It's so nice to hear a guitarist, and a good one at that, turn round and say that bass isn't easy. I now respect Lee /even/ more than after the Miku video. Somehow.
I am a guitar player that is what i am, i got a bass because i do want one to have around for jams and stuff. I got the eb 3 which was probably a bad idea since im used to 24.75 and not 34 inches😂 but man can i say it is not easy to be a bass player i respect the bass
I think anyone that says bass is easy or easier than guitar just doesn't realise what they're actually saying. It's like saying climbing a tree is easier than kite surfing, or speaking German is easier than putting up some flat pack furniture from IKEA. It just doesn't really make sense
Being a bass player, I think it is easier to learn, just harder to master. So if you look at skill level on a 1-10 scale, easier to get to a skill level of 3 on a bass than on guitar, but getting past 3 starts going up exponentially on bass.
I like how the bass playing has been quite tame. I love watching guitar reviews but usually don't watch bass reviews because the bassists for some reason can't help but to shred unrealistically in them in a way that won't ever be used in any song. This way we get to hear tones we might actually use in songs. Thanks!
You mean how every guitar review is and how every guitarist plays wich I don’t mind until they act like the drums or bass should just give them a steady groove to go crazy over wich creates the most overrated and basic sound ever. slapping just makes guitarists mad cuz they don’t know how to play to it wich is there own fault lol practice more I guess . bass and drums aren’t just a support for the guitarist
The first Gibson EB bass was a viola shape and you could unscrew the bottom strap button and put on a kick stand to play it like an upright bass. Hofner got the viola idea from the Gibson EB bass.
My theory on why it didn't take off is because bass players wanted more poppy high end tones and more tone variation. But honestly even though the EB-0 doesn't have a lot of tonal variation it's got such a great tone already and it ends up not mattering.
Kai Selmser : You're so right! Traditional bassists want exactly what you said. However, I'm NOT a traditional bassist. I'm a 52 year old punk rocker / experimental musician. Being a punk, I like cheap "pawn shop" quality gear; being a minimalist, I like the single pickup. I found an Epi-0 on Craigslist for $150 (gig bag included) and my idea is very simple: cheap SG bass wed to a powerful guitar amp and play in the style of Lemmy, so that the sound is raw, aggressive, fast, distorted, low-end growl. Love it. It does intimidate guitar players. So be it. It suits me.
Had an Epi EB-3. It really struggled in a traditional 2 guitar and drums band mix, and very rarely cut through the mix. Have to say it did have a very unique tone.
Bought an EB-3 for that sound. Found out with the factory strings the tone was rather limited. Slapped a set of Flat wounds on and holy crap to variety of tone was incredible. It goes from twangy J bass to upright bass with a flip of the switch and turn of a nob. It's unfortunate that more bass players don't experiment with it. $300 and you get a lot of bang.
Those 3 point bridges are also on the Thunderbirds. I recommend replacing them. They look cool, but if you change environments be aware of the humidity. Those bridges will come up.
The GIBSON EB-3 That was introduced a few years after the EB-0 was NOT a long scale bass. It was the same scale as the Eb-0 but with two pickups. Then in 1967 they made a separate model called the EB-3L which was along scale version of the EB-3. Epiphones Eb-3 is a long scale bass but not an exact copy of the Gibson EB-3L
I tried out the modern Gibson sg bass and the epiphone eb3 and to be honest the Gibson was a bit nicer. But not £800 nicer. So I bought the epiphone and went on holiday with the leftover dough. 👍
I played the talent show at my highschool with my first band... Our guitarist was a pretty awesome bassist and was mentoring me as a beginner. For the show we did a bass duet (plus the drummer) of Sunshine Of Your Love.
The EB0 has a great feeling neck. I fell in love with it and I've been playing bass semiprofessionally for 17 years. The sound is thuddy in various degrees and will not work for every situation but the neck.....
Hey Cap'n. Just to clarify. There was a predecessor to the EB0 - a violin-shaped solid body, same scale length. The EB3 came out in around '61 with the two pickups but was the same 30.5 in scale length. The EB3L came out later with the 34" scale. Jack Bruce & Andy Fraser both played the short scale. The biggest problem with these basses was that the mudbucker (the front pu) does not easliy cut through in a band situation. The same was true for the '72 Fender Tele Bass. Great for 60s pop but a limited variety of usable sounds. Always good to have another tonal palate though.
thank you Lee for the compliment. compliments from guitarist are few and far between. a small detail was missed on the larger looking pickups. that pickup in the original is whats called the mudbucker, because of its sound. while I LOVE the sound, the EB didnt take off in the mainstream because of that pickup. It is a humbucker in the sense that there are two single coil loops in it, but they're faced sideways, and just that one set of pole pieces comes up towards the strings. the reissues are built similarly, but not as muddy a sound. Thanks for the awesome videos!
these basses are really powerful and raw if you use them as Lemmy would play. It is one of Joey de Maio's favorite. Take a two string power chord and feel the pure rawness. At the same time they are silky soft for blues jazz and country.
