Epiphone SG EB-0 Bass Guitar - Cherry Reviews

My 1st bass was a Noble;my 2nd a Kalamazoo and in late 1966 or early 1967, my parents purchased for me a Gibson version EB-0 at Lackeys Music in Newport News, VA. I fell in love with the look, weight, neck and scale. As an avid Cream (Jack Bruce) fan I needed to be able to play fast, accurate and with a ton of attitude. With lots of practice and this bass, I accomplished this goal.

Now, most of us know this is not a bass with a variety of tones. However, get yourself a quality equalizer or maybe a SansAmp, and she'll open up nicely, suitable for a variety of music. Sometime in the early 80's she was stolen so I moved on to different 34" scale basses. Then in 2007, my wife and I walked into a music store in Pigeon Forge, TN, and hanging on the wall was a Gibson SG Standard Bass. The bigger brother here brought back a flood of good memories so I immediately bought it. It has been my favorite bass of all time, but it all started with a single pickup EB-0.

You'll love it or hate it but you'll never know until you give one a chance. These are truly a piece of history with a thunderous, round fat tone. And remember, get an equalizer or a pedal you really like to bring her alive. There is also a recently released, very modern replacement pickup you can get if desired. PS:I'm going purchase one of these soon just to have another one.

I was not expecting a lot and was well braced for disappointment, which did NOT occur.

Let me say that my first bass was a (brand new) 1964 Fender Jazz, replaced by a 1973 Rickenbacker (please don't pronounce it 'bach-er') in Mapleglow with checkerboard binding (rue the day I sold it), next is a 1998 Guild Starfire II (Westerly, RI I think?..Serial No. history is a rabbit hole with nothing left in it but some fossilized turds) with Guild hum buckers (no Hagstrom Bi-Sonics :( ) but a wonderful instrument and also a shorty- Dare you to pry it from my cold, dead hands... Next one was a MIM Fender Jazz which I converted to fretless, sold because the 3.6 fingers remaining on my small to begin with left hand could not cope with a 34" scale.

So, having supplied far TMI, I give this Epi SG-1 very high marks. Fit and finish are top notch, excellent workmanship from Indonesia! It appears to be some variety of mahogany, it plays beautifully, the round wounds which came on it sound wonderful after months of play (!), the tone pot is the best I've ever used (it actually has a wide, controllable taper, and were I a bit more coordinated, a wah effect would actually be possible!)). Pickup has it all- full, balanced frequency response- everything's there... shape it as you like.

A design quibble- The bridge saddle throws are adequate, but longer throws with bridge placement further from the neck (a la Fender) would be an improvement as the overwrap on the ball ends of the strings winds up sitting on the saddles. Doesn't seem to have any negative effects, but I dunno... doesn't seem quite right. And the strap button integrated with the neck bolt plate pokes me sometimes. (Yes, I'm picky) Having SG DNA means it's a nose diver, but hey, comes with the territory.

Arrived not set up- Had zero relief (thanks for the included truss rod wrench !) and intonation (saddle) adjustments were needed. That said, I'd rather have that, than a bow set in the neck, needing to be cranked out while fearing mahogany shrapnel. I love the thing! Buy it!

After 8 years of playing acoustic and electric acoustic guitars, the purchase was my first visit with playing a bass guitar. I paired it with a Fender Rumble 25. My bass player friend is tutoring me and was instrumental in demonstrating the potential of this guitar. I'm very pleased with the feel and sound. My wife enjoys playing it also.

I wanted a short scale bass just to have in my studio and when I saw this guitar I knew I had to have it. For the $ this thing plays and sounds like a bass that costs way more. My other basses might be a little jealous because I haven't been playing them since I got this guy over a month ago.

This is my third electric bass. I cannot believe that a guitar so relatively inexpensive can sound so perfect. Very rich tones and a swift action fretboard.
This is definitely money well spent!

