EB3 Review

The EB-3 is a solidbody electric bass that features a full 34" scale length and adds a sidewinder humbucker and 1 mini humbucker.

Features:	8.5
Sound:	7.5
Action:	7.3
Reliability:	7.5
Impression:	7.3
Overall rating:	7.6
Users rating:	8.6
Comments:	15

overall: 8.6

Featured review by: dexterholland, on july 19, 2007

Purchased from: Baby John's Guitar World, Didcot

Features: Mine's a 2005 model, made in Japan (I believe), and features 22 frets, all very big. Frets 1-5 so big in fact that low end soloing is only available to people with big hands. The bass body is all one piece, and is surprisingly thin for the overall size of the bass, which in all angles strikes you as a big bass. Don't know off the top of my head what woods make it, and it's finished in classic SG Cherry Red (the only SG colour if you ask me). It's a very strong SG looking thing, unlike the LP bass which doesnt't really look like a LP. It's the big beefed up Gibson bass bridge, found only on EB's and LP's and the semis such as the rivioli and jack cassady. It's extremely stable and based on the Tune-O-Matic, as also found on Gibson SGs/LPs/Semis. (and others). All the electronics are passive, which is good because the sidewinder humbucker at neck sounds mighty already! You get Gibson Standard control layout of 2 volumes 2 tones, as well as a rotary pickup knob. I find this a downfall of the bass, whilst looking nice is hard to change as quickly as a flick Switch. I leave it on position 2 anyway. Pickups wise you get a Gibson Sidewinder Humbucker (massive in both size and sound) and a Gibson Mini Humbucker, which basically is totally useless if you want your SG bass to sound like an SG bass. Using only the minihumbucker sounds like using a cheap jazz bass, though combined with the sidewinder adds a scent of highs, which is necessary as the sidewinder is all bass and lo mid. Tuners are standard Gibbo tuners, and included in the box you get a bass, though a specially designed EB-3 case is available, though I prefer the "coffin case" you can buy for about £80. // 9

Sound: I play in a sabbathy, zep-esque, hendrix-y, cream etc classic rock band, and the heavy thunder this produces is absolutely necessary for blowing peoples minds and moving the floor! I find it superb for giving the guitar plenty of backing as we are only a 3-piece, though I still use my Fender P-Bass in the studio, as I find it easier to play and the tone of the pickups is more natural, so we can use the studio to make it sound like the SG with much more ease. Live though, the SG rocks over the P-Bass every day of the week! // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The factory set up is good, though the shop gave it a checkover and small fixes to get it perfect. It's always played superbly, and the strings have last well, and I've never had to make any repairs to it, so I; ll leave this one as perfect! The pickups are good heights as recieved, and the strings included are very good quality. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It's a very solid bass, and everything on it seems very sturdy, though I often have to tighten the strap buttons. They are also very small, I changed them for some bigger ones. Because of it's very tight fit in the case I can't use strap locks as they are too much hassle, I just carry a screwdriver about to tighten before gigs, and sometimes if we're doing a long one I tighten it halfway through. It's all rugged otherwise, and the finish is fine, it has also put up with belt buckle rash very well, only a small few scratches and small paint dents, nothing else. However, I still carry it in it's hard case to be sure. // 8

Impression: I love the bass and for my style of music is perfect. I have been playing bass 4 years, and in the current band for 18 months. It has seen a lot of life and is still carrying on, whilst the guitarist has been through countless guitars. If I lost it or completely broke it, I would be sure to buy another one, though I would probably check denmark street for an old 60s/70s P-Bass first, I find they also have a great sound. Though it could only be an old one, and even then I would most likely get another EB-3, especially if they hd a Vintage one!! I love it all over, but the sound is perfect in my ears. It sounds so low, and at gigs people have commented on it sounding below the kick drum! The weight is heavy which I like, as it makes me feel like I'm playing a big beast. The long neck is also very nice, and the fact that not many people play EB-3s (all have PBs/JBs/MM's/Ibanez's) makes it look quite exclusive, and gives the band a good image as an retro classic rock band. The only thing it could feature to improve it could be possibly a slightly beefier pickup at the bridge, as much as the mini HB is useful as a top end helper for the sidewinder, it can't hold out on it's own at all. // 8