It says that the bassist are the most advanced human beings, followed by the guitarist, etc. being at the most developed stage of human evolution, with the drummer's girl at the most primitive stage. Dont take it seriously though as it is all part of band members roles teasing each other. The shirt obviously made by and for bassists.
Hi guys, I've enjoyed your pieces on short scale basses. I play a Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass that I bought new in 1974 and it never disappoints. I came from a folk background and found it a easy move. I have long scale basses but without a doubt , the Les Paul does it for me. I found myself a short scale acoustic bass which I play at the local acoustic nights. Short scale....I LOVE them. Thanks Guys.
For pure humour could you do a video with a 4, 5 and 6 string to see how playable they are. Similar to what you did with the schecter 6, ,7 and 8 string guitars
James Shand each to their own. I've got too used to 4 strings with slim jazz bazz dimensioned necks. Recently got a short scale acoustic resonator bass and love playing it. I am building myself a 30" scale bass 6 too though along with a 30" octave 8 string bass.
Josh Fawn The thinner string in each pair is above its bigger twin so unless using a pick it feels much the same. On the frets your fingers kind of roll over the thick string onto the thinner one, which takes no extra pressure to hold down. Great sound too.
I bought a used EBO and turned it into an EB3. It fit under the strings without routing. Drilled a hole into the control cavity, which was large enough to accomodate an extra volume control. Put a 68k resistor in series with the mudbucker to tame it down and mix with the bridge PU easier.
Would love to see it as I own two Rics and they are incredible. The only problem is getting your hands on one or having one in store long enough to demo it. Most of the time Rics are only ordered directly for a customer
Yes they are on the site but if you click on the product itself you'll see that the majority are pre-order with either no ETA for them or a couple of weeks wait
As someone who plays both guitar and bass, I have to respectfully disagree with Captain Lee, I think bass is easier to play, but harder to write for, and I mean writing legit bass riffs that aren't root note copies of the guitar or a complex riff that takes away from the guitar riff. That being said, I love to watch this series not just for the cool gear, but watching Nathan play has inspired me to write more for bass, and I actually feel like I've learned a lot from just watching him play.
Kikyobutt don’t most guitar players play bass and vise versa. I thought that was normal. Each instrument have their own technical aspects that that require dedicated practice. And then you have artist who take these instruments into unchartered territories. Yea man.
don’t most guitar players play bass and vise versa. I thought that was normal. Each instrument have their own technical aspects that that require dedicated practice. And then you have artist who take these instruments into unchartered territories.
Oh, hey! This was my first bass! I've still got it on my wall and take it down every once in a while. It's got a nice warm muted bluesy sort of tone that I just can't get out of my more growly and aggressive Schecter. I love this bass. ... I named it Ginny,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't both the original EB-0 and EB-3s short scales? I know the Gibson SG basses that are produced today are short scales.
used to own a eb3. nech was really narrow at the nut, which was comfortable. the small body paired with the long ass neck and massive headstock made for devistating neck dive. sounded great
Nice enjoyable presentation guys … I think the point probably is though that the EB basses really did define that era, I was there and the major players used them. I use an SG bass now and find it easy to get the sound of those original basses driven into a valve preamp to get that fat slightly over driven sound that fills the bottom end perfectly for Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser… but the world moved on and that sound isn’t particularly fashionable these days …I like it though !👏👏👏
@@mikarrrrrrgh1969 I installed an additional strap button (£4.50) about 4 inches above the one nearest to the bridge. That solved the problem. I later relaced the bridge with a Hipshot Supertone (adding a bit more weight to the body). Finally, I bought a wide strap from Levy's of Canada. It's suede on the inside and grips your shoulder comfortably. Hope that helps.
The neck pickup location is what makes this interesting. Off the top of my head, this and the ten times more expensive Sheehan Attitude are the only basses that do a neck pickup right against the neck.
I have a '68 EB-0 that my friends older brother gave to me! If you play it in your house, it produces earthquake like rattling of doors and windows. It's not versatile, but there is now thicker low end. Mine has the original flats on it, so it has a deep mud sound. It also has a mute, that muffles the sound and makes the whole thing go out of tune. Jack Bruce, and the bass players of Free and Quicksilver used ED-0's and EB-3's.
cheers for this awesome review, I went and picked up an EB3 a few days ago and loving it. the neck pickup is right up against the neck and therefore the tone is much much fatter than any jazz style bass I've heard. If you're looking to play dub reggae or anything with serious bottom end this is the bass you want!
