Gibson basses

Bob in the late 60s playing his EB2

FlyGuitars You have a number of Gibson bass guitars in your collection - what was the first?

Bob Daisley The first Gibson I ever had was when I was about 16 and I bought a Gibson EB-2 that was popular in the 60's. So many bass players had an EB-2 in the 60's, either the Gibson EB-2 or the Epiphone Rivoli, which was the same bass - one had Gibson written on it and one had Epiphone written on it.

Kahvas Jute - Wide Open

I used to be in a band when I was very young, about 20, called Kahvas Jute. We were sort of like a progressive rock band with an influence of Cream. I did like that growly bass sound that Jack Bruce got so I got a Gibson EB-3. I think it was in 1969. Another very versatile, great bass - especially the one that I had when I was in Kahvas Jute. I really loved that bass but when I got to London I didn't really have enough money to have more than one bass and people were sort of frowning on those a little bit. They probably just preferred the Fender sound so I had to swap it in and I got a Precision.

FlyGuitars So when did you get another Gibson?

Bob Daisley For the first album I did with Ozzy when we were called The Blizzard Of Ozz. I know a lot of people refer to it as Ozzy's solo career but when we formed that band it was a band and it was called The Blizzard Of Ozz. That first album that we did I used a Gibson EB-3 on it because for those songs I'd tried various basses and to me they just didn't sound quite right. I actually brought the first one I could get, I just went out a bought an EB-3 and used that on that album. I had my Fender down there but like I say nothing sounded quite right on those songs for some reason and I had my Ampeg and I probably had an Acoustic amp cause I had an Acoustic bass amp that I'd bought from Boz Burrell from Bad Company. He'd done that first Bad Company album with it then I bought it off him after that. For a Gibson EB-3 you really need a Marshall stack you know for the best match for sound. So when I got the EB-3 to use on that album I used one of Randy's stacks cause he had a couple of these Marshall 100 Watt stacks and a couple of cabinets and a couple of heads and that so I used one head and one 4X12 mic'd for that album.

Bob recording Blizzard of Ozz with an early 60s EB3

FlyGuitars So did you just mic the cabs on that, was that close mic'ing?

Bob Daisley Yeah, yeah. One of Randy's 100 Watt Marshall heads through a 4X12 cab. Cause I had experience using an EB-3 before and I knew what sounded best with an EB-3 and it's the Marshall.

FlyGuitars Yeah cause I use an EB-3, I've got a couple of EB-3's myself and I use mine through a Marshall 100 Watt Valve Head and 4x12 cabinet

Bob Daisley They sound best through those don't they?

FlyGuitars Well I think so yeah, mine's one of the JCM 800 Bass heads. You used one of Randy's guitar heads, have you used any of the Super Bass heads at all?

Bob Daisley Well funnily enough even in the earlier days when I got my first EB-3 I got a Marshall 100 Watt head, that was a guitar head as well.

FlyGuitars So you've just always used guitar heads with them?

Bob Daisley Yeah it was just one that came available and I just bought it but there's not that much difference in a guitar head and a bass head anyway. I heard that the funny thing was that I think Jack Bruce was supposed to have used guitar heads anyway and Jimi Hendrix used bass heads.

FlyGuitars Going back to the Gary Moore record Power Of The Blues, you used an EB-3 on that. Did you also use guitar heads again?

Bob Daisley Yeah, I think was a 50 Watt guitar head. A Marshall vintage one that Gary had through a 4X12 cab. I know Gary because he's in touch with Jack Bruce, he said to him that he told him what I was using and he said "oh that's what I used to use". Some of the tracks I did use the Fender Precision, an Olympic White one. I think it's about 1962 and I used that on a few of the tracks on Gary's album through an Ampeg SVT with an 8X10 cab. The EB-3's on a lot of the tracks on that album.

FlyGuitars When you approached that album did you think I want to use an EB-3?

Bob Daisley No, Gary had that in mind because he'd worked with Jack. He had a band with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.

FlyGuitars Yeah the BBM project

Bob Daisley BBM, that was it, Bruce Baker and Moore. Gary actually brought Jack an EB-3 and he didn't use it, he used the Gibson solid body violin shaped one, the EB. People refer to as an EB-1 but in actual fact the real title of it is just EB.

Little Richard bassplayer Olsie Robinson (2nd left) playing the 1956 EB bass, and below the bass today in Bob Daisley's collection

FlyGuitars You've got one of those yourself haven't you?

