1961 Gibson EB-0 - Cherry

Model Overview

Debuting in 1959 the Gibson EB-0 was intended as a replacement to the violin shaped EB model, which had experienced a decline in sales since its introduction in 1953. Like its precursor the EB-0 featured a solid compact mahogany neck and body and 30.5” scale length. Initially resembling the slab Les Paul Junior body style the EB-0 was then changed in late 1961 to reflect the sharp double cutaway aesthetics of its six-string solid body counterpart; the new Les Paul/SG. Equipped with a single Gibson humbucker positioned close to the neck the EB-0 shares tonally the same thud and huge low end as its big brother the EB-2 but in a more compact and nimble-playing chassis.

This first year example is one of the earliest shipped dating from 1961 and has a black Royalite pickup cover, a feature of the EB-0 that changed to nickel plated brass over the subsequent years. It also has nickel-plated hardware which would be replaced on the model by chrome-plating around 1964/5 in line with Gibson’s other instruments. The bass has minimal fading to its original Cherry Red finish, no breaks or repairs and some natural playing wear to the back of the body. The two Centralab pots are dated 1961 and the bass is in good condition with its original Challenge case.