1962 Gibson EB-0 bass

An early EB-0

Solid Mahogany body, one-piece mahogany neck with 20-fret Brazilian rosewood fretboard and pearl dot inlay markers. Single humbucking pickup. 30 1/2 inch scale. The earliest Gibson EB0 basses were characterised by the black bakelite-covered humbucker. Produced at Gibson's legendary Kalamazoo plant, USA, in the golden age of Gibson guitar production. The first thing you notice when you pick up this bass is the fat 'clubby' neck. Not actually wider than mid 1960s EBs (This one is 1 3/4" at the nut), but thicker; for example this 1964 EB0 has the same (approximately) neck width at the nut, but an everso slightly shallower profile: it is hard to measure, and is perhaps just 2-3mm (about 10% of the total thickness), but this feels far more significant than the numbers might suggest. Bodies are identical on both of these basses.

1962 Gibson EB-0 specifications

Dating this bass is not hard. The potentiometers are stamped 1346241 (which gives a pot production date of October 1962, and the serial number is either 1962 (Bishop) or very early 1963 (Blue Book). 1962 was the second year that the EB0 bass was manufactured in the SG, or 'new Les Paul' shape, and a total of 815 EB0s were made in that year. See EB-0 shipping stats.

Like all short scale basses, the EB-0 requires short scale strings - and these basses sound incredible with flatwounds.

The October 1962 Gibson price list puts the EB0 at $210 (US zone 1 price) - at the same time, the Fender Precision bass was listed at $229.50.

The components of this bass are typical early sixties: the EB humbucker has a Bakelite cover, whilst the bar bridge and hand rest were nickel plated. The underbridge mute was not fitted to the earliest EB basses at the factory, and one was never fitted to this instrument. The control knobs are 'bell' type as widely used on Gibson guitars and basses from this period.

The grain pattern on this bass clearly shows that this body is just one piece of wood. One piece of very fine South American mahogany. Cherry-finished EB basses are very prone to fading, and browning over time; this one still has some good colour to it, especially on the front, less-so on the reverse.

The Gibson EB humbucker has a massive output, creating some of the heaviest, boomiest bass sounds available.

The black Bakelite pickup cover was fitted to the EB0 bass until late 1962/early 1963 when a nickel version was introduced (see a 1964 EB-O). The pickup beneath the cover remained unchanged. The cover is simply held in place with four screws, and it sits onto the polepieces of the pickup below, holding it in place.

The controls could not be more simple; one volume and one tone control. More about the circuitry / potentiometer codes.

The bell control knobs were swapped for witch-hats around 1967.

The bridge consists of a single metal bar, and two posts with mounting holes set into the body wood of the guitar. Although not intonatable string by string, the whole bridge could be adjusted via two hex screws; one at each post. This early nickel bar bridge was replaced by a chromed version from 1965.

Gibson bass hand rests were initially nickel-plated, changing to chrome in around 1965. It is simply attached to the body wood by two small screws.

The cherry finish is fading in places, and this accentuates the mahogany grain patterns on the body. Exposure to sunlight is often the reason behind such fading, but notice that the back of the neck has also yellowed; it seems early EB basses are more prone to yellowing where they are handled (presumably due to a reaction with sweaty hands?)

Note the 'small' control cavity - compare this to the standardised cavity of a 1966 Gibson EB0.

Serial number on the back of the headstock, above Kluson 538 tuning keys. Although the neck of this bass is manufactured from one piece of mahogany, the two edges of the headstock, or headstock wings, are actually glued in place. The difference in grain can clearly be seen in this image.

Read more about Gibson serial numbers

The early 1960s EB0s had an inlaid Gibson logo, and an inlaid crown motif - but raised above center in the headstock. Compare this to the headstock of a 1966 EB0 in which the crown is more centrally positioned. Note also the typical early 1960s truss rod cover with wider revealed edge (white) that in later years.

The one-piece neck and solid headstock. Kluson 538 tuners. No volute. Note the wide neck - 1 3/4" (43mm) at the nut - very much a feature of early sixties examples; this had dropped to 1 1/2" by the end of the decade. It is also noticeably thicker than many later EB basses, perhaps only by 2-3 mm, but this is very noticeable when in use, and a feature quite sought by collectors and players.

1962 Gibson EB bass components

Notice the inlaid Gibson logo and solid headstock with crown inlay situated above centre. In late 1963/early 1964 this crown was repositioned to be more centralised on the headstock (compare with a 1964 EB-0). Components are typical for a bass of this era: Nickel two point bar bridge, nickel hand rest (positioned centrally - not to be confused with the bridge covers employed at the end of the decade, see a 1969 EB-0), black bakelite-covered EB humbucker directly at the end of the neck. Although the cover itself is black, the pickup underneath it is no different from the nickel-covered examples employed on EB basses over the following few years. This EB-0 uses Kluson 538 tuning keys.

1962 Gibson EB-0 wiring

The pictures on the right show two views of the wiring loom for this bass, accessible by removing the black plastic plate on the reverse body of the bass. It is a simple circuit, consisting of a volume and tone control (potentiometers), an output jack, and two capacitors. Both pots are identical; Centralab 500K audio taper, part number BA811-1053. Click the images for larger versions, of these images, and to see a circuit wiring plan.

This bass is typical of the EB0 shown in the 1962 and 1964 Gibson catalogues.

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