Bob Daisley Yeah it's one that belonged to the bass player of Little Richard (Olsie Robinson) that he actually used on the early records; the guy that was with Little Richard for a good few years in the early days around I think late 56, 57. I already had one of those that I had bought in LA early 90s. Mine was a 1958 I think and then that other one came up for sale. There's this guy in America that I know had this bass that had come from Olsie, the bass player of Little Richard and what I did was I swapped my 58 EB for that one and I gave him some dough on top. Not a lot but he got my bass and I got that other one and I gave him some money on top. So it's a nice piece of history to have because if you listen to those early Little Richards records you know there it is that bass on them.

FlyGuitars Sure, and you've got the early EB-O with the Les Paul double cut body?

Bob Daisley Yeah the Les Paul Junior shape. That one like a lot of Gibsons has had the head broken off and it's got a repair at the back. You can see it but it's been done well, plays well and it's probably stronger now than it was before.

FlyGuitars Yeah I think that's the case with a lot of repairs isn't it.

Bob Daisley Well that was one that I got because it was a nice shape, it was an attractive looking bass and it's got those banjo machineheads on it. It's got a nice sound and it plays well. I used that on a couple of tracks for a Kahvas Jute reunion in 2005, we did a live show, a gig here in Sydney called The Basement. We had it filmed and there's a DVD. On that I used the Gibson EB-3 and an old Fender Jazz bass but there's some studio recordings that come with the DVD, I used that EB-O on a couple of those.

Bob Daisley It turned out pretty well, the band sounded just like it did when we were together all those years ago. Quite often bands reform or try to recreate something and it doesn't quite come off but I think we really pulled it off, it sounds good. I was very pleased with it.

Kahvas Jute live. Right Bob Daisley, left Tim Gaze (with SG Custom). Bob plays his 1961 EB3

FlyGuitars So out of those three Gibsons that you've got is it the EB-3 that you tend to favour?

Bob Daisley I would say it is, I've got three EB-3s now. I bought one that I'd had from England in the late 80s or 90s, it was supposed to be one of the first in England so it would be about 1960 and that's the one I used on the Kahvas Jute reunion. Then I wanted a spare one just as a sort of back up in case something went wrong or you break a string or whatever. So I got a cheaper one I brought from a mate of mine in London, he's got the Vintage Guitar Emporium on the New Kings Road, Fat Rick. It's all original except it's been refinished, still the cherry red but when he shipped to me from London to Sydney it arrived with the head broken off so it obviously hadn't been handled right. I had to get that repaired but I had a really good repair job done on it so it plays fine and yet again probably stronger now than what it was before it got broken. I think it was last year in 2006 I got the same bloke that I got the Little Richard bass from came up with an EB-3 for me that was I think it was about a 66 or 64 somewhere round there and it's virtually mint. I mean It's been used and it's got a couple of little sort of used marks on it but it's very clean, it's certainly a 9/9.5 out of 10. Solder in tact and the case is like new so I thought it's another good one for the collection but that's the three EB-3s I've got.

FlyGuitars Have you tried other Gibson models such as The Ripper, The Grabber, the Thunderbird, any of the Les Paul basses?

Bob Daisley I did have a Les Paul Bass that I bought in late '70 I think and I ended up not liking it. It was too heavy, a bit cumbersome. Lots of tones on it not really any that I liked. I never used it much and I sold it.

Bob recording in 1970, with his early set-up of Gibson EB3 bass, and 100W Marshall head

FlyGuitars I suppose they're not for everyone but I've got one of the 71 Les Paul basses and I like the tones on that.

Bob Daisley Yeah well the thing is I was still in Kahvas Jute at the time I bought it and in those days because I didn't have much money I swapped my EB-3 on it and then didn't like it. It had some nice tones but none as appropriate for that band as an EB-3 and it didn't have that EB-3 growl so I went back and got my EB-3 back. Fortunately it was still in the shop that I'd swapped it in on and got it back.

FlyGuitars Obviously Fender over the years have been more popular than the Gibson basses. What do you think the failings of Gibson have been which have prevented them from becoming more popular?

Bob Daisley I suppose the more high profile people that use a certain sort of instrument you stand a better chance, it's like free advertising really isn't it. How many people have used a Strat, god everybody and I suppose look at Les Pauls cause so many high profile people use Les Pauls and they became very popular. They were pretty popular in the 60's the Gibsons and Epiphone basses but if you look at the Fender Precision it's gone all the way through. The Gibson EB-2 was popular with a lot of high profile people for a while and then the EB-3 with certain people like Andy Fraser and Jack Bruce and the bass player in The Zombies, he used an EB-3 and even the bass player with the Jackson 5 had an EB-3 but that was only for short periods of time but the Precision has gone all the way through with so many different high profile people for a long period of time so I suppose that really does help.

