Epiphone EB-3

This is my second chinese-made eb-3. My first was cherry; this is ebony.
while the first was nearly perfect in every respect, this one has manufacturing flaws, and took me an entire evening to set up properly.
I came close to returning it and was a little ticked that the joker at Epiphone in the USA that inspected it checked off on each category (on the inspection card) that it was perfect.
You can read my previous review for my opinion on the features as they apply to this bass too. the only thing I would add is that where you can see the wood inside the control cavity, it certainly looks more like alder than mahogany...could they be using alder instead of mahogany on the painted ones to save money?...hmmmmm

this sample, unlike the one i had last year, is VERY microphonic. these aren't potted, but why is one bass fine and the other isn't?
output is low also...it sounds great, the output is about that of a p-bass, but nowhere near that of the other bass-weird.

body and neck are flawless, inlays flawless. chroming is irregular and missing in some areas on hardware. truss rod was completely loose and rattling around, neck was bowed, nut glued in cockeyed,one bridge stud insert came completely out of the body (I re-glued it). I took off the control panel to find the bridge ground wire just floating there unattached to anything.

well, now i suppsose this bass will be fine for the long run, but the microphonic sidewinder PU bothers me. perhaps a dimarzio model one is in order at some point.

I dunno...i probably wouldn't have had any trouble getting this bass covered under their warranty, but the USA inspection is apparently a joke now. this is the first (out of many i've owned) epiphone product I've had any trouble with.

Mine is a Korean-made 2003 Epiphone I procured second-hand at a used guitar shop. It didn't come with a hard case, but I was able to get one off of Musician's Friend for about $90, and it fits like a glove.

The pickups are passive, but the neck pickup doesn't act like it [more on this later]. Dunno what kind of wood it is made out of, but the body is pretty light. The transparent finish is not as nice as I've seen on Gibsons -- the real deal has a subtler flavor to it, more of a stain than a full lacquer -- but the cherry red is always appreciated.

The toggle switch is a 3-way rooster, and it has two volume knobs and two tone knobs (one for each pickup). Whoever owned it first slapped on some flatwound strings, which is how I roll anyway. I would suggest you do the same, as I've never heard good things about the strings Epiphone has laying around.

I will start off with the bad news.

1. The bridge pickup is tiny and tinny, smaller than the average soapbar on a guitar. This is fine for home rehearsal, as it will not bother the neighbors, but I can't imagine anybody actually using this. However, it does very well with a fuzz pedal, if you are looking to make your bass sound like a guitar.

2. The neck pickup requires a sensitive EQ. The first time I took this on a stage, the low end made the microphones feed back. Have you ever heard a bass feed back? You will, with this piece of machinery.

3. The really low end -- really, anything below the A string -- does not come through very well. Anybody who loves to bang away at an open E string will be disappointed with the sound they get out of this. Breaking Benjamin fans: look elsewhere.

4. Alone, this is a monster. In the band setting, you will fill in the cracks, but you may not be able to cut through the mix without some doing.

The good news:

1. The neck pickup feeds back because it is the loudest pickup I have ever heard in my life. I had a Fender Jazz Special, and this bass is at least twice as loud. What you are getting with this is thick, raw power.

2. The primary strength in this bass is in the A and D strings. If you are looking to get this bass, make sure you are willing to play up around the middle range, maybe only about an octave below the guitar. While playing the low E-string range isn't doable, the power you get from the higher end provides more than enough punch to make up for it.

3. To cut through the mix, crank it to a treblier, woodier end. You can crank it back to your boomy bass sound once rehearsal is over.


I would give the sound a perfect 10 if it weren't for the wimpy bridge pickup. Many people have complained about the "muddy" sound of the neck pickup, but y'know what? That's why you get this bass. If you don't want to sound like Jack Bruce/Paul McCartney, then don't get this bass; you will waste your money.

The action was actually a bit low and buzzed all over the place. This is the primary fault with the bass and its bridge: buzzing. I still have some trouble with buzzing, but I work around it with some doing. I will agree that the 3-point saddle construction is hard to work with, but I was able to work with it in my living room.

I might consider raising the bridge pickup, but as it isn't the main course, I haven't given it any real thought.

The neck is incredibly straight, and the tuning is second to none. As somebody who has sold a perfectly fine hollowbody bass because its floating saddle prevented it from being in tune with itself, this is a big deal. The clean, clear sound this gets on a trebly EQ requires a clean, clear fretting, and Epiphone delivers. This monster is carefully crafted.

The chrome hardware is in fine condition, but then it's only about five years old, so we'll see how it does in a few decades.

This feels like a solid piece of machinery. I do have to open it up and re-tighten the input jack every month and a half or so, but this is a small inconvenience. Everything else -- the tuners, the bridge, the pots -- have been solid so far, and the bass is light enough to be knocked around without too much worry.

Then again, this is a relatively young bass. Time will tell how well it stands up to the strain of aging.

I don't have a warranty, as I got it from a secondhand guitar shop, and I haven't dealt with Epiphone personally.

I've been playing bass for about five years, and this is my favorite bass so far. I am in a band with a late 60s hard rock vibe, and this jives perfectly with that intent. I wish it had a thicker low end, but I have been laying it heavy on the middle range instead, and that works just fine.

Other bassists curse me for saying this, but I like this bass more than I liked my Jazz Special. Yes, I miss the heavy low end, but then I'm not playing that kind of music. This is louder, more powerful, thicker, deeper, and generally a more entertaining instrument. If you want a full 60s bass tone with lots of power but not a lot of rattle, go for this.

About two weeks ago I got a brand new EB-3, made in China. it has volume and tone controls for each pickup, a 3-position bridge/both/neck pickup switch (not a varitone), and both pickups have individually adjustable pole pieces - VERY nice feature. The good old reliable 3-point bridge has a good range of adjustment for intonation. I can't ask for anything more on a passive bass. The tuners are solid and dependable, and have not slipped a bit.

The bass is a slight neck-diver, but not early as bad as many basses I've seen. All it takes to counteract the dive is a broad suede strap. That solved it. Finish is a flawless transparent Cherry, the classic Gibson/Epi color. Inlays on the fretboard are beautifully done. Overall fit and finish are absolutely impeccable.

