1970 Gibson EB-0 bass

• Solid mahogany one-piece body • Set mahogany three-piece neck • 19-fret rosewood fretboard • Gibson EB humbucking pickup • 30 1/2 inch scale

A new design for a new decade

This is an early-seventies 'slotted headstock' EB0; i.e. with two slots in the headstock, and the backwards facing banjo style Schaller M4 classic tuning keys. Like all EB-0 basses, they were produced at the Gibson Kalamazoo plant, in Michigan, USA; this example is one of 2896 EB-0s shipped in 1970 (see EB-0 shipping stats). The slotted-headstocks EB-0s came out at the peak of the models popularity, so despite the short production period (very late 1969 - very late 1971) they are not too hard to find.

Like all mahogany-necked Gibson basses, they are prone to break behind the truss rod adjustment cavity - however the banjo tuning keys exacerbate this: a fall backwards will almost certainly result in a headstock break; tuning keys hit the ground first, and the full force of the drop shears the headstock right off! It was the last EBO to feature a mahogany neck; later models used a much stronger three-piece maple neck.

A number of other changes were also made besides the headstock: the neck, for example, is now a laminate of three pieces of mahogany; actually this change seems to have occurred shortly before the move to the split headstock design, but so soon beforehand that solid headstock EB basses with three-piece mahogany necks are very much the exception. It still has the rosewood fingerboard with dot position markers, but one less fret: 19 instead of 20 of the previous years guitars (see a 1969 EB-0 here).

The pickup (70s spring mounted EB humbucker) has a black plastic mount and is height adjustable for the first time. It is situated right up against the neck. Other early seventies features include the two point bar bridge with cover, and old style pickguard with no finger-rest.

Controls are still the standard volume and tone, but the output jack has moved from the front, to a plate on the side of the body.

The Gibson logo itself, whilst still mother-of-pearl, is not inlaid into the headstock as was always the case with previous EBs; in fact it is a very thin sheet, carefully cut then glued in place. This also prevented the requirement of a black-painted headstock. Both subtle changes, but quicker and cheaper to produce, relieving pressure at a time of great financial strain on all US guitar manufacturers.

The original Cherry finish has faded to a rich brown. The faded Cherry can get confused with an original Walnut finish, but typically a look under the scratchplate or other concealed area will show a colour approaching the original finish.

The heel area (the joint where the neck meets the body) changed over the many years that EB basses were produced. A typical 1969 heel was rounded, and it sat flush with the guitar body - see a 1969 heel joint. The new slotted headstock basses were different; a more rectangular, stepped heel characterised these basses.

The split-headstock models were the first to have a surround on the EB humbucker, allowing pickup height adjustment. The actual pickup itself was no different of course, just the way it was mounted. Compare this to an EBO from the previous year with a non-adjustable pickup here. This was a significant design improvement, and remained constant for the rest of the 1970s.

Witch-hat hat knobs with position pointers. Note the output jack is on the side of the bass, and is mounted on a three-ply black-white-black plate. The slotted headstock basses were the only EBs with this side jack; earlier and later models had the traditional Gibson front-mounted output.

This bass is fitted with a two-point tune-o-matic bridge with under-bridge string mute, and chrome bridge cover. The mute would soon be discontinued, as the upright bass sound it was supposed to produce became less relevant to the 1970s bass player. To raise the mute the lever on the left of the image would be pulled left, pushing the felt strip on the right upwards.

This bass is fitted with a two-point tune-o-matic bridge with under-bridge string mute for a muted, upright bass sound. The saddles are made of Delrin - a low-friction plastic made by Dupont. The mute is operated by pulling the handle on the left away from the bridge, which pushes the felt upwards against the strings.

From behind, the 1970 EB0 looks rather similar to the 1969 version - main differences are the slotted headstock and associated tuning keys, and a slightly less rounded heel.

The six digit serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock. Note there is no 'MADE IN USA' stamp beneath the serial number, despite this bass being shipped in 1970. This is usually cited as proof of a pre-1970 bass; this is one of the last instruments made by Gibson without this. See a slightly later 1972 EBO with the 'Made in USA' stamp here.

The posts of the Schaller M4C clearly show how the strings pass through the post holes rather than into the top as with the Schaller M4.

The slotted headstock EB basses had a mother-of-pearl Gibson logo, simply glued on to the headstock - a real contrast to the carefully inlaid headstocks of the previous decade, but still a step above a decal or silk-screened logo. Note the blocky letters and lack of dot over the i. have a look at a 1969 EBO headstock logo in comparison 1969 Gibson EBO. The slotted headstock basses also had a scripted model designation on the truss rod cover.

The Schaller M4C keys were quite similar to the regular M4 Gibson had used a few years earlier, but with string holes through the post, rather than slots at the end.

The three-piece neck and slotted headstock. Schaller M-4-C tuning keys. No volute. Gibson headstocks were never known for their strength, but the slotted headstock EB basses were perhaps some of the most prone to breaking of all Gibson instruments. Firstly necks were typically mahogany - a brittle wood that shatters easily. The necks had been narrowed since the earliest EBs, and the weakspot behind the truss rod cavity was pretty thin anyway. With the new banjo-style tuners, any fall backwards would land with them hitting the ground first, causing considerable force on the weak area where the neck meets the headstock. Slotted headstock EB bass without some form of damage or repair in this area are rare indeed.

A 1970 EB0?

The lack of 'MADE IN THE USA' on the back of the headstock of a Gibson instrument traditionally suggests a 1960s vintage, whilst the potentiometers are dated January 1970. To compound matters further the serial number suggests 1968 or 1970. Gibson instruments take months to build, and necks were usually stamped with a serial number, before attaching them to a body. In this case the body and neck were probably manufactured in '69, with assembly and shipping occurring in 1970. Stamping instruments as 'MADE IN U.S.A.' was phased in around this time, and although the majority of slot heads are marked as such, many are not, particularly those with serial numbers in the 91xxxx - 92xxxx range.

This split headstock model never quite made it into a Gibson catalogue, but some similar EB3s can be seen in 1970 bass catalog. It had a September 1970 price of $350. But by early 1972 it had been revamped again, back to a solid headstock style - have a look at a 1972 EB-0. Anyway, its got a fantastic tone, pure melting butter, have a listen - recorded direct output, no amplifier.

Gibson EB-0 soundclips

With DI, this bass has a lovely deep round tone. As a 30 1/2" scale bass it requires short scale strings.

Gibson EB-0 bass guitars for sale

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