[WhiteFalconX]

I'm looking at a nice cherry red coloured EB-2. I can't quite read the serial number inside the body (orange label), but the music store says it's a 1966.

My question is about the neck. There is no serial number stamped at the top of the back of the neck. All other EB-2's I've seen have the serial number stamped there. Also, there is no emblem below the Gibson name. again, I've seen that emblem on all other EB-2's. The back of the neck, although kind of a cherry red colour, doesn't quite match the cherry red of the body. Lastly, on the back of the neck, the top of the headstock is painted black, with kind of a triangle edge at the bottom of the headstock.

Can any experts out there tell me whether this is a replacement neck? Something tells me that perhaps the original neck was broken, and this was a Gibson replacement. The neck does have the Gibson logo.

Can anyone confirm, one way or the other? The asking price is about $900 US. What would be a fair price if the neck is not original.

The neck does look old, by the way. It looks as though it's been there since the mid/late '60's.

Thanks for any help!

[jules]

welcome to the forum

you'll have to provide photos really, but without seeing it I can say the following


serial number - these are quite faint at times - or it could be refinished - that is often a good way to loose the serial number

colour - it is normal for the neck to be darker than the body. As the instrument ages, the maple body stys redder than the mahogany neck (browner)

crown inlay - yes it is odd that is not there

black paint - this suggests a headstock repair - disguised

post some pics if you have some

[Granny Gremlin]

Yep, without pics I would concur that it's *probably* a partially refinned original neck hiding a headstock repair.

[WhiteFalconX]

Thanks for your input, gentlemen!
I ended up buying the EB-2! I went back to play it several times and quickly fell in love with it. I wasn't used to short-scale basses, and it felt like I could do anything on it! (Long time P-bass player)
This EB-2 is the cherry-red version. I'm still not quite sure about the neck. I can't find any evidence of a headstock break. No breaks in the wood are detectable, and the grain is solid all the way around the headstock.
As I said, both the rosette and the serial number are missing. The Gibson logo is present, and although the neck is a darker red than the body, that's apparently normal after all these years. I think it's the original neck with a refinished headstock, though I can't see the reason for the refinish.
I feel like I got a good price on the bass, at $750, given how well it plays. There is a replacement bridge, and no case.

It came with flat wounds, which I'm also not used to. They felt great! When I got home, I immediately found the meaning of "deeeeeeeeeeep bass." This is an MF of low end! I found a good recording sound quickly, but am trying a set of short scale round wounds tonight (Fender 5250XL).
Started researching EB-2 players. Besides the famous '60's players, the is the fellow from Gov't Mule and the bass player from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I don't know either band much, but I'll check them out now.

Thanks again for the advice! I must say this bass has mojo vibe. The cherry-red has the same vibe as a '66 cherry red ES-335. I've always jonesed for one as a guitar player, and I'm happy to have found this EB-2.

[Granny Gremlin]

Don't bother getting rounds - the zingyness/brightness you'd get would not get picked up by the mudbucker.

If you do go to rounds know that you don't have to use special short ones - grab any old long scale set and cut them short after mounting. Just make sure that E is at least a 100 (shorties benefit from a thicker E string).

Some problems you may encounter:
- I suspect your EB2 has the old tuners with a hole (vs a slot) for the string. Some higher guage (105 E strings are about the thickest I've tried) don't go through that hole easily.. but they will go (and the shorties really benefit from the higher guage - go too light an you risk having a lackluster open E)
- if using long strings and cutting short, some brands tend to unravell at the ends; taping up the ends, or squeezing the ends in a vice or with a p[air of pliers will take care of this.

[donnervogel]

"If you do go to rounds know that you don't have to use special short ones - grab any old long scale set and cut them short after mounting. Just make sure that E is at least a 100 (shorties benefit from a thicker E string)."

Hey, is that the same Jake who once argued that long scale strings on a short scale have different tension than a similarly-gauged short scale set would? Interesting.

Uwe

[donnervogel]

"If you do go to rounds know that you don't have to use special short ones - grab any old long scale set and cut them short after mounting. Just make sure that E is at least a 100 (shorties benefit from a thicker E string)."

Hey, is that the same Jake who once argued that long scale strings on a short scale have different tension than a similarly-gauged short scale set would? Interesting! :wink:

Uwe

[Granny Gremlin]

Nope, I don't think I said that. I did say that the same set of strings on the same bass will have differant tension if you somehow change the the length of the string from butt end mounting point to headstock mounting point (i.e. by adding a trapeze tailpeice to a 3point equiped bass).

[eb2]

I prefer med scales on EB2s myself, but to experiment with roundwounds buy a crummy set and chop them off.

That black painted back of the headstock with an elegant arrow point is an old school way of covering up a cracked head stock. It is quite possible that the crack never went all the way through - like if the thing fell and landed on the tuner, it would be a stress crack along a grain line. You wouldn't see the repair in that case. Or it was done very well and finished over nice and smooth. In either case the extra effort would indicate someone did a nice job and I wouldn't worry too much. Slapping on a set of strings tuned to pitch would reveal any bad repair or problem anyway. You could narrow the year it was made by checking the parts provided they are still original. Good luck.