FlyGuitars If there was a Gibson Bass say for instance that you could favour over your Fenders, how would it look? If Gibson approached you and said Bob we want to make you a signature bass how do you think you'd want that to look?

Bob Daisley I actually got Hamer in America, they made me a bass once that I ended up not using very much cause it didn't quite feel right but I got them to make it in the shape and complete design of a Stratocaster with a slightly bigger body than the Stratocaster guitar cause it was a bass but it looked just like a Strat and I got them to put Gibson Pickups on it so it would sound like an EB-3, play like a Precision and look like a Strat. I didn't have it for that long, I think the Hard Rock put it up in one of their cafes somewhere.

Gibson bass guitars for sale

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1968 Gibson EB-0 Bass Rare Slotted Head w / Original Case (EXC ) Stunning!!

Racine, Wisconsin, 534**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3995

1968 Gibson EB-0 Bass w / Original Case (EXC ) Stunning!!. Slotted headstock with original Gibson tuners!! Perfect for the collector!! This bass is in exceptional condition and so is the original case!! You will not find one in better condition!! Simply amazing!! Has new strings and comes with a beautiful vintage ??Made in Mexico?? leather strap!! Everything 100% original!! Thanks for looking!!
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70s Japanese Bass With Gibson Logo

Trenton, New Jersey, 086**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$549

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1992 Gibson Les Paul Bass beautiful bass autographed by Les Paul w / photo docs.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5995

This is a very rare chance to acquire a rare Les Paul Bass signed by the man himself, Mr. Les Paul. This is a very clean 1992 Les Paul Bass in a pretty faded Honey??burst finished top w / a natural mahogany finished back, sides & neck. It??s sporting a pair of 2 factory Humbucking pickups w / a 60??s type bridge setup like an EB-2 bass. Its unbound rosewood fingerboard has nice pearloid trapezoid inlays w / a nice feeling neck. Its headstock has a rare pearl inlaid ??Torch?? bringing back ... more

1969 Gibson EB-0 one owner bass with original custom hard sided case.

Patchogue, New York, 117**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2000

1969 Gibson EB-0 one owner bass with original custom hard sided case. See pic of original owner with the bass in the early ?70s ! Both the bass and case show wear from decades of use. There are scuffs, scratches, dings, and dents as you would expect. There is a split in the headstock that extends for approximately 7 inches, see photo. Electronics appear to be untouched all original. As shown in pic, date code on pot reads 6833, so bass was built in late 1968 or possibly early 1969. Serial number... more

1965 Gibson EB-2 Bass a very special ordered EB-2 in a factory Argentine Gray !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$8995

The Gibson EB-2 Bass was invented in 1959 & made famous by many players. This example is oh-so rare & very special ordered by its 1st owner & is 1 of the coolest special ordered EB-2??s from 1965. Its beautiful slightly faded original ??Argentine Gray?? custom color finish is what this is all about & its so frickin rare. Its 1 of only 2 of this color known to exist. Its 1 piece mahogany neck feel delicious. No volute nor Made in the USA stamp. She??s got a perfect orange label ... more

Gibson EB-0 BASS with Slotted Headstock 1969 - Cherry

Jackson, Michigan, 492**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2795

Another New Arrival!
We offer a RARE Slotted Headstock Gibson EB-0 Bass Guitar "Short Scale" S / N: 928316 which I believe makes this a 1969These had what they called "Mudbucker" pickups which sound much fuller and deeper than your standard pickups. They sound really cool!I understand that these short scale basses are easier for guitar player to pick and play. I have to agree It all works as it should This Bass has seen to use but is just honest playing and not abused. Check out the pics and ... more

Gibson Victory Artist Bass 81'

Blackfoot, Idaho, 832**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3800

This a killer bass and a total P bass killer. Gibson released these to compete with the p bass and they are far, far, better quality. Mahogany body, Mable neck, brass nut, active and passive humbuckers with MOOG electronics! All original with the original case. The original case is pretty beat up with a buckle replaced but still road Worthy. Original paperwork still with it. The guitar is set up to play easy with a low action and great sound. One bridge saddle is missing the riser but works ... more

Gibson Ripper (L9-S) Bass Guitar with Seymour Duncan

New Florence, Pennsylvania, 159**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3500

Gibson Ripper (L9-S) Bass Guitar with Seymour Duncan.
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Gibson RD Artist MOOG 1978 Natural Maple 4-String Bass w / HSC (Used)

Sedalia, Missouri, 653**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4000

Has light wear and scratches from being played. Overall in great condition with no major wear or dings. Has typical flat Gibson style frets. Overall in great condition. Have some light wear but no divoting or anything to worry about. Screws for battery compartment cover have been swapped with flat head screws (as seen in photos). Corner of back plate is chipped (as seen in photos). Expander Sensitivity Control on back plate is missing the plastic cap. It does work and is accessible. Strap ... more

Epiphone by Gibson PJ Bass + SKB Hard Case (Late ?80s / Early ?90s?)

