Epiphone EB-0

THIS IS A MOST BASIC OF BASSES...MY VERY FIRST BASS, WAY BACK IN THE DAY, WAS A UNIVOX COPY OF THE HOFNER BEATLE BASS...HEY, IT WAS 1966...BUT A FEW YEARS LATER I TRIED A 1968 P-BASS AND THEN A 1965 EB-0...WISH I STILL HAD THAT ONE. THAT WAS MY FAVORITE OF BASSES. I PREFERRED THEN, AND STILL PREFER NOW, A SHORT SCALE BASS...FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS...ALL OF THEM OBVIOUS: COMFORT, FEEL, AND SOUND.
I HAVE PLAYED BASS SINCE 1966 AND HAVE ADDED OVER THE YEARS, GUITAR, HARMONICA, KEYS, MANDOLIN, TENOR BANJO, LAPSTEEL...AND SO ON....
THESE DAYS I PLAY ALL OF THOSE THINGS BUT PREFER TO FEATURE BASS. FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS I WAS WITHOUT A BASS SO I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO BUY ONE....
NOW, SHORT SCALE BASSES OF QUALITY ARE NOT EASY TO COME BY...ONE ALEMBIC BUT WHO CAN AFFORD THAT ONE...A CUSTOM BUILT LANDING...A FENDER MUSTANG (NAAAA) AND A VINTAGE GIBSON EB-0...OR THE HIGH PRICED GIBSON SG REISSSUE.....i spread myself thin...so I could not afford to spend a fortune on a bass....the Danelectros are good....but scarce....so I thought I would try the Epiphone EB-0...AGAIN....I had one back in '99 or '00 and it sucked. It is nothing like the current issue out now. For instance, the finish was just a super thick red coat of deep and thick stain. None of the woods' grain showed thru....they claimed it was mahogany even back then...but it was hard to verify....the inlay on the headstock back then was chintzy..and the usual features were poor...it was made in either Korea or Indonesia....
THIS ONE THAT I ORDERED FROM SAME DAY MUSIC...HAS PEARLOID INLAY IN TEH HEADSTOCK....A BOUND IN BLACK NECK THAT HAS NO SHARP EDGES WHATSOEVER.....THE GRAIN IN THE BODY AND THE NECK IS JUST LIKE THE GIBSONS.....THIS IS DEFINITELY SOLID MAHOGANY (3 LATERAL PIECES BUT STILL NICE GRAINED MAHOGANY....
THE FRETBOARD IS A REDDISH TO DARK BROWN ROSEWOOD...LOOKS RICH...IT PLAYS, FEELS AND SETS UP AT PRO LEVEL...
THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST VALUES OUT THERE...FOR $200 WOW...
MAYBE GIBSON FEELS GUILTY AND THIS IS A MEA CULPA FOR ALL OF THE OVERPRICED GUITARS THEY PUT OUT NOW.....GIMME A FREAKING BREAK....

BUT THIS WORKS...AND IS A NICE LOOKER TO BOOT....it suits my style of playing which is rooted in Paul McCartney, Chris Hillman, Rick Danko, Jesse Colin Young, Steve Boone....classic rock players of the golden age..

A GOOD VALUE FOR SURE...

DEEP AND MELLOW (I SET IT UP AND PUT FLATWOUNDS....THE ONLY KIND OF BASS STRING FOR ME)...THE WAY I LIKE IT.....AFTER ALL, A BASS SHOULD BE A BASS....

SUPER COMFY NECK...AND THE GUITAR IS NOT ALL TOP HEAVY....

WHO KNOWS....I SEE NO REASON TO THINK IT WILL GO ASSUNDER...

i DOUBT THERE IS ANY...ESPECIALLY AT THIS PRICE POINT....DON'T EXPECT IT AND YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED...

PLAYING SINCE 1966...BACK IN THE GOLDRUSH DAYS....THE SALAD DAYS...THE GOLDEN ERA...YOU GET THE IDEA...

LOST OR STOLEN? i WOULD SEEK OUT ANOTHER UNLESS I HAD THE CASH FOR A USED VINTAGE GIBSON EB-0....MAYBE I WILL WIN THE LOTTERY NEXT WEEK...OR SOME TIME DOWN THE ROAD

Indo model , looks like mahogany ,but could be adler, nice weight to this axe , but not to heavy. Bolt on neck , fat humbucker type pup , 1 vol,1 tone. Simple.

This is great low sounding bass, I play threw 50 watt Ampeg ,and it sounds great. Nice deep sound for walking line ,and tune up the tone and treble ,and you get a nice sound to slap with.headstock is a little heavy ,but I had a Thunderbird Epi that did the same thing.

Bought new at GC and it needs no setup, finish is nice ,and wood grain looks beautiful!pickup is in great local ,and frets were not sharp

You can play live with this axe , and it wil survive a good thrashing , sweet , the beer spills , and a couple of drops. I'm gonna put on locking straps but thats it. backup?? bass players don't need back up!!
This is all you need.

Couldn't tell you.

this is a simple bass, and i have had few ,(Playing since 83) some of my past basses were Fender 72 telecaster, japanese 75 Jazz reissue , Mex jazz. Music Man String Ray,
you can hold a bass line , do what you need to do for rock ,counrty ,blues ,metal ,pop, alt , what ever. This is not your wanna be alembic multi pup jam band fusion ,or 5 string goth black nu-metal job( a grand and up? you kidding me??). This is a machine for those who are mechanics in the art of rock . This is a tool ,like a hammer .Use it wisely my friends.

its hard to rate this bass on features because it hasnt really got any - but then its not really meant to have any is it? ive given it a 6 because the ones it has aren't awesome but they're as you'd expect for this money.

I bought this bass in 2007 from an ebay shop - just out of curiosity really - i wanted to try a short scale out for a while and i'd seen (and pretty much fallen in love with) one of the gibson 'sg' basses but didnt want to pay big money for something i wasnt gonna play.

this one came with a sticker on the neck that said 'made in China', so....

pretty basic configuration - big old epiphone stock (passive) mudbucker at the neck position with one volume and one tone control.
one comment i'll make about the pickup is that it doesnt seem to pickup the E string very well - nothing you can't compensate for whilst playing, but still quite a noticable difference.

the general design of the bass isnt exactly ergonomic - although the neck dive hasnt really been noticable or problematic, the distance of the strings from the body of the bass (due to the height of the really old school 3 point bridge and position of the neck - nothing to do with action) makes playing finger style a bit of a challenge - i put a gary willis style 'ramp' onto the body to counter this and havent looked back.

the only real criticisms i have of this bass are:
- entirely superficial point: the edges of the scratch plate are pretty badly machined - the edges aren't consistent or square. boo.