I replaced the original roundwounds with D'Addario Chrome flats in light gauge. I tried some heavier strings, but the neck is quite slender so the heavier gauge strings induced more bow than I liked. The light gauge chromes are a great fit, and they sound great. I've played it in public a couple of times and have had no problem cutting through the mix and being audible. The sound is deep and authoritative. With the pickup selector, you can get the passive tones you need out of this bass.

With D'Addario Chrome flats on it, the sound is solid and deep, and it balances very well in the mix. The neck is slender and fast, and it plays easily. For the money, this is a very solid value and a bass you'll enjoy for years.

The fit and finish are excellent throughout, the inlays are nicely done, and overall the finish work is as good as any of the eight basses I own. On mine the frets are nice and even with no buzz and with no protruding fret ends (common on other brands).

There are adjustable pole pieces on both pickups so you can adjust each string's output as needed. The factory setup had the neck pickup pole pieces screwed down slightly below the chrome cover, and I brought them out a bit so they were just a bit further out than the cover's surface. After playing I found the E volume was weak, so I adjusted the E string pickup out a couple of turns farther and turned the other screws back in one turn to balance the sound. It worked like a charm, and that's the point of adjustable pole pieces, innit? Mine is 9 pounds which is on the heavy side, but OK. It's a slight neck diver but a wide suede strap does away with that problem.

With any Gibson-style headstock instrument, you can assume that any substantial fall to the floor will break off the headstock. That's life. If you want to knock your basses over, buy Fenders - their headstock design is much more robust. That said, this bass is beautifully assembled and finished, the neck is slender and fast, and the hardware seems solid.

One thing to watch on the EB-0 and EB-3 series is that the thin nut holding the output jack in place can easily come unscrewed. I use silver nail polish on the jack threads to keep that nut in place. Strap buttons are solid, although I use a Dunlop-type strap lock on the top one.

The other common maintenance/repair is that the pins holding the 3-point bridge in place tend to back out occasionally. If this happens, just remove the pin, coat the inside of the hole with super glue and re-insert the pin. Tap it into place with a rubber hammer or other soft-faced tool. Problem solved.

I see no reason that this bass won't last a lifetime with decent care. I normally bring a backup bass, but I won't need it with this Epi. I plan to keep this one forever, and would replace it if needed.

No experience - but Epi is there if you need them.

Overall, this is solid, dependable bass. With passive pickups and the simple hardware on it, there's no reason you can't take it anywhere and depend on it for years.

Just got this new from AMS. It is made in China. very nice one-piece mahogany body-really nice actually...I'm quite surprised. very light too. The neck is okay, typical cheapo graft about 2/3 of the way towards the headstock, but it's almost invisible. fingerboard is a nice piece of rosewood. fretwork is superb-as good as anything I've seen. headstock is way too big-why do they do this?-just looks a little retarded. Poor balance. this is the supreme neck-diver of all time (something they could have avoided if it had been short scale).hardware is fine, finish is great, pickups are actually better than I expected. they must have re-designed the sidewinder since the 90's era Rivoli reissues because it actually sounds like an EB pickup from the mid 70's era (the ones where it was moved away from the fingerboard were wound a little differently and this kinda sounds like that). strings are junk.

no complaints about the sound/s. I'm using it with a mesa 400+ and a superfly. very quiet electronics, well-shielded with paint and foil backing in cover, neat wiring.
cheap input jack, but works ok so far.

fantastic workmanship for the price, and as good as anything under $1k. a little clunky compared to the Gibson SG bass currently produced, but the finish and details are about equal.
haven't found any flaws. was set up fine right out of the box like other epiphones I've owned.

seems more solidly built than my '67 Gibson, but they hardware and electronics are definately not as well-made...while the parts function fine, they are cheap pots, switches, jacks, tuners. I plan to replace the jack with a switchcraft, the rest of it should be fine.

i don't have any experience

I've been playing since Humble Pie was still a band.
I own several basses (dano, gibson, fender,etc.) but find
myself liking these inexpensive reissues more and more, and if
one gets banged up or stolen, the world isn't going to come to
an end.
i wish it were short scale and had dot markers-the trapezoids
look stoopid.

The features- one huge neck pickup, one small bridge pickup, two tones, two volumes, three way rotary pup selector with chicken head knob... wonderful finish, chrome everything, fat inlays, full scale neck (score) 3 point bridge, classic SG shape (duh) nicely done rosewood fretboard... this bass looks incredible... a ton of tone control that is probably more than I need but your standard Gibson/Epi setup...

The sound is a bit of an enigma. I play thru a BBE Bmax preamp, Crown CE1000 power amp into an SWR Goliath III... my rig is POWERFUL and really pushes my bass tones up front... Played alone, wow, this thing is incredible... a deep deep bass sound that nearly shook the fixtures off the ceiling... the bridge pickup is a bit thin sounding, but when you kick in that neck pickup it kills... Now played with my band is a different story... with this bass, it seemed like no matter what I tried, I could not get the tone to cut thru... it probably also doesnt help that we are tuned waaaaaaaaaay down, but finding a punchy cutting tone was quite a task. Now I had my amp cranked and I can tell you that the pickups are nice and quiet so that is a plus I suppose... but this thing is a beast. The sound is HUGE, but does not cut through two guitar players tuned down and a drummer with a huge Peart-like setup. I think maybe if I swap out the neck pickup (the Dimarzio model one is the only direct replacement available that Ive seen)it would be more usable. Even with the sound shortcomings I refuse to give up on this bass! I give it a 7 because it does sound good, its just going to take some work to really coax the true tone from this beast. I think they could have worked a bit harder on the pickups, giving them more tonal range, but I refuse to believe its a one trick pony!