NICE review of the Epi EB's! I scored a 2nd hand 1 of these last week, in showroom condition, with hard case for A$400! Some caveats re these. Dropped off to my guitar guru, & he found some neck weakness that caused some uneven twisting on the lower frets due to the uneven string tension. (This seems to be a problem on many lower priced long scale basses, with too thin, slab sawn necks, as they are cheaper, but not as rigid!) So just beware, yours may NEED an asymmetrical fret dress to get a really GOOD, playable action. On the UP side, this is a gorgeous looking bass, and it has good, GIBSON USA pick ups in it. Find a comparison video on here, you will find little variation in the overall tone of the instruments of equivalent model! The pick ups are genuine, 4 wire humbuckers, and CAN be rewired for single coil tones if you prefer. (I would say this would be highly USEFUL on the neck pick up, as it would give more clarity and remove a bit of the woolliness!) The Bridge unit I would leave as is. That being said, these pick ups are still FAR better than the equivalent TOKAI pick ups you will find in the SG-48EB SG style bass, made by Tokai China. I tried this bass some mths back, and it was good to play, (Was 30") but I could NOT get a useful tone out of it. That neck pick up was pure MUD! These Epi ones, while still woolly, have far much punch and definition, and are definitely USEFUL! FAR Superior. The Tokai, was being sold here for 3x the price I paid for the Epi EB3! At full retail, The Tokai model is still 2/3 dearer, nowhere near as well built or sounding than the far more authentic Epiphone model. Also that rotary selector switch? GET RID OF IT! Put a good LP toggle switch on it and ya good to go!
I absolut adored my Epi3. Two things made me get rid of it. The head was unbalanced and heavy, and the cut away made solo's difficult above 14'th fret. But for slap it was a league of it's own.
from what i read the EB bass was jack bruce second bass his ealry cream recording was done with a fender bass Vl beritone guitar which had a paint job like clapton sg but later abandoned it for the EB bass
The first Gibson eb bass was introduced in 1953, and it was shaped like a violin. Looked like those Hoffners, but had that Gibson humbucker and tuners like on an upright bass, instead of the normal type found in a p-bass.
Maybe for a simple player...same can be said for a guitar too...i've got 6 pedals on my board and couple more which i dont use often but love to add on sometimes...so go figure...statements like these, no matter how presented(in a good or bad way) are more than anything, foolish
Funny thing was the commercial before this video started was all about the Fender... yet this is all about Epiphone LOL I once owned a Kay bass that was an SG style.
I replaced the brigde on my Epiphone EB 3 to a Babic which have full contact to the body and much improved adjusting possibilities as well as tone generally. Doesn't use it much because of the unbalance of the instrument. Neck dive in both directions. Downwards and outwards, of course, because of the placement of the strap pins.
As for the 4 way switch you're thinking of, you're thinking of the Varitone. It's almost necessary with the EB's giant pickup. I find without it, the pickup is way too boomy and the treble gets lost. Some people may like that, but I don't.
I had a 1967 EB-0 for years. It was light, head-heavy, a tonal one-trick pony, and just never sounded that good to me (unless I was playing Cream-then it was perfect). I wanted so badly to love it, but I just couldn’t.
Good stuff. Thankyou guys for this segment. It's weird, . Well, I suppose I'm the one who's weird. I prefer the sound/sounds that a Fender Jazz is capable of. Yet I prefer the feel/ease of play on Gibson/EB necks. They seem shallower or not as tall as Fender necks. Not a width difference but a depth/height difference. Thanks again.
I think the reason they didn't get as popular is due to a few different things. They neck dive a bit which means you kinda have to wrestle with them a bit more. Even with the bridge pickup on it you don't get quite the same snap out of them. The bridge doesn't sustain quite as much as fender style would and you can't adjust the action so minutely.
I love the Gibson's EB's. Just felt great in hand when I was a kid. Plus Chris White one of hero's played one. My other early hero Chas I think played a Semi hollow Gibby. Just a great tone. Loved the shorter scale. I don't rem the 3 have the longer scale. I'll be darned.
I've had an EB-3 for 13 years now. It's a really decent bass and quite versatile. The only downside is that it isn't very well balanced while on a strap.
That’s my only turn of… because i played one and it sounds amazing and plays like a breeze! So easy. Yet; the neck dive isn’t “well balanced” is saying less… it’s amost unbearable 😅
@@ckolonko86 that could work in a way yes… although i like to run up and down the strings for tone…. Maybe adding some finger supports above the strings could help a lot 🤔🤔
The bassist of The Zombies, Chris White, had an EB and switched to a Fender P. His reasoning? The EB bridge kept breaking his strings and the Fender P's didn't. A secondary reason was because he liked the density of sound in the Fender P compared to his EB.
Back in 76 my pal Al had an original Gidson EB-3 L with the slotted headstock, now extremely rare. He sold it to my pal Mark who gave it to his brother who basically destroyed it. Alan pretty much hates himself to this day.
Fun video. EBO's, in my limited experience, tend to be very unbalanced and will take a nose dive when you are standing and wearing a strap. Maybe that's one reason they did not bode so well.
The three point Bridge allows you better control over string tension seeing that I'm going to go check one out I like that idea I have a couple bases and one of the things that I don't like is the tention personally I like a sloppy Bass. And I have to admit I don't know if I like the idea of a glued in neck but I do kind of like that dark blue z sound it has
The SG style basses has always been my favourite, half of my bass collection is made up of them! I love the shortscale and looks but my main issue is that the neck pickup is quite microphonic
@@sethheron-vanta1383 Which was ripped off from the bassline of Ricky Nelon's Summertime th-cam.com/video/NSngzjqMF38/w-d-xo.html Nice to see things come full circle! 😎
My theory as to why the Gibson basses were never as popular as the Fender ones is that the Gibson basses never really gave very clean sounds. There's a reason why the large pickup is commonly referred to as a "mudbucker." Also, the short scale length contributed to the dull sounds that they made. Add in the fact that Gibson basses were more expensive than their Fender counterparts and it becomes rather clear why they weren't very popular.
