Epiphone EB-3 Manual?

[Doctorrero]

Hi there,

 

I recently got a EB-3 for my birthday. It is used, but in good condition and very nice to play ... my question is, if there is a manual or something simular availabe? Maybe as a pdf downmload? I Have some problems with the sound-adjusting!

thanks for your help!

[audiomitch]

This is probably as close as you're going to get:

 

http://www.epiphone.com/images/EpiOwnrsManul.pdf

 

Probably not too helpful.

 

What problems are you experiencing? I and many others in this forum own that particular bass.

[tommyb]

I'll comment here as I own an EB-3 SG but I'm NOT really a bass player. I got it for home recording purposes and I can thump around on it like most guitar players can...but that doesn't make him/her a bass player!

 

That knob with the three positions (reminds me of a knob on 1950's electric range...!!;-)) lets you choose bridge pup, neck pup, or both. I've found that I've made the mistake of making the tone TOO bassy...so I've been cranking up the treble a bit and I've even used the bridge pup alone a time or two. For bass solo work (which I don't do) I can't imagine any limitations with this bass, especially with that mini-hum at the bridge. I've made some recordings which sounded fine through phones, but played back on my high end stereo, the bass just took over the while thing....shook the floor, actually! Not really what I'm after. So, my point is, you need to experiment.

 

I CAN say that for a $300 bass, it's just great, the quality belies that low price. Oh, if you gig with it, it is VERY neck-heavy...strap it on, let go of the neck, and the headstock goes right to the floor! Not a big deal for me, as I would never be hired as a bass player, and I'm always sitting down when I play it. There are counter-weighted straps on the market to help with this situation.

[Hungrycat]

For bass solo work (which I don't do) I can't imagine any limitations with this bass, especially with that mini-hum at the bridge.

 

You'd be amazed at how terrible an EB-3 is for most things. I will give the Epi a leg up an the Gibson, because the Epi is long scale, but it's still not that versatile of a bass. For instance, you wouldn't really want to play funk on a EB-3. It's a quality instrument though, and If you wanna sound like Jack Bruce then it's perfect. But there's a reason that the Fender Jazz and Precision are the most popular basses on the planet...

 

But if you like it, that that's great! Happy New Bass Day! I just really don't like most Gibson/Epi basses. Just don't get me started on the 3-point bridges or Thunderbirds. I'll rant more about those than I will the EB-3.

[Hungrycat]

 

Damn. That's an ugly guitar. Probably sounds better than a regular SG though. More mass in the body, ebony board...

[Hungrycat]

Predictable response. I was actually refering to the horn length, not the overall aesthetics.

 

Oh yeah, I knew that. I was just sayin'... Actually, I don't think it would be that bad if it had

A.) an Explorer headstock

and

B.)lost the goofy giant pickguard.

[Golem]

Move the strap button to the upper horn, like tony Iommi.

 

 

That might help if you play with the neck dead level

and truly horizontal .... but in the real world, with the

neck angled up, that tip of the horn will be in vertical

alignment with the neck heel, not "ahead" of it ... so

the hang balance won't change. The dive might slow

down as the neck falls thru horizontal position, but

playing an angled neck still lays the same amount

of weight on your fretting hand .... cuz at that angle,

the upper horn tip is not any further forward than the

traditional factory location of the front strap pin.

 

IOW angling up moves it "back" ... toward the bridge.

All measurements are relative to a vertical line thru

the bass's center of gravity. With the bass in playing

position, "vertical line" still means "straight toward

earth", NOT meaning "at a right angle to the neck" !

 

This is cuz we're concerned here with gravity rather

than with the symmetry of the bass's design. Like if

you do fancy diving tricks, no matter how you twist

and flip your body, "down" means "toward the water"

and not "toward your feet". Again as always, your

vertical line is not relative to your body shape, but

is always pointed at the center of the planet's core.

 

 

 

 

------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warning: I never hesitate to drill holes in my ax !

 

 

I relocated my front strap pin to the lower corner

of the neck heel cuz, except for the LOWER horn

tip, thaz the most forward point on the body with

the neck angled up.

 

The lower horn tip is plainly not a practical location

for the front strap pin, altho it would offer a greater

reduction in neck dive. My ax is an SG short scale

so the dive is not as extreme, but I was still moved

to reduce it. I also moved the rear strap pin forward,

by relocating it lower down the rear bout curve. It's

not just the curve that creates the forward shift. An

equal displacement higher instead of lower would

at first appear to offer the same forward shift. BUT,

when you angle the neck upward, the lower bout

moves "forward", and the upper bout moves "back" !

 

You could also easily forward shift the rear pin by

mounting it to the back side of the body, but then

you'd be wise to use a strap lock, which is kinda

bulky to have on the back of your ax ... but some

players may not find it so bothersome as I would.

If the back side deal were absolutely necessary for

me ... frinstintz if I had 34" scale instead of my 30",

I'd fit the strap to the back side with a screw and

washer, to avoid the bulkiness of the strap lock.

 

 

 

 

`

[LouieLouie]

That's a great idea about moving the forward strap button. I had the same problem with a Riviera guitar (semi-hollow) and there wasn't enough strength in the wood (stock) to do that. I formed a backup piece which was threaded thru the F-hole and glued in place. I'll just plan on doing the same move on the EB-3 only I can skip all the extra efforts.

Ready for the glue

Finished product

[Gaolee]

I find that playing a Gibson bass in a near vertical position is the best way to avoid neck dive.

[animalfarm]

Scaring up EPI EB-3 Manuals ain't easy... only finding tidbits:

 

http://www.flyguitars.com/epiphone/bass/ggc.php

 

Audio Clip from Epi - EB-3:

http://www.epiphone.com/media/EB0Groove.mp3