tigerstrat wrote:Wasn't Phil's Gibson bass actually an EB-0 to which he added a bridge pickup? EB-3's seem to have had the Varitone tone cap selector (similar to the ES-345)
Interesting theory... I haven't heard it before. The Gear page book quotes him as saying that he originally had an EB1, which was more likely an EB0, but the EB3 in question I believe was likely not the same bass.
I've pouring over every minute detail about EB0/3 like a fiend at
http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/ for days now and I think it's more likely that the bass I'm replicating started life as a 1969ish EB3.
He went through a number of different basses between the original undocumented original Gibson and the arrival of the bass in question. He's not the type who would have hung onto a bass just in case he needed it later.
The Varitone and the extra Vol/Tone knob holes were drilled in exactly the right places for a 1969ish EB3. If Bearlembic had drilled them they'd probably be spaced a lot different and not be real SG knobs. Earlier EB3s had the upper knobs much closer to the strings as shown in a 1966 catalogue, so we know it's not an earlier EB3.
http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/gib63p14.php The varitone itself seems to have been replaced by a knob of uknown function.
The EB3s had a 5 ply pickguard vs. a 3 ply for the EB0. I have evidence that strongly suggests that Phil's is a 5 ply.
The price difference was pretty minimal, especially by GD standards: $410 for an EB3 vs. $350 for an EB0.
Sorry, I'm Obsessed!
A thought just occurred to me... the Hagstrom pickups in Phil's bass are exactly what came in the Guild Starfire II that eventually became the Godfather. I wonder if they bought the EB3 just to stick the Hagstroms into while they worked out the electronics on the Godfather?