I agree. These basses sound great in a band that's uncluttered, in terms of frequency ranges. So, for example, in Cream, with only one guitarist, Bruce could make the most of that big, fat, warm sound. But put them in a band with multiple guitarists and keyboards and you have to do some work to find a place for them in the mix where they can sit happily. In contrast, a Precision, while still having a strong bottom end, has such a strong mid-range presence that it will sit well in virtually any band set up. Many sound men will tell you that they always breathe a sigh of relief when the bass player pulls a P bass from his or her case, since they know that, whatever else happens, they're in for a relatively easy night as far as the bass is concerned. Having said that, I bought one of these EB-0s for my daughter to learn on, and was really impressed with it, although I don't really like short scales myself. I'd love one of those EB-3s though.
Murdo2112 I'd love to have one of those EB-3's as well. Even though I'm a guy who loves it when a bass has a nice, defined top end and a punchy mid-range, there's just something cool about those Gibson and Epiphone basses for me.
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It's so nice to hear a guitarist, and a good one at that, turn round and say that bass isn't easy.
I now respect Lee /even/ more than after the Miku video. Somehow.
I am a guitar player that is what i am, i got a bass because i do want one to have around for jams and stuff. I got the eb 3 which was probably a bad idea since im used to 24.75 and not 34 inches😂 but man can i say it is not easy to be a bass player i respect the bass
What guitars do you play? Just curious
I think anyone that says bass is easy or easier than guitar just doesn't realise what they're actually saying. It's like saying climbing a tree is easier than kite surfing, or speaking German is easier than putting up some flat pack furniture from IKEA. It just doesn't really make sense
Being a bass player, I think it is easier to learn, just harder to master. So if you look at skill level on a 1-10 scale, easier to get to a skill level of 3 on a bass than on guitar, but getting past 3 starts going up exponentially on bass.
I like how the bass playing has been quite tame. I love watching guitar reviews but usually don't watch bass reviews because the bassists for some reason can't help but to shred unrealistically in them in a way that won't ever be used in any song. This way we get to hear tones we might actually use in songs. Thanks!
I'm so sick of slapping!
Putaqueopariu, exactly!!!!
You mean how every guitar review is and how every guitarist plays wich I don’t mind until they act like the drums or bass should just give them a steady groove to go crazy over wich creates the most overrated and basic sound ever. slapping just makes guitarists mad cuz they don’t know how to play to it wich is there own fault lol practice more I guess . bass and drums aren’t just a support for the guitarist
@@charlieel36 they dont like the slapping taking the attention away from them God forbid somebody else get the spotlight
The first Gibson EB bass was a viola shape and you could unscrew the bottom strap button and put on a kick stand to play it like an upright bass. Hofner got the viola idea from the Gibson EB bass.
beren hamilton the gibson eb bass came out 2 years after hofner's violin bass ,i believe.
Frank Juster hofner’s violin bass was invented because the gibson violin basses couldn’t be shipped to the UK due to an embargo
Someone else who knew the correct answer! Not that it’s a contest, but still well done mate!
@@bernardi5919 thats a cool tidbit man - thanks!
@@frankjuster8726 the Hofner was actually introduced 2 years after the Gibson, the former being introduced in 55 and the latter in 53.
Always good to see short scale basses getting a look in. Very underrated instruments.
Finally. Lee played a bass. Thanks for the respect towards bassists Lee!
Just bought the EB-0. As a guitarist who wants a bass to mess around with it’s perfect
Do you think EB 0 still sound good for drop tuning? Or let's say E flat tuning?
@@irvinjaycarranza6828 If the style is slow, Go for it but i recomend a EQ pedal + a fuzz
@@alessandrogouveia2268 Thanks!
My theory on why it didn't take off is because bass players wanted more poppy high end tones and more tone variation. But honestly even though the EB-0 doesn't have a lot of tonal variation it's got such a great tone already and it ends up not mattering.
Kai Selmser : You're so right! Traditional bassists want exactly what you said. However, I'm NOT a traditional bassist. I'm a 52 year old punk rocker / experimental musician. Being a punk, I like cheap "pawn shop" quality gear; being a minimalist, I like the single pickup. I found an Epi-0 on Craigslist for $150 (gig bag included) and my idea is very simple: cheap SG bass wed to a powerful guitar amp and play in the style of Lemmy, so that the sound is raw, aggressive, fast, distorted, low-end growl. Love it. It does intimidate guitar players. So be it. It suits me.
Had an Epi EB-3. It really struggled in a traditional 2 guitar and drums band mix, and very rarely cut through the mix. Have to say it did have a very unique tone.