- after owning the bass for about 2 years now the machine heads/tuners (stock epiphone) have gone a bit slack and tend to slip a little - gonna replace them i think (they arent exactly the prettiest feature of the bass either)

however, for the money i paid, i am very pleased

i have to say i was pleasantly surprised with how this bass sounds - i was expecting a really boomy muddy tone but (with the right EQ settings) its pretty clear all round - i do think you have to rely on your EQ to get the sound you want out of this bass because its not gonna do you any favours in that department - leave the EQ flat and it sounds like you're listening to it with a pillow over your ears.
That said - i play it through an Ashdown Mag300 combo (2X10) which hasnt exactly got the brightest sound or the best EQ ever and it sounds pretty acceptable.

i play this bass mainly for jazz/blues work and in cabaret/wedding/function bands - its tone is spot on for this kind of work (a couple of keyboard players have mentioned how much they like the sound) as its not too in your face - ideal for just holding down the bottom end.

The criticism here is that there is a buzz from the pickup/circuitary (not much but noticable) that may be a grounding fault (it hasnt really bothered me enough to investigate - just make sure the volume is turned down in between numbers)

when i get the chance i'm going to put a single coil pickup in at the bridge position to hopefully expand the tonal capabilities of this bass - then i might use it for recording but for now its a bit too dirty sounding for anything but live work.

out of the box the action was a bit high for my taste - but since setting it up (almost 2 years ago) its a lovely bass to play - the short scale means easy playing which suits me when im doing gigs that involve sight reading (less to worry about if i dont have to concentrate on left hand position)

i have no worries about the wiring or electrical parts in this bass because frankly there are none to speak of lol (this isnt a bad thing in my opinion)

the fit and finish are good for a bass in this price range - the neck fits nicely into the body (no gaps) and the hardware is all pretty well made - except for the issues with tuners which ive already mentioned i have no complaints that i wouldnt have with a ??500 bass.

i've used this bass a lot in live situations (probably done over 100 gigs with it) and ive never had any problems with it - it never even occured to me that i'd need a backup.

i wouldnt throw it at a wall, but its always seemed pretty durable and dependable.

never needed it.

Probably quite an important to mention this here:

DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU WANT TO PLAY A LOT OF SLAP - not a wise choice at all lol

Ive been playing bass for about 12 years now - i also own a Fender P-bass, Ibanez ATK400, Warwick Corvette and a Gibson les paul bass.

though i would favour one of my other basses for a recording session, i sometimes wish i'd bought my EB0 before buying the others because in many ways i prefer playing it to them (odd thing to say, i know, and i know a lot of people will be cursing me right now) because here is a bass that im not afraid to swing about and have fun with whilst im playing and i can leave it propped against my amp in between sets without having to contantly worry that somethings gonna happen to nearly ??1000 worth of equipment.

as i said in the other categories - i've fitted a (home made) ramp to assist fingerstyle playing and i'll probably have another pickup fitted and replace the tuners - but this is all at a lower cost than any of my other basses - and in my opinion very worth while.

if this bass were lost or stolen i would get another one (and it would probably be EXACTLY the same - cos they all role off a production line anyway)

the only reason i wouldnt recommend this to a beginner is due to the scale length - its probably more beneficial to learn of a full scale instrument
however - if anyone is wondering about trying a short scale instrument i would definately recommend this one.

hope this has been helpful :)

cherry eb0
Paid 80 euros

Sounds huge but no review before said that it's scale make the E string sound out of tune and with no sustain !!
This eb0 and all the other I think are made with a 2 pieces MAPLE neck (forget about flamed or birdeyes) loosely bolt on a POPLAR PLYWOOD body .
The neck is not so bad and it's narrow as a Jazz bass . The headstock is like a paddle .
The body looks like a EB0 body when you're really far but when seen closer , every details of the original EB0 is missing : minimum work on the body.
All this is soaked with a dark red paint and soaked again with polyester varnish.
EPIPHONE says that's a all mahogany bass.

Set-up at the factory??? I don't think that a guy is paid for this job in China !
Finish??? A glossy Polyester varnish that suck most of your (missing)sustain off ! And make the bass feel like a plastic toy.
The pickguard was made by an old chinese people I think because it makes me think about the parkinson desease.

I took the bass and scraped all the finish off...I don't think chinese peolpe working at the varnish departement will live old due to the pollluating nature of this varnish. I only did one bass and they build thousands.
I looked at about a ton of original EB0 pictures (thanks gibsonbasses.com)and I cut the headstock and build an other body made of ....MAHOGANY !
I routed the neck heel and the body so it's now a set neck construction.

NOTHING THERE IS MAHOGANY !!!

Overall : cheap price = cheap quality

This is an SG style bass made in 2006 in Indonesia. The Body is a three piece mahogany and the bolt on neck seems to be maple. One passive mudbucker style pickup at the neck position and one volume with a single tone control. The finish is clear cherry red and flawless. The tuners are the clover leaf style with the big open gears. The bridge is a cheaper version of the Gibson 3 point. The hardware is all chrome plated.

Out of the box the sound is decent but as stated in other reviews the tone doesn't change too much from 0-10. The problem is not the pots or the pickup but the way it is wired. Pull the schematics from the Gibson EB-0 and copy them this fixes the tone variation problem for under $5 with radio shack capacitors. The operation has always been quiet for me in every situation. I use Peavey bass amps and use the bass as a backup for live shows. This bass is great for classic rock, country, or for playing blues standards. Not so great for hard rock or modern blues but will work in a pinch.

No flaws just poor design on the wiring fix it up and you're good to go! Set up? Of course you need to set it up! If you don't know how buy a Dan Erlewine book and learn it my friend you will always use this knowledge.

You could use this bass to gig with however as with all Epiphones do not buy this one site unseen they love to switch up with the materials. I have seen these basses made with a veneered plywood body (yuk!) and sold as the same model with cheaper tuners etc. The one I have will last it's well made but not as good as my 2 elitist eb-3's but for $200 if you make sure it's the mahogany body you will have a good short scale bass for the bucks. Buy some straplocks all guitars come with inadequate strap buttons. Truss rod needs to be adjusted every time the humidity changes just like evey other guitar.

