Introduced in 1958, the Gibson EB-2 was one of a small selection of bass guitars in the Gibson range that aimed to prize some of the market share away from the popularity of Fender's solid body bass guitars. The EB-2 was based on the semi hollow body shape used by guitars like the ES-335, and was an innovative design at the time, initially replacing the violin body shaped Gibson EB-1 electric bass. This 1967 Gibson EB-2D is an excellent example of a later '60s twin pickup Gibson hollow body bass.
Constructed from a laminate Maple body, the EB-2 features a shorter 30.5" scale length. This shorter scale gives a very full, rounded sound with fewer harmonic overtones and a fatter, more direct sound. The body is fitted with a versatile pickup pairing, with the 'Sidewinder' bass pickup in the neck position, while the bridge position features a mini humbucker style pickup, offering a huge range of tone, from fatter, almost subby sounds to punchy '60s garage rock tones in the bridge position. Other features include a stud tailpiece with string mute, original open gear tuners, and a "Baritone" switch that allows the player to cut the bass frequencies in the signal.
This guitar is in very good condition, with plenty of lacquer checking visible to the top and back of the body, although not a great deal of play wear as such. The sunburst finish has retained a nice amount of vibrance to the colour. This guitar is internally and externally original with the exception of the pickup selector switch tip and strap buttons, and has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, which includes a 3 year warranty.
