software

So I'm at this housewarming party that's being thrown by a friend's parent's co-worker, and in the middle of the party the host decides to have an open jam in the middle of the yard. Turns out he collects instruments of all kinds so gear is taken care of.

Musicians are called for and since the host will be playing guitar (a REAL '57 Strat, to be exact ) I volunteer for playing bass. I plugged into a Gallien-Kreuger head and a 4x10 cab and he gave me this bass to play. He said it was a Late 60's Gibson bass and that to get the best sound, quot;keep that little black button pushed in.quot;

I've been doing some light research and it turns out it was a late 60's Gibson EB model bass. I don't know the exact number but there's a few of these on eBay and they're very similar. Basically a bass guitar that looks like a 335 with a big silver pickup and a few knobs... and this switch.

Anyways I plug into the GK head and play a few lines. Very nice-sounding instrument, nice and tubby and smooth but not woofy, and still retained definition. Then I hit that switch he told me to punch...

DAAAAAAAMMMMNNNN... the bass got WAY louder but the low end just seemed to explode. It was the warmest, deepest, fattest, smoothest, most luscious low end I've ever heard come out of an instrument. And it still never got woofy or lost clarity. I'm thinking that that switch was the quot;Baritone Switchquot; the ebay ads refer to. This was not an active bass, nor did it sound like any other active electronics on a bass I've heard before. It was much smoother and deeper.

Does anyone know how that thing works? And if so, how can I get a copy of the circuit to build it into another bass? My bassist is one of those players that likes deep, smooth, punchy tones. I asked her about this and she said she'd love to have a mod like this on her bass.

So anyone got any leads?

You're playing with fire with a EB-2. They do what they do really good, but they don't do much out of that. I had a '68 for around 6 years, I really wanted to use it, the neck was so incredibly friendly, it looked so unbelievably cool, but it wasn't for playing in a rock band. There was also the EB-2D, which had a quot;bridgequot; pickup, and I'm really not too familiar with those.

On a budget, Epi makes an EB-0 and an EB-3 copy, Gibson is supposedly doing an EB-3 RI. There is also a quot;Darkstarquot; pickup (I don't know too much about it) that supposedly is a little more controllable than the Gibson or Epi pickups (which are not the same despite the physical similarity).

Basically, a mahogany short scale bass is never going to sound like a Precision or Jazz, and if you're using the EB pickup, you're more likely to be felt rather than heard.


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyYou're playing with fire with a EB-2. They do what they do really good, but they don't do much out of that. I had a '68 for around 6 years, I really wanted to use it, the neck was so incredibly friendly, it looked so unbelievably cool, but it wasn't for playing in a rock band. There was also the EB-2D, which had a quot;bridgequot; pickup, and I'm really not too familiar with those.

On a budget, Epi makes an EB-0 and an EB-3 copy, Gibson is supposedly doing an EB-3 RI. There is also a quot;Darkstarquot; pickup (I don't know too much about it) that supposedly is a little more controllable than the Gibson or Epi pickups (which are not the same despite the physical similarity).

Basically, a mahogany short scale bass is never going to sound like a Precision or Jazz, and if you're using the EB pickup, you're more likely to be felt rather than heard.

Thanks for the info...

For the record I play in a classic/hard rock, blues, Jammish type of band. We do stuff like Cream, Hendrix, 60's and 70s rock, SRV, early VH, that type of stuff. I played similar songs (minus the VH) at the open jam at the hous eparty and the sound worked wonderfully, i thought.

I simply want the Baritone switch circuit because I've been given an Ibanez Bass to experiment on and I'd like to see if I can put that circuit in that bass to get a similar effect and improve the overall sound of the bass. Know where I can get it or get a schematic for it?

I'm interrested in this, especially if it's not active and if it can be fitted to a guitar.

Wonder if it's related to the arrangement the first tele's (Broadcasters) had where one position would give you more bass to play bass lines by using caps to supress the highs... something like that, not too sure, just woke up).

The people to ask are at the Gibson Basses forum at the Dudepit

from : localhost/www.vintagebass.com/thedudepi...splay.php?f=49

GIBSON EB-2!!!!! What colour!? I'm looking for one of those basses, you know i love pics

I need to scan some old pics...

I had a tobacco sunburst '68 EB-2. It was really cool, but I couldn't do anything with it. It's neat to hear how EBs worked with bands like the Yardbirds, the Animals, the Cream, the Free and the Mountain- but that sound never worked for me.

I have an EB-2 schematic if you want it, I just seem unable to attach it to this post, it gives me some bizarre error message...


Originally Posted by mind_transplantI have an EB-2 schematic if you want it, I just seem unable to attach it to this post, it gives me some bizarre error message...

EDIT: Thanks!!!