Epiphone and Gibson have the worst customer support on the planet bar none! If you have a genuine problem they will do nothing! I have had many past experiences with them trust me on this. If you have a question they will answer you but a problem with a product is your problem you will be on your own!

I'm an older guy who started playing at age 9 38 years ago. Been gigging on the weekends from about age 16. I have over 30 bass guitars and several 6 string guitars. I own 9 amps all Peaveys and mostly old ones. I have been using short scale basses for about 3 years now because they are balanced better and easy on the back and hands. This is a good but not great solid little short scale bass with a really cool vintage look. If it were stolen I would go get another (why not only $200). If you play an SG, EB-0, or Eb-3 as your main axe this one is a great back up.

Made in Indonesia, I think in 2005.

20 frets, 4 strings, solid body SG style body.

1 tone and 1 volume control, tone control doesn't make much difference at high bass levels (on your amp or pedal eq) but if you dial in a bright tone with your amp/pedal, the tone control makes more of a difference when used. If you don't have an amp(with eq) or a processor/pedal, don't count on the tone control, you'll probably be stuck with a single tone. The volume control makes the sound kind of muffled when turned down so best to use your amp's volume control and keep this one at ten.

1 chrome humbucker at the neck, passive. Sounds ok, not as muddy or as deep sounding as I expected (for a humbucker at the neck, but still warm, clear and good)

Check the site for material details.

Mine is shiny dark cherry with the wood showing through and a black pick guard, classic SG color.

Bridge is three point Gibson style, no individual saddle height adjustments (but it has individual intonation adjustment screws for each saddle). It's ok, doesn't require much work to adjust.

Tuners are open with big ears. Seemed like it couldn't hold tuning but once the strings settle, it's as good as any.

Short scale (30"), narrow and slim comfortable neck. (1.5" at nut)

The sound is clear and warm, but you can't get any different tones without using a processor/pedal.

I use it with a Digitech BP50, sounds fine and I can get all kinds of tones with it.

It isn't very noisy.

Sound isn't very rich (characteristic wise, mostly because of the short scale) but you can still get very satisfactory warm and deep sounds, along with bright sounds if you use a processor.

I haven't tried it in a gig yet, but will soon.

It came with a very low action and buzzed like hell on all strings and frets. The neck was straight. I gave the neck some relief and raised the bridge, now plays very good. The action isn't as low as I thought I could get it without buzzing, but still pretty good compared to big full scale basses. d and g strings were kind of quiet so I raised the pickup on the treble side a little, now it's all good. There were no flaws except that there is a piece of rough black paint or something around one of the tuning post bases but since the headstock is black, I didn't even notice it for a few days, so no problem.

With a good set-up and quality strings, plays just fine.

I'll use it in studio and gigs soon, looks sturdy. Bumped on the corner of the table twice and no marks yet. Strap buttons are solid but a little short. Get a thick good strap that doesn't slide off your shoulder as it neck dives if you hang it too low.

1 year warranty from the music shop I bought it, have no idea about any other support or warranty.

I have been playing for 4-5 years, I had a couple of other cheap basses. This is my first short scale, and I love the shape, looks, size and ease of playability and would definitely replace it if it was stolen or lost. Though if I had a lot more money, I'd go for the Gibson SG reissue bass, same thing with extra pickup and more quality.

Get a good set-up, strap, strings and preferably a small processor to give you tonal variety (Digitech BP50 is around 100$ or less) and once the strings and the neck settle, it's one of the most comfortable basses you can find with a good sound.

A nice example

This particular bass sounds great through a good Amp- Marshall in this case.If ou buy a small practice amp do not expect a great sound(pretty obvious-but i wonder how many buy a bass with a tiny cheap amp and then wonder why the sound is awful).Going to be giged soon so more idea on sound etc

No problems found and it played well out of the box

Cannot see any problems yet

Not required

2 months.

Would get another one-but likely an up grade

Not that struck on the tuners but it does keep well in tune.

2006: Made in China (eeecchh)
Short scale.
Solid ass chunk-o-wood, all shiney and red.
The tone control sucks as others have mentioned. A replacement of the pots will be in order.
Pick up is pretty decent, would like to eventually swap that out as well.
Traditional "it'll poke an eye out kid" SG body style. Just to f'n rock and roll to dismiss.
"vintage" looking bridge, could be a little nicer, but I was able to intonate it all right.
The tuners....well, I'm not a big fan of the big 'ol mickey mouse ear style tuners, they get all messed up when you put it in a gig bag, and frankly, on this bass, kinda ugly. Get swapped out when I can.

Sound killer. Deep and throaty, but able to cut a bit on the higher registers.
Perfect for the stoner rock I play. I play it through two amps at the same time. A peavy delta bass head thru a hartke 1-15 & a Marshall guitar head thru a generic 2-10 bass cab. Both rigs run into a AB box to my bass.
Mean bad ass tone. Watch out, very scarey.
Great for the studio, records nice and warm sounding, almost like an upright, this came as a pleasant surprise.
For different tones on this bass, you better have a amp that is capable of changing tone cuz the bass has basically one.
Great for the stage, its looks sooo cool, your gonna get the chicks for sure.

Bass was set up like a piece-o-crap. I took an afternoon and swapped out the strings, adjusted the truss rod, and did its intonation. I did'nt expect much, it came from guitar center and was like $200.00 bucks. After the adjustments, it plays like butter.

So far seems pretty solid, guess time will tell. As far a gigging without a backup, I have a backup anyways, so what do I know...

Have not needed...

So far its seems like a killer bass. I'd love the Gibson version, but I'm kinda poor. I'll just upgrade the hardware as time goes on and keep on rocking this thing til my fingers bleed.

Yes, I would replace it if it were lost or stolen, I dig it!

Epiphone EBO standard issue
Made in China
Has all one needs. 1 Pickup 1 each volume, tone knob.
Bought it new and ordered replacement strings at the same time. I assumed the stock strings would be cheap poor quality, I was not disapointed.

I LOVE IT despite what others feel are flaws.
This is my 3rd. I have had an Epiphone and a(customized) Gibson in the 70's.
If you get one that has a "buzz" or "rattle" find a good bass tech, usually this is easy to correct via "adjustments"
Excluding my Gibson AFTER customization, sounds pretty much the same.
Full, rich, warm, thick etc. The tone knob on this particular one is worthless, very little range. Sound!?! 2 words, signal processing.
I use a variety, and get what I want in the studio and on stage.