Wow, here is where this bass shines... the playability is excellent. Out of the box the action was a bit low, but as my band tunes down pretty low I always have to adjust the action high (but Ive gotten used to that!) so thats no problem. I will tell ya right now though that Im not a huge fan of the Gibson/Epi three point bridge... I also have an Epi Tbird and have gotten used to it, you know it does the trick, but I just dont feel that it has enough adjustability... Im definately going to replace it with a Hipshot Supertone bridge (this may also help with the lack of punchiness too!)... I love love love the neck... full scale, its nice and long and sexy... it has a super slim feel that makes it seem to play faster... it has a glossy finish all over even on the neck which some folks dont like cause of the "sticky" feel but I have no problem with it... after a while the glossiness will mellow out with repeated playing and it should be fine... Im not sure what kind of wood this guy is made from, but it seems solid enough... and like everyone else says, the pickup selector is a bit on the loose side right out of the box... no big, just be a bit gentle on her... I plan on installing a three way toggle in its place so no big deal. The bridge pickup can raise and lower a fair amount (I raised it up a ton last night, got to see if this will help the tone cut through) the neck pickup, not so much. Its just kind of there. Ive looked this bad boy over and havent found a flaw in the finish anywhere... the finish is spectacular... really this bass looks amazing, it def gets reactions when you pull it out of the case! The frets look good, the nut is well cut... of course this bass does the famous "neck dive" which can put some strain on your forearm from holding it while you play, but its really not that big deal, one of my other main basses is the Epi tbird so im used to this hahah... just hold onto it and be careful and you should be fine. Im giving it a 9, it was close to a 10 but the loose pickup selector (this seems fairly common with this bass dont you think Epi might want to fix that?)will cause it to lose a point... otherwise fantastic!

Im sure this bass could stand up to a beating... time will tell... im pretty harsh to my basses while I play so a live show or two will be the ultimate test... the hardware seems pretty solid, not too worried about that... the finish is very well done but like any bass you can expect the normal wear and tear, buckle rash, the "oops I didnt see it leaning on the amp and knocked it over" bumps and bruises... strap buttons are good, going to replace those with straplocks anyway... I feel that I could depend on this bass, and I usually gig without a backup cause Im crazy. Im giving it a 10, again, compared to other instruments in this price range its a solid beast that could easily be my main workhorse once I get the tone issues ironed out...

Havent had to deal with the company yet, so thats a good thing. Like I mentioned earlier I do have an Epi Thunderbird... Ive had that sucker for about 4 years now and never had a problem with that (now that I said that somethings going to break on it.) I dont remember how long the warranty is but I think it will be ok. Leaving this as "no opinion" cause I dont have one! haha.

Ive been playing the bass for about 15 years. I have 6 other basses... two fenders (MIA Deluxe and a MIM standard p bass) a Carvin 6 string, an Ibanez EDA, a Warmoth Jazz with a Fender neck (with an EMG MM humbucker) and my Epiphone Tbird... I would say that they all share equal time in my hands and the EB3 is def one of my new faves! I do wish I had done a bit more research relating to the sound of this bass... I saw it and told my wife I wanted it for christmas, and BAM! there it was christmas morning, honestly I had never played one but I was in love with the look (not the first time Ive purchased a bass this way! I know, shame on me always try before you buy! hahah). I think even with the reviews I read about the sound here I would still have wanted it... if it was stolen I dont know if I would get another one... I will let you know the answer to that once I have all the mods/upgrades done to it that I want! hahah... I love the look, it truly looks evil, it almost empowers you when you hold it, you feel like the coolest kid in school haha... I love the neck, the neck is great, very slim and fast... Im not 100% in love with the sound, that needs work, but im willing to put in the time and effort ya know? Im not a huge fan of neck dive either, but eh, what are you gonna do? My favorite feature is the neck. I will say it again, love the neck it is sweet. Compared to my other basses it really is sort of an odd sheep. Its sound is like nothing else in my collection... its deep and thumpy (muddy even?) but so powerful that its hard not to grin when you kick that neck pickup on. Its really confusing, one moment Im really into it, the next minute im frustrated at the luck of punch and definition... maybe im trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with my band, but the playability and feel of this bad boy makes me want to make it work for me. I wish it had less knobs! hahah, I hate lots of knobs and this one has a ton it seems, I could do without the tone controls, ideally I would have two switches: an on/off for each pickup. I will tell ya, I really love this bass, im going to keep experimenting with my amp and the bass itself to unleash its inner growl and punch... I give it an 8 for style and playability, but the tones not all there... but it could be...

This is the Korean-made EB-3 with the long (34") neck, cherry finish. It has the mahogany set neck and the mahogany body, a "sidewinder" neck pickup, a mini-humbucker bridge pickup.

I have found with this bass that I can get the sound I like, but that it will require some work by me the player. If you just turn up both pickups with flat EQ on your amp you probably won't like the results. The big neck pickup is overpowering, and you need to dial it in carefully. Also, choice of amp/cab is important. I have several amps, both tube and ss, and a good clean amp will help to get the most out of this bass. As for cabinets, I am using a combination of a Marshall MF-400 straight cabinet with an ampeg 4x10 HLF cabinet and with this combination I don't have any problem "cutting through" the rest of the band. With my amps I can "dial in" the appropriate amount of bottom while still keeping a nice crisp high end from the bridge pickup. Overall, I find that the tone is very good (again, this is feedback from people that have heard it) but you must do some work and now what you are doing to get it. My rating reflects the experience/work involved, not the end result.

I have been playing for many years, with my primary instrument being a fender jazz that I have owned since 1969. I was looking for an alternate bass as I am not crazy about taking my old jazz bass out for performances, practices, etc. I am kind of tired of the looks/feel of most of the basses out there, and was looking for something a bit different. Well, I can tell you that this is a very playable bass - the neck feel is extraordinary, rivaling my fender, and the right hand position (I use all the fingers of my right hand) is very good. Plus, I can get a decent slap sound, and harmonic plucking with the right hand (with thumb damping) is not difficult. Fit and finish as well is as good as any I have played - I have had to make very few adjustments and none that I would consider unusual. Looks - my wife said "that bass is beautiful".

I have not had any reliability issues with this bass, and don't expect to. It does have the neck dive problem, but I have always been careful with handling of my instruments, so I don't really see this as an inconvenience. I have owned the instrument for approximately 6 months.

Should not be an issue with Gibson/Epiphone backing.

This bass is everything I thought it would be, I have no disappointments. I am the type of player that gets very familiar with an instrument, and sticks with it. In the time that I have owned the EB-3 I find myself drawn to playing it. I would recommend it with the caveat that it is probably not a good beginner instrument as you must work with it to find your sweet spot of tone. For the price this was an exception purchase.

