Short scale strings suitable for the EB3 bass Ernie Ball 2837 Slinky Silhouette 6-String Short-Scale Bass Strings (Ernie Ball 2837 Slinky Silhouette 6-String Short-Scale Bass Strings) D'Addario EXL160S XL Regular Short Bass String Set (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Short Scale - Regular) Rotosound RS88S Trubass Standard Gauge Short Scale Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS88S - True Bass (Black Nylon)) Fender 5250XL Short Scale Bass Extra Light Strings (Fender short scale Nickel Steel roundwounds) Rotosound RS77S Jazz Bass Strings Short Scale (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS77S - Jazz Bass) D'Addario EXL220S Electric Bass Strings XL Nickel Super Light Short Scale (D'Addario EXL220S Nickel Super Light Short Scale) Thomastik-Infeld JF324 Jazz Flatwound Short Scale 4-String Bass (Thomastik-Infeld JF324 Jazz Flatwound Short Scale)

The 1960s EB3 was very popular with the British bands of the time. Jack Bruce, bass player with Cream had a very distinctive style which was closely associated with the short scale EB3s he played. The sixties instrument was characterised by its one piece mahogany body and neck, and comparitively small body (only slightly larger than a same-period SG guitar) and of course its sound. Peak production was from 1969-1971; around about 2000 guitars shipped each of those years. It was a still popular instrument in the early seventies (examine a 1972 model here) but sales fell rapidly during 1973-4.

The instrument pictured is quite typical for its vintage; large neck humbucker and bridge humbucker, two point bridge with mute and bridge cover and Kluson 538 'elephant ear' tuners. Typical 1969 neck joint, and type 2 cutaway* Weight 3.7kg. Width at nut 1 5/8".

The 1969 EB-3 had series 1 circuitry

Sound Clips

Sound clips are approximately 250kb played on a 1969 EB3, with fingers rather than a pick.

• 1969 Gibson EB3 varitone position 1.
  Neck pickup with tone choke
• 1969 Gibson EB3 varitone position 1, tone turned to 0
• 1969 Gibson EB3 varitone position 2.
  Bridge pickup only
• 1969 Gibson EB3 varitone position 3.
  Both pickups
• 1969 Gibson EB3 varitone position 4.
  Neck pickup only

* Gibson EB basses had subtly different cutouts small changes in the bevels as opposed to the actual size of the horns - there is no obvious way to name these differences, and no refernece to them in any Gibson literature, so they have been described here simply as types 1-5. For a comparative look at the variations, see the EB bass cutaway page