Action was fair, buzz easily corrected.
Pickup fine as shipped.
Pick guard definately a "B" quality item. Luckly I don't play electric pick guard.
Finish,... way better than I expected. I got red.

If this one is like my previous I'm set for life. (I'm 51)The others
were durable and reliable and both logged many miles. I expect a finish to wear over time, nonissue. I no longer perform standing so I don't worry about strap buttons.I have in the past dropped both previous O's (several times), they survived, but a strap lock would be a great accessory. Truss rod adjustment once on 1.
This is my primary instrument.

Never had to use it.
I believe warranty is "lifetime".

I've played for 41 years. I've owned and played numerious other bass gits (Ricky, Fender et.al.)
This remains my favorite. I have always prefered the short scale and the action than can be set as low as I need on the O's.
If I lose this one to theft or heaven forbid I pawn it and forget due date as has happened in the past, I would replace immediately with same model.

Double cutaway, 2005, single 'bucker (passive), mahogony with rosewood board. Cherry finish has patches of "orange peel". Otherwise cosmetically OK and decent hardware.

Full,meaty voice is prevalent due to hefty neck p/up. So, suited to laid-back rock and blues. PLays great thru a single 15" celestion speaker. Would recommend effects amp if more tonal versatility is required.

Factory set up was playable but inadequate. Action too high with buzzy E string. A bridge screw was loose and contributed to playing "noise". Third fret poorly seated. Professional set-up cured all. When sorted, nice fast action favors agile, detailed playing.

Now that it is sorted I will gig it. I believe that it will stand the test of time.

This was a net deal so no support expected or asked.

Playing for far too long. Les Paul, Tele, Precision, Rioji Matsuoka. At this price level dont buy via the net as I stupidly did. Go pick out a good one from the store.

I got my Chinese-made Epiphone EBO in late August or early Sept. of 2005. In Jan. of 2006 the pickup went microphonic. Now I need a new pickup. I bought the package, 'cause that's all the music store had. So I got the tuner, which I have yet to use - it's probably not as precise as the tuner I already had; it came with a strap, which was really kinda on the short side; it came with a pick (I might have used that); and it came with a little amp. I've been playing bass since 1969, and I bought this bass 'cause I'm in a Jack Bruce/Felix Papparlari kind of phase, so turning up the little amp all the way and ripping out some distorted Felix and Jack stuff was fun. However, the amp is a practice amp only, unless, for some reason or another you might have a really, really low volume gig and want to play guitar through a little solid state amp. I used the bass on alot of gigs from 9/05 to 1/06 and most everybody seemed to like the sound of my Fender Music Master better. I will never buy another Epiphone product because of the shoddy workmanship evidenced by the microphonic pickup. I hate changing pickups. However, in all fairness to Epiphone: if you like fixing things, this bass is for you.

When it was working it sounded just like Cream or Mountain, and I even used it on some traditional blues gigs with my Ampeg B12, or my Traynor YB1. Now, of course, since the pickup went microphonic, I cannot use it in a professional setting.

When I took it out of the box the control knobs were broken. That was ok, 'cause the music store gave me some Gibson controls, which look better. I like the red color.

As stated above, the pickup went microphonic after four months. During that time I used the bass constantly and it went all over the eastern seaboard. I never used it on a gig without taking my Fender, just in case.

I would not avail myself of the warrenty, since they would probably just stick in another cheap pickup that would probably go microphonic just like the first one. I'll get a Gibson replacement pickup.

I've been playing since 1969, guitar, bass, and in the '80s I started on harmonica.
I like the color.

2005 Made in China Model.
Twenty Frets.
Laminated Nato Mahogany Body.
Volume & Tone.
One Big PHAT Neck Humbucker C/W Chrome Cover.
I have replaced the Stock Epiphone Sidewinder Humbucker Pickup with a Vintage Gibson EB-O 60's Humbucker.......a Massive Difference in Thump with the Gibson Pickup. It Meters Out at about 27.0 KoHms versus 5.0 KoHms for the Sidewinder ! The Tone is now Fuller, Warmer, Fatter & The Bass now Possesses a Much More Powerful Sound, Reminiscent of the Original EB-O's.
Neck is Solid Nato Mahogany.
Finish is a Quality Cherry Red, a Little See-Through on the Neck but Solid on the Body.
"SG" Body Style, Very Classic Reissue of the Original Gibsons.
Beefy, Fully Adjustable Steel Bridge, Standard on a Lot of the Epiphones and even the High-End " Elitist Gibson EB-3 Reissue.
Schaller Gibson-Style Tuners...Work and Look Great.
30.5 " Short-Scale Neck, Slim & Fast with a 1.5" Nut Width.

Huge Warm, Full, and " PHAT " Rock & Blues Sound with Vintage Gibson Humbucker. However, the Sound tends to Not Be the Cleanest. The Best Results are Achieved when the Volume and Tone Controls are Turned Up Max. & then the Amplifier Volume is Slowly Turned Up. The Amp has to be carefully EQ'D to the Bass. The Bass Pickup is so Hot that it will Over-Drive the Pre-Amp on an Amplifier Quite Easily.
If used with a Big Amp, this Bass will Knock Walls Down !

I had to Set Up the Bass again as the Action was Too High for My Liking.

Already has been used at an Open Stage Setting.

Good, Solid Hardware and Strap Buttons.

Finish appears Durable and Should Last.

Dependable. Adjusted Truss Rod with Ease.

Only ever Dealt with Music Store that Sold the Bass to Me...they are Terrific !

I Believe Warranty is One Year.

I have Played since 1969. I also Own a Fender Bronco Bass, Hartke Kickback 10 120 Watt Bass Combo, Fender BXR25 25 Watt Bass Practice Combo, Rolls Mini-Mix 51 & Phono Pre-Amp System.

If Stolen or Lost, I May Replace.

I Love the Classic "SG" Look, the Color, the Fast Neck.

I think it's a Tad Heavy at 9 & 1/4 Lbs ( Vintage EB-O's were Light at 6 & 1/2 Lbs. )

I May Upgrade to a Dimarzio Model One Humbucker, which is a Lot Cleaner Sound & can be Switched from Series-Parrallel for Increased Mids.

Overall, if You don't have ( or want to Spend ! ) Big Bucks for a Vintage Original Gibson EB-O, get One of these and Upgrade the Pickup.

