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EB 2013 bass


onemanband

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Hey there gsg, the feel is simular now that you mention it. [thumbup] Your Rickenbacker photos remind me of the mapleglo i had back in the 80's. Good lookin' bass them Rics.

 

Hey Mr. Trap. That's a nice feel of the neck, a bit more consistent going from the head, to the base of the neck. I'm picking up a Ric 4003 Ruby today. I'm not selling this one. This isn't my Ric in the photos, yet.

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I picked up "Reba", the 4003 Ruby at noon Friday. What can I say, they're both Red Heads. They call it Ruby, and it seems to have a bit of a Pearl luster to it. A nice color, and finish. Very similar to a automobile candy apple red color, with a metallic flake. The Caribbean Rosewood (Chechen) fretboard, isn't to bad either.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A look at the bridge - very heavy duty.

 

Nice to see them using a Babicz bridge as original equipment. I have two of them and I really like them, both the engineering and the tone. Very clever cam system for string height, super easy intonation setup. The only thing I'd grouse on is the string width isn't adjustable, but that's a non-issue when it's part of a bass's original layout. They're drop-ins on Fender P & J spacing - perfect - but something to consider on other projects.

 

I was a little surprised when I took one out of the pack - as massive as it looks it isn't any heavier than a standard Fender bent plate bridge. I replaced a very heavy brass high mass bridge and the tone really opened up. [thumbup]

 

High mass bridges have their place and on some basses they work very well. I'm not about to switch all of mine out though.

 

The Babicz bridges are excellent pieces of hardware and I will consider them for future use.

 

P.S. That's a great looking bass and I am looking forward to trying one out at some point. Good luck with it!

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I was a little surprised when I took one out of the pack - as massive as it looks it isn't any heavier than a standard Fender bent plate bridge. I replaced a very heavy brass high mass bridge and the tone really opened up. [thumbup]

Thanks Bassilisk [thumbup] That's surprising about the EB bridge weight compared to a Fender bridge. These cams do look like they'll hold up to some serious pickin'.

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I always appreciate a solid, well made bridge. I've never been a fan of the Fender Vintage Bridge. Or what I have always called them, a piece of bent Sheet Metal. The EB Bridge looks a solid as the Rickenbacker Bridge. Great to see Gibson do it right. [thumbup]

 

61cb5454-15e9-4878-90b7-90ebf9a712f3.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Mr. Trap. That's a nice feel of the neck, a bit more consistent going from the head, to the base of the neck. I'm picking up a Ric 4003 Ruby today. I'm not selling this one. This isn't my Ric in the photos, yet.

 

I picked up a 1998 4003 about a week ago. It is very different from the P-Bass or the EB-2. If anything, it feels a little more like the 'Bird, but that's not quite right, either. Anyway, I like it. The finish is Fireglo, and I think it looks great.

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I picked up a 1998 4003 about a week ago. It is very different from the P-Bass or the EB-2. If anything, it feels a little more like the 'Bird, but that's not quite right, either. Anyway, I like it. The finish is Fireglo, and I think it looks great.

 

 

I was on the fence between a Midnight Blue, and a Fireglo. The Midnight Blue was very close to going home with me.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, just "checking in".

So here we are, nearly four months down the road and this EB 2013 continues to be a joy to play!! msp_thumbup.gif

 

Nice to see the bass is gaining a few fans and new owners along the way too.

 

The band is going through a quiet patch at the moment, so it's back to solo gigs with my beloved 12 string but the EB will be back in service later this month !!msp_smile.gif.

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I just received my EB Bass in the mail this week. I ordered online because the only Guitar Center in my area did not carry them in stock. In what few reviews I could find before I made my purchase, practically the only complaint was regarding the finish, but no one specifically stated what was wrong with it. I was not expecting what I saw when I opened my case. I completely missed the part in the product description where it says:

 

"It looks great in the process, too, in your choice of four gorgeous grain-textured nitrocellulose lacquer..."

 

To me, this looks like an unprofessional finish, especially since it caught me off guard upon opening my case. Just for those who have not seen this bass in person and are wondering what I am talking about, check out the area on the upper horn of my attached picture. You can see the texture in the glare of my light.

