Gibson EB-3 Bass

[BoogieMKIIA]

The bass player in my acoustic band normally plays a 5 string Fender bass but pulls out his Gibson EB-3 on occasion. The slotted headstock is unusual. I always love the Gibson red mahogany finish.

Have any bass players seen one of these? 

[kizanski]

39 minutes ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

Have any bass players seen one of these? 

Yeah, a guy I knew had one in that color (they were probably all that color), and his initials were "JB" as a matter of fact.

[HSB0531]

23 hours ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

The bass player in my acoustic band normally plays a 5 string Fender bass but pulls out his Gibson EB-3 on occasion. The slotted headstock is unusual. I always love the Gibson red mahogany finish.

Have any bass players seen one of these? 

Yes I've seen those.  It's a 1971.  They came as the 30-1/2" short scale EB3, and the 34 (-1/2?)" scale EB3L. The slotted headstock started in 1969 and ended in 1971.  When I first started playing bass, that was the one I wanted.  I wound up building a parts bass with the 1973 EB3 pickups.  Later, I transferred those to my '73 P-bass and wired it as stereo out w/2 volume & 2 mono cables (it was 1974 and I was a 16 y/o novice
).  I still have that babybucker bridge in it today.  I have an urge for one of those EB3's to this day and, I remember seeing an old EB1 violin bass for sale in the window of King James Music in Belmont Long Island.  Jack Bruce played one of these at The Royal Albert Hall for the Cream reunion. If you look at the bass in the picture there's an additional p/g on the left.  I've never seen an EB with dual pick guards.

Edited March 8 by HSB0531

[BoogieMKIIA]

4 hours ago, kizanski said:

Yeah, a guy I knew had one in that color (they were probably all that color), and his initials were "JB" as a matter of fact.

Reckon he wasn’t in Kentucky?  I’ll ask my friend if he knows whose initials they are. Hopefully not Jethro Bodine.

Also wondering if the top pickguard was stock or added.

[kizanski]

1 hour ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

Reckon he wasn’t in Kentucky?.

No, Bronx, NY. 

[Brooks]

I always dug those Gibson basses. Never seen one like that.

Geezer had a custom made SG bass in the late 70s, IIRC it was made by the same guy who made Iommi's late 70s custom SGs.

[Willie G. Moseley]

Used to own a fully-storck 1970 example in walnut. Was part of my "Russian dozen" collecting propensity (and philosophy) at the time. Here 'tis in Vintage Guitar's Southern Regional Office ca. 1996.

Seen cherry red examples around these parts, as well. EB-)s and EB-3s were slightly neck-heavy but not uncomfortable. One wonders if the reason for the slotted headstock was to reduce weight at that end.

[cmatthes]

On 3/7/2025 at 6:25 PM, BoogieMKIIA said:

...Also wondering if the top pickguard was stock or added.

That was an aftermarket mod.

[HSB0531]

On 3/7/2025 at 6:25 PM, BoogieMKIIA said:

Reckon he wasn’t in Kentucky?  I’ll ask my friend if he knows whose initials they are. Hopefully not Jethro Bodine.

Also wondering if the top pickguard was stock or added.

Jim Beam, James Bond, Jack the Bruce???

Edited March 11 by HSB0531

[HSB0531]

On 3/9/2025 at 12:34 PM, Willie G. Moseley said:

Used to own a fully-storck 1970 example in walnut. Was part of my "Russian dozen" collecting propensity (and philosophy) at the time. Here 'tis in Vintage Guitar's Southern Regional Office ca. 1996.

Seen cherry red examples around these parts, as well. EB-)s and EB-3s were slightly neck-heavy but not uncomfortable. One wonders if the reason for the slotted headstock was to reduce weight at that end.

Was the Walnut version just the color, or was the body made out of walnut instead of mahogany?

[BoogieMKIIA]

2 hours ago, HSB0531 said:

Jim Beam, James Bond, Jack the Bruce???

John Boy? Definitely not Jeff Beck

[HSB0531]

5 hours ago, BoogieMKIIA said:

John Boy? Definitely not Jeff Beck

I forgot those two!

[tbonesullivan]

Every time I see one of those basses, part of me wants one, while the other part says "what the hell does it sound like?". Then I remember that Bob Daisley was a big EB-3 player, and I believe used one for most of Blizzard of Oz.

[Willie G. Moseley]

^^^HSB0531: Finish was walnut, body was mahogany...at least, on mine.

[Brooks]

On 3/11/2025 at 11:00 PM, tbonesullivan said:

Bob Daisley was a big EB-3 player, and I believe used one for most of Blizzard of Oz.

 

[tbonesullivan]

9 hours ago, Brooks said:

 

Oh wow. I wonder whose road case that is with Uriah Heep on it? Must be from Kerslake, as Daisley didn't join Uriah Heep until after the Diary of a Madman sessions, when he and Kerslake were unceremoniously fired by Sharon.