2004 I think. Made in China, which made me look at it pretty hard.
Its an EB-O. You should already know. If not read the other reviews.

I played a Gibson EB-O 30 years ago. I fell in love with it. Always wanted another. Gibson quit making them a few years ago. Not going to pay a grand for an SG reissue. I've heard many different tales about Epi. Humbuckers. This one sounds fine. I love the sound. An orginal Gibson pickup may sound better, but I like this one. I did switch to flat wounds because I like them, I am use to them, and they are much easier on the fingers. (Diadero Chrome) The volume and tone controls seem to work fine. Tone adjustment seems to be a fairly wide range. Maybe my eardrums still work properly.

The bass seems to be made very well. The fit and finish is very good. I did find one flaw in the wood work, a tool mark, but you have to look for it. The action may be a little high for some. I don't find it too high for me. The intonation was a little off, but was very easy to fix. No string rattle. The "E" string does make a tuner act a little spastic. I tried 3 differnt tuners. One couldn't figure out if it was sharp or flat. The other tuners also seemed to have a little trouble, but with much better results. I'm old enough to remember when there weren't any tuners you could carry around. You used your ears! FYI: Never tune down! Go down and tune going back up. You'll find it works much better.

I think the Epiphone is made very well. Its study, and should last a long time. That is unless you just beat the crap out of it. You should check the tightness of nuts, and screws once in a while. Its a guitar not a baseball bat. Anything that vibrates like a bass guitar will loosen things, unless glued, or you use loctite. Its not the guitar's fault if you let a pot get loose, and you twist off the wires. I would not hesitate to us this EB-O, live, with no backup.

I emailed Epiphone with a question about my EB-O. I got a quick responce, and a satisfactory answer to my question.

I've been playing a long time. Started at 17,(36 years ago)put it down for a number of years, and picked it up again. If it were stolen, I would find the guy, shoot him, and get it back. If he damaged it, I would shoot him twice, and buy another. I like the EB-O. I've always had a soft spot for it. I don't dislike anything about it. Maybe I'm easy to get along with. FYI; Don't let anyone tell you what's a piece of junk, or a great guitar. Find a way to play it. Find out what you like, and can be happy with, and buy it. Don't pay too much attention to what other people think about your decision. Everyone has an opinion, all a little different, a good experience or bad. Get what "you" want.

this your basic SG body bass simple and to the point one large single side-winder pick up one tone and volume control short scale neck has schaller licenced tuners mahogany wood body in a nice gloss black finish made in indonesia in 2003 bought used for $125.00 in mint cond neck is thin and fast even though it is not a jam bass just a simple hold the groove bill wyman axe bought just for fun to back up my mim fender p-bass it is well made for the $ so i see no reason for all the petty complaints ive read no it is not a bass for all types of music it is short scale remember forget slap and pop

this is not the same sounding pick up found on vintage gibsons basses typical of budget asian made axes the pick up is weak thin noisey and muddy why is it usa pick ups sound better? i dont know the tone control useless i guess i put in the dimarzio replacement pick up someday too bad emg bartolini and seymor duncan dont make replacement pick up for thi bass hint hint there will be a lot of these basses lying around someday come on you guys make some $$$

the bass i got was set up "perfect" as perfect can be with this bass i had to resolder the input jack which came loose and put in a star friction washer so it wont come loose again this also happened with a fender i had the tuners seem to work fine being schaller licenced the frets are excellent and well done on this bass even though there is some string buzz which is a common problem on budget axes hey! its not a $2000.00 pedulla what do you expect? excellent paint job

this is great gigging bass if it suits your music style -dont plan on doing larry garham or flea stuff but ex- beatle sir paul would have a good time making this axe sing like his hofner bass this bass is lightweight and confortable to play idid move stap button for better balance this bass is well built and well painted

i will give this bass a fairly high rating being what it is i like the way it looks and feels even though i am a full time full scale "fender" p-bassist i like using it for fun and a change of pace playin that old time rock n roll gibson is putting out a eb3 reissue of this bass but its going to cost you a grand and they are too cheap to put in a crown inlay in the head stock but i bet it wont play that much better than this bass but it will be a 'gibson'

Same EB-O features as described by everyone else, so I'll skip this. Mine is cherry red and made by the Chinese in 2004. I put Flat wounds on this because I like them.

I play rock/jazz/other, I generally like the big boomy sound, it is pretty cool - however it is an odd thing if you try to play stuff that you wrote for or on a normal bass - it's just not gonna sound "right". I am playing this thing through a Genz-Benz GBE 210 combo with no effects.

Dude...this thing is one great, steaming, pile of made in China crap. Neck color is darker than the body. Tone knob does nothing. Tuners suck. I even took them apart and lock-tited them up and they still slip. Intonation? Good luck. Especially with your E string. ****Tip: I used a road brake barrel nut (available at any bike shop), placed outboard of the bridge and ran my E through it. This makes your E-string effectively a 1/2 inch longer, allows you to add just a touch more tension on the E and quiets a little bit of the buzzing. Wow this bridge is a piece o' shite! Also, as another reviewer mentioned, this thing is impossible to tune, you hit the string and check your tuner - the levels swing up and back, all over the place! Like the neck is flexing or something. This thing is so not set up like a Donkey's nutsack. Neck body joint joint looks like it was put together by apes - after they'd smoked a joint.

Can't get it intonated properly, won't stay tuned, but other than that, this thing will be around forever, it's a solidly cobbled together piece o'junk. Would I depend on it? To do what, suck? Yes. I would depend on it to reliably suck.

Got it from a guy who has now admitted that he also thought it sucked he got it new last January. Limited lifetime warrantee, not sure what Epi would do. I have contacted them w/tech questions and they pretty much sucked.

I have been playing for 5 years. I wish I had asked "Johnny, tell me straight - are you selling this because it sucks?" If it were stolen I would not replace it. Sadly, I love the way it looks and sometimes I love the fat boomy sound it makes (right after I tune it, for that 10 minute window before it let's go). Basically, I would strongly advise against buying one of these things. Now that I have one, I always check music stores to see how others are set up - much to my surprise most are even worse than mine! These things are such poop.

Korean, Ebony, as I see it #000..0103 off the line.
The same passive HB ad T/V pots as all the others.
Bought used as a backup and is now the main axe.
9 for features, as this bass makes the most of its minimalism.