 

As for the sound, I like it so far, but I've only been able to play through my MXR M80 into my computer recording interface. I am planning on taking it up to play on my full rig this afternoon.

post-59241-001422400 1378559407_thumb.jpg

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The EB's probably don't get the extra coats of nitro, as an SG Std. bass, Heritage Cherry does. The Heritage Cherry finish adds $500.00 buckaroos to an SG Std. bass. That's in all probability a standard nitro finish on your RB. It does add a higher dollar amount to the bass with the extra man labor hours required to apply the extra nitro finish.

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I just received my EB Bass in the mail this week. I ordered online because the only Guitar Center in my area did not carry them in stock. In what few reviews I could find before I made my purchase, practically the only complaint was regarding the finish, but no one specifically stated what was wrong with it. I was not expecting what I saw when I opened my case. I completely missed the part in the product description where it says:

 

"It looks great in the process, too, in your choice of four gorgeous grain-textured nitrocellulose lacquer..."

 

To me, this looks like an unprofessional finish, especially since it caught me off guard upon opening my case. Just for those who have not seen this bass in person and are wondering what I am talking about, check out the area on the upper horn of my attached picture. You can see the texture in the glare of my light.

 

As for the sound, I like it so far, but I've only been able to play through my MXR M80 into my computer recording interface. I am planning on taking it up to play on my full rig this afternoon.

 

 

They didn't seem to put a lot of time in the finish... Looks like "grain- textured" is simply not sealing the wood before painting; that saves a lot of steps in the process. It's still on my wish-list anyway. [thumbup]

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  • 5 weeks later...

I found a EB in a Sam Ash Saturday afternoon. I gave it a look over, very disappointed in the wood work on it. In the recess cuts on both sides of the body where the neck joins. Flat out, a lousy job of sanding, grinding, or smoothing out the rough areas. It made ma appreciate the body work on an SG Std. bass a lot more. I hoping this isn't indicative of the EB's in general. Some one missed that day in wood shop 101.

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It's a good looking bass. The thinner nitro really means nothing. If you look at a faded SG Std. bass, you'll see the wood grain on the body also. I didn't get a chance to plug it in. Next time I get to handle one, I'm going to give it a go. Hey Kelvinator, you know that's not going to augment, or ruin the sound anyway. [thumbup] It may help to let the wood breath a bit more too.

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I owned a Brown Faded SG Bass at one time. It sounded good. The only thing I noticed about the Faded SG is the fret ends weren't dressed as nicely as my SG Reissue. As far as my EB, I think the thin finish is cool and that the bass will "age" quicker. I noticed the EB actually has an unfinished wood smell to it. A bass with a heavier finish doesn't have a smell IMO. The finish is perfect because there are a few rough spots on the bass, but nothing that really turns me off. I've owned other American basses that weren't much better. This bass reminds me of a throw back to some of the Gibson bass guitars from the 1970's. I played with a guy, when I lived a previous life as a guitarist, who had a early 70's EB3 with a rough finish like this.

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  • 1 month later...

I was underwhelmed also when I opened the box, but after putting a set of LaBella flats on it and playing it through my MarkBass for the first time, I've become a true believer.

 

EB1_zps806f0f6f.jpg

 

My EB 5 (In black) will be here anytime. I ordered it from Sweetwater. As per Gibson, the 5 string isn't available in black. My Sweetwater rep said he thinks "It was a limited run specifically for Sweetwater of maybe 50 instruments".

Can anyone verify this to be true or not true?

 

I also play through multiple Markbass riggings when I provide my own backline. :-) I SWEAR by MB!

 

One MINOR issue, for whatever reason, the black one weighs 7 ozs more than the natural or sunburst. (I like less weight personally). No clue why that would be.

 

The ONLY "negative" thing I am reading, is fret edge finishing is far from perfect. Any opinions on that?

 

Not often I get excited about FedEx bringing me new toys. I own 7 Gibson guitars (I'm a Gibson addict), but this is my VERY FIRST Gibson bass (And my main cover band, I play bass).

 

Any info. anyone can provide on the "Black 5 string" will be truly appreciated.

 

Mike

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