sounds best to my ear.  it's also more of a neck-diver than I expected from my previous experience with the EB-0, but that's surely due to the 34" neck.  I'm thinking this bass would be even better with a 30" neck.

Anyone have experience with the new EB-3 series?  Are there any creative things that can be done with that 3-position pickup switch?

[barend]

yes, I had one for a month.

really liked that bass, but it had to go for a real '68 EB3.

It played like butter and the sound was great with both pickups open and with the bridge pickup solo, neck pickup solo was useless for me, too much mud.

The drawbacks for me were the incredible neckdive (this is the first bass ever on which the neckdive really bothered me) and the neck is too long. You have too reach much too far too get the F on the E string.

But besides that I think it is really good bass.

[godofthunder]

 I have one of these and for the $ I think it is a great bass. It is one of my favorite variations of the EB3. I like the thicker body ala 70's EB series combined the more dramatic sculpting like on the 60's bodies. I like having a servicable long scale EB3 , I think this is a much better bass than the 70's long scale versions. I put a 60's mudbucker in mine. I think if Gibson were to build one they would have a real winner on their hands. Like all Epis it suffers from crappy pots, and the frets need to be dressed. I paid $250 for mine and at that price I think they are a bargain. Fit and finish on mine is excellent, better than most Gibbies I own.

[Barklessdog]

Are there any creative things that can be done with that 3-position pickup switch?

You could drop in a Big D Varitone (not a real Varitone) and a push/pull Bypass switch

[leftybass]

I had one a few years back, sounded/played well but the neck-dive was horrible so I sold it.
Putting a full-scale bass neck on a guitar-sized body, with the strap button at the neck heel equals bad neck-dive.

[rockinrayduke]

I liked the one I had (that Scott now owns) but I had some of the same complaints as others, neck diver.

[godofthunder]

I luv the white one ! Glad you sold it to me ! Neck dive ? I ain't afraid of no neck dive, been playing Thuderbirds all my life. LOL

[rockinrayduke]

At least I can lay an arm on top of the Thunderbird to hold it down. I might give the EB3 another shot someday......

[Dave W]

Ray, are you trying to challenge funkycarnivore for number of basses owned and resold? 

[rockinrayduke]

Ray, are you trying to challenge funkycarnivore for number of basses owned and resold? 

Not me! I'm trying to be happy with what I've got. But I would like a 70's EB3 someday.

[Pilgrim]

You could drop in a Big D Varitone (not a real Varitone) and a push/pull Bypass switch

Well, at least I'm not the only one to discover its neck-dive.  That three-position switch does seem to offer the potential for mods...any idea what that Big D Varitone costs if he has any left?  His website says he's discontinued them but may still have some around.

[Barklessdog]

I believe it was around $60.00 / He still makes them. He uses different capacitors now. I recently got one for my Blueshawk project-Be warned as he now uses Orange Drop Capacitors that are HUGE!. It's a tight fit in the control cavities.

http://www.bigdguitars.com/order.html


As Jake pointed out many times, they are not true Varitones but a series of capacitors. I find them really useful, but there is some noise when switching around on the switch as well as large volume drops & increases in various positions. Still I like them because when in position, it really can shape your tone in various situations that work really well.

[Pilgrim]

Hey, thanks for the link.  I assume the switch is the one which appears at the bottom of the photo - since the bass is upside down and I can see the small caps.

I think I'll have a look behind the control plate in my EB-3 and check on how much room there is.

I'm starting to wonder if I could convert it to short scale with a different neck - but I haven't measured things.  I suspect the bridge wouldn't be in the right place.

[Basvarken]

Wouldn't it be easier to buy an Epi EB0 and add the bridge pickup to turn it into an EB3?
Or are they far worse build quality than the Epi EB3's?
The prices of these babies are so low they are nearly giving them away that's for sure.

[godofthunder]

The Epi EBO has a bolt on neck and I think some now have a plywood body. Not a  bad little bass for the money but I think the Epi EB3 is a much better bass.