The Gibson EB-OF bass really was an innovative instrument when launched in 1962. The SG-style EB-0 bass had been available since 1961, whilst Gibson's accessories brand Maestro had only introduced the FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone effects pedal earlier in 1962. Gibson had the bright idea to combine the two, to create the worlds first fuzz bass, with 'organ-like tones' and 'growling bass'. It was effectively an EB-0 bass, with a small route under the scratchplate holding the FZ-1 circuitry, and a battery to power it. Today it seems illogical to have fitted this effect to a bass and not to a guitar, but, although a couple records had been recorded circa 1961/62 with some fuzz-like guitar tones, fuzz guitar had not yet reached the guitar-playing public's conciousness.
The Gibson EB-OF bass was listed at $249.95 - exactly the same price as the EB0 ($210) plus a Maestro FZ-1 ($39.95). Sales were relatively poor with just 265 examples shipped between 1962 and 1965, making this one of the rarest of all of Gibson's bass guitar offerings - see Gibson EB-0 shipping totals. 1965, the final year, was also the peak year of production, with 92 basses shipped - though for every fuzztone bass shipped, over 20 standard EB-0s also left Gibson's Kalamazoo plant.
1963 Gibson EB-OF Fuzz-tone bass image: Heritage Auctions
The Fuzz Tone was created by germanium transistors, for a classic 60s-style 'buzz', with an attack control controlling the effect level.
Like the Gibson EB-0, the EB-OF was a short (30 1/2") scale bass (requiring short scale strings) constructed of a mahogany body, set one-piece mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. It was fitted with the same EB humbucker, bar bridge and Kluson tuning keys. It had the same SG body style with translucent Cherry nitrocellulose finish.
Have a look at the YouTube clip, which gives a good demonstration of the basic fuzzbass tone.
Gibson EB-OF bass
or Gibson EB-0F bass?
You may have noticed that I use EB-0 not EB-O. In fact both are correct, and have been used by Gibson at different times. Gibson launched the EB-0; keeping the same naming system as the EB-1 and EB-2. However, despite being written with a zero it was presumably pronounced 'O' - maybe not universally, but by a significant number of people. The EB-'number' system continued when the EB-3 was added in 1961. But then, in 1962, the EB-OF was added. The first price list inclusion was in October 1962. The EB-0 is indeed typed with a zero, but the EB-OF the line below it uses an 'O'. This is the first use of an O instead of a zero. After this point, and until the deletion of the EB-0 in 1970, the EB-0 changes name to the EB-O, in all Gibson literature. That is until the very final Gibson brochure to include the model that actually uses EB-0 and EB-O on the same page! 1970 Gibson bass brochure.
1962 also saw the introduction of another Gibson fuzz bass, the special order double neck EBSF-1250, listed at $650.
The Maestro Fuzz-Tone pedal was initially produced in fairly large numbers, with almost 5500 units produced in 1962 alone. Like the EB-OF, this was also somewhat of a commercial failure - that is until Keith Richards used it to record the iconic guitar part in the Stones' Satisfaction. Following this, the pedal was redesigned and reissued as the FZ-1a, selling over 31000 units between 1965 and 1967. It's fate as a guitar, rather than bass, pedal was sealed.
Gibson EB-OF bass variations
Other than the fuzz circuitry and associated scratchplate, the EB-OF used identical parts to the EB-O, and therefore it evolved in parallel. Both models changed pickup covers (from black Royalite, to Nickel plated brass) around the same time in 1964. Another notable change that had certainly occurred by the middle of 1964 was from the original one-piece scratchplate, to a similar two-piece plate. This made little difference to the bass, though it made changing the 9 volt battery of the fuzz circuitry slightly easier (i.e. without removing wooden fingerrest but not the metal handrest).
The EB-OF was not pictured in any Gibson guitar catalogue, however was mentioned in the 1964 catalog. The final price-list appearance of the EB-OF was in September 1964 at $275.
Gibson 'Fuzzbass' users
There are few notable users of this bass. Phil Lesh was pictured with the bass in the Warlocks (shortly before becoming the Grateful Dead) - picture taken from Blair Jackson's excellent Grateful Dead Gear.