For starters, It's a Gibson style SG EB bass. It is absolutely gorgeous and made extrelemly well, in fact Gibson made a huge mistake by authorizing this one, side by side comparison with the new Gibson re-issue EB-3 really can't justify the cost difference. In fact the Epi smokes it in appearance........This guitar is gorgeous beyond words! Plays awesome, sounds extra good and while it's top heavy the long neck makes it worth the pain.

It may be a bit muddy but most amplifier EQs will overcome, for tone radicals buy Gibson replacement pups and you'll have something better than the original.

Honestly it's hard to imagine any better on a production line guitar. The pickup selector switch nut was a bit loose and that's it. This baby was well done. Nice Job Korea!

This I'll know better in time but from what I can tell it will last forever with normal care.

Don't wanna know............

I've been playing guitar and bass for around 40 years and can't remember a better value, this would have been a great purchase for the money way back when I started. If it were stolen I'd get another and sleep with it! I don't think anything compares for twice the price and I see this being a huge $$ collector in years to come. hello Gibson, either give up on the re-issue EB-3 or learn a lesson from the Epi enterprise. This baby Rocks

'07 Korean 4 String All Mahogany, Cherry Gloss, 34" Scale Trapizoid Inlays

I love the long and beautiful neck,I am 5'7" small hands and I'm all over it, plays like a jazz bass. You will need to raise the bridge PU,add new strings, and (very important) run it through a Sans Amp! And a quality Bass Amp!

Great factory set up on the 2 I bought (Black and Cherry) You will probably need to raise the bridge PU. Action was great

Watch the Selector switch, it can be made to overturn by using to much pressure, don't Ape out on it. Everything else is solid. As soon as I have rehearsed with the band with these basses, I will gig with them. I guess having two, means, I like backup.

When I needed a part for my Son's EPI ZAK Les Paul I called the warranty dept., And Gibson answered. They got the part to me right away(they sent me "Gibson" Les Paul parts) If it Looks and sounds like a Gibson, smells like a Gibson, and Oh yeah, made by Gibson ....

PRO for 30yrs, My other Gear includes, A Fender HWY 1 P Bass, Epi Firebird, Korg Triton, Mackie, JBL, SWR Redhead, Vox, Squire Butterscotch Tele, I Would be totally bummed Man, if it were stolen and then I'd replace it. I love the build Quality of these basses, I've owned over 350 instruments over the past 40yrs. Can I Play? you bet! I was the Original Bass player for Eddie and the Subtitles. And other famous people you've never heard of.

SG shape body, long scale length, trapezoid inlays, set neck, Big chrome humbucker in neck position, litlle mini-humbucker in bridge position.

Let me start by saying this bass is totally bad-ass. Just got this baby last week and it rocks the plaster of the walls! This is a total heavy rock tone monster. Mated well with my SVT classic. Think Wolfmother, Captain Beyond, Mountain. Big, fat bowel churning tone. The wide vintage style humbucker with the long neck scale is the perfect combination for loud dino-rock. My guitar-snob band mates were duly impressed.

Bass came with a standard factory setup that way too low for my style. Stock strings were crap and were immediately tossed. I slapped on some high beams and set it up to taste. 1000% improvement. A pro setup would make this instrument absolutely dynomite! Bass is overall very well built considering it's made in Korea and only cost $400. I had to tighten down the rotary switch and that was it. If you look closely you can see where they cut corners to keep the price down. Upgrades are widely available. The important thing is the basic platform is solid. I got he bass in Ebony. It looks stunning with the chrome hardware and trapezoid inlays.

This bass is rock solid.

dont know. bought bas through music123. They have good customer support. never had a problem.

Great bass for someone looking for a loud rock bass. This thing is meant to be played loud and proud through a vintage style Ampeg or Marshall. Incredible bang for buck value. You will be instantly cool when you strap this puppy on!

Japanese-made in 2006. Standard scale, four strings, large humbucker on the neck and a mini-humbucker on the bridge with independent volume and tone knobs each, knob-stlye three-way pickup selector. Mine is the cherry version.

This is definitely a rock guitar. The neck pickup is very boomy and the bridge pickup is mighty crisp. The sound is definitely on the brigher end. Don't expect to get typical jazz or slap sounds from this bass. I usually either go direct or use a cheap 120-watt Fender amp. I plan on getting a SansAmp Bass Driver soon. Other than that, I don't use effects on basses.

There were three flaws in the factory setup:

1. The pickup selector needed to be tightened. A couple of hours into getting it, when trying to switch between pickups, I was rotating the selector itself.

2. The mini-humbucker needed to be raised as there was a significant difference in volume between the two pickups. Since minis are less-powerful, in needs to be closer to the strings to get the same volume.

3. The action was a bit low on the bass side causing some buzzing on the E string.


With those exceptions, everything was great. Good intonation, no flaws. This is a totally beautiful instrument!

I haven't had this bass for very long, so I can only guess based on my other Epiphones. I figure it'll last a while. I mostly got this bass for recording and jamming as I play guitar in my regular band. But I'd love to work in a set where I play this baby.

Never had to deal with Epiphone, so no comment.

I really like this bass. It looks amazing and I love the rock sound (I've got a thing for mini-humbuckers). I would definitely get this bass again if it were stolen. After making the few adjusments noted above, the EB-3 is perfect for what I do.

Most of my experience with other basses is with P-style basses. I like this much, much more.

The only complaint about the bass itself is that it has serious neck-dive. I also had some troubles finding a case for this axe. There are simply no hard cases designed for the SG-style. I ended up getting a generic universal case, though the fit isn't exact. But I'd rather use a generic case that needs a little extra padding than a gig bag. I love this bass to much to protect it with foam and canvas.

Brief run down, specs are already given in other reviews:
Japanese made, full scale, four strings, 2 tone, 2 volume knobs, pickup selector switch. Two pickups. SG style, cherry color, black pickguard. Set neck, mahogany.