Bought an EB-3 for that sound. Found out with the factory strings the tone was rather limited. Slapped a set of Flat wounds on and holy crap to variety of tone was incredible. It goes from twangy J bass to upright bass with a flip of the switch and turn of a nob. It's unfortunate that more bass players don't experiment with it. $300 and you get a lot of bang.
Those 3 point bridges are also on the Thunderbirds. I recommend replacing them. They look cool, but if you change environments be aware of the humidity. Those bridges will come up.
The GIBSON EB-3 That was introduced a few years after the EB-0 was NOT a long scale bass. It was the same scale as the Eb-0 but with two pickups. Then in 1967 they made a separate model called the EB-3L which was along scale version of the EB-3. Epiphones Eb-3 is a long scale bass but not an exact copy of the Gibson EB-3L
It's a long way from being an exact copy lol, which is why people fork out thousands for vintage Gibsons.
I tried out the modern Gibson sg bass and the epiphone eb3 and to be honest the Gibson was a bit nicer. But not £800 nicer. So I bought the epiphone and went on holiday with the leftover dough. 👍
My first bass was the EB-3, still got it, still love it!
my first bass is a p bass remake. would love to get get an sg bass after I get a steve harris p bass
Same here sadly I sold it when I moved cross country.
I played the talent show at my highschool with my first band... Our guitarist was a pretty awesome bassist and was mentoring me as a beginner. For the show we did a bass duet (plus the drummer) of Sunshine Of Your Love.
Love these EB basses! Always reminds me of Jack Bruce and his sheer awesomeness
Finally someone understands that bass is harder than people think
The EB0 has a great feeling neck. I fell in love with it and I've been playing bass semiprofessionally for 17 years. The sound is thuddy in various degrees and will not work for every situation but the neck.....
Hey Cap'n. Just to clarify. There was a predecessor to the EB0 - a violin-shaped solid body, same scale length. The EB3 came out in around '61 with the two pickups but was the same 30.5 in scale length. The EB3L came out later with the 34" scale. Jack Bruce & Andy Fraser both played the short scale. The biggest problem with these basses was that the mudbucker (the front pu) does not easliy cut through in a band situation. The same was true for the '72 Fender Tele Bass. Great for 60s pop but a limited variety of usable sounds. Always good to have another tonal palate though.
The EB-3 was originally a shorter 30.5" scale as well. The Epiphone version is based on the later EB-3L version, which had a 34" scale.
thank you Lee for the compliment. compliments from guitarist are few and far between.
a small detail was missed on the larger looking pickups. that pickup in the original is whats called the mudbucker, because of its sound. while I LOVE the sound, the EB didnt take off in the mainstream because of that pickup. It is a humbucker in the sense that there are two single coil loops in it, but they're faced sideways, and just that one set of pole pieces comes up towards the strings. the reissues are built similarly, but not as muddy a sound. Thanks for the awesome videos!
these basses are really powerful and raw if you use them as Lemmy would play. It is one of Joey de Maio's favorite. Take a two string power chord and feel the pure rawness. At the same time they are silky soft for blues jazz and country.
I don't get Nathan's shirt, is it saying that all bass players start life as a drummer's girlfriend?
+Meta oh lord, I only read the name after you'd said that xD
It says that the bassist are the most advanced human beings, followed by the guitarist, etc. being at the most developed stage of human evolution, with the drummer's girl at the most primitive stage. Dont take it seriously though as it is all part of band members roles teasing each other. The shirt obviously made by and for bassists.
MrKockabilly
Most drummers I’ve known had the best girlfriend in the band.
Would love a Epiphone Thunderbird vs Epiphone Tbird Pro vs Gibson Tbird video.
I've a gibson sg bass and i love it. I tried jazz and p-basses and i really prefere the short-scale's warmer sound.
Hi guys, I've enjoyed your pieces on short scale basses. I play a Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass that I bought new in 1974 and it never disappoints. I came from a folk background and found it a easy move. I have long scale basses but without a doubt , the Les Paul does it for me. I found myself a short scale acoustic bass which I play at the local acoustic nights. Short scale....I LOVE them. Thanks Guys.
For pure humour could you do a video with a 4, 5 and 6 string to see how playable they are. Similar to what you did with the schecter 6, ,7 and 8 string guitars
Haha yes! I play bass (not very well) but gave up on my 35" scale 6 string, that neck was just too much lol
I do prefer a short scale bass too.
+mistacoz i play a full scale ibanze 5 string bass
James Shand each to their own. I've got too used to 4 strings with slim jazz bazz dimensioned necks. Recently got a short scale acoustic resonator bass and love playing it. I am building myself a 30" scale bass 6 too though along with a 30" octave 8 string bass.
+mistacoz I've always wondered what one of those 8 strings would be like to play
Josh Fawn The thinner string in each pair is above its bigger twin so unless using a pick it feels much the same. On the frets your fingers kind of roll over the thick string onto the thinner one, which takes no extra pressure to hold down. Great sound too.
I bought a used EBO and turned it into an EB3. It fit under the strings without routing. Drilled a hole into the control cavity, which was large enough to accomodate an extra volume control. Put a 68k resistor in series with the mudbucker to tame it down and mix with the bridge PU easier.
review rickenbacker basses if you havent already
A ricky vid by the guys would be amazing.