The adjustment to playing this scale didn't take too long and once I strung it with flats, there was that classic tone I was searching for...really great. Many thanks to Bryan Brubaker for all the assistance in getting this to me, he and the rest of the crew always do a fantastic job! If you're trying to get that cool '60s/early '70s thing happening, this bass knocks it out for short cash. VERY high quality for what you pay for these...hard to believe Epiphone can put out such great products for what they charge. This one gets as much or more playing time than my more expensive basses...it large part to how much FUN it is to play!!

I read quite a few reviews of this one and had my doubts. Of course, it's not as versatile as a P bass but it covers a lot of ground sonically and, if you like deep, growling, bass, this has got it. It's easy and fun to play and all the hardware and finish as nice. A great bass.

As a bass player for 35 years I once owned an old Gibson ebo that I regretted selling. So I bought this bass and it's everything I was looking for in a bass aside from my p and j basses. This is the perfect bass if your thinking 60s 70s power trio this is it!!! As for the build quality change the bridge, I'm not sure why Gibson and epiphone use this horrible bridge. The sound is flat but that's an advantage it sounds like no other bass. There is also a good amount of treble not great but good! Just dial it in. Looks amazing super fast neck and loud. Ray at sweet water was nothing but professional and he has a customer for life. On a side not we all know jack Bruce made this bass famous, but Dennis Dunaway from the 70s Alice cooper band played an ebo or eb3 along with the bass player for the band mountain , and on the famous blizzard of Ozz album. I read bob daisley used this bass on almost the entire recording. Buy it !!! If this was 400 bucks I'm not sure I would pull the trigger but if you want something different with a retro sound do it

I was playing guitar with another guy in an acoustic duo. We eventually added a drummer and decided to go full electric. Instead of adding a bass player I volunteered to switch to bass. I had played bass before but not with a band that had regular weekend gigs so I grabbed one of these Epi basses. I really didn't care about the short scale but it is easier to play and a bit lighter as well. This bass sounds great and don't let the price tag fool you. It is well made. I've also owned a Danelectro Long Horn bass which costs more than twice as much and the Epi blows it away. It sounds as good but definitely has more bottom and that's what you want with a bass. One pick up does the job. As long as you have a half decent amp this bass won't let you down

Thanks again to Nate Hutson for helping me get a great deal on this Cherry EB-0 and gig bag. I had an EB-3 at one time and I liked the sound however because the strap connect was on the neck joint rather than the horn, the bass would tend to fall forward. So now I don't have that bass anymore. Enter the EB-0 now. Still has the strap connect at the neck and it still leans forward a little bit but it's so much easier to deal with. Maybe because it's a short scale. Granted, this bass has the one humbucker at the neck position but that's exactly what I like. I can play over the humbucker and it has an old school sound or back by the bridge position and get a brighter sound. And I only have to use the one volume pot and one tone pot. This Epi is perfect for the sound I like. Keep up the great work Nate!!!

A nice little bass guitar, mainly purchased for recording. Short scale lends itself to easier playing for a someone accustomed to electric and acoustic guitar. Has a nice 60's sound, which I find attractive. A tip of the hat and top of the mornin' to Brian Kerns, who makes the Sweetwater experience so reassuring!

If you are looking for a great starter instrument, get this. If you are an experienced bassist, also - get this. I love my guitars, all 12 of them now, and Epiphone will always be dear to me for their modest nature. I only own one Epiphone besides this, the only lower cost instrument in my arsenal - a LP Jr. starter kit"s orphan I picked up second hand. For LP Jr., I only needed to swap out the humbucker for a BG Pup P90 drop-in, and an adjustable bridge to replace the fixed starter bridge. Mind you, this guitar didn"t come even close to breaking double digits in price until these modest yet perfect mods. My point of this ramble is that even the least expensive Epis are keepers, and this bass is no exception. Unlike LP Jr., the EB-0 has an adjustable bridge, which intonates nicely. The pickup swap on LP Jr. was because I think P90 when I think of LP Jr. When I think of SG bass, I think chrome bucker, and hey! There it is. Keeper and then some. I give this a ten out of five, because you could easily spend twice as much on a comparable instrument, and thus it deserves twice the praise.h

I've played a long-scale bass since 1973 and had never even picked up a short-scale until I got an Epiphone EB0 last year. All I can say is I wish I had done this years ago! This is a really nice little bass with super rich tone. I put Ernie Ball Hybrid Cobalt strings on and the sustain is superb. I play this in a two-man band through a Bose B2 system and I gotta tell you it is top shelf. Highly recommend you at least check one out.

