1972 Gibson EB-0 bass

• Mahogany body • three-piece maple neck • 21-fret rosewood fretboard • One EB humbucking pickup • 30 1/2 inch scale

Another redesign!

The Gibson EBO was in constant flux over the course of it's production, but no more so than in the period 1970-72. The design shipped from very early 1970 was all-mahogany, and broadly resembled the 1960s bass, save the slotted headstock (see an early 1970 EB-0 here), but in 1972 the EB0 was redesigned again - an attempt to make a stronger, easier and cheaper to produce and tonally less bassy bass. Gibson tried a number of different approaches to construction and in appearance at this time, but all featured a new thicker, heavier body, a maple neck with solid headstock, and a silk-screened rather than pearl logo. This resulted in a more substantial, and certainly more robust instrument; broken headstocks and body cracks are comparatively rare in these later EBs. All also had a repositioned pickup, moved towards the bridge for a greater midrange response.

Some examples had controls mounted on a front scratchplate (see this 1972 Natural EB-0L), others had different body woods (alder), different number of neck laminations, clear or no scratchplates, clear-coated necks, different truss rod nut sizes, and a different width nut. But these guitars are very much the exception, with Gibson finally settling on the specifications shown here. The new style EB-0 (or a new style EB-0!) was first shown at the June 1972 NAMM show, with a price of $395 - a small increase on the $350 price a year earlier. The bass pictured was most likely built around, or just after, this time: the potentiometers of this bass are dated mid 1972, however the serial number suggest a very late 1972 shipping date, perhaps even early 1973.

1972 Gibson EB-0 specifications

This bass is typical of a the majority of Gibson's early seventies EB bass output: a mahogany body, three-piece maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. Like all Gibson's at this time, it was produced at the legendary Kalamazoo plant, Michigan, USA (where all their best guitars were built). Walnut was a finish widely used at this time, and was applied to almost half of the 1972 EB-0s produced: this is one of 423 walnut (compared to 507 cherry) EB-0 basses shipped in 1972. Like the majority of earlier examples, the bass had a short (30 1/2") scale and required short scale strings.

This style EB-0 was first included in the brightly coloured 1972 bass place brochure (right).

Notice the volute (on the back of the headstock) and Gibson logo on the spring mounted EB humbucker cover. The bridge is the two point tune-o-matic with cover, as used since around 1967, but now with metal, rather than plastic (Delrin) saddles, and NO underbridge mute. The three point bridge design was not in use until 1973. The tuning keys are Schaller M4-S which were used roughly in the period 1971-73. This style of pickguard was used on all EB models from 1972 until they were last produced in 1979. Finally, this EB0 has 21 frets, compared to the 19 (1970-71) or 20 (1961-69) on all previous examples.

The new design for '72 EBO had much of the same hardware as previous versions, but arranged slightly differently. The EB humbucker was positioned further back from the neck, to accentuate mid and high frequencies. The bridge now had no mute below it, and the output jack was moved back to the front of the bass' body where it had been prior to 1970. The scratchplate was completely different of course. Compare this bass with a 1970 EBO.

Gibson's Walnut finish over a mahogany body, is particularly appealing. Other finishes available at this time were cherry (also over a mahogany body) and natural, over an alder body (see a 1972 EB-O in natural finish here).

This EB humbucker has the Gibson logo engraved into its cover, generally a feature of EB basses in around 1971-72, maybe 1973. These are the last slotted-headstock basses and the first of the redesigned, 70s maple-necked EB basses.

Witch-hat control knobs, with silver inserts. This picture also clearly shows the finish checking that is so common on old Gibson guitars and basses.

EB basses were more often than not fitted with under bridge mutes (like this 1970 EBO) up until around 1971. This bass is fitted with a two-point tune-o-matic bridge, and chrome bridge cover, but no mute.

This bass is fitted with a two-point tune-o-matic bridge with metal saddles (as opposed to plastic used previously). From 1971 Gibson stopped using the mutes that were fitted under these bridges; instead a foam strip was attached to the underside of the bridge cover forming a mute of sorts - to unmute, simply remove the bridge cover! For comparison, have a look at a 1970 EBO bridge with underbridge mute and the old Delrin saddles.

Note the large body contour on the back of this bass.

Serial number stamped on the back of the headstock. The 'MADE IN USA' stamp beneath the serial number appeared on all instruments made by Gibson from 1970. Note the different quality of lettering compared to that of a 1970 EBO.

The seventies solid headstock EB0s did away with inlays; they had large headstocks with the Gibson logo silk-screened in gold. Note the one-ply black truss rod cover, mounted, as usual, with two screws and standard Gibson nut.

Three-piece maple neck and solid headstock. Elephant ear Schaller M-4-S tuning keys. Neck volute. The headstock of the post slotted headstock basses was bigger, stronger and far less breakable than any EB bass that had come before it. Breaks were not impossible, of course, but the extra strength behind the truss rod cavity (provided by the volute) certainly prevented many.

1972 Gibson EB-0 Electronics

The controls are identical to any EB-0: just a volume and tone, each with a witch hat control knob; but the output jack has moved back to the body front (rather than on the guitars edge, as was the case for the slotted headstock models). However, the loom itself has changed from older EB-0 incarnations, presumably as a result of the move in pickup location: previously the EB-0 had two identical 500k pots, as of '72 it had a 500k volume and 250k tone.

Gibson EB-0 bass guitars for sale

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