The sound does not suit me. I love a very deep, warm tone, and I find it hard to obtain with this guitar alone. I am still working on trying to get the settings I want. I have added a Boss Equalizer, and using the Heavy Metal setting, I can get a nice deep, tone. The sustain is nice, that comes from a set neck. Not a lot of extra noise. I played this guitar over the weekend without the equalizer, and it couldn't be heard over the other instruments. At times, there were no sound at all. It seemed to be "lost". Keep in mind, that I am not able to use a nice amp, so that DOES make a difference. I have played other basses on this system, however, and they sounded really good (please see the review of the Gretsch Electromatic bass).

Not the sound I was hoping for, or expected from this guitar. I had played the Elitist version, and fell in love with this bass. When I found I could not afford the Elitist version, I got this version. It DOES make a difference. The sound does not compare.

The only sound variation I have found is twangy and more twangy. Even with flat wounds.

The bass was set up nicely. I bought the guitar from a local guitar shop. Action was just right, no adjustments so far. I have owned the bass for about 6 months. All the equipment seems to be very solid, and of good quality. Added flat wound strings. BEAUTIFUL finish. The guitar is very pretty.

Always be aware of your neck. This guitar is EXTREMELY top heavy. You have to constantly adjust the guitar. Very solid though!! Very solid, yet not too heavy for a female's shoulders. The harware is good quality. I would NOT reccommend using this without a backup, as you may have an incident similar to mine, and not be able to hear it. So it's wise to carry a backup, although I don't.

The company I got this from is a local company, called Conncert Music World. The service is GREAT! They were able to match internet prices, and then some!! I got a great deal on a case. Guitar and case was about $420. Guitar was ordered, and came in in just a couple days.

Rating is for the guitar shop, NOT Epiphone or Gibson. I have never dealt with that company.

I am fairly new to bass playing, so I'm still trying to find my style. Some buy for looks, some for sound only, some for both. This bass is BEAUTIFUL. If you are like me, and you just HAVE to have an SG style bass, then go for it. The sound can be improved with some equalizers and a nice amp.

If it were stolen, I would turn it in on my insurance, and get something else. I don't think I would replace it. Maybe with the Elitist version, but this one, no.

I love the feel, love the look. I hate the heaviness of the neck, and I'm a little unhappy with the sound.

Let this be a lesson. #1, Do NOT trust looks and company reputation alone. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. #2 Play the instrument before you buy it. Play the EXACT instrument, as pickups DO matter. Play it on the equipment you will be using. Don't let the guy at the guitar store plug it into the best sounding amp on the floor. Of course it's not going to sound the same coming out of my little 25 watt amp, as the $1000 amp. and lastly #3 Read LOTS of reviews. As you can see from this website, there are some that love it, some hate it, some indifferent. It's all up to an individual, and their taste.

Made in 1999, in Japan. 24 frets, thin neck which I enjoy, normal frets. I am not sure what kind of wood it is but it dents extremely easy. The finish on mine is cherry but you can also get it in black. It is an SG body as you can see in the pic, ok now the bridge is extremely complicated on this thing you can adjust it anyway you want to but it ir really hard to set perfect, it took me hours. Passive electronics. You have 4 knobs, 2 tones and 2 volumes 1 tone and one volume for each pickup. Also a pickup selector switch, you can use the bridge pickup both pickups or just the neck pickup. You have a sidewinder pickup at the neck which is extremely bassy and a mini humbucker at the bridge.

To tell you all the truth, I have been wanting this bass for 3 years and now that I finally have one I dont like it one bit, the only thing it is good for is if you are playing older rock music like Led Zeppelin or something, or Cream because Jack Bruce made this bass famous of course. I do not like this bass at all for sound, it is extremely bassy no matter what, you cant get much high end, only if you use the bridge pickup and even then it is a muddy unclear sound. And don't even try downtuning this thing because it has a set neck and if you downtune all the strings buzz like you wouldnt beleive. I have ran this bass through a peavey tko 65 and an ampeg 100 watt head with a 410 cab, I could not acheive a good sound through either one. The bass is relativly noisy, well just look at the size of the pickups right. If you do however decide to buy this bass I would recommend getting soft guage strings and maybe picking up a teck 21 sansamp bass driver to get a richer sound. [2]

The guitar was set up poorly, and you cant adjust the bridge well either because it is a 3 position and if you bring it down low the bass will buzz alot, and when you get it set so it doesn't buzz the strings are quite high off the fretboard which leads to slow action through the neck (no good at all). Ok the pickups were also set up poorly I adjusted the hight to where I wanted them and you can also turn the little magnetic screws in the pickups to lower or higher them kinda handy because you will definately want to do this. And yes just as everyone else said it is neck heavy and if you let go the head stock bashes off of the floor.

This bass will withstand live playing, but be really careful while transporting, keep it in a hardcase because the neck is set and can break or crack if left in the cold to long. The strap buttons are basic, nothing special about them. I guess you can depend on this bass but you might want to bring a backup just in case. I do enjoy the cherry woodgrain finish and it seems tough but the body dents extremly easy so be careful.

havnt dealt with them

I play mostly punk music and a little bit of rock, this bass does not suite either well. I have been playing for 5 years now and I think I will stick to my fender standard jazz bass (around the same price). I did read a lot of reviews on this bass before I bought it and a lot of them were good, but I really honestly would not recoment this bass to anyone, it is a really big hassel. If it were stolen I would definately not buy another one. I hate everything about this bass it doesnt really have any cool features other then it looks cool that's about it. I am comparing this bass to my fender jazz bass, and this bass is completely different in all ways, just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad, but I just dislike this product, it is a bad design and a disgrace to Epiphone and Gibson products.

2001 model, I bought used but in mint condition. Go to epiphone site for full description. No doubt it is an outstanding looking bass, always gets questions from admirers. I like basses that look different from the pack.

Here's the bad news. The neck pickup sounds like mud and the bridge has no definition. Without an outboard EQ, the sound would be horible. Way too limited for today's music styles, unless you are a Cream tribute band.

Looks really good. The trus rod only adjusts the first 12 frets, so you raise the action from the tailpiece after that. I had major fret buzz all the way up to the 14th fret on the E.
I still have issues with the Gibson/Epiphone headpiece attaching to the neck. I've seen way too may Gibsons with cracked/broken necks.

The EB-3 will stand up to rough treatment. You can depend on it. Because of the sound, I would not use it for a gig.

Epihone's website is very limited on the details, never dealt directly with Epiphone.