Los Angeles, California, 900**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$425

Vintage Epiphone by Gibson 4-string bass with Precision / Jazz pickup configuration. Made in Korea, late ?80s to early ?90s. Solid condition, plays great. No visible serial ?? typical for this era
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1974 GIBSON GRABBER / RIPPER BASS CASE - made in USA

Kaufman, Texas, 751**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$370

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Vintage 1966 Gibson Electric Bass Guitar

Los Angeles, California, 900**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2312

Vintage 1966 Gibson Electric Bass Guitar. Up for sale used Original Gibson .
I do not know much about vintage guitars , but i took this guitar to the nearest Guitar center store and was told that is a 1966 Gibson Electric Bass( if someone thinks differently , please let me know).
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Gibson Non Reverse Thunderbird Bass Guitar

Beach City, Ohio, 446**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1599

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Gibson Classic 1966 EBO Bass Guitar

Adrian, Michigan, 492**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2100

This is a rare and collectible 1966 Gibson Classic EBO bass guitar in a stunning red color. With its 4-string configuration, this electric bass guitar is perfect for any musician who wants to make a statement. The Gibson brand is known for its quality and excellence, and this Classic series bass guitar is no exception. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just starting out, this bass guitar is sure to impress. It's perfect for playing a wide range of musical styles and is ideal for both live ... more

Gibson RD Artist Bass

Kennewick, Washington, 993**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3795

The Gibson RD Artist Bass is a high-quality electric bass guitar from the renowned brand Gibson. With a solid Maple body in a vibrant Fireburst color, this full-scale instrument is perfect for right-handed players. Featuring a Maple neck and Ebony fretboard, this 1978 model from the Artist series delivers exceptional sound and craftsmanship for bass players looking for a reliable and versatile instrument. Complete with a case, the Gibson RD Artist Bass is a classic choice for musicians seeking a... more

1965 Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass in Pelham Blue oh-so rare & cool you need it !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$13495

These 2nd issue ??Non-Reverse?? Thunderbird??s & Firebird??s were so far ahead of time & very few were ever made comparatively to Fender??s P & J Basses. Most all T??bird??s were available in a Sunburst finish. But some were ordered in their select Custom Colors. This particular example was ordered in Gibson??s most luv??d optional color of Pelham Blue all over its neck & body. Very little yellowing but she??s has plenty of playtime wear. These tend to get funky from playing in ... more

1964 Gibson Thunderbird IV Bass 1 of the best originals it's 1 of a kind & Minty

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$27495

These early production Reverse?? Thunderbird??s & Firebird??s were so far ahead of time & very few were ever made comparatively to Fender??s P & J Basses. This particular example was ordered in Gibson??s most popular color of a Dark 2-tone Sunburst finish all over its neck & body. Very little yellowing appears yet she has slight playtime all over. These tend to get funky from playing in bars & clubs & get nicotine stained. Its rosewood fingerboard is straight as an arrow ... more

1958 Gibson EB-2 1st year Museum Quality 100% original its 1 of a kind & Minty !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$9995

This is a truly superb original example of one of the rarer Gibson electric basses: the first-generation semi-hollow EB-2. The EB-2 in general is not a overly rare bass, but these earliest models built in the debut year were sold in only small numbers; many more were built in 1964-68 when production was at its peak. The ES-335 guitar from 1958 is one of Gibson??s most treasured and sought after instruments; this matching bass is actually considerably rarer, if not as highly in demand ! The EB-2 ... more

Gibson Ripper Bass L-9S 1974 Ebony Black W OHSC ALL ORIGINAL

Stanford, Kentucky, 404**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2999

Incredible bass, almost like a time capsule this one is. Plays like butter, with all original parts. minimal play wear;
The frets are in great shape as well. Only defect I see is a chip at the pickguard typical of these basses, as well as a little wear / shapedness on the tuners from use.
OHSC included with key.

Offers considered !
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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

This is a beautiful 1st year produced example of the exactly ??Cream Era?? Gibson EB-3 bass, pretty much identical the primary one used extensively by Jack Bruce from 1966 into the mid-70s. These expensive double pickup EB basses were made in fairly small quantities from 1961 into the mid-1960s but most examples that surface now are the later ??60s and early ??70s models, when they were produced in much greater numbers ?? at least partially due to the popularity of Cream ! Those are fine ... more

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