Gibson EB-0

The Gibson EB-0 is a bass guitar that was introduced by Gibson in 1959. When production ceased in 1979, a total of 20,844 instruments were built.

History
The EB-0 was first marketed in 1959 in response to the declining sales of Gibson's EB-1. The body was styled after the Les Paul Junior, but retained the mahogany neck and body and 30.5" scale length of the Gibson EB-1. It was available only in cherry red. This version of the EB-0 remained in production until 1961, after which the body was redesigned to resemble the Gibson SG (like the contemporary EB-3). The design of the bass guitar changed several times during the 1960s. In 1962, the black plastic cover on the pickup was replaced by a metal one. Around 1964/5, nickel-plated hardware was replaced by chrome-plated. Around 1966/7 the neck was replaced with a thinner one; the unadjustable bar bridge was replaced by a fully adjustable one with a nylon saddle for each string; the string guard was removed; a bridge guard was introduced and the knobs were replaced with the witch-hat design. In 1969 and 1970, the headstock was replaced with a slotted one (similar to those on most classical guitars), with tuning keys mounted at ninety degrees downwards behind the head.

In 1972, the EB-0 saw another, less dramatic revision. It received a larger body, a maple neck, and its pickup was moved further from the base of the neck. Despite these revisions, sales dropped significantly in the subsequent years and production was gradually phased out. The last EB-0 was made in 1979.

Epiphone currently produces an EB-0 which is similar to the late '60s version of the Gibson EB-0, but with a '70s-style three-point bridge and a bolt-on neck.

Variants
The EB-0 fathered two variations.


 * EB-0F - This was an EB-0 with a built in passive fuzz. They were produced in limited quantities between 1962 and 1965.
 * EB-0L - This was a long scale (34") version of the EB-0. It was produced between 1970 and 1977.

In fiction
The 1961 EB-0 appears in the fifth episode of the anime series FLCL, as the signature weapon of the space pirate Atomsk.