This is a rock bass. Hard and heavy, but light as it gets for an instrument. Very full, dark sound -> its all mahogony. Almost ate the practice amp (Peavey Microbass) alive, handles the Crate BX-50 (ok amp) or a Peavey TNT 160 (great amp) just fine. Upgraded V/T pots and wiring made it more useable. Bought as a backup for my Charvel ATX bass, but is now the main gig bass. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking...better than my Army Timex!
DOD Milkbox comp -> FX42B EQ -> DOD 250 OD ->Ibanez CF7 chorus/flange -> FX 96 analog delay sounds great

Third owner, came set up perfectly.
slight buzzing in drop-D, but nothing audible through any amp.
Finish is very very deep.
Came upgraded, not noisy.

Gigs great. Made it through plenty.
Beer, sweat, and everything else hasn't damaged it a bit.
No hardcase, but gigbag will work for this monster.
Moved the neck strapbutton to the lower neck screw, helped very much with the balance problems.
No truss adjustments needed, that's why is says Gibson on the rod cover!

Epi has been fantastic to deal with.
Warranty? Why?

This is no student bass at all. Very unappreciated.
I would buy and mod another one in a heartbeat if stolen or lost.
Lays down a great bass line for the guitarists to wank over.
Been playing guitar for 12 years now, bass for 8.
Looks great on stage.

SGs always scared me. I love it.

This is an update to a previous review...I've now owned this bass for 5 years, and I have since defretted it. At the time of my last review I was a high school student who had not matured on the instrument very much, and looking back I would now rate the instrument somewhat unfavorably in its fretted state...for the price, perhaps not, but the muddiness and generally stale tone was almost unforgivable. It is a fun bass...not a do-it-all bass. However, I defretted it (wood putty to fill in the slots, several coats of tung oil to seal and protect the fretboard) and slapped on a set of Fender nylon tapewound strings, and I have been in heaven since. Its a jazz monster. For such a cheap bass, its ideal for trad jazz. Perhaps it doesn't look appropriate, and maybe it doesn't exactly replicate the tone of an upright (nothing does except an upright), but it has that warm, woody thump of one. Compared to a fretless Fender Jazz Bass, this one may be less inclined to do Jaco-esque soloing, but for grooving with a combo, this one is much nicer. Holds down the low end even as you travel up the neck...something, consequently, that is made much easier due to the short scale. It sings, not in the nasal, mid focused tones of a fretless Jazz, but in this rich, throaty tone...very warm. Warmth oozes out of this thing. It no longer is a great rocknroll bass, but I'd stick to my Ric for that anyway these days. For jazz, this beautiful groove machine is my tool of choice. As a fretted bass, its a period-piece that has some vibe appeal for me but would not be used frequently due to a general mud factor. As a fretless bass, it is restricted to (non-smooth) jazz, but it rules that genre (at least in the sub $1000 market!).

Made in 2003, 20 frets, one big ass pickup, volume and tone controls. The finish is nice and shiny- just the way i like it. It's got locking tuners that have a picture of a gorilla on them. go figure. i stuck my penis in the control cavity and blew a load.

It sounds awesome. I plug it into my home stereo and into my friends car stereo at the same time. He's got a subwoofer, and it's really really loud. I intend to gig that way. He will drive his car on stage and I'll plug in and play. I'm cool.

The bass was set up like a donkeys nutsack. I used a drill and drilled holes thru the fingerboard so air can move through and keep my hands cool. I play some really intense music and I'm a badass- things heat up quickly. Then I poop in my pants.

This bass is the bomb yo. I play my hiphop gigs with it plugged into my pals car and it kicks hizzass. The truss rod was stripped so I pulled it out and stuck it in my peehole. Ouchie. It burns mama, it burns.

I've been prankcalling their customer support line and drove one woman to suicide.

I've been playing for about an hour today and I'm convinced that I'm the best bass player alive. The best I say. I own so much gear- I'm all tricked out with the rad stuff yo. I love this bass. I drank a glass of my own pee because this bass told me to do that. Crazy huh? Have fun rocking and swallowing your own turds.

I think it was made in 1999, It was made in Korea and set up in the factory in U.S.A. It has 20 frets, 4 strings. 1 Volume, 1 Tone. It also has a monster Sidewinder humbucker pickup. The neck is made out of Mohagany, and the finish is a beautiful solid Ebony. It also has a three point bridge/tail piece. Non locking tuners but it feels like it though, always in tune. It came W/ Nothing. Just the bass in the box and a warrenty pamphlet. This is my dads bass though so he used an old Gibson case he had for his EB-3 that got stolen in th '70s, He bought it cause it was cheap and it played like his old EB-3. Now My Friend Kyle uses it for gigging in my band.

It suits all styles, rock, punk, ska, anything. It sounds beautiful on any amp even my little Peavy. Its Great for live. ext. It sounds Awsome all together.

It was set up at the factory but we didn't mind, still sounded good.

It can Really withstand LIVE playing. The hardware is very good. The strap buttons are very tight, the back one also helps hold on the neck along w/ 3 other bolts. We can really depend on It, never fails. Ya we use it on gigs w/ out backups all the time.

Nope didn't need to.

I am a guitar player not bass. I Have a Cruise by VMI Strat, Im getting an Epiphone SG. I have a Groove percussion drumset (never use it,lol) and alot of other stuff im too lazy to type here, like amps. It does have a pretty big nik on the back and a scratch on the top of the neck but that was because it was on a guitar rack at some ones house and it swung back and hit the brick wall in back of it, lol, but that can be touched up with some Gibson Ebony Touch up Paint. Um...thats like all and stuff.

I got it new for Christmas in 2001, so i guess that was the year it was made, unless it sat around in a warehouse somewhere. Bolt-neck copy of a Gibson, red finish, short-scale, one large humbucking pickup, tone and volume, adjustable bridge. Judging it against it's bigger brother, the EB-3, it doesn't have a lot of "features," and I wouldn't mind having the option of two pickups, so I'll give it an eight.

Low and boomy, perfect for old blues, R&B, reggae and rock. I don't know why they bothered with a tone control, I don't really notice a difference. You can't can't get a real "high-fidelity" sound out of it, so it probably wouldn't work for slapping or more aggresssive styles. It's a good "thumpers" bass, good for holding down the bottom without a lot of fancy acrobatics.