I've played bass for over 30 years, used to have a Gibson EB-3 in the late 60's. I Also own a '67 EB-2, '68 Precision, '75 Jazz, '97 Alembic, Ibanez SR500, Traben Chaos 5, etc...
Maybe changing the pickups and adding onboard electronics would help, but finding pickups that would fit could be a lot of trouble.
The Epiphone EB-3 looks cool, but is definitely not for the gigging musician.

Cherry red; made in Korea - don't know when it was made. Two humbucking pickups (mini at bridge) - volume & tone knobs for each; selector switch for either pickup or both. 22 frets/34" scale.

With the two pickups, you can get quite a diverse range of sounds, although this is also dependent on the amp. I run mine through a Crate BT50 (I know, I know, not everyone's favorite brand, but this is my first bass/amp, so forgive me). Neck pickup gives a warm, low tone, while the mini on the bridge gives a punchier tone. Nice full tone when both pickups are selected.

Set-up was perfect right out of of the shop. No defects/flaws that I have found so far.

Seems like a pretty solid machine. As others have pointed out, it's pretty neck-heavy, which is a bit of a pain (literally) at the beginning, but you get used to it eventually. Don't really like the strap button behind the neck - my other guitar is a strat, so I'm used to the buttons on Fenders.

Never dealt with Epiphone and hoepfully never will have to.

Like I said, this is my first bass. I had my hands on a Mexican Precision, but thought that just about everyone else has a Fender, so I'll go with something different. I'm glad I did - I love my EB-3 and would recommend it to anyone wanting a quality bass. And it looks great too!

2 Pickups both with tone & volume. 3-way selector switch. 4 strings.

Sounds beefy -- you can definitely get a classic rock sound out of this bass. The tone knobs don't really change the sound in small increments. Basically you get one extreme or the other with a little in between but most bass players won't use all of these tones anyway. Just get a good amp and you're good to go. This bass kicks major ass.

From the factory it was pretty much perfect. Ordered it from music123.com.

This sucker is solid baby.

No idea but I filled out the limited warranty card.

I'm in love with this bass. I guess the Gibson version is probably better but having never played it, I'm totally cool with this one. Fenders are for weaklings -- this bass has balls people.

Black EB-3

Pure Mud - If you are looking to play in a Cream cover band than this is your bass. This bass is extremelly one dimensional and sounds like garbage if played in any other type of music other than old classic rock.

Very comfortable to play and looks sharp. Too bad it sounds like caca.

Like I said before - its fun to play old cream songs on it. That doesnt last long for me. I am either going to replace both pickups in an attempt to make this bass sound good or I am throwing right back in the Ebay pool.

I'd wanted an EB-0 in black but have since found out that they do not exist other than in the kit format with an amp and video etc. I then found out that they don't do the EB-3 in black either, apart from the one I found in Denmark St. on the weekend. This is such a beautiful guitar, I had no choice but to get the card out there and then. Resplendent in black, it is a rocktastic SG shape with inlayed fret board a ginormous silver humbucker at the neck and smaller bridge humbucker. I've no idea what wood the body is, the fretboard is rosewood and inlayed perfectly. The guitar cam as it is with no extras at all. The rarity of the colour meant that it sold itself.

I like to play everything and this guitar can handle that for sure. Massive fat bass drive and super twinkly tone for funkier numbers. I use a amp simulator to DI straight into my laptop and then out into a C-audio/Nexo PA rig. Trust me when I say there are no sonic problems with this guitar, whether you like it or not is mainly down to looks.

The guitar was set up by the shop so was ready from the start. The body is flawless, no complaints whatsoever.

This is a classic guitar, there is little that can go wrong with it. I suspect that the volume/tone controls and the machine heads are one of the main areas where Epiphone cut costs but these can be picked up second hand on E-bay if you wanted to upgrade to real Gibson components. I've only just bought this guitar so can't offer any feedback on its gigability. I'll be gigging with it for sure though, it looks so great how could you leave it at home ?

N/A

THis is a stand out bass, something different and so much cooler than almost everything. If I lost this guitar I would love to have another one, I'm getting used to the heavy neck (or light body) and have adopted a different playing position accordingly. Quite simply, this is the best looking bass guitar ever, it's amazing that it is not more popular.

I think it was made in 2001, in Korea. It has a set neck, a mini-humbucker, and a f*** off one, with 2 volumes, 2 tones and a 3-way pick-up selector. And ogf course the stuff from above of below (I forget) What more could you want???

Couldn't be better, the I can play from RATM to Manic Street Preachers to Radiohead. I use it with my Trace Elliot Commando 12, which also rocks. You can get most sounds out of this, it is my second bass, and I had a jazz bass copy. This beats the hell out of it, it is just so versatile, I can get the same sounds. It couldn't sound better if you shook a stick at it! (of course that that would not do much good).

No complaints here set up perfectly, finsh was exellent, everything was fine, the only thing was my fault, I jumped off the stage whilst practising, and it took a dent whilst I was getting up.

I think that this bass would withstand live playing if you don't like to having it slung too low, because of the full sized headstock ,and the small body it has a neck heavy problem, but you get used to it. Everything is solid and doesn't really want to move. But don't give it too many hard nocks, unless you want a dented 'machine' :). So I give it a 9.

Haven't needed to deal with them.

I have been playing for about 1 1/2 years, and I own a Alsin Dane Jazz bass copy, This kicks the hell outta that, and I'm thinking of converting it to fretless :). If this were stolen I would try maybe the Les Paul, Explorer, or Flying V, but I would probably have to go back because of the sheer cool factor. I prefered this to a Fender Jazz and a load of other shit. Couldn't be better. But next I'm thinking of a fretless...

this bass has awesome features, which, along with the sound are the best part of the bass. this bass is the most beautiful lookig bass that you have ever seen. if your into that sort of thing. rosewood fretboard, cant be bothered to count the frets, i bought it second hand off ebay and it is in great condition. except the machine heads are very big and heavy, causing the head to imbalance when you let it go.

