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

1971 was the last year of the slotted headstock EB models; their short production run started in very late 1969 (the earliest models have no 'MADE IN USA' stamp, and very early 1970 pots - see an early slotted headstock EB-0 bass) and ended in late 1971. A very small number were also shipped in 1972, although most likely limited to custom-order basses, such as this left-handed EB-3 that was ordered a year earlier.

The bass shown is indeed typical of it's vintage: three-piece mahogany neck without volute, one-piece mahogany body,five-ply pickguard, scripted truss-rod cover and glued-on pearl logo. The six-didgit serial number is stamped in to the neck above MADE IN USA.

Hardware includes the two-point intonatable bridge with cover, Schaller M-4-C tuning keys, and Gibson neck humbucker (loving dubbed 'mudbucker') and bridge pickup. There are a few minor differences to 1970 models; in 1971-early 1973 a lot of EB basses had 'Gibson' etched into the pickup covers, and string mutes (although never universally fitted) were phased out. Few later production slotted headstock EBs (or 1971 Gibson basses in general) had them, and they were completely discontinued by the advent of the maple-necked EB basses in late 1971. (See a 1972 Gibson EB-3)

The slotted headstock EB3 was first shown in the 1970 Gibson bass catalogue. This one of 706 walnut EB-3s shipped in 1971, (compared with 973 in cherry and 25 natural) and one of approximately 3644 slotted headstocks shipped in total. (The production run of slotted headstock EB3s ran from very late 1969 until very late 1971, whilst the figure quoted is for all EB3s shipped in 1970 and 1971. It may exclude a few very early split headstocks EB3s and include a few of the later maple-neck EB-3s. See the EB-3 shipping total.

For more information about EB3 basses in general, go back to the Gibson EB3 page.