Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I thought it sounded very good. I also have a 67 Gibson Kalamazoo (short scale). It has the same HB pickup and bridge as the EB series had of that time. Gibson bass pickups have alot of bottom end and seem to have higher output than most others. IMHO

Gibson bass pickups have alot of bottom end and seem to have higher output than most others.

The EB-series neck humbucker is extremely high output and has a pipe organ-like fundamental. Mine reads something like 29.6K. But other Gibson bass pickups aren't nearly as high output nor as bassy. The T-bird pickups (all three types) are more noted for their midrange growl than their low end.

Dave: Interesting comment about the pipe-organ fundamental. Would the EB-0 be the classic example of this or its successors in the series?

Peter: there really weren't any successors, just other models, and they all had the same neck humbucker. The EB-0 dates from 1959, the EB-3 was introduced in 1961, same year the EB-0 changed to the SG shape, and they both were around until 1979 although you see very few of either from after about 1974. The EB-3 had the added small bridge pickup and varitone circuit. And the semihollow EB-2 series actually predates the EB-0, it was introduced in 1958.

There was a brief reissue of the EB-1 violin bass thanks to Felix Pappalardi's popularity, the Kalamazoo models and a couple of other variants.

This pickup has 25,000 total turns (!), and that's on two large bobbins. Prior to 1959 -- on the original 1953-58 EB-1 and the first year EB-2 -- it was a single coil with the same number of turns on one very large bobbin.

Dave, I agree with the growl, Steve's bass did have that. I did think, at the time, that his two 4X10 cabs and modern GK amp attributed to that. I always use a 15" cab. I guess I was also basing my opinion on a former co-worker's experience who had switched from a 4001 to a Thunderbird sometime in the 70's. With what you are saying, and thinking this through, it makes sense. The 4001 probably had the cap in it and didn't have the output of the T-bird, plus the cap rolled off the bottom end. He did say that the T-bird had a much higher output. As far as my 67' Kalamazoo I never really compared it to my Rick 4000 other than it is muddy sounding. They were both given to me. The Rick has a Seymour Duncan pickup in it anyway.
Sounds like Gibson did the same thing with this pickup as the P90 and the PAF humbucker. The P90 had 10,000 turns and the PAFs had 5,000 on each spool. Thanks for the education.

Thanks Dave. I really appreciate you taking the time to provide this detailed response.

Frank Allen, of The Searchers had a Gibson EB-0 and your description of this instrument describes the reason for its tonality being different from his predecessor Tony Jackson who had a Hofner violin bass.

I used to have a '67 EB3 (2 pickups) and yes, that neck pickup was like you say, loud and hot.
I do like the sound of the T-bird, as Ken mentioned, growl and bottom end punch, (comparing it to my '73 4001MG) I think the 4-10's bring that out a little more than the 15's do, I used to have a 4-10, 1-15 setup and it didnt have quite the same sound. I love the sound I am getting now.

Don't know if you're still looking, but here's a T-Bird case:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=64402&item=3760191110&rd=1&ssPageName=WD1V

I'd like one, but not THAT bad. I saw that one and it's really nice, but really overpriced. Thanks, Lindsay. I found a soft case that I already had that works for the time being, but I still have my eyes open. It deserves a home.