This bass has an awesome sound, but the only problem is that it is kind of difficult to get this awesome sound, you have to be pretty damn good to get the good sound all of the time, this is due to the strange height of the action. but overall, its the best sound that ive played, if you play it well.

as i said, the action on my bass is a weird height, it kind of goes up and then back closer to the fretboard, not allowing it to be lowered.

i have played this bass live a couple of times and found that it handles it very well. the hardware will definately last. the finish is very good and nice and thick. the strap buttons are alternately placed, which i like, and they hold very well. a very dependable bass, i would use it without a backup, well, mainly coz i dont have a backup, and not enough money.

havent delt but im sure they are great so ill give em a 10

i gave this bass a 10 overall because it has an awesome sound and that is the main thing, and also because it is a challenging and different bass, which i like, and it also improves your playing if you are just past the beginner level. buy two

I got the Epiphone EB-3 5 string bass guitar as a gift the sound quality and playability are awesome and the look is very sexy if you know what i mean
unfortunately i've only been playing the bass guitar for about 8 months and already have done more than one gig lol and i am so good so i do now know alotta the terms listed above i only know that that is the best bass guitar i've had so far my other one was a fender squire and the sound and tone on that isn't that good compared to the the epiphone that sounds rich and deep and beautiful

and for the features i know it has
2 dual rail bass humbuckers
the hardware is chrome
the scale is 34"
the nut width is 1.65"
the neck joint is set
the neckmaterial is maple
the fingerboard is rosewood/trapezoid
body material is mahagony
and the finish is red wine

which makes a beautiful lookin guitar lol

suits it just fine and i play everything from jazz to church music to oldies and even some new stuff

i am using it with a fender bassman 25 amp and i don't have an effects pedal yet

really nice sound not sure how to describe it except for a lotta depth real deep soothing sound awesome

a couple different ones has two volumes and two tone controls

yes it is good for both

and my only dislike sadly is the machine heads holes for the eyelets are too small so if you put in a bigger string it is hard to get out again

it has very good playability nice feel and nice reaction

good

no actually my bass was in pretty good shape considering we got it on clearance the store liquidated the price down from almost 800.00 to 299.00

yes i know my bass can withstand live playing

yes it seems to me like it is very hearty

yes the finish is still awesome looking

yes the strap buttons are solid

yes i can definately trust it

yes i would but i always keep a backup handy lol

very friendly

not yet and yes it is under warranty

3 yrs

i've been playin bass guitar for about 8 months now I am also a pianist that is the only other gear i have lol

no i asked the salesperson everything i felt i needed to ask and even if something comes up i have alotta friends that play guitar and they can help me

i would definately buy this one again

i love the crispness of sound and the style of it
i don't hate anything about it
don't really have a favourite feature on it like everything

yes i compared it to several others i liked the sound of this one over the others

not that i can think of now

nothing else

4-string solid ash-bodied, mahogany-necked bass. Made Korea c.2001. 22 frets. Two pickups with INDEPENDENT volume and tone controls. It has the body of an Gibson SG guitar. Substantial neck pickup with mini bridge pickup. Electronics are passive. Pickup selector, enabling you to select either or both. Mine is cherry red. One reason for buying it is that I work with a guitarist who has a red SG. 34 inch neck. has the look of the basses used by Jack Bruce (Cream), Andy Fraser (Free), Alan Lancaster (Quo)and Jim Lea (Slade). So it is essentially a rock player's instrument, though maybe a little out of style; but who cares? Does not come with any accessories. The independent tone controls earns it its 10.

I play in rock and punk bands, so I use a variety of sounds. Fine with both pick and fingers. Will play slap, but a regular slap player really needs an instrument with a wider neck. Neck pickup with plenty of bass blows your head off. Nice bright sound on neck pick up. Growls like a hungry, lovesick lion. Independent tone switches means that you have a practically unlimited variety of tones you can use. It is my first choice for stage. I'll probably use it in the studio as well. I play it through a Torque T200BX (200W), but I hope to upgrade to a more powerful amp.

No adjustments needed. Lowish action, but that's the way I like it. No faults found.

Bass looks tough. I have had no trouble. Unlike the Epiphone Thunderbird IV, there is no weak jack socket. The EB3 is totally reliable. No adjustments needed so far. I use the T-bird as backup in case I break a string.

Not applicable

I've been playing live since I was 14. If it were lost or stolen, I would certainly get another EB3. While it's sitting on its guitar stand under the lights just before a show, it is like a beautiful woman; the body has a waistline like a film star's. A guitarist in a band I used to play for fell so much in love with it that he bought himself a Epi cherry red SG. I love the independent tone controls, the sounds and the reliability. The only bitch I have is that it is neck heavy, but then it is a Gibson design!
I also have an Epiphone T-Bird, a Jazz, an EB2 copy and a fretless Fender copy. But I never play any of these now.

A friend of mine bought me one of these last year to do a 30-year
reunion concert with the "proper" instruments. I'd had a Gibson EB-0
many, many years ago, though at the time I'd lusted for the EB-3, so it was a great surprise. Get the cherry finish, it's just like the old
Gibson's hue, and every other detail I could remember is faithfully
reproduced, especially the neck pick-up which was all the EB-0 had.
Same full, really full, almost too full (for live, I'll explain later)
low end tone. The bridge pick-up evens out the tone, but it'll always
sound like an EB-3.

I found during that gig that I'd have to have an immense bass rig to
do justice to it's low end.(think Jack Cassidy)It totally overwhelmed
the system I'd put together,but for direct recording, I can't think of
a purer, more expressive sound. Just enough clarity and presence and
punch, but oh, what a earth-shaking low end!(I've since proven to myself at this year's concert that my homebuilt bass with Carvin's
active preamp gives me a lot more manageable live sound) We'll be doing more studio work this fall so I'm very happy.

The bass was marked as a "second", but I've yet to find a single flaw.
Stock strings were a bit too wimpy, I immediately but on medium half-rounds. I did only minor adjustments before playing live literally a couple hours after receiving it, and haven't touched the
bridge since. My only complaint, shared by others in this forum, is that it is very neck-heavy. This was a known feature for me, but for
the uninitiated, be prepared. Another reason I like it as a recording
bass, I almost always sit.

