Help ID'ing this Gibson Bass

[Jottino]

Hi there - 

I've been having a tough time identifying the year and model of this bass, any help would be greatly appreciated.  I can't find any pictures online of an SG-style bass with knobs on a faceplate, instead of just on the actual body of the guitar.  The serial number is 103900

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CPkin2fn2NanEXv82Kga83lhMUTL_h15

 

Thanks,

Joe

[Navy Vet.]

I don't know. I know it's not a Ripper, does this bass have fuzz tone?

[Big Bill]

Man the best I can come up with is an early 70s EB Series

 

I don't know if you seen this page:

http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/

 

[Navy Vet.]

55 minutes ago, Big Bill said:

Man the best I can come up with is an early 70s EB Series

 

I don't know if you seen this page:

http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/

 

It looks like a 70's SB 350 that has been modified. But I can't be sure, I have never seen this before.

[Jottino]

Big Bill - Thanks for the link, good info on there, just scratching the surface, but still can't find an exact match.  Using an online serial number finder comes back saying that it's either 1963 or 67, or 1970-1975, but I can't find a match anywhere.  It most looks like an SB-350 or 450, but it has three knobs, and no pickup selector switch.  The hardware on this one looks almost all aftermarket, so I'm thinking I have an SB, but with different tuning pegs, bridge, and pickups.  Maybe.  It's a strange one for sure.  Going to take the pickups out today and see if that reveals any new info.

Navy Vet - what do you mean by 'fuzz tone'?  

 

[Navy Vet.]

A gain switch to overdrive the tone. It created a fuzzy tone or fuzz tone. But with regards to the bass you describe, I have no clue to what it really is or was. I suspect it has been modified.

[Big Bill]

I'm starting to believe it's been modified too. Can you tell what happens with that outside knob? Is it a pot or a switch?

[Jottino]

Just got it plugged in for the first time.  

The knob closest to the bridge seems to be a tone knob

The middle knob is strange, seems to be a tone knob, unless the knob closest to the neck in down to 0, then it functions as a volume.

The neck knob doesn't do much, if the middle knob is turned to 0, it functions as a volume, but if the middle knob is up, it seems more like a blend of the top pickups?  Not a true tone knob.  

 

Strange...

[Jottino]

Also took the pickups out, and there are no makers marks anywhere on them, (it's not my bass, so I didn't feel comfortable taking the pickup covers off, they seemed mighty tight) but I can confirm that they're not the originals, there were holes from the previous pickup plates.  

[Big Bill]

7 hours ago, Jottino said:

Also took the pickups out, and there are no makers marks anywhere on them, (it's not my bass, so I didn't feel comfortable taking the pickup covers off, they seemed mighty tight) but I can confirm that they're not the originals, there were holes from the previous pickup plates.  

 

IMHO it has to be a modified SB 350. Looks like a nice base for its age.

 

[Grog]

It does look to be a highly modified SB-350. If it is a long scale, it's a SB-450. The hardware has been changed from chrome to black. It was likely refinished. I don't think that Gibson used that stop tailpiece on any bass until 2011. They were made between 1972 & 1974.

[Big Bill]

3 hours ago, Grog said:

It does look to be a highly modified SB-350. If it is a long scale, it's a SB-450. The hardware has been changed from chrome to black. It was likely refinished. I don't think that Gibson used that stop tailpiece on any bass until 2011. They were made between 1972 & 1974.

Bingo!!

[Jottino]

Thanks a ton for the info, this helped a ton.