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: gibsonsdh, on june 14, 2004

Purchased from: samash

Features: - Made in Japan
- 22 frets 34'' scale
- Solid top
- 2 volume and tone knobs
- 3 way switch: 1-rythm, 2-both pickups, 3-treble
- 1 big sidewinder humbucker
- 1 mini humbucker
- Neck mahoganyBody Mahogany
- Fretboard rosewood
- Chrome hardware // 10

Sound: // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: There were no mistakes with this 4 string at all. No some parts were not picture perfect but the rest was. For the parts that wasn't perfect they was still better than average. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Not unless I take this bass and break it by throwing it off a building. I expect it to last for as long as I need it doing anything. Everything on this bass is 100% correct. // 10

Impression: The band I'm in plays grunge style music and grunge covers. This is a good match or great. I did have a Fender precision bass, the EB3 blows Fender P Bass out of the water. If it was to be stolen, I would buy the samething right back even if I had $4,000 for another bass. I love the pearl trapiziod inlays, it makes it as pretty as it sounds. There is bad thing about it, it is top heavy. You always have to hold it up. My favorite feture on this bass is the switch. It makes all the difference. I comparred the EB3 to the Fender jazz bass. There both around the same price range. The EB3 has more variety and deeper and fuller sound. This is a great bass and I highly suggest it to any bass player. // 10

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: lorrythebassguy, on may 26, 2008

Purchased from: GAK.co.uk

Features: Its a Korean made SG bass, solid Mahogany body and top, mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard, transparent Black Cherry colour, SG shaped body, 3-way adjustible bridge, passive, typical 2-vol, 2-tone plus a 3 way rotary Switch, mini humbucker in the bridge position and Sidewinder in the neck, standard grover tuners, came with a small cable and the truss key. // 7

Sound: The bass has quite a good, broad tonal palette. I play mainly rock and punk covers and originals. I use an Ashdown EB12 amp and they suit each other quite well. The sidewinder in the neck is fat, punchy and powerful, gently rolling in the tone pot adds a bit of variety. The mini Hb has a unique 'popping' sound. it's trebley but not metallic (well at least intil you kick the tone all the way up! ). When selected together using the 3-way rotary Switch, lots of different sounds can be achieved. The bass has good buttom end and enough high end to add variety. Sound great for classic rock and blues covers. Generally I was impressed with the tonal palette. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: When I first played it, the action was high. It got on my nerves so I lowered it using the 3-way adjustible bridge. It took me a while to figure it out, but it's easy enough. The p'ups were fine and I haven't adjusted them once since I bought it just over a year ago. The finish is great! The grain shows through the transparent cherry finish, which looks quite stunning. Would be a nice colour for a QMT. I don't think the guitar has any obvious flaws other than it's abit top heavy. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I've gigged it around a lot of the last year or so and it has never let me down yet! I can see this bass being around for a good ten years yet before it needs anything major doing to it. The bottom strap button did fall off once at school, but I soon fixed it, and added strap locks to hopefully stop it from happening again. I'm one of them cautious people that always takes a backup, but I don't really need one (unless the strap button falls off! ). One word of warning is that the bass is top heavy, so you wouldn't want to play for more than an hour, or your arms might get tired. The finish hasn't warn thin yet, and I would have expected it to around the bridge pup where I use a pick most. // 8