I'd expect that the set neck design would withstand normal wear and
tear, but I'm meticulous about my instruments' care, so I expect it
to last forever. The hardware feels robust and thickly chromed, the
finish feels thicker than old Gibsons'. I fortunatly have avoided the
scratch test, though the finish feels tough. I've played it under various conditions, both inside and out, warm and cool with no apparent changes in adjustments needed. I might upgrade the strap
buttons for lots of live use, but I'd say that about everthing that
didn't come with strap-locks.

I've not had to deal with Epiphone, nor do I expect to. In fact, I
liked the EB-3 so much, I found a Les Paul Special Double Cutaway
w/P-90s copy in some new old stock, and purchased it sight unseen.
And it impressed me every bit as much as the EB-3, maybe even more.

I'm sooo pleased! I'd have to find another should something happen to
it. Nostalgia notwithstanding, it's a great instrument.

This is a reissue of the EB bass like Jack Bruce played in Cream. My particular specimen is the vintage cherry one. The scale is 34 inch, and it has a set neck. The pickups are 2 Humbuckers, and there are 2 volume knobs, 2 tone knobs, and a pickup selector switch(which, by the way, is not historically correct - the model that Bruce is playing on the Cream video cd I have has a toggle switch, while this reissue is equipped with a rotary type switch). I believe that it has 22 frets, though you can continue to play right off the neck on to the huge humbucker pickup at the neck position(hey, I play upright too...) My only complaint about the thing is that it is incredibly neck-heavy, but EB/SG type instruments generally seem this way to people who play are converts from Fenders...

I have to state that this bass is NOT for those of you after a modern slap or thin sound. Go buy a p-bass(I kept my first bass, a Washburn P-Bass clone for this reason). This instrument can make a kind of bright, pingy sound with the bridge pickup, but it is virtually impossible to do slap stuff on this thing. It really shines with the switch in the neck pickup position...it creates an absolute wall of sound. Sick of being lost in the general mess? Into heavy blues? This is the bass for you. It is almost too powerful for my 1978 Fender Bassman - there is absolutely no need to engage the deep switch. I give it a ten because this sort of tone is what I bought this instrument for - I have a p-bass for slap, and can always play upright for that upright sound, so this bass fills that remaining slot - something heavy.

I can't really comment too much on the setup, because I got it in the mail on christmas eve, was already late for a christmas party, and went there before playing it...the lead singer in my band bought me a pack of Elixers for christmas, and I put them on it immediately. I am told the original strings are really sub-par, and I would believe it, considering how thin they are. Otherwise, the bass is awesome looking...in a world of Fenders and those crazy space alien basses with 22 strings, it is definitely a breath of fresh air in appearance. My only real complaint is the pickup selector switch, which is kind of shabby...see the next section for details.

This bass does seem more fragile than the average P-Bass. It seems fairly durable in its own right, but I wouldn't want to fend off screaming fans with it, which I would not be afraid to do with my Washburn. This has to do with the fact that it has a set neck, too. The only thing that really scares me about it, durability-wise, is the pickup selector switch...the switch itself seems kind of cheap and loose, as though it was poorly manufactured. The mounting of the switch doesn't appear to be the problem. If only they had used a toggle. If I have to replace the switch, it is getting a toggle.

I haven't had to call Epiphone yet...

I've been playing bass for about three years now, and it is currently my primary instrument, both as a college music major and in real life. As I have mentioned, I also own a Washburn Shadow Series(my first bass) and a 1978 Fender Bassman(100 Watts) Head, which I run into a 2x15 SoundCraft cabinet. My one wish about this bass was that someone would carry it locally. I didn't get to try it...I basically bought it blind, on the premise that it was the full size version of the EB0, which I did get to try, and really liked, except for the scale. In the process of trying to find one, though, I got to play with lots of other instruments - I also really liked the Epi Thunderbird Bass, though it was not nearly as pretty, it also had a rather amazing sound. I have never been a active pickup person, mainly because I have an element of guitarist in me, and like vintage stuff, so I didn't really look at many instruments of that type - I also tried a couple different flavors of the Fender Jazz, but it wasn't different enough for me, not to mention that I am a huge Cream nut. If anyone would ever steal this thing, I swear I would track them down and kill them by sawing through their head with bow(from an upright bass). If I break it, I will probably have to do this to myself, because being a college student, there is no more money alotted for replacing this instrument. I have to save to buy my own upright, not to mention books, and the other, nameless expenses a college student incurrs...

This was a Long scale 1999 Epiphone 4-string SG-style bass. It has one Sidewinder humbucker and one mini-humbucker. Body is Ash (I believe) and neck is rosewood. It has it has one tone control and one volume control for each pickup (2 each). From where I bought it, it came with nothing except the truss rod tools.

I play stuff from blues to indie to classic rock. You can get an unbelievable range of sounds, from a pounding low end to a guitar-like high end, and changing the sound is easily accomplished by switching pickups and playing with the tone/volume controls. The only problem with the sound is that while you can get a great low or high end, there is no GREAT combination of both- The two ends seem very separated.

The bass came from a guitar retailer in NY, and it was set up very well, with a perfectly low action but incredibly thick strings. If you buy one factory-direct or without a change of strings, you'll probably end up needing a new pair. The pickups and electronics were set up perfectly, there was only one small dent in the finish which was otherwise perfect. The HUGELY negative aspect of this bass is how the weight is balanced. The horns are WAY too short and the neck way too heavy and long, and the result is a poorly weighted bass. If you simply strap the bass on, the neck will fall to the ground, meaning you have to support most of the neck's weight not through the strap, but with your left hand (if you play righty)... This is INCREDIBLY annoying and difficult.

This bass can take a whooping; its built very solidly and can take a knock with no damage done to the finish or the wood. The hardware seems VERY solid, the finish and strap buttons are as well. I haven't had to adjust the truss rod yet (I've had this for about half a year). I would play live with it if it were actually easier to play (the weighting sucks).

I've been playing about 3 years, and I would recommend the bass for its sound, which is very good, but playing it is very difficult. It's not really comparable with any other bass I've played-- its got a very thunderous and powerful sound (listen to Jack Bruce of Cream play one on any of Cream's records). I chose this bass because it LOOKS awesome and because of its diversity in tones. I probably wouldn't buy another one if it were stolen; I'd use insurance money towards a higher end bass like my Ricky (I love my Ricky).