Gibson EB3L restoration overview
This project started in 2004 when I bought an EB3L custom bass on ebay from a seller in Canada. The bass had few original features - no original parts except tuning keys and no logo, serial number or original finish. The serial number was gone and no pots to date it.
To compound matters the bass was poorly packaged and arrived in the UK broken in two. The finish, despite being non-original was rather well done, and in rather good shape. The holes for bridge-posts, under-pickup height adjustment screws, bridge cover and mute had all been filled - the various holes could all be seen through the translucent cherry finish.
On closer inspection, the fretboard had been replaced, and was the incorrect length for the original bridge position (the twelfth fret was not halfway between the nut and bridge position), and the truss rod tip snapped of. This was clearly going to be a big job!
So the first question was what to do... restore? customise? sell-on?
As can be seen (left), I decided to restore this bass, and i'm very pleased with the result. The majority of the work was performed by a Andy Viccars of Andy Viccars Custom. You can have a closer look at the restored bass, plus listen to sound clips - or stay on this page for more about the restoration itself
EB-3L Neck repair
Thankfully this was not going to be problematic - the break was clean, with no lost chippings, and with a large surface area to glue. A relatively easy job. The completed repair can be seen below. Note the cracks are barely visible (1). The mahogany looks very light in colour - the sign of a new break. The surface tends to darken as time elapses.
Truss rod and fretboard
To restore this bass to its original specifications and hardware, the fretboard would require replacing. Why the original board was replaced with a shorter one is not clear, however the neck below the board demonstrated why it was removed. The rod itself had been moved a couple centimetres towards the headstock - the circular anchor and its old location are evident below (2). The image of the other end of the headstock (right) shows a small amount of wood has been removed around the tip, again to compensate for the broken rod. Neither of these adjustments are critical - the function, and adjustment of the truss rod is not affected, however the mounting of the plastic cover is, because the screw hole was in the removed wood - the previous owner had clearly been using a non-original three-screw mounted cover instead.
The above image also shows the humbucker screw recesses (3). The pickup of this period was the height-adjustable EB humbucker which had a screw in each corner, deeper than the humbucker route. These had been filled, and required unfilling before mounting the pickups. One other point of note - the pickup route is stamped in large lettering 'EB3L'. This is the last trace of original finish (and its still there!).
Time for the finish
Once the fretboard was replaced, and the bridge post holes re-drilled the next step was the refin. According to shipping figures, the EB3L was launched a year after the long sale EB0L, in 1971. 331 were shipped in cherry, 279 in walnut. The EB3L initially had the split headstock, which was changed to a solid headstock around 1972 (see a solid headstock EB3). So, in all probability this bass was from 1971, or perhaps early 1972.
Both walnut and cherry are translucent finishes, and depending on the severity of a repair, cracks can be seen through the finish. in this case the neck repair is not the problem - the cracks run along the grain and are barely noticeable anyway. The area around the bridge is different. The two largest filled holes are from the posts of the original two-point bridge, the smaller holes come from the under-bridge mute and a bridge cover - both of which have been repositioned - and some extra unexplained holes.
These modifications can be hidden with a solid finish. Despite the colour information from shipping figures, I have seen two seemingly original split headstock EB3Ls finished in ebony, and the EB0 is listed as being shipped in this colour in '71. I decided that ebony was the colour to go with
The Gibson logo
Gibson bass headstocks had always been made with a black overlay inlaid with mother of pearl (with the exception of the melody maker which had a decal). When Gibson launched the split-headstock EBs, they were the first basses not to feature an overlay. They still used a mother of pearl logo, but a very thin (less than 1/2 mm) and slightly translucent. It was simply glued to the headstock, whatever its finish.
An original logo was the hardest part to track down for the restoration of this bass. In fact I had to wait until another EB3L came up - ironically enough a rare black EB3L, refinished red, then white. Removal of the logo is easy. First you need to remove any lacquer from the decal and surrounding area, Then keep wetting the area with hot water to loosen the glue and it should just lift off.
The image to the right shows (i) the logo attached to the parts-bass, (ii) the logo once removed (showing remnants of the original black finish) and (iii) the logo attached to the restoration bass
Reassembling the bass
Most of the parts for this bass appeared on ebay between mid 2004 and early 2006. Some parts are quite hard to find, or are snapped up as soon as they are listed, and I did buy another broken short scale 1971 EB3 in order to get a wiring loom with accurately dated pots (both short and long scale EB3s have the same circuitry). This was a different bass to the one listed above - both basses will be restored eventually!
