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EB 2013 bass


onemanband

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I've recently bought a new model 2013 EB bass after having switched between short & long scales for quite a while but finally settling on the Gibson EB 34" option; here are my thoughts.

When I first opened the case, I must say, I was a bit "underwhelmed" and disappointed; the wood grain has not been filled and the finish looked a bit cheap, but I must say, it "grows" on you pretty quick, its another of those quirky, unique Gibson type things; and now I love it!! They have also carved a volute at the weak spot, near the top of the neck; good move, as I know Gibsons are a bit prone to neck fractures; (luckily, I've never had that problem)! When I first picked it up, I was stunned how light it was compared to my Mustang, and doing the "bathroom scale" test it comes in a full 1.25 lbs. lighter, so now I have a solid, lightweight, long scale bass that suits me perfectly.

The set up was bob on (for me), neck relief, string height and intonation, all absolutely perfect and the neck has a lovely profile and is a joy to play!! All this is complemented by the superb Babicz full contact bridge assembly that is made for absolute precise adjustments, resulting in perfect string height and intonation setup.

I plugged it into my TC electronic BG250 combo (1 x 15), and nearly demolished the house..... jaw dropping low end, I then set about discovering all the possibilities from there upwards, and the range of sounds available on this bass seem endless, mixing and matching the two humbucker pickups with the coil tap switching volume pots, plus the tone control too, seem to give all the sounds one could possibly want or need; truly superb! I am going to re-string it with my own favourites (D'Addario Chrome Flatwounds), but that's just my personal choice, the bass is just amazing as it is, straight out of the box and absolutely incredible value for money!! msp_thumbup.gifmsp_thumbup.gifmsp_thumbup.gif

 

(Edit).......So, I re-strung it with the D'Addario chromes, gigged it twice this weekend.............absolutely sooooooperb!!

 

post-42944-028189400 1368695432_thumb.jpg

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Nice bass onemanband! It's great to finally get a comprehensive review on the EB. eusa_clap.gif Just going by the specs, I think I'd love to have one.

 

Some reviews of this bass on the Gibson product site are just maddening, and comparing the EB to a Fender is ridiculous IMHO. There is no bulbous Fenderesque headstock and no string-tree, it has excellent tuners, a top of the line bridge (no bent piece of metal here), the set neck is a plus, and the coil-tap feature is a nice extra. To me, the EB doesn't look at all like a Fender, but some people think anything with strings and pickups is a Fender rip-off. ](*,)

 

I couldn't imagine giving any bass that I've never seen, played, or heard a bad review. You have to post your review on Gibson.com, and give these "nothing's as good as a Fender" guys an honest evaluation of your EB.

 

Sorry for the rant - I just couldn't stop myself! [sneaky]

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Kelvin, Kelvin, Kelvin. Pretty strong words you're dishing out there against the iconic Fender Bass. I agree with everything you said. The only thing Fender did to really improve their Am. Std. Series, is the High Mass bridge. Other than that, ahhh. I don't think the graphite rods are all they are cracked up to be. I liked my Fenders so much, I went back to my 4003 Ric. The electronics on the Gibson EB Series are up there with the Fender Deluxe Series costing, $700. to $800. more, than the Gibson EB Series. The passive set up Am. Std. Series Jazzes are $350. more than the Gibson EB's too. Bravo to Gibson for the creation of the EB Series. Basses don't need no stink'n String Trees either. If they're designed right that is. [rolleyes]

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Kelvin, Kelvin, Kelvin. Pretty strong words you're dishing out there against the iconic Fender Bass. I agree with everything you said. The only thing Fender did to really improve their Am. Std. Series, is the High Mass bridge. Other than that, ahhh. I don't think the graphite rods are all they are cracked up to be. I liked my Fenders so much, I went back to my 4003 Ric. The electronics on the Gibson EB Series are up there with the Fender Deluxe Series costing, $700. to $800. more, than the Gibson EB Series. The passive set up Am. Std. Series Jazzes are $350. more than the Gibson EB's too. Bravo to Gibson for the creation of the EB Series. Basses don't need no stink'n String Trees either. If they're designed right that is. [rolleyes]

 

Ha! Don't misunderstand me; it's not that I dislike Fenders - I've owned quite a few of them and still have a MIM Deluxe P that I use at outdoor gigs and rough bars ( makes a good club). I just like everything about my Gibsons better. When it comes right down to it, it's the way a bass plays, feels, and sounds that matters, and we all have our own preferences. [biggrin]

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I own two Gibson EB 2013 in Natural Vintage Gloss, and equipped the first of them with EMG TB-HZ pickups two days ago. As soon as the next pair of these EMGs will be available, I will retrofit the second one, too. The reason for this is the annoying impurity of the E4 and A3 strings' sound due to the strong magnetic field of the PU magnets. I turned the PUs down as far as possible, I experimented with four different sets of strings, but the dissonances and beats of the E4 above the 7th fret and the A3 above the 10th fret fouled up any reasonable playing. This problem is definitely solved with the EMG TB-HZs. These great pickups bring the basic qualities of the EB 2013 tonewoods to life. There is no dull or dead note, and by installing three push/pull pots I may switch between serial/parallel coils and capacitor tap mode in the basically serial setting.