Set-up was fair from the factory. Actually I should probably get it professionally set-up, since I've never beeen able to get the intonation right after I changed strings. A professionally made nut would probably help too. With the original strings it played fine. I was playing out 3 or 4 times a week when I first got it, and the finish has held up well to sweat, beer, etc. There may be some flaws in the finish but I'm not going over a $199 bass, particularly one that didn't cost me anything, with a fine-tooth comb, ya know?

This was my main gigging bass for about a year, and it held up pretty well, except for the aforementioned intonation problem. I stopped playing it out because I've never been able to get it intonated right with the new strings, despite working on it quite a bit. Also, the neck feels more "flexible" than I seem to remember when I got it. That and the intonation problem may be related. Do you suppose I just wore the thing out? Anyway I'm gonna give it a seven, pending on whether I can figure out theis intonation situation.

Never dealt with 'em. I worked at a guitar store that carried Epiphone (not where i got the bass) and their warranty service seemed as good as anyone else's.

I've been playing 17 years and own a Fender Jazz bass, Rickenbacker 4001 copy, Dearmond starfire, and a Baldwin Jazz bass. I bought the dearmond because I wanted a bass that had the same sound as the EB-O but was better built. I wish Epiphone had a set neck version of this bass. I tried their set-neck EB-3, but the long-scale made it too neck heavy. If this was stolen or lost I'd try to buy an original Gibson EB-O or the new Epi elite EB-3 with the short scale neck.

I traded a "very used" Marshall Valvestate head for this EBO in 2001. A son was heading back to prep school and wanted a Bass to carry along with the two guitars he was taking back to school. Christmas break came and the Bass came home. He was playing a Mexican P-Bass in the school's jazz band and didn't need the short scale EBO. Ok, so I played with it a bit. This one is a Korean product. The finish is red...not quite the heritage cherry of my old 1960's Gibson EBO, but still it looks nice. Lots of grain shows through the red finish. The volume and tone pots are rather weak. If it was a real bass I would change them. EBO's all have the one oversized hummbucker at the neck and the Epi version does a good copy job. Factory strings were...well, factory strings. A good set of flatwounds made a world of difference in the tonal quality. (it wasn't "bad" from the box, but now it's much better.

I was a founding member of a nationally known rock band in the mid 60's and I really haven't out grown the music of my youth. "Classic Rock?" Hey, I was there when we were making it "new." This little Epi EBO sounds great on some of Jack Bruce's bass lines and most of what I play. No noise. Warm sound with the flatwounds, brighter when using roundwound. It is not as clear as my 1960's Gibson EBO, but it is close. The only effect I use on Bass is a compressor, and we've played this EBO through Crate Thunderbass stacks (4x10 & 1x15), a Peavy TNT100, a Fender Bassman head & Peavy 2x15 cab, straight through the PA, and through a little Crate BX100 practice amp. I wish I still had my old Vox Foundation rig or my stadium set of Sunns (I used three 300watt tube Sunn heads through six 2x15 cabs---now I say, "what did you say?" really often --- wear hearing protectors !!!!!)

No flaws, set up well by either the factory or the music shop (Lancaster Music, in Lancaster, Texas)

Only complaint is the loose pots.

This bass has survived a semester in a prep school dorm, "bass lessons" for three younger sons, several son's garage bands including letting the drummer bang on it (I guess so he could feel like a musician too?), and several kids garage band gigs at schools and community activities. Have never had to adjust anything except to set it up when changing string gauges. Finish has held up very well (but it is stored in a very good hard shell case.) The stap buttons were nice sized, but EBOs are head heavy and the position of the neck button caused the body to roll away from you and the head to dip drastically. Fixed that easily. I never really trust strap buttons. This EBO is a bolt on (not like the Gibson's set neck) and they used the top screw closet to the neck to attach the strap button. When installing strap locks, I just removed the factory screw and button from that position and replaced the screw without a button (it is a really long screw, but it fit back without the button with no problem.) Then I drilled into the center of the plate on the back of the EBO and installed the strap lock in the center of that plate. No more roll, not as head heavy with the new balance point. It's a Korean Epiphone -- go ahead and gig with it, it will hold up.

I used to buy American made Epiphones straight from the Gibson factory (when I was "Fab.") I really haven't had too much contact with Epiphone since the split. I trust the product and Gibson still puts it's name and status on the truss rod cover of a lot of Epiphones, so I have no worry's.

I've been playing stringed instruments since 1956 or 57. I played Bass "professionally" for about three years....until folks stopped buying the records (oh, you fickle fans...) I have or do own at least one of everything Gibson makes or ever made. Owned and played many Rickenbackers, Gretch, Fender, and even a Mosrite, Vox, or Guild Thunderbird or two. Now I'm mostly a Martin fan. Trying to collect old D series ones (I have a mid 70's D-45, a 60's D-18, a '1970 D-35, a 70's D35-12, and a 50's 00018)

I'd replace this bass if damaged, lost, or stolen. It made a great student bass for the kids to transfer guitar techniques to bass. I play it often instead of the Gibson. Wish it was a set neck...but what do you get for $200 these days?

This is a 2003 model from Indonesia. Short scale mahogany neck, solid mahogany body, passive humbucker, cherry finish. I chose the EB-0 because I am a guitar player who needed a bass for recording.

First off, this bass sounds just plain bad with a pick. The attack is way too sharp. That suits me fine, though, because I am all about becoming more cordinated with my fingers. The sound is warm and fuller than most in this price range. The EB-0 doesn't really offer much in terms of variety, so you pretty much have to really on your amp.

My local music shop, Wray's, always sets their instruments up perfectly. This is the second guitar I've bought there, and I'm very happy with both of them. The finish leaves something to be desired. The bolt on neck is a different color than the body, and the gloss finish is so thin in places that the surface actually feels rough.

8 for action

4 for finish

Well... hopefully it will last a few years. The strap buttons are terrible, and I'm afraid to change them because the one on the neck side is connected to the joint. I don't think you want to remove those screws.

never dealt with

This is my first bass, but I've been playing guitar for almost 7 years. This is a good first bass, and its especially good for guitar players whom are used to a shorter neck.

