Recorded with Sanberg TM 5-string direct into Focusrite Saffire 6 interface into MacBook Pro using GarageBand.
Clip 1 - Blend at 100 percent, drive at 2 o'clock, comp at 9 o'clock, bass at 10 o'clock, middle at 12 o'clock, treble at 3 o'clock.
Clip 2 - Drive off, comp at 9 o'clock, EQ flat.
The applications of a preamp/DI for bassists are numerous—particularly in a time when many players are leaving their SVTs in the garage and going to gigs essentially, well, rigless. Amp builders and effects gurus have taken note by developing versatile devices to suit the needs of working players on the go, and packing them with a host of practical features. The B Station from Hotone is both packed and practical, and, as an added bonus, it’s priced nice, too.
Boney Box
The B Station is a tad smaller than the size of two stacked CD cases, and the main panel consists of a 3-band EQ, a drive control (with accompanying blend dial), and a compressor. Dual footswitches provide the means of activating the B Station and engaging the drive section.
drone-driven tunes.
The rear side of the box is packed with options. Next to the input is a parallel output, along with a mini jack for headphones tucked above the two. Hotone also kindly added an effects loop, which is a feature rarely found on preamp/DI pedals. After the output jack is the DI section with ground/lift and pre/post EQ switches. The pedal can be powered with either a 9V battery or adaptor.
Station Solutions
I explored the versatility of the B Station in the studio by placing it between a Sandberg TM 5-string and the studio’s audio system. As a clean preamp, the pedal functioned well. Boosting the bass control didn’t add punch, but instead thickened the notes.
Ratings
Pros:
Handy features, solid tone, portable package.
Cons:
A bit of a learning curve when balancing levels between drive and clean channels. Drive channel leans a little to the dark side.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$169
Hotone B Station
hotoneaudio.com
The middle dial offers a nice mix of presence and bark that’s ideal for bridge pickups. I felt that the treble control functioned best in its higher settings, as it delivered pleasing finger attack and authoritative popping transients.
A little went a long way with the compressor. It added some focus and punch in the 7 to 10 o’clock range, which was great for thumb work or fingerstyle playing. Any settings beyond this range sounded a bit too squashed for my taste, but the B Station’s compressor is a nice, user-friendly feature to have onboard.
As an overdrive tool, the B Station succeeds at creating dark, rocking tones. I was surprised, however, to hear such a significant amount of low-end boost as the blend dial was turned past 12 o’clock. This resulted in some extensive tweaking between the clean and drive channels to balance the volume when switching between the two modes. Because the drive sounds lean toward the darker side of the spectrum, the B Station would be right at home for doomy, drone-driven tunes. A crank of the treble dial added teeth and helped me nearly replicate the sound used by Chris Wolstenholme in Muse’s “Undisclosed Desires.”
Either pre- or post-EQ, the DI did its job delivering the signal and I’d say brought just a slightly darker representation of the Sandberg’s sound through the studio speakers. The B Station might not replace your favorite tube DI, but it will definitely suit most musical applications.
The Verdict
At a penny under $170, the B Station’s price point places it on the wallet-friendly side of the aisle amongst other preamp/DI pedals on the market. Its preamp is super simple to use, so the B Station might be attractive if you’re a minimalist tone shaper. It took a little work to balance the levels between the clean and drive sections, but that’s a non-issue when using the B Station as a standalone drive pedal or clean preamp. If you’re ready to free yourself from the burdens of a big rig, or like the notion of an all-in-one device that’ll work in almost every musical environment, pull into the B Station for a test ride.
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.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
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
