NBD!

Gahr

Gahr

Ambassador of Blues & Brews
Country flag
Christmas finally came today! Actually a few days earlier than I expected, because I thought next Monday would be my new bass day.

I just picked up a 1963 Gibson EB-0 from the post office. It arrived safe and sound, even without a case. The seller had packed it very carefully.

I have to say I am pretty impressed with this 57 year old guy! As far as I can tell it is bone stock. It has the 1961-early 1963 bakelite pickup cover. A previous owner has apparently shielded it, and it is dead quiet. The jack and pots were crackling a bit at first, but after a quick service with some contact cleaner, everything is nice and sweet. The neck is pretty chunky compared to my Epiphone EB-0, but I have no problem with that. Sund wise it is better than expected. It has more clarity than I anticipated, yet has all the oomph! you want from the sidewinder pickup. I put it on my workbench for about an hour and changed the strings, the ones it came with were really old and dirty, and were wrapped the wrong way around the posts (see pic further down). I cleaned the nickel parts and oiled the fretboard. I can already say I am totally happy with this one. I guess it will be a bit of a one-trick pony, but it is a nice trick!

5T26IlI.jpg


Z2Uid1E.jpg


6QAIAWt.jpg


bLy38Wa.jpg


wbQgXFy.jpg


PbRGbGM.jpg


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SEkYwwm.jpg
 
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Gahr said:
Christmas finally came today! Actually a few days earlier than I expected, because I thought next Monday would be my new bass day.

I just picked up a 1963 Gibson EB-0 from the post office. It arrived safe and sound (even without a case. The seller had packed it very carefully.

I have to say I am pretty impressed with this 57 year old guy! As far as I can tell it is bone stock. It has the 1961-early 1963 bakelite pickup cover. A previous owner has apparently shielded it, and it is dead quiet. The jack and pots were crackling a bit at first, but after a quick service with some contact cleaner, everything is nice and sweet. The neck is pretty chunky compared to my Epiphone EB-0, but I have no problem with that. Sund wise it is better than expected. It has more clarity than I anticipated, yet has all the oomph! you want from the sidewinder pickup. I put it on my workbench for about an hour and changed the strings, the ones it came with were really old and dirty, and were wrapped the wrong way around the posts (see pic further down). I cleaned the nickel parts and oiled the fretboard. I can already say I am totally happy with this one. I guess it will be a bit of a one-trick pony, but it is a nice trick!

5T26IlI.jpg


Z2Uid1E.jpg


6QAIAWt.jpg


bLy38Wa.jpg


wbQgXFy.jpg


PbRGbGM.jpg


UfUFX4a.jpg


SEkYwwm.jpg
Click to expand...

HNBD, 63 was a great year, at least for me :)

Congrats
 
Thanks, guys! The thing that impressed me the most about it was really how well intoned it is. The bridge is hardly a precision instrument in that regard, but it works really well as is. I had to put on a set of roundwounds, as that was the only thing I had and the old strings were just horrible, but I will probably swap them for a set of flats. My local store was out of short scale flatwounds, so I'll have to wait for a little while though.
 
Gahr said:
Christmas finally came today! Actually a few days earlier than I expected, because I thought next Monday would be my new bass day.

I just picked up a 1963 Gibson EB-0 from the post office. It arrived safe and sound, even without a case. The seller had packed it very carefully.

I have to say I am pretty impressed with this 57 year old guy! As far as I can tell it is bone stock. It has the 1961-early 1963 bakelite pickup cover. A previous owner has apparently shielded it, and it is dead quiet. The jack and pots were crackling a bit at first, but after a quick service with some contact cleaner, everything is nice and sweet. The neck is pretty chunky compared to my Epiphone EB-0, but I have no problem with that. Sund wise it is better than expected. It has more clarity than I anticipated, yet has all the oomph! you want from the sidewinder pickup. I put it on my workbench for about an hour and changed the strings, the ones it came with were really old and dirty, and were wrapped the wrong way around the posts (see pic further down). I cleaned the nickel parts and oiled the fretboard. I can already say I am totally happy with this one. I guess it will be a bit of a one-trick pony, but it is a nice trick!

5T26IlI.jpg


Z2Uid1E.jpg


6QAIAWt.jpg


bLy38Wa.jpg


wbQgXFy.jpg


PbRGbGM.jpg


UfUFX4a.jpg


SEkYwwm.jpg
Click to expand...

That is one AWESOME bass, man...
 
GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now you gotta cut it up and ad some "P" bass pups ;)

So they sell those at your post office?????? I want to move to Norway!

I LOVE the original owners "wrap" technique------lets you longscale string on shortscale bass---- and just wrap it 175 times ;)

welcome to the 60's EB club...........Ill 'splain the secret handshake later--- after I come up with one since I think we are the ONLY 2 members with early 60's EB basses ;)
 
flats are going to add more thud/mud for sure --

need to lose the frets too (lol) -- play the rounds a bit let em set in --- you might be happy-- one of mnay P.O.'s of mine wanted a brighter tone so hence the "P" pup hacked into it --- it DOES brighten it --- but with no frets I prefer flats to minimize damage to the fret board and to get those great fretless tones
 
Well that is one lovely creature... 57 years old, very wonderful.

The Cristine Brinkley of guitars:

c75bb20998f3c137f0bbad2f37191985.jpg

(although perhaps the bass is the preferred option... :p )

I was gonna ask how thumpy it would be with flat wounds, and I guess we'll find out - I reckon it'll be amazing sounding. I was also wondering what those two screws in the middle of the body (one is on the pickguard) are for?

There's everything to like about that bass; the logo is super cool, the neck looks incredible, the body condition is just as you'd want it, and it functions perfectly. The fact it intonates so well is a really good sign that the bass was just made 'right'; great neck angle, construction, everything. To me, it's the ultimate bass, just says everything you'd wanna say about rock 'n roll; and while a new one would be nice, yours is better - great buy.

maxresdefault.jpg

(I'm thinking Gahr on the bass, SG John doing what he does and perhaps eSGEe on the drums!)
 
Mr Grumpy said:
Well that is one lovely creature... 57 years old, very wonderful.

The Cristine Brinkley of guitars:

View attachment 36522

(although perhaps the bass is the preferred option... :p )

I was gonna ask how thumpy it would be with flat wounds, and I guess we'll find out - I reckon it'll be amazing sounding. I was also wondering what those two screws in the middle of the body (one is on the pickguard) are for?

There's everything to like about that bass; the logo is super cool, the neck looks incredible, the body condition is just as you'd want it, and it functions perfectly. The fact it intonates so well is a really good sign that the bass was just made 'right'; great neck angle, construction, everything. To me, it's the ultimate bass, just says everything you'd wanna say about rock 'n roll; and while a new one would be nice, yours is better - great buy.

View attachment 36523

(I'm thinking Gahr on the bass, SG John doing what he does and perhaps eSGEe on the drums!)
Click to expand...
The screws you see are for the metal handrest they originally came with. But it is gone, like on many of the EB basses.

AEF7E762-CC43-45AC-9C27-CA2317E49850.jpeg
 
Gahr said:
The screws you see are for the metal handrest they originally came with. But it is gone, like on many of the EB basses.

View attachment 36526
Click to expand...

OK, you don't often see them.

When I play bass, it feels comfortable to put your thumb on the top of the pickup and pluck away from there, so I always wondered why the rest is under the strings on the pickguard when I'd prefer it above the strings between the two pickups; something like this:

VMF_J_02.jpg
 
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