1964 Gibson EB-2 Sunburst Semi-hollow Bass, (Used)

The 1964 Gibson EB-2 Sunburst is a vintage semi-hollow electric bass guitar from Gibson’s EB series, built during the mid-1960s Kalamazoo production era. It uses a laminated maple semi-hollow body in a 335-style shape, paired with a set mahogany neck and a rosewood fingerboard, typically with a 30.5-inch short scale length and 20 frets. This construction gives it a resonant, airy acoustic character compared to solid-body basses, with strong low-mid emphasis and a slightly “woody” attack.

Electronics on the EB-2 are centred around a large neck-position humbucking “Sidewinder” pickup, controlled by a simple volume and tone circuit including a baritone switch that alters low-frequency response for a tighter or more subdued bass character. The 1964-era models reflect Gibson’s evolution of the EB-2 platform, which was designed as a bass counterpart to the ES-335 concept, prioritising warmth, depth, and a rounded tonal profile rather than modern punch or brightness.

Hardware typically includes a fixed bridge/tailpiece system and and vintage-style tuners. Overall, the EB-2 is known for its deep, pillowy low end and distinctive semi-hollow resonance, making it a historically important but very character-specific bass that sits far away from modern hi-fi or aggressive bass designs.