I've played a long-scale bass since 1973 and had never even picked up a short-scale until I got an Epiphone EB0 last year. All I can say is I wish I had done this years ago! This is a really nice little bass with super rich tone. I put Ernie Ball Hybrid Cobalt strings on and the sustain is superb. I play this in a two-man band through a Bose B2 system and I gotta tell you it is top shelf. Highly recommend you at least check one out.

I bought the demo model that was being advertised for a little less money than the new ones. I don't care that there are light scratches on the back... I'm sure I'd end up adding my own in due time, and now I can refer to it as a "reliced" bass. It seems that this bass is from a previous production run as the current images say these are "Hand Crafted in China", but the one I received was made in Indonesia. The body has a sort of painted on wood grain, as the grain is way too uniform to actually be wood grain. Its a nice asthetic touch though. This one weighs around 9 pounds, which is reasonably light and about the same as a Squier P-Bass I own. I bought this because of the 30.5" scale, which is 3.5" shorter than the P-Bass and easier for me to play. Much thinner neck too. It needed a set-up, so I did some adjustments to the bridge to lower the action. The strings were buzzing on the fretboard, so I checked the tension on the truss-rod and it had no tension on it at all. About three full turns and it eliminated the neck buzz. Plugged it in and determined the potentiometers for the volume and tone were not uniform in their sweep. For the first 4/5ths of both there is very little volume/tone increase, but that last 1/5th is where they jump. This is not uncommon in this price range, and it won't warrant a change for better ones. I'll just deal with it, since I rarely change the volume setting and only use the tone knob to reduce the high end a little. Sort of a set it and forget it type of approach. These basses are a good choice for those of us with smaller hands. I find it remarkable that the price of these basses are so reasonable compared to the quality. These are professional grade instruments. Only Epiphone makes the SG style basses these days... there are no new Gibson SG basses currently available, but with this kind of quality its understandable.

I ran across a bass identical to this one in a local pawn and music store a friend of mine owns. A youth in my church had been wanting one for some time. I purchased the bass for him. He now plays it in church. Played through a 300 combo Peavy, it has a wonder sound and playability. Now our pastors son wants a short neck bass like the Epiphone EB-0. A really great instrument. A lot of bass, especially for the price. I recommend anyone to buy this instrument. You won't regret it.

Out of the box this bass sounds and looks great! Hard to believe the quality for the money. Here's my assessment: Pros: The cherry finish is flawless. The guitar was set up out of the box and ready to play. The inlays are done very nicely. Cons: The solder joints are done quickly and I repaired some cold solder joints which were causing a buzz. I also replaced the factory strings as they were a bit stiff and dull compared to the new ones I put on. She plays and sounds great! Overall I love "Ruby", she is a fun guitar to play everyday and look forward to maybe upgrading a few things in the future.

Only one pcik up, but if you dial it in it has a great sound.

I had a Gibson EB-0 in High School. Very easy to play. Deep Sound.
Before College, I traded up to a Gibson EB-3. More versitile sounds.
BROWN, AMAZING LOOKING "DOWNWARD-TUNERS", OPEN HEADSTOCK!
I used this BABY for Many, Many Gigs and Recording Sessions.

The above Epi SG BASS reminds me of my ORIGINAL Gibson SG Special
Guitar and my Gibson EB-0 Bass Guitar.
Loved them!!!

I now have an Epi SG Special Guitar, which sounds GREAT with EFFECTS PEDALS, my BOSS AMP, and my ORIGINAL AMPEG JET AMP.
No Epi Bass, but I bet it's a WINNER, TOO!!!!!

