Bass players - What happened to all the EB2s?

JohnS37

https//cdn.britannica.com/08/199508-050-E7C99370/Animals-Hilton-Valentine-John-Steel-Eric-Burdon.jpg Whenever I watch old TV footage of 1960s rock bands the bassist often has a Gibson EB2 or an Epiphone Rivoli bass (semi-acoustic 335 shape but four-string bass, sometimes with a single pickup, sometimes with 2).  They were almost as common as Fender Precision’s back then.
Try and find one now - they have completely disappeared, rare as rocking-horse sh*t.
If I search on eBay there are very few, and mostly (oddly) in Japan.
What’s going on?  They were always my favourite bass.  Does nobody want them?

stickyfiddle

I don’t know but I love them. My guess is a lot of collector types have one but don’t play them out because a P is just so much easier. 

But I’d love one. 2 pickups in red please! 

Pete.R

I've got one, it's a FGN prototype, made for the Frankfurt Musicmesse around 2010,

sadly did not make it into regular production.

https://i.imgur.com/Aiuii4O.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yDPvexq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IDkwp91.jpg

There are two other colored ones, a sunburst and one with flames made in 2012, owned by a bassplayer in Finland

https://i.imgur.com/BEL4VYo.jpg

JohnS37

Pete.R said:

I've got one, it's a FGN prototype, made for the Frankfurt Musicmesse around 2010,

sadly did not make it into regular production.

https://i.imgur.com/Aiuii4O.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yDPvexq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IDkwp91.jpg

There are two other colored ones, a sunburst and one with flames made in 2012, owned by a bassplayer in Finland

https://i.imgur.com/BEL4VYo.jpg

Those are very cool, you’re a lucky man Pete!

Funkfingers

Gibson/Epiphone stopped making the EB-2/Rivoli, presumably to concentrate on the better-selling solid body models.

stickyfiddle said:

My guess is a lot of collector types have one but don’t play them out because a P is just so much easier. 

Exactly this. 

JezWynd

Andy Baxter has a couple if you're looking for one -
https://www.andybaxterbass.com/collections/gibson-basses

ICBM

I had a 60s EB-2 and Rivoli - the EB-2 was stock, the Rivoli had been defretted and refinished in some sort of 'brown varnish'... but to be fair, I did pay £80 for it. (Albeit in about 1990, but the EB-2 cost me £450 around the same time, I think.)

They sounded great, but they have the same problem as 335s for me... too big, and the neck is too far to the left - just unnecessarily awkward to play. I like basses with the bridge close to the end of the body. Unfortunately the body shape doesn't lend itself to a more deeply-set neck, unless you want no top-fret access.

Schnozz

I'm not sure why the EB2D didn't stay like the 4003, as they're halfway between that and a Precision. The 3-point bridge sucks, but the EB3 and Thunderbird are still around.

I had lessons on a Harmony and liked The Monkees' bass tone etc, so it's a shame there's less choice for a semi acoustic.

Peerless made the Epiphone Rivoli in the 90s and there's a lot of love for the Jack Cassidy Model, but I went for their custom offering, for the 5 piece neck, bridge and additional pickup...

https://i.imgur.com/Wr3x9xP.jpg
I've seen some nice Gretsch stuff that's recent and then you can go Hofner, but (re the latter) I prefer a bit more note definition. 

CarbonCopy

Your link doesn't work.

https://cdn.britannica.com/08/199508-050-E7C99370/Animals-Hilton-Valentine-John-Steel-Eric-Burdon.jpg

I see EB2s and Rivolis for sale quite frequently locally at auctions, at vintage guitar stores and on the bass guitar forum Basschat. If you're limiting yourself to eBay, then you may not find them. 

Also, a quick search on Reverb shows 12 EB2s and one Rivoli for sale in the UK.

Funkfingers

There is an American-made Epiphone Rivoli for sale at Main Street Music, Pembroke.* (They are in the telephone directory and online.) I cannot remember the price. I doubt that the shop is willing to risk post/courier.

Contact George.

* No affiliation.