Would love to see it as I own two Rics and they are incredible. The only problem is getting your hands on one or having one in store long enough to demo it. Most of the time Rics are only ordered directly for a customer
PLEASE
kero gunso They're in stock at andertons I think? They are on the site anyway.
Yes they are on the site but if you click on the product itself you'll see that the majority are pre-order with either no ETA for them or a couple of weeks wait
As someone who plays both guitar and bass, I have to respectfully disagree with Captain Lee, I think bass is easier to play, but harder to write for, and I mean writing legit bass riffs that aren't root note copies of the guitar or a complex riff that takes away from the guitar riff.
That being said, I love to watch this series not just for the cool gear, but watching Nathan play has inspired me to write more for bass, and I actually feel like I've learned a lot from just watching him play.
Kikyobutt don’t most guitar players play bass and vise versa. I thought that was normal. Each instrument have their own technical aspects that that require dedicated practice. And then you have artist who take these instruments into unchartered territories. Yea man.
don’t most guitar players play bass and vise versa. I thought that was normal. Each instrument have their own technical aspects that that require dedicated practice. And then you have artist who take these instruments into unchartered territories.
An EB-O was my first bass. Great starting point.
Oh, hey! This was my first bass! I've still got it on my wall and take it down every once in a while. It's got a nice warm muted bluesy sort of tone that I just can't get out of my more growly and aggressive Schecter. I love this bass.
...
I named it Ginny,
Nice to see Lee playing a bass!
Those things are killer man! I have both of em! You either like the sound of the EB's or don't! Very few in betweeners!
Andy Fraser did wonderous things
Don't forget Trevor Bolder (Spiders From Mars) he played an EB-3 on the Ziggy tours
Great video guys! Love Nathans playing!
you should review some rickenbackers!
Yes
+100!
Only if they somehow could make The Cap play Motörhead.
I messaged lee about it and he said neither him nor rob play bass. Clearly he lied.
If only Rickenbacker wouldn't sue them for that.
The Gibson EB3 only came out with long scale for a couple of years in the early 1970s, not from the start as you suggest in the video.
There was one , at least , in th 60s . It had a slotted headstock .
I can't believe he forgot to mention that Andy Frazer from Free played one!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't both the original EB-0 and EB-3s short scales? I know the Gibson SG basses that are produced today are short scales.
Yeah, the eb3L was introduced in 1970 iirc, but all gibson basses aside from the thunderbird were short scale in that era afaik.
used to own a eb3. nech was really narrow at the nut, which was comfortable. the small body paired with the long ass neck and massive headstock made for devistating neck dive. sounded great
Nice enjoyable presentation guys … I think the point probably is though that the EB basses really did define that era, I was there and the major players used them.
I use an SG bass now and find it easy to get the sound of those original basses driven into a valve preamp to get that fat slightly over driven sound that fills the bottom end perfectly for Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser… but the world moved on and that sound isn’t particularly fashionable these days …I like it though !👏👏👏
EB3 is probably the topheaviest bass I have ever played.
I balanced mine out for under £5.
@@simonharbuckle3931 how?
@@mikarrrrrrgh1969 I installed an additional strap button (£4.50) about 4 inches above the one nearest to the bridge. That solved the problem. I later relaced the bridge with a Hipshot Supertone (adding a bit more weight to the body). Finally, I bought a wide strap from Levy's of Canada. It's suede on the inside and grips your shoulder comfortably. Hope that helps.
@@simonharbuckle3931 yeah,thanks a lot, makes the Bass even better!
Cap'n playing bass fingerstyle! We totally want more of this!
The neck pickup location is what makes this interesting. Off the top of my head, this and the ten times more expensive Sheehan Attitude are the only basses that do a neck pickup right against the neck.
I love my EB-3! the balance is weird but the sound is too good
i got an EB 0 as my first one and its pretty good to have since i have small hands.
I have a '68 EB-0 that my friends older brother gave to me! If you play it in your house, it produces earthquake like rattling of doors and windows. It's not versatile, but there is now thicker low end. Mine has the original flats on it, so it has a deep mud sound. It also has a mute, that muffles the sound and makes the whole thing go out of tune. Jack Bruce, and the bass players of Free and Quicksilver used ED-0's and EB-3's.
Great to see you Lee playing bass ! :)
review the viola bass!!!
Hueco Uno yes please
hueco uno the viola sounds like a TANK!
I'm pretty sure the original Gibson EB-3 was a short scale too. Gibson did a lot short scales back in the 60s when short scales were popular.
cheers for this awesome review, I went and picked up an EB3 a few days ago and loving it. the neck pickup is right up against the neck and therefore the tone is much much fatter than any jazz style bass I've heard. If you're looking to play dub reggae or anything with serious bottom end this is the bass you want!
still waiting for an Epi. EB-3 with a 30" scale!!
NICE review of the Epi EB's!
I scored a 2nd hand 1 of these last week, in showroom condition, with hard case for A$400!
