Any thoughts on the EB3 style bass?

[singemonkey]

Don't know if this is the right place to ask, but it seemed better than, "Tokai Basses." :-?

I don't yet own a bass, and my first one will definitely be a Fender Jazz style bass. But I'm getting more and more tempted by the Greco copies of the Gibson EB3. I like the idea of this style of bass as an alternative (maybe with a pickup change), and the Grecos are so insanely cheap that it makes it a very practical idea to get one.

I saw one today for 28,000 Yen that looked in very decent condition.

Does anyone have an educated guess as to how these things stack up to the originals?

 

[Koubayashi]

A. THey are not made with the correct scale
B. The pickups are not humbuckers, they are single coils hidden under a humbucker cover
C. Many of them are made from Nato and not Mahogany
D. I would go for an Orville

 

[JVsearch]

A. THey are not made with the correct scale
B. The pickups are not humbuckers, they are single coils hidden under a humbucker cover
C. Many of them are made from Nato and not Mahogany
D. I would go for an Orville

Or maybe an Epiphone Japan? What are they like?

What's the correct scale? The EB was a short scale bass wasn't it?

 

[Koubayashi]

A. THey are not made with the correct scale
B. The pickups are not humbuckers, they are single coils hidden under a humbucker cover
C. Many of them are made from Nato and not Mahogany
D. I would go for an Orville

Or maybe an Epiphone Japan? What are they like?

What's the correct scale? The EB was a short scale bass wasn't it?

Never tried an Epi Jap EBIII.

The correct scale is 30" but the Grecos are 32-33".
So the whole idea of an EBIII is pretty much gone there.

 

[singemonkey]

Thanks Koubayashi. I guess that answers why they're going so cheap.

The current Tokai is also nato, I notice.

 

[Koubayashi]

A new Gibson is a hundred times better and not very expensive. Like 600-700? used.

 

[JVsearch]

A. THey are not made with the correct scale
B. The pickups are not humbuckers, they are single coils hidden under a humbucker cover
C. Many of them are made from Nato and not Mahogany
D. I would go for an Orville

Or maybe an Epiphone Japan? What are they like?

What's the correct scale? The EB was a short scale bass wasn't it?

Never tried an Epi Jap EBIII.

The correct scale is 30" but the Grecos are 32-33".
So the whole idea of an EBIII is pretty much gone there.

Ah... ok, yes you're right - they're not actually EB-3s if the scale is wrong.
Some look pretty short though (looks can be deceiving), are you sure all of them are the wrong scale?

 

[Koubayashi]

I have had about 10 and all of them (set necks) were 33"
But obviously there might be 3" as well.

Every Orville EB I had were 30". But, a real Gibson is cheaper and both pickups are real humbuckers. The Orvilles have one real and one single.

 

[Mick51]

I believe that the 1960's Gibson EB-0, EB-3, etc - after they went to the solid body, SG-style, not the earlier, semi-hollow body bass - were available in both long (normal) scale and short scale. I don't recall if they eventually went to only short scale, that's been a few years. I do know that a lot more short scale than long scale were sold and used.

All the original, earlier EB-3's had the chicken-head, multi-position tone switch with choke/inductor. Most of the EB-3 look-alikes have standard p/up wiring and a 3 position selector switch.

 

[Koubayashi]

I believe that the 1960's Gibson EB-0, EB-3, etc - after they went to the solid body, SG-style, not the earlier, semi-hollow body bass - were available in both long (normal) scale and short scale. I don't recall if they eventually went to only short scale, that's been a few years. I do know that a lot more short scale than long scale were sold and used.

All the original, earlier EB-3's had the chicken-head, multi-position tone switch with choke/inductor. Most of the EB-3 look-alikes have standard p/up wiring and a 3 position selector switch.

I have never seen a long scale Gibson EBIII.

But that should be possible to find out.
Anyone here member on www.talkbass.com?

 

[Mick51]

While Wikipedia is not the most authoritative source, it is readily available. See halfway down, comment on EB-3L..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_EB-3

 

[Koubayashi]

While Wikipedia is not the most authoritative source, it is readily available. See halfway down, comment on EB-3L..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_EB-3

Probably correct info.
But why did Greco make them 33" then? For the balance?

An EBIII is supposed to be 30.5" and nothing else

 

[Koubayashi]

Update: a new Gibson for about 700? from Thomann.
Absolutely a better buy than any Japanese EBIII copy I tried.

 

[singemonkey]

Yeah. The SG standard basses look rather nice. And second hand they're really not too expensive.

One day.

 

[Koubayashi]

Yeah. The SG standard basses look rather nice. And second hand they're really not too expensive.

One day.

No matter what the consensus here might be, just go for a Gibson.
As it is, you can pickup a Gibson for 4-500? so there is no need to pay more for a Japanese copy that doesn't deliver as much.