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Epiphone is no stranger when it comes to great bass guitars in the affordable segment of the market. They may not be the most popular choice for most players, but this old brand sure knows how to throw a curve ball to the competition every once in a while. Their EB-0 brings the style and somewhat even the sound of an old Gibson model which is no longer in production.
Unless you are willing to spend large amounts of money and time to find a vintage one, Epiphone EB-0 is your only choice. With that said, this bad boy performs just as good as it looks and deserves a place among the elites of the $300 range. If you'd like to learn which models we're talking about, check out our special piece for more info.
Many newcomers will easily recognize the body shape on this Epiphone. After all, a very similar yet a bit smaller version of this style can be found in the hands of many legendary guitar players around the world. Tonewood Epiphone went with is mahogany. That is definitely a decision worthy of respect. But wait, there's more. Not only is the body made of mahogany, but so is the neck. Profile of this neck is a SlimTaper “D” and the fretboard is a standard rosewood piece with pearl dot inlays. Right at the start, EB-0 offers a very different experience from its competition.
Another point of difference between the EB-0 and other bass guitars in this segment of the market is the bridge. We are talking about a fully adjustable three point Tune-O-Matic style piece. While it may not be the easiest one to deal with for the beginners, it's definitely a solid design which performs up to the task. The headstock features four standard die cast tuners. All things considered, it's a decent setup that is built solid.
When it comes to pickups and electronics, Epiphone EB-0 is a bit different from the rest of the herd. Instead of sporting two humbuckers, or a jazz bass pickup configuration, this bass guitar comes with a single humbucker in the neck position. That piece of information alone should tell you we are dealing with a rather fat sounding bass. This single humbucker is controlled by a single tone and volume knob. In some ways, this type of setup fits perfectly with the style of EB-0.
Like we have just mentioned, the sound of this bass guitar fits into a rather narrow range. You probably won't be able to get those crispy thumping vibes, but that can be fixed with a proper set of strings. On the other hand, girth is what Epiphone EB-0 does best. You can dial in such a rich, meaty tone that just spills the low end right under you. That makes it perfect for gentler genres of music, but it has its moments on the other side of the isle as well.
Although Epiphone EB-0 is definitely different from the rest of the bass guitars we have mentioned up to this point, it has a tangible charm. For the most part, the whole guitar screams old school, and that is something a good amount of people love. Would we recommend this to beginners? Absolutely. As a matter of fact, it's an awesome learning tool that will teach you how every component of the bass guitar impacts the sound.
For more info about the Epiphone EB-0 Bass Guitar, click here.
For more Bass Guitars under $300, click here.
Jim says
What brand of strings would you suggest to be able to get those deep rattle your innards type bass tones? ernie ball?