If buying an Epiphone EBO buy an earlier Korean model (country of origin is stamped on the neck plate) as production was moved to Indonesia after about a year in order to lower the price and had much poorer workmanship.
The Korean models have a lovely dark cherry finish that you can see the grain of the wood through (I think the wood is nato from the mahogany family) and are well made. The recent Indonesian models have a horrible orangey/red colour that covers any wood grain and the wood on these are unidentified and does not look like nato or mahogany.
You can make these EBOs into a top quality bass if you are willing to spend a small amount on upgrades. I bought Gibson stamped Schaller tuners for a bargain on Ebay. Installed new top quality pots, Schaller tone controls knobs, rewired it and put on some TI flatwounds. Hence I have ended up with an excellent instrument for a small cost. I just love the necks on these EBOs as I have small fingers, makes my Wal bass fingerboard feel like an aircraft carrier flight deck.

I now own two of these basses, one converted to fretless due to the incredible sustain (these sustain like no other bass I have ever owned). These basses have a huge big fat punchy tone that really fills out the soundstage with no real trebly highs to speak of but this is the sound I wanted and I am using flatwounds.
The only things derogatory I can say against them is they are neck heavy and there is not much in the way of tone variation but what tone it has is wonderful.

The bass does need a professional set up when buying new or second hand.

Original pots were not great just basic cheap pots that are now replaced with high quality American pots. Original tuners were not bad but not high end but what do you expect for the price. Now replaced with Gibson Schallers. Tuners on the Indonesian models are worse.

I also own a Wal and a Travis Bean TB2000 and have only ever played high-end basses but I find I play the EBOs much more. These are real get up and go basses, just plug in and you immediately have an excellent tone. been playing 32 years and using a vintage Acoustic bassamp and vintage Fender Bassman cabinet.

this must have been built in the late 90s or early 00s. i got it used but it was essentially like new, and that was two years ago. 4-strings, that grand fat neck pickup with a volume and tone knob, all passive. the tuners leave something to be desired, they're best described as 'slippery'. the neck is decent. miserable bridge, both for intonation and pretty much anything else. simple, straightforward setup. but between the neck (especially the truss rod) and the bridge, it's difficult to get the intonation and action right, and to keep fret buzz to a minimum.

i use a few different basses, i could never get by with this alone. it is perhaps the antithesis of versatility. that said, i love its truly singular tone, it just thumps so wonderfully. i have ghs short scale flatwounds on it, they're perfect, they really bring out the best from this bass. a very thick, deep sound (myself i don't see what the bgi screaming deal with a 'bright' sound is, it's so tacky), doesn't ring much, but if you don't mute it has this great 'aftertaste', as it were. the tone knob is more useful that you'd expect, it offers you a lot. th esound in general doesn't sound LIKE a standup, but replaces a standup quite well.

i usually play this one in a jazz setting, it's great for accompaniment in that it stays in the background, tonally, but still has enoguh of a punch that it's heard and felt. i couldn't imagine playing this picked, or slapped, for that matter.

all in all, the sound is best described as very not-versatile but very specialized. i play it through a boss parametric eq pedal, and it sounds wonderful. but if you have funk or more energetic rock in mind, this isn't the one. might work if you have jamerson in mind, or earlier james brown bass licks, though. and i would recommend flatwounds by all means.

one of the bass's greatest weaknesses it's lack of balance. it's hopeless on a strap. i have yet to see how it ages, so far so good. looks jsut fine, though that doesn't matter all too much. comfy to play, but only seated. at first the pickup was uneven, the E string was relatively quiet, but the poles on the pickup are adjustable, so i fixed that.

again, the bridge is really lame. but i suppose if i had more setup experience i'd do alright with it.

i don't see why it wouldn't work well live, it's solidly built, but again, it's badly balanced, which could be a problem live. i use it predominantly for recording, but i use it quite often with the big band i'm in. if you're not going all over the place on it the balancing shoudlnt' be too much of an issue. have yet to have a dent anywhere on this thing, which is more than i can say for my other instruments. again, it's solid.

never needed to talk to them.

playability is not an issue, feel (especially balance) is, the sound, as mentioned previously, is beautiful (don't forget the flatwounds!), but rather limited. due to its tone the idea of defretting it has crossed my mind more than once, it would kick butt fretless. as it is, i use a kubicki fretless and an ibanez roadstar (p knockoff), and this is probably the bass i use the least frequently. but it really has something the others can't even touch.

i would recommend anybody interested to just save up their dough a bit longer and get a real gibson EB-0, what this was a knockoff of. you can also get the EB-0s with a second pickup (i believe that's an EB-3), long scale (EB-0L), or, my favorite, with built in fuzztone (EB-0F, in production for just a year or two in the mid-sixties). the great thing about EB-0s is, they're not such a legendary bass, unlike ricks or fenders, so they're generally more affordable. and jack bruce used one!

anyway, on the whole, i would recommend this to anybody who wants a deep, thick sounding bass that isn't especially prominent but really does the basic bass-job well (keeping the low end steady and making the insects dance), especially in a jazz setting. don't get it if you're looking for versatility, you will be frustrated.

myself, i love it. it's perfect for what i want in certain cases, it occupies a realm unto itself that my other basses (save perhaps the standup) venture into.

This is a 2003 made in Indonesia model, 4 strings solid mahogoney bass guitar. One humbucker at the neck position. Blk gloss finish. This is a short scale unit. My other guitars are Gibson Les Pauls, a 58 and 59 reissue so I am spoiled. Overall not a bad value. What do you expect for $230. I bought it for my son who is a beginer so the short scale is great. After I spent time working on it I found that even I began to like it. It is a little head heavy. I would like a more nuetral balance.

I was surprised how good it sounds with only one pick up at the neck. The wood has very good resonance so it was not as dark as I thought it would be. It can be crisp tight. Overall a good balalnce to the sound. The tone pot seems to have little influence so you better have a good amp.

The finish is very good. The set up was horrible. Strings buzzed a lot. One of the pins that hold the bridge was loose. But what do you expect for around $200. So, I filed and dressed the frets, epoxied in the bridge pin, polished the unit adjusted the action and intonated the guitar and presto what a great playing instrument. Now I really like it. So, if you have the time, or can get the retailer to do a bit of hand work, you can have a decent little bass. I had to do the same type of work on a Gibson Les Paul Special and even a Gibson Class 5. Neither Gibson or Epiphone really take the time to set a guitar up right.

Now that I have fixed it, based on the quality of the hardware and wood, this bass should stand up the the rigors of the road.

No need.

I have been playing too long, over 25 years. I would get another if it were lost. I just accept the fact that I would have to detail it. I really love the SG style and the short scale. I just wish it had better balance. My overall rating is based on the fact that this is a starter bass so I am rating it in its class.