Some caveats re these. Dropped off to my guitar guru, & he found some neck weakness that caused some uneven twisting on the lower frets due to the uneven string tension. (This seems to be a problem on many lower priced long scale basses, with too thin, slab sawn necks, as they are cheaper, but not as rigid!)
So just beware, yours may NEED an asymmetrical fret dress to get a really GOOD, playable action.
On the UP side, this is a gorgeous looking bass, and it has good, GIBSON USA pick ups in it. Find a comparison video on here, you will find little variation in the overall tone of the instruments of equivalent model!
The pick ups are genuine, 4 wire humbuckers, and CAN be rewired for single coil tones if you prefer.
(I would say this would be highly USEFUL on the neck pick up, as it would give more clarity and remove a bit of the woolliness!) The Bridge unit I would leave as is.
That being said, these pick ups are still FAR better than the equivalent TOKAI pick ups you will find in the SG-48EB SG style bass, made by Tokai China.
I tried this bass some mths back, and it was good to play, (Was 30") but I could NOT get a useful tone out of it. That neck pick up was pure MUD! These Epi ones, while still woolly, have far much punch and definition, and are definitely USEFUL! FAR Superior. The Tokai, was being sold here for 3x the price I paid for the Epi EB3!
At full retail, The Tokai model is still 2/3 dearer, nowhere near as well built or sounding than the far more authentic Epiphone model.
Also that rotary selector switch? GET RID OF IT! Put a good LP toggle switch on it and ya good to go!
Epiphone is Great. You two with drums sound brilliant with 2 basses trading off.
You guys should do the Epiphone SG G400 worn and Pro next.
I absolut adored my Epi3. Two things made me get rid of it. The head was unbalanced and heavy, and the cut away made solo's difficult above 14'th fret. But for slap it was a league of it's own.
from what i read the EB bass was jack bruce second bass his ealry cream recording was done with a fender bass Vl beritone guitar which had a paint job like clapton sg but later abandoned it for the EB bass
The first Gibson eb bass was introduced in 1953, and it was shaped like a violin. Looked like those Hoffners, but had that Gibson humbucker and tuners like on an upright bass, instead of the normal type found in a p-bass.
i love how patient nate is patient when the capten is reviewing his bass! XD
I love these Epi bass demos. Wish we had one. All good gents. Cheers!
Bass is just so simple. A bass, cable, and amp. Aaaaaaaah. Plug in and play.
Maybe for a simple player...same can be said for a guitar too...i've got 6 pedals on my board and couple more which i dont use often but love to add on sometimes...so go figure...statements like these, no matter how presented(in a good or bad way) are more than anything, foolish
I would love to see a similar breakdown of the 2016 Gibson versions.
Funny thing was the commercial before this video started was all about the Fender... yet this is all about Epiphone LOL I once owned a Kay bass that was an SG style.
Haha finally happened eh Cap? Was bound to come around sooner or later.
I replaced the brigde on my Epiphone EB 3 to a Babic which have full contact to the body and much improved adjusting possibilities as well as tone generally. Doesn't use it much because of the unbalance of the instrument. Neck dive in both directions. Downwards and outwards, of course, because of the placement of the strap pins.
As for the 4 way switch you're thinking of, you're thinking of the Varitone. It's almost necessary with the EB's giant pickup. I find without it, the pickup is way too boomy and the treble gets lost. Some people may like that, but I don't.
The EB and Thunderbird are a part of rock history(Cream,The Who,Free,Motley Crüe) despite what people say.
I had a 1967 EB-0 for years. It was light, head-heavy, a tonal one-trick pony, and just never sounded that good to me (unless I was playing Cream-then it was perfect). I wanted so badly to love it, but I just couldn’t.
Let's be honest, you can only play Jack Bruce bass lines if you own one. That beautiful thick tone
I'm thinking of that EB-0 for some blues recording - seems to be a great sound with plenty of low end!
Black night by Deep Purple! Awesome!
Good stuff. Thankyou guys for this segment. It's weird,
. Well, I suppose I'm the one who's weird. I prefer the sound/sounds that a Fender Jazz is capable of. Yet I prefer the feel/ease of play on Gibson/EB necks. They seem shallower or not as tall as Fender necks. Not a width difference but a depth/height difference. Thanks again.
I think the reason they didn't get as popular is due to a few different things. They neck dive a bit which means you kinda have to wrestle with them a bit more. Even with the bridge pickup on it you don't get quite the same snap out of them. The bridge doesn't sustain quite as much as fender style would and you can't adjust the action so minutely.
My mate Malcolm, has a Gibson EB-OF fuzztone bass. Bet there's not many that have seen one of those. ;-)
This Yank picked up an EB-O becasue of this video. Looking to add an EB-3 in the future. Cheers and keep up the good work.
A summary of the epiphone thunderbird bass range and/or a comparison to the gibson models would be great!
That was cool... I'm trying to learn bass right now... Already doing guitar though.
I love the Gibson's EB's. Just felt great in hand when I was a kid. Plus Chris White one of hero's played one. My other early hero Chas I think played a Semi hollow Gibby. Just a great tone. Loved the shorter scale. I don't rem the 3 have the longer scale. I'll be darned.
