Gibson EB-3 Query

JezWynd

There's a beautiful 1962 EB-3 on Reverb at the moment. It's worth a look, you seldom see such a clean example -

https://reverb.com/uk/item/2424090-original-gibson-eb-3-bass-1962-excellent-condition-with-hangtags-and-original-brown-case

My query is about the electrics. In the pic showing the pots and Varitone control there an oblong silver coloured thing about the size of a PP3 battery, though I'm sure that it's not an active bass. Anyone know what it is and its purpose?

Thanks.

lasermonkey

I think its an inductor and part of the Varitone circuit.

JezWynd

lasermonkey said:

I think its an inductor and part of the Varitone circuit.

Thanks for that info. I'm an ignoramus when it comes to electricity but using your info I tracked down this from DIYstompboxes -

 the bass varitone (as used on the EB3 and Ripper) used a humbucking (2 series, air-core, coils, reverse wound to each other) inductor with a value of 30 Henries (that's right, not mH, but H).

The 60s EB3s additionally had this humbucking inductor mounted in a shielded can.  Somewhere after 1971 they gave up on the can - later (Series 2) EB3s and Rippers had exposed coil inductors.

credit: Granny Gremlin

ICBM

There appear to have been a couple of small repairs done to the wiring so I would disagree that it's all-original, but nothing too serious. I'm pretty sure the cavity shielding paint is not original either, but it looks like it's been well done and would explain why the electrics may have been disturbed, rather than anything worse.