Strings suitable for the EB-4L D'Addario EXL220 XL Nickel Round Wound Super Light Bright Electric Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Long Scale - Super Soft) Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass Strings (Thomastik-Infeld JF344 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass Strings) Fender 9120 Nylon Tapewound Bass Strings (Fender Nylon Tapewound - Long Scale - 34) D'Addario ECB81 XL Chromes Flatwound Bass Strings (D'addario Chromes Stainless Steel Flatwound - Soft) Rotosound RS77EL Jazz Bass Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS77EL - Jazz Bass) Rotosound RS66LD Bass Strings Long Scale Strings (RotoSound Swing Bass RS66LD - Stainless Steel) Rotosound RS66LB Bass Strings (RotoSound RS66LB Swing Bass - Stainless Steel) D'Addario EXL170 Nickel Wound Bright Round Wound Electric Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound - Soft) Fender 9050L Stainless Flatwound Bass Strings (Fender - Stainless Bass Flatwound - Long Scale - 34 - Light ) Rotosound RS88LD Trubass Bass Strings (Rotosound - Bass Strings - RS88LD - True Bass (Black Nylon))

The short-lived Gibson EB-4L was launched in 1972, only selling in moderate numbers in 1973. It gets pride of place in the 1972 Bass Place catalogue with a 2 page spread (compared to half a page for other models). The main feature was the new switchable pickup design; the EB4L super-humbucker actually contains 4 coils, one around each pole.

The above bass is fitted with chrome-plated hardware throughout: Schaller M4-S machine heads, three-point bridge, with cover, witch hat knobs and decal logo - typical fittings for all but the earliest EB4Ls.

Other 1000 EB4Ls were manufactured, 93% in 1973 (see EB4L shipping totals). They were available in the usual early seventies bass colours, cherry, and walnut, though one was shipped in ebony in 1975. The EB4L shared the fate of the EB0 and EB3; all three had terrible sales from 1974, and the last instruments were shipped in 1979.

Sound Clips

Sound clips are recorded directly into a computer sound card with no amplification. Recorded with round wound strings, and played fingerstyle. Each clip is around 200KB in size

• 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 1.
  All four coils in series
• 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 2.
  Series/Parallel - two coils in series, in parallel with the other two coils in series
• 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 3.
  Series/Parallel + tone choke. Two coils in series, in parallel with the other two coils in series, with additional tone choke
• 1972 Gibson EB4L switch position 1, treble turned to 0