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Dahl A. R. Duchossoir,[i]Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years : An Illustrated History from the Mid-'30s to the Mid-'60s[/i], Hal Leonard Corporation, 1998, p.91 wrote:In 1962 a fourth solid bass patterned after the EB-0 called the EB-0F was made available. The 'F' suffix stood for fuzztone and meant that the model had a built-in transistorized circuitry producing the same sound effect as the FZ-1 pedal then marketed by Gibson as an accessory. Early 60s adverts claimed that the fuzz effect was 'the newest and probably the most startling sound for guitars since the electric guitar was invented.' Oddly enough, Gibson found it appropriate to offer the fuzz effect as a built-in feature on a bass rather than a guitar! Anyway, the EB-0F proved short-lived and was phased out in 1965.

Dahl A. R. Duchossoir,[i]Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years : An Illustrated History from the Mid-'30s to the Mid-'60s[/i], Hal Leonard Corporation, 1998, p.265 wrote:EB-0F (1962-1965)
Beginning in 1962, a version featuring a built-in fuzztone for special effects was produced. Called the EB-0F, it is characterized by an enlarged pickguard etched with the word 'fuzztone' and supporting an extra on/off switch plus volume and attack controls for the fuzz circuitry. The EB-0F remained in production only until 1965.

Shipping totals:
1962: 35
1963: 74
1964: 64
1965: 92

The same configuration is seen in the Epiphone Newport EBSF, which is already pictured in the 1962 Epiphone catalog, while the EB-0F is first mentioned only in the 1963 Gibson catalog.

Elsewhere, I read it has a passive fuzz circuitry. Sadly, Gibson cannot provide a schematic.

Even if the circuit is passive, its strange the the two fuzz controls are labeled volume and attack as in the fuzztone. Quite some some pictures of such basses on the web, but none of the fuzz circuitry.. all seemed to have been gutted it seems.

Does anybody have any info on this circuit, or maybe just owned one and remember changing the batteries?

Yep

I had one in a few years ago for some minor work (potmeters, new caps, lube the neck etc) and it is not a passive fuzz, just the known Maestro. When I knew I got one in I searched the net for some info and also found it was passive (and made a nice post somewhere on a stompbox forum). When I got it in the 2 duracell batteries made it clear that is was not passive!

Simple FZ-1 powered by 2 batteries giving it 3V

Sound is quite nice btw although I favored a clean blend on the fuzz. I later made the owner one with a clean blend which he still uses

Wow thanks man. But which bass was it exactly? This is great news, because I suspected the first designs of the FZ-1 to be built for bass guitar. The crazy thing is that the first Epiphone Newport basses may predate the Fuzztone pedal release. If they published the Newport in the 1962 catalog, the circuit must have been up and running late 1961! The patent is dated May 1962.

Dying for some gutshots -- haven't searched diystomps though....
thanks for confirming this BD!

edit: no pics, but a hint from a dear friend

analogmike
Posts: 386
Re: EB-0F fuzz; passive fuzz possible?
« Reply #16 on: 19-04-2007, 19:26:49 »

I had an EB0F and it needs a battery to work. Same as the maestro fuzz tone I think.

Pedal love
Posts: 672
Terence T...Fort Worth, Texas
Re: EB-0F fuzz; passive fuzz possible?
« Reply #18 on: 19-04-2007, 19:34:13 »

Not sure of the battery. The fuzz was an early version fz-1, I think.pl

haha, that would be weird. So maybe the FZ-1 was first an add-on for the bass and later a pedal? LOL

It was a Gibson EB-0F (like this one). If you unscrew the control plate you can change the batteries. Stereo jack for the battery grounding.

No pics though...........

Bernardduur wrote:haha, that would be weird. So maybe the FZ-1 was first an add-on for the bass and later a pedal? LOL

Since Gibson built 5000 FZ-1 units for the 1962 sales year, it's likely that they started making the pedals, were looking to add a "new feature" to the bass, and adapted it. Typically a MI product is introduced in January, so it would be a fairly logical guess that they started production of the FZ-1 in mid-late 1961 at the very latest. It would be interesting to see what the pot codes read, for both the bass and the FZ-1 units. Perhaps that could give a clearer picture.

http://www.flyingvintage.com/gcmag/fuzztone.html

Gibson marketed the pedal under their Maestro brand for $40.00 retail and introduced it in 1962. The marketing and sales people were optimistic about the prospects of selling a lot of Fuzz-Tone effects and produced over 5000 that first year. Gibson's dealers bought 5458 pedals during 1962 confirming Gibson's sales forecast. Unfortunately, the buying public didn't buy all those pedals from the dealers as expected. Gibson only shipped 3 Fuzz-Tones to dealers in 1963 and none in 1964, suggesting dealers still had an ample supply of inventory in their music stores.

It will be hard to determine chronology with date codes when it's within one year span. Assuming that the stories about Grady Martin playing 6-string electric on the "Don't Worry" record are true, it's seems logical that the FZ-1 would be developed for bass.

And although the patent clearly shows a guitar in the illustration, it menioned so the unit can also be used for "stringed basses" but it also warns us "It is further pointed out that the tone modifying circuit is operative to produce controlled tones only when a single string of the instrument is played. Playing two or more strings at the same time produces unpredictable and unpleasant noise. If two or more tones are desired simultaneously, a complete separate system is required for each tone." (p.3 l.61-68)

Somewhere along the line the idea of the fuzztone changed from being an effect for bass to a 'stompbox' for both guitar/bass/other instruments. That's why I suspect the bass fuzz circuit may be earlier and maybe maybe different... even if dating would not be possible.

It's not like they stuffed the same pcbs in basses and boxes, this are the PTP days.

FZ1 patent and discussion here:
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... a&start=20

It's an interesting mystery, and one unlikely to be effectively unraveled. Clearly Gibson produced far more of the pedal for the 1962 year, but that doesn't necessarily mean it came first. Pot codes could help, but only if there was a definitive difference in the weeks. Close number weeks wouldn't help much. Gibson was different than Fender in their part usage, so the date codes are more likely to be accurate. Unfortunately, Gibson also used some pots that cannot be effectively dated, at least that I know of. The CBA pots (811-xxxx) don't seem to correspond to the normal "year/week produced" code, and you can find them throughout the early ad mid 60's Gibson products.

PurplePeopleEater wrote:It's an interesting mystery, and one unlikely to be effectively unraveled. Clearly Gibson produced far more of the pedal for the 1962 year, but that doesn't necessarily mean it came first. Pot codes could help, but only if there was a definitive difference in the weeks. Close number weeks wouldn't help much. Gibson was different than Fender in their part usage, so the date codes are more likely to be accurate. Unfortunately, Gibson also used some pots that cannot be effectively dated, at least that I know of. The CBA pots (811-xxxx) don't seem to correspond to the normal "year/week produced" code, and you can find them throughout the early ad mid 60's Gibson products.

I've done my homework, so this won't move to requests...
Still, I would very much like to see some gutshots of this built-in fuzz circuit. I have a hunch it was "designed" with electric bass in mind, but later marketed for different instruments (as noted in the patent, much later).

If the circuit in the bass is the same the Maestro Fuzz tone, the mother of guitar fx, is not a guitar effect unit, but a bass effect unit. Even the patent