Here are some very old pictures of my EB-3:

1) At a High School 50's Dance with the AMAZING (late) MIKE DiBARI (his father played guitar with Buddy Rich).
Mike PLAYED DRUMS just like BUDDY RICH!!!!
2) At a recording studio when I was in College. I am with the VIRTUOSO KEYBOARD TALENT, FRANK DOYLE, who toured the world
with a man called "MEAT LOAF"!!!

I bought this short-scale bass guitar for my home recording studio. As a guitarist, the short scale neck feels similar to a electric guitar, although it's heavier. It's much less clunky in a recording studio with tight space. It's a short scale bass, but it produces a deep bass sound. I record directly into my audio interface and use amp emulations, so I can get an infinite variety of tones with this guitar.
The things I don't like about this bass are the stock strings and the tuners. I replaced the stock strings with 'D'Addario half rounds, short scale. What a difference these strings make! The stock round-wound strings had a lot of fret buzz and felt floppy. They had a tone like a piano string. The new strings feel taut and have a punchy bass tone. They are not dull but have some rich overtones. They are very smooth, like a flat wound set.
As for the tuners, they are touchy, but they do hold their tone. The first EB-0 bass I got from Sweetwater had a bent A-string tuner that buzzed. After I complained to my Sweetwater rep Carter Drain a year later, he sent me a brand new EB-0 bass and I returned the faulty one for free. Problem solved. Eventually, I may replace these tuners with better ones that allow me to adjust tuning with more precision.

I got this bass after long eyeing the Gibson EB-0. I really got it for one reason. The single sidewinder pickup. I like that it's a short scale and it's tone is pretty great. The look is really awesome as well. I named mine Evil Red. The problem is the pickup seems to be off for the G String. The bridge isn't too great but anyone that knows Epiphone knows what to expect. I have a few other basses in this price range from Squire and Gio-Ibanez that sound better than this one. Still a cool bass but not the best in the price range. If you want vintage sound though it's worth the money.

Shipping was fast and the bass was packaged well. It's heavier than you'd expect not not excessively so. The finish is beautiful. Setup was roughly on the mark; plenty good enough. The nuts that secure the volume and tone knobs were loose allowing the pots to spin a little bit Took ten minutes to snug them up. Two other minor complaints: any contact with the pickup cover becomes amplified more than one would think it should and at the very least more than any other bass I've ever played, and the tone control has no effect through 70% of it's travel. That said, I am in love with this bass. The short scale and the width of the neck allow comfortable and quick playing, and the tone is unique and amazing. I've read countless derisive reviews of the "mudbucker' tone, but it should be viewed as an asset and not a detriment. The tone is warm, rich, round, and smooth. Digging in a little bit yields a fantastic fuzzy overdriven tone.This is a bass that wants to be played a certain way to get the most out of it, and paying attention to that will reap rewards. This is a fabulous, well-made instrument at any price, but at it's selling price, it's an absolute no-brainer. Don't hesitate. The bass has mojo in spades

Great bass for a beginner that doesn't want to spend a lot for a bass. Sweetwater and Tyler Were awesome, as always. My wife surprised me with this guitar and Tyler is to thank for the excellent customer service. I love buying from sweetwater because they treat you like they know you personally. Super awesome friendly real people!! Thank you

I realy like my new Epipee EB-O fits me well,with the shorter neck,sounds good to . I dont think you can do any better for the money.

Great short scale bass. I have wrist problems and the short scale is easy on my carpel tunnel. Sounds good in blues, country and rock and is basically bomb proof. I play more 6 string but I love to thump on this base as a side man.

I shared this bass with 2 other musicians and they liked the size and action but they stated that there is very little, significant control of the overall tone.
The sound is very booming and muddy with not much finesse. Even in the recording studio it is too hard to adjust the sound so it becomes clearer. Not a fan.

Been wanting to learn to play bass for a couple of years now, but didn't want to drop a lot of cash on a bass guitar.
Stumbled upon this bass and being an Epiphone fan, decided to invest the money. This guitar is a good looking axe and plays well.
My only complaint is that the pickup is a bit microphonic, and if you use a pick to play, you want to play a good two or three inches away or you will hear the "click" all the time.
So...if you are looking for an inexpensive but good bass...this may work for you.