1971 Gibson EB-3 bass

• Solid mahogany body • 19 fret rosewood fingerboard • 3 piece mahogany neck • 30 1/2 inch scale • two humbucking pickups

At the tail-end of the 1960s the Gibson EB3 was redesigned; the most immediate change being the new slotted headstock. It still came in Cherry, but also Walnut as seen here; a lot of slotted headstock EB basses were shipped in walnut finish

1971 was the last year of the slotted headstock EB models; their short production run started in very late 1969 (the earliest models have no 'MADE IN USA' stamp, and very early 1970 pots - see an early slotted headstock EB-0 bass) and ended in late 1971. A very small number were also shipped in 1972, although most likely limited to custom-order basses, such as this left-handed EB-3 that was ordered a year earlier.

The bass shown is indeed typical of it's vintage: three-piece bound mahogany neck without volute, one-piece mahogany body, five-ply pickguard, scripted truss-rod cover and glued-on pearl logo. The six-digit serial number is stamped in to the neck above MADE IN USA. As a 30 1/2" scale instrument, it requires short scale strings.

Hardware includes the two-point intonatable bridge with cover, Schaller M-4-C tuning keys, and Gibson neck humbucker (lovingly dubbed 'mudbucker') and bridge pickup. There are a few minor differences to 1970 models; in 1971-early 1973 a lot of EB basses had 'Gibson' etched into the pickup covers, and string mutes (although never universally fitted) were phased out. Few later production slotted headstock EBs (or 1971 Gibson basses in general) had them, and they were completely discontinued by the advent of the maple-necked EB basses in late 1971. (See a 1972 Gibson EB-3)

The slotted headstock EB3 was first shown in the 1970 Gibson bass catalog. This is one of 706 walnut EB-3s shipped in 1971, (compared with 973 in cherry and 25 natural) and one of approximately 3644 slotted headstocks shipped in total. (The production run of slotted headstock EB3s ran from very late 1969 until very late 1971, whilst the figure quoted is for all EB3s shipped in 1970 and 1971. It may exclude a few very early split headstocks EB3s and include a few of the later maple-neck EB-3s. See the EB-3 shipping totals.

In 1971, the EB3 had a US zone 1 list price of $410 - plus another $90 for the case.

The split-headstock EB3s were produced for the first two years of the 1970s, with the earliest all shipped with underbridge mutes. This, being a later one, has no mute, just the the two-point intonatable bridge with cover.

Another 1971/72 feature is the Gibson logo on the cover of the Gibson neck humbucker and bridge mini-humbucker.

This bass has a one-piece mahogany body, with a set (glued-in) three-piece mahogany neck. The Walnut finish is highly characteristic of early seventies Gibson guitars and basses, and works very well over a mahogany body.

Two-point tune-o-matic bridge and EB bridge mini-humbucker. This one has the Gibson logo engraved into its cover, often the case with EB basses from 1971/72.

The slotted headstock EB basses of 1970-71 were the first to have the black plastic surround and height adjustable humbucking neck pickup. Like the bridge pickup, this also has the Gibson logo on it's cover.

The controls are unchanged from earlier versions of the EB3: a four-way varitone switch (chicken head knob) and two tone and two volume controls, topped with witch-hat knobs. The upper two controls are for the neck pickup, the lower two for the bridge. The different varitone settings are quite distinct. Have a listen to some EB3s.

Two-point tune-o-matic bridge with chrome cover. In 1971 Gibson stopped fitting the underbridge mute to EB basses - compare this bass to an example from the previous year with mute here.

The EB3 has two volume and two tone controls, along with a four way tone-switch. The schematic for the circuitry in this bass can be seen here. Note the rectangular metal tone choke. The CTS-made potentiometers are 3 x Gibson part number 70027 (500K) and 1 x 70021 (250K).

This circuitry is broadly unchanged since the very first incarnations of the EB3 bass.

The EB3 had a one-piece neck mahogany through most of the 1960s, but right towards the end of the decade, Gibson started using a three piece mahogany neck on it's bass guitars. This continued into the seventies, eventually evolving into a three piece maple neck from 1972.

Close-up of the Schaller M4C machine heads fitted to a slotted headstock EB basses. Note the gear covers are engraved with the Gibson name, as opposed to the Schaller M4 units used in the preceding few years which are just marked with a 'G'.

The Gibson logo on the EBO and EB3 slotted headstock basses was not inlaid, but was cut from a thin sheet of mother of pearl, and then glued down. This was discontinued in 1972 when the basses once again had solid headstocks.

The Gibson slotted bass guitar headstock. Basses with this headstock design were shipped between early 1970 and early 1972. Compare this to a slightly older 1969 EB3 headstock and a newer 1972 EB3 headstock. Note the single-ply model-designated truss-rod cover, and banjo-style backwards facing Schaller M4C machine heads.

Slotted headstock EB3, showing serial number, three-piece mahogany neck and Schaller M4C machine heads. Note that there is no volute; this was introduced in the next version, the 1972 solid headstock EB basses.

Gibson EB3 bass for sale

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