EPIPHONE BASS GUITARS
(Gibson Guitar Corporation Period)

Since January 1986, Epiphone has been owned by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Production has been in Asia; Japan, Korea and China. The role of Epiphone from the mid 1980s, has largely been to make cheaper versions of Gibson guitars. So with regard basses, they have produced budget models of the following Gibsons EB0, EB2, EB3, Thunderbird, Les Paul Bass and the Ripper. Some have been very well made, and very well received.

Many are very good representations of Gibson at their best, yet are not the same basses at all. This can be shown clearly in the examples of the EB0 and Thunderbird; these simply sound nothing like the Gibsons... not bad, just not like the Gibson equivalents. The basic Epiphone versions have bolt-on necks (compared to glued in (EB0) or neck through (Thunderbird), different woods (various), and very different pickups. All of these factors change the natural sound of a bass enormously. As we go up the price range, the Basses begin to take on more high end Gibson features; mahogany bodys and necks, set necks, and even neck-through construction, in the case of the Thunderbird pro series.

The Epiphone EB3 is a good example of a bass that has some classic features: a set neck, and mahogany throughout, but it still lacks the very characteristic Gibson EB3 electronics, that make this bass famous.

One excellent bass of note, is the Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat. You can read more about the Allen Woody Rumblekat in our interview on the Late Allen Woody with guitarist Warren Haynes.

The top of the Epiphone bass range is the Jack Casady Signature bass. This model is based on a 1970s Gibson bass, the Les Paul Signature bass, though with enough input from Jack Casady to be given his name. Jack talked about the development of the Jack Casady Signature bass in his interview with FlyGuitars