If you ran a survey asking folks to name the most iconic electric guitar manufacturer ever, you’ll get a variety of answers, but the majority may likely end up being a split between Gibson and Fender. Change the question to most iconic electric guitar and bass manufacturer ever, and that number will probably skew heavier in favor of the company Leo built.
That’s not to say Gibson hasn’t been making some killer basses for almost as long—because they have—though a number of them have been a bass version of an existing guitar in their line. Gibson has kept busy on the bass front over the last couple of years, but it’s the new incarnation of the EB that could break the mold about what a Gibson bass can be. It’s got a totally new body style, a pair of newly designed pickups, and a vibe that’s all its own.
Elements of Style
When I initially pulled the curvy bass out
of the included hardshell case, the instrument
that was revealed just didn’t quite
shout Gibson. The new body shape for the
EB—which the company says draws inspiration
from their SG—actually has little resemblance
to other basses with the EB moniker.
Its shapely cut seems to draw more flavor
from a few models outside the Gibson line,
including some sort of reversed-horn Mosrite.
While the satin finish of the EB is also available in creme, ebony, or fireburst, our test bass was done up in Gibson’s fourth option, au naturel. And in contrast to the dark red-tortoise pickguard, the clean and simple finish highlighting the grain of the ash body pushes the vibe of a classic, woodsy instrument from the early ’70s.
A 34"-scale maple neck is glued to the body and is topped with an unbound rosewood fretboard and 20 medium-jumbo frets. And moving up the neck took me to the traditional and recognizable headstock that houses a quartet of 20:1 Grover tuners, letting me know I was indeed checking out a Gibson. The EB appeared to be put together well: I didn’t detect any finish blemishes, the neck matched up in the pocket cleanly, and all the hardware was installed nice and tight.
Getting a strap on the 8-pound bass and myself into the standing position, the feel of the EB was comfortable with its 12" fretboard radius and middle-ground 1.6" nut width. And it was weighted nicely with no hint of the neck wanting to do something it shouldn’t. As I explored the landscape up and down the semi-chunky neck, both it and the fretboard’s topside felt smooth and pit-free, and around back the satin finish was inviting. But while sliding my cupped hand up and down the sides of the fretboard, however, I did find a number of sharpish fret edges along the way, sharp enough to tear up a paper towel with just a couple of passes.
Anchoring the EB’s strings is not the 3-point bridge we’re used to seeing from Gibson. Instead, they outfitted the EB with a full-contact, top-load bridge from Babicz. User-friendly for intonation and string-height adjustments, this big bridge also excels in vibration transference. Even with the instrument still unplugged this was evident—not only to my ears, but my body as well.
Aforementioned similarities to other basses seem to end when you get to the EB’s electronics. Newly designed by Gibson luthier Jim DeCola with the intention of providing both power and versatility, the passive pickups loaded into the EB bass are a pair of beefy alnico 5 humbuckers. Pretty straightforward, they share a master tone pot and each of the pickups has its own volume control. However, each of the volume knobs is also a push/pull control, which allows swapping from humbucker to single-coil tones via a pop of the black top-hats.
Ratings
Pros:
Classic looks. Capable of handling numerous styles. Decently priced for a U.S.-made bass from a revered brand.
Cons:
Neck pickup on its own is a bit dark and muddy. Some sharp fret edges.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$999
Company
gibson.com
EB Tone Home
Ready to hear what this recently minted
4-string sounded like plugged in, I set the
EB up through a Gallien-Krueger 800RB
matched with a TC Electronic RS410 cab.
With the GK’s EQ set relatively flat, I
started out by soloing on the neck pickup
with its volume knob rolled to 10 and the
master tone at about 3. I was hit with a
wall of thick and dark gravy-esque bottom
end, but some quick tweaking was
in order as it was a bit too muddy for
any meaningful articulation. Rolling the
tone knob to about 6 and blending in the
bridge pickup’s volume about halfway got
me to a nice, rich and smooth sound with
defined mids—spot-on for taking on ’70s
classic rock or punk, to thick blues runs
and whatever else between. And switching
the neck pickup to single-coil mode with
these settings did add a bit more girth and slicing kick to the tone. The notes were articulate, even with the thick bottom end
the EB delivered when I hung out on the
fretboard’s lower landscape.
Almost disengaging the neck pickup and leaning heavily on the bridge pickup’s volume takes you to brighter territory and where you want to be if slap and pop is your game. And while the EB’s tone isn’t blindingly bright or biting here, there’s plenty available for covering funk, dance, and anything else in need of more aggressive punch and definition. There was just a hint of hum when soloing the bridge pickup with the coil tap engaged, but for the most part, it was relatively minimal. And blending in the tapped neck pickup swallowed any hum considerably. As much as I liked the humbucker tones, I did find myself favoring the tones with both pickups coil-tapped and adjusted to pull most of the sound from the neck.
The Verdict
Whether you’re a long-time Gibson bass
fan or a bassist who, for whatever reason,
has shied away from the company’s 4-string
offerings in the past, the EB is worth taking
a look. The dressing work on the frets was
a little disappointing, but overall, the bass
was put together well. The classic vibe of
the EB and the versatile tones it’s capable
of delivering make it a solid option for all
types and levels of players, be it an intermediate
looking to make a move up, or an
addition for a regularly gigging player.
Actually, at just less than a grand for a U.S.-made, set-neck bass with quality appointments from Gibson, just about any player should feel pretty good about what they’re getting for the coin. And though the EB is most definitely a bass that leans towards rock and darker sounds overall, its sublime design and spectrum of achievable tones—which is a lot wider than, say, a T-bird—will allow it to sit in on a variety of gigging situations.
Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.