Impression: This bass is great for lots of styles on music. I play classic rock covers with my band and this bass does a great job! The pickups are nice and achieve wide tonal variety. My favourite features are probably the Neck pickup and the finish. I wasn't too keen on the supplied action, and the top heaviness is annoying at times. If it were lost or stolen I would probably get another one or something similar. overall it would be great for a beginner, or your first 'decent' bass. // 9

overall: 4.4

Reviewed by: mittens16, on july 28, 2005

Purchased from: Ebay

Features: Made in 1999, in Japan. 24 frets, thin neck which I enjoy, normal frets. I am not sure what kind of wood it is but it dents extremely easy. The finish on mine is cherry but you can also get it in black. It is an SG body as you can see in the pic, ok now the bridge is extremely complicated on this thing you can adjust it anyway you want to but it ir really hard to set perfect, it took me hours. Passive electronics. You have 4 knobs, 2 tones and 2 volumes 1 tone and one volume for each pickup. Also a pickup selector switch, you can use the bridge pickup both pickups or just the neck pickup. You have a sidewinder pickup at the neck which is extremely bassy and a mini humbucker at the bridge. // 8

Sound: // 4

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up poorly, and you cant adjust the bridge well either because it is a 3 position and if you bring it down low the bass will buzz alot, and when you get it set so it doesn't buzz the strings are quite high off the fretboard which leads to slow action through the neck (no good at all). Ok the pickups were also set up poorly I adjusted the hight to where I wanted them and you can also turn the little magnetic screws in the pickups to lower or higher them kinda handy because you will definately want to do this. And yes just as everyone else said it is neck heavy and if you let go the head stock bashes off of the floor. // 4

Reliability & Durability: This bass will withstand live playing, but be really careful while transporting, keep it in a hardcase because the neck is set and can break or crack if left in the cold to long. The strap buttons are basic, nothing special about them. I guess you can depend on this bass but you might want to bring a backup just in case. I do enjoy the cherry woodgrain finish and it seems tough but the body dents extremly easy so be careful. // 4

Impression: I play mostly punk music and a little bit of rock, this bass does not suite either well. I have been playing for 5 years now and I think I will stick to my Fender Standard Jazz Bass (around the same price). I did read a lot of reviews on this bass before I bought it and a lot of them were good, but I really honestly would not recoment this bass to anyone, it is a really big hassel. If it were stolen I would definately not buy another one. I hate everything about this bass it doesnt really have any cool features other then it looks cool that's about it. I am comparing this bass to my Fender jazz bass, and this bass is completely different in all ways, just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad, but I just dislike this product, it is a bad design and a disgrace to Epiphone and Gibson products. // 2

Comments

[gibby12100]

i h8 mittens16, she is an obnocsious b*tch and shud be shot @ dawn

[ECwomantoneman]

24 frets? My arse

[Gitarrenspieler]

to mittens16: a few things... 1) when downtuning, raise the action. 2) get a noise gate, or an amp with treble boost (might just be a vintage amp feature but mine has one; its from the 80s). 3) ever heard of a truss rod?

[dexterholland]

mitten16, you don't actually have an EB-3 do you? you just want to slag off a top quality bass. ask anyone who plays it.

[metalfla5h]

Hahaha, wow. Anyways, I was thinking about getting this. I'm pretty set on getting it, I'm just wondering though, what kind of fret inlays does it have?

[Jimbo68]

I have just bought this guitar and love it, but I get nothing at all when I set the switch to 1. I think the volume control is knackered. mode 2 and 3 are fine though. So is my eb3 knackered? no matter as the guy in the shop says they will fix it.

[PuNkY_EB3]

@dexterholland: Did it really cost you $704,55 dollar? Mine was 400 euro's, which is about 550 dollars. Great instrument btw.

[floydpink7]

BEST.BASS.EVER

[jarrettmont]

Sickest Bass Out There

[Hurrygames]

For punk/rock music, this or thunderbird? The t-bird is neck heavy, is this too?

[lorrythebassguy]

theyre all neck heavy
every epiphone i have eve played has been neck heavy!

[Ant_bass]

is this bass worth the money? :S

[lorrythebassguy]

yeah, u can ge tthem for like 189 now,
i paid nearly 300 for mine

[lorrythebassguy]

gibby12100 wrote:

i h8 mittens16, she is an obnocsious b*tch and shud be shot @ dawn

[lorrythebassguy]

lol ** +1