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I own two Gibson EB 2013 in Natural Vintage Gloss, and equipped the first of them with EMG TB-HZ pickups two days ago. As soon as the next pair of these EMGs will be available, I will retrofit the second one, too. The reason for this is the annoying impurity of the E4 and A3 strings' sound due to the strong magnetic field of the PU magnets. I turned the PUs down as far as possible, I experimented with four different sets of strings, but the dissonances and beats of the E4 above the 7th fret and the A3 above the 10th fret fouled up any reasonable playing. This problem is definitely solved with the EMG TB-HZs. These great pickups bring the basic qualities of the EB 2013 tonewoods to life. There is no dull or dead note, and by installing three push/pull pots I may switch between serial/parallel coils and capacitor tap mode in the basically serial setting.

 

capmaster - as one who also loves to mod, I'm curious about the coil taps. In the gibson.com write-up they mention "a new frequency tuned coil tap..." How do they do that? The next time you open it up, could you post some pics of the control cavity?

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capmaster - as one who also loves to mod, I'm curious about the coil taps. In the gibson.com write-up they mention "a new frequency tuned coil tap..." How do they do that? The next time you open it up, could you post some pics of the control cavity?

I try to describe it here: There are push/pull pots with an on/off switch turned off when depressed, and turned on in the pulled out setting. This switch connects the center tap, i. e. the point where the the two humbucker coils are connected in series, to a capacitor with the other leg soldered to ground. Interestingly, others than with the same function in the Les Paul Standard 2012 and 2013, and although they can be tapped separately, too, both pickups are switched to only one capacitor so there is a certain crosstalk at the bottom end. The capacitor value is 100 nF.

 

The very sense of this capacitor loaded coil tap is to provide more treble with tweaked down midrange and the same lows as provided by a humbucker. Additionally, the humbucking effect is preserved in the bass range. However, higher audio frequency interference as e. g. buzz from the power line due to dimmers or neon lights is no longer canceling and may be present in the signal.

 

I do like this circuitry very much, in my EB 2013 basses as well as in my Les Paul Standard 2012 and L6S 2011 guitars which all operate basically the same way. The Les Paul uses 10 nF for each pickup, and the L6S 2011 has a 33 nF capacitor that is used with either one or both of the pickups. Since the latter does have only one volume control, and both pickups can only be tapped together when simultaneously used, a second capacitor is not necessary.

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I try to describe it here: There are push/pull pots with an on/off switch turned off when depressed, and turned on in the pulled out setting. This switch connects the center tap, i. e. the point where the the two humbucker coils are connected in series, to a capacitor with the other leg soldered to ground. Interestingly, others than with the same function in the Les Paul Standard 2012 and 2013, and although they can be tapped separately, too, both pickups are switched to only one capacitor so there is a certain crosstalk at the bottom end. The capacitor value is 100 nF.

 

The very sense of this capacitor loaded coil tap is to provide more treble with tweaked down midrange and the same lows as provided by a humbucker. Additionally, the humbucking effect is preserved in the bass range. However, higher audio frequency interference as e. g. buzz from the power line due to dimmers or neon lights is no longer canceling and may be present in the signal.

 

I do like this circuitry very much, in my EB 2013 basses as well as in my Les Paul Standard 2012 and L6S 2011 guitars which all operate basically the same way. The Les Paul uses 10 nF for each pickup, and the L6S 2011 has a 33 nF capacitor that is used with either one or both of the pickups. Since the latter does have only one volume control, and both pickups can only be tapped together when simultaneously used, a second capacitor is not necessary.

 

Interesting... Thanks for the info and clear explanation. I'm going to put some Bill Lawrence L-90 pups in one of my basses soon; I think I'll experiment a bit with a few caps of different values. I've tried coil taps before, but simply achieved a thinner sound; the capacitor makes sense. [biggrin]

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EB in ebony. 100_0205_zps86ebc6d7.jpgStill getting used to it, neck is great!

 

Vey nice! If I needed another bass I would go with the EB; The neck & body woods, bridge, pickups, and electronics seem to be the perfect combination for my tastes.

 

I hope they don't discontinue them before I have a big enough urge to get one.[crying]

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