Ahhh! Thanks to Wiki again. The original eb3 was a short scale as well. It came in the 34 as the EB3 L I suspect for long scale.
I've recently been wanting to get back into bass guitar after dropping it for electric guitar few years ago so I will be buying one of these! :)
Where's the other fella? I miss his wide-eyed enthusiasm and jaw-dropping bass skills. Nate's no slouch, but the other guy was an absolute sweetie!
I've had an EB-3 for 13 years now. It's a really decent bass and quite versatile. The only downside is that it isn't very well balanced while on a strap.
That’s my only turn of… because i played one and it sounds amazing and plays like a breeze! So easy.
Yet; the neck dive isn’t “well balanced” is saying less… it’s amost unbearable 😅
@@pedrobagoduva1091 I've just learned to stand with my right hand on the upper body to stop it neck diving 🙂
@@ckolonko86 that could work in a way yes… although i like to run up and down the strings for tone…. Maybe adding some finger supports above the strings could help a lot 🤔🤔
Clean tones amazing harmonics 🤘
I was trying to sell my Alpine White EB3 SG Bass butz but I can't seem to find any information on it. Thanks for this very informative video.
Could you try some PRS basses, I'd really like to hearone 😊
Use to own the EB 3 while learning (still am) the neck was so heavy when you let go of it the thing would nearly take your left knee cap off!
I really think the Two Notes Le Bass should be part of the standard demo rig: hearing how those humbuckers affect the tube would have been great.
the capt is actually an ok bass player, maybe the okayest in the world ahah
giallo pallo just like honer he is already one of the greatest bass players of all time
that comment reminds me of one punchman dunno why lol just seems like something he would say
When an andertons video starts with one of your fave riffs from your fave band
What song is it?? Its on the tip of my tongue and its driving me nuts!
Black Night by Deep Purple :)
The bassist of The Zombies, Chris White, had an EB and switched to a Fender P. His reasoning? The EB bridge kept breaking his strings and the Fender P's didn't. A secondary reason was because he liked the density of sound in the Fender P compared to his EB.
Singing while playing bass is infinitely harder than singing while playing guitar
Back in 76 my pal Al had an original Gidson EB-3 L with the slotted headstock, now extremely rare. He sold it to my pal Mark who gave it to his brother who basically destroyed it. Alan pretty much hates himself to this day.
Nice Purple Cover!
Idk if you do schectors there but thy have a vast line that never gets notice that would be awesome Katan
I assume all your bass tests at Andertons are with roundwound strings?
Fun video. EBO's, in my limited experience, tend to be very unbalanced and will take a nose dive when you are standing and wearing a strap. Maybe that's one reason they did not bode so well.
The three point Bridge allows you better control over string tension seeing that I'm going to go check one out I like that idea I have a couple bases and one of the things that I don't like is the tention personally I like a sloppy Bass. And I have to admit I don't know if I like the idea of a glued in neck but I do kind of like that dark blue z sound it has
Jim Lea from Slade used them a lot!
Try the Aria Pro II SB-1000 & the Cliff Burton Signature. I think both would be EPIC!!
Nice episode!
The SG style basses has always been my favourite, half of my bass collection is made up of them! I love the shortscale and looks but my main issue is that the neck pickup is quite microphonic
My 69 EBO has only a humbucker, but it's way deeper than the one on the Epi. For the money those new Epi's are decent.
what's the initial riff they're doing, what song?
Black knight/ Deep Purple
@@sethheron-vanta1383 Which was ripped off from the bassline of Ricky Nelon's Summertime th-cam.com/video/NSngzjqMF38/w-d-xo.html Nice to see things come full circle! 😎
My theory as to why the Gibson basses were never as popular as the Fender ones is that the Gibson basses never really gave very clean sounds. There's a reason why the large pickup is commonly referred to as a "mudbucker." Also, the short scale length contributed to the dull sounds that they made. Add in the fact that Gibson basses were more expensive than their Fender counterparts and it becomes rather clear why they weren't very popular.
I agree.
These basses sound great in a band that's uncluttered, in terms of frequency ranges.
So, for example, in Cream, with only one guitarist, Bruce could make the most of that big, fat, warm sound.
But put them in a band with multiple guitarists and keyboards and you have to do some work to find a place for them in the mix where they can sit happily.
In contrast, a Precision, while still having a strong bottom end, has such a strong mid-range presence that it will sit well in virtually any band set up.
Many sound men will tell you that they always breathe a sigh of relief when the bass player pulls a P bass from his or her case, since they know that, whatever else happens, they're in for a relatively easy night as far as the bass is concerned.
Having said that, I bought one of these EB-0s for my daughter to learn on, and was really impressed with it, although I don't really like short scales myself.
I'd love one of those EB-3s though.
Murdo2112 I'd love to have one of those EB-3's as well. Even though I'm a guy who loves it when a bass has a nice, defined top end and a punchy mid-range, there's just something cool about those Gibson and Epiphone basses for me.