In 1971-72 some Gibson pickups had the word Gibson inscribed on them. By no means all though, and although a nice touch, they are not essential. These are quite difficult to come across, but eventually they came up (separately) on ebay, and I bought them especially for this project. I was still waiting for the logo at this time, so I was in no urgent rush. Other than the inscribed cover, both pickups are identical to plain-covered versions of the same period
Parts used include height adjustable EB humbucker, mini humbucker, two-point bridge with cover. Schaller M4-classic tuning keys, witch-hat knobs
Gibson EB3 bass for sale
Gibson EB-3 Cherry Mod 1969 Electric Bass Guitar Original Case Slotted Head Art
El Segundo, California, 902**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3500
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Gibson 70s EB-3 WALNUT Used Electric Bass
Union, New Hampshire, 038**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1275
1969 Gibson EB3 Bass Guitar- 100% Original with Original Case
Glastonbury, Connecticut, 060**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3700
1969 Gibson EB-3 Cherry
Antioch, Tennessee, 370**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3199
1969 Gibson EB-3 Husk Repaired Headstock
Spring Hill, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$800
... more
1961 Gibson EB-3 the cleanest original extent w / hang tags 1 of a kind & Minty !
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$11495
1972 Gibson EB-3 Mahogany Bass Guitar
Kokomo, Indiana, 469**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$2000
Gibson eb-3 bass guitar, 1960s
Jamaica, New York, 114**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$300
IN WORKING CONDITION, CRACK ON BOTTOM
The Gibson EB-3 bass guitar from the 1960s is a classic electric bass guitar known for its vintage charm and iconic design. With a solid cherry body, four-string configuration, and a model year of 1969, this guitar offers a timeless look and sound that has made it a staple for bass players in various musical genres. The Gibson brand is legendary for producing high-quality instruments, making the EB-3 a sought-after choice for musicians looking for a ... more
1976 Gibson EB-3 Mahogany Bass Guitar W / Ohsc Veritone
Spring Hill, Florida, 346**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1850
Tuners have been changed. Everything else is 100% original. Sounds great. Will ship FedEx ground fully insured with tracking shipping to the lower 48 states only. No Alaska Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam or PO boxes international shipping provided by eBay Global
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"1973" Vintage Cherry "GIBSON EB-3" with OHSC Serial #056076 in Great Condition
Riverside, California, 925**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$3295
1960s Gibson eb-3 Bass Guitar
Jamaica, New York, 114**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1000
No lowballs
Price is pretty firm , reasonable offers accepted
If its $1000 why do u think id accept a $300 offer? Local pickup because I know how you guys like to scam on Ebay... more
Gibson eb-3 bass guitar, 1960s / 1970s
Jamaica, New York, 114**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
$1900
Vintage gibson, in working condition , broken alongside the bottom, seems to be an easy fix if you know what youre doing. Local pick up NYC... more
Gibson Eb-3 Bassgitarre
Meisterschwanden, 5***, SWITZERLAND
CHF2250
Gibson EB 3 CASE 1971 - passend für NUR GESCHLITZTE SPINDELSTOCK-Version
COLOGNE, GERMANY
£399
* CASE ONLY !
* strap that holds case open=GONE
* bottom and top are loose =need reglueing
* tolex has rips
* all latches are working fine
* check all pics
* SOLD AS IS - NO RETURNS... more
1971 GIBSON EB 3 SLOTTED HEADSTOCK BASS CASE - made in USA
COLOGNE, GERMANY
€444
* CASE ONLY !
* strap that holds case open=GONE
* bottom and top are loose =need reglueing
* tolex has rips
* all latches are working fine
* check all pics
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1971 GIBSON EB 3 SLOTTED HEADSTOCK BASS CASE - made in USA
COLOGNE, GERMANY
€439
* CASE ONLY !
* interior has stains
* tolex has rips
* all latches are working fine
* worn but solid
* check all pics
PLENTY of PARTS for SALE
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1971 GIBSON EB 3 SLOTTED HEADSTOCK BASS CASE - Made in USA
COLOGNE, GERMANY
£385
* CASE ONLY !
* interior has stains
* tolex has rips
* all latches are working fine
* worn but solid
* check all pics
... more