Gibson EB3 Bass Timeline

pickups: From early to mid 1963, the neck humbucker was fitted with a nickel cover, dimensions 2 1/4" x 3 3/8".

body: Circa mid-1965, control spacing is reduced, giving all SG guitars and basses the same size and shape control cavity
hardware: Now chrome plated throughout. Bridge updated to the type 2 bar bridge. Machineheads were usually Kluson 538s, as before, though some examples were fitted with Japanese closed gear tuners towards the end of the year and possibly beyond

pickups: The older 'wide' cover on the EB neck humbucker is replaced with a slightly taller, narrower version, dimensions 2 3/32" x 3 1/2". The coils are unchanged
hardware: By early 1967, Gibson were fitting witch-hat knobs to their EB basses. Also, the bar bridge was replaced by the 2 point tune-o-matic bridge. The mute remained the same despite the different bridge

neck: Three-piece necks introduced in the second half of 1969, still mahogany with 20 frets
heel: '69 saw significant remodelling of the neck joint style. The flat sloped heel in use since 1966 was still in evidence at the start of the year, but was soon replaced by a large rounded heel; flush with the body at first, and later stepped, finally reducing in size (bottom), until the slotted headstock basses were introduced at the very end of the year
body: type 2* cutaways
headstock: Some late 1969 headstocks have a glued-on pearl logo, but still with an inlaid crown
hardware: Although Kluson 538s were still in use, numerous EB3s were fitted with Schaller M-4 keys with 'G' on the gear cover

body: 25 EB3s shipped in natural finish
hardware: Towards the end of slotted headstock production, underbridge mutes were phased out - often in favour of a piece of foam glued to the underside of the bridge cover

body: 10 instruments shipped in ebony finish, 24 in natural
hardware: At some point in 1973 the two point bridge was replaced by the three point bridge, and the older Schaller tuners were replaced with Schaller B-M tuners