Both used the same materials, mahogany bodies and necks (maple necked from 1972) with rosewood (and occasionally ebony) fingerboards. The difference between the EBO and the EB3 was the extra pickup (and associated electronics) in the bridge position on the EB3. I played it through an Acoustic 360, which seemed to be the biggest bottom most road durable amp of it's day - Dennis Dunaway, Alice Cooper I loved the shape of it and, switching from an Airline, I liked the shorter scale neck. It had a wonderful neck and I loved it - Glenn Cornick, Jethro Tull
Was never able to use it on stage because it was far too bassy but used it on Stand Up on Nothing is Easy.
It was a 1959 EB0 which I bought on our first tour in Chicago. The price difference between the two was not massive in 1970 the EB0 was $350 compared to $410 for the EB3. Notable early users include David Knights of Procol Harum, Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five, Billy Kinsley of the Merseybeats, Dave Ambrose of the Brian Auger Trinity, and Dennis Dunaway of the Alice Cooper group. Interestingly enough, few major artists seemed to have used the EB0 the EB3 had a greater tonal range, and money is not an issue for 'rock stars', but it was popular with the garage, blues, soul and church bands of the 1960s and 70s. From summer 1961 the better known SG body style was used, and proved considerably more popular.īut the vast majority of Gibson EB0 guitars were shipped in the 1960s - the peak year with 3018 is 1969 (see a typical '69 EB0 here), when Cream style blues rock was at its height (Jack Bruce, the bass player with Cream is famous for his EB3 bass playing). The EB-0 basses produced from this time, and up until 1961, all had the doublecutaway Les Paul Junior body style. It was announced to dealers in advance in the May/June issue of Gibson Gazette Thrilling new EB-0 electric bass. The Gibson EB-0 (usually pronounced, and sometimes written EBO) was first produced in early 1959, being shown at the Summer music trade fairs of that year priced at $180.
The EB-0 was announced in the May/June issue of Gibson Gazette under the title Thrilling new EB-0 electric bass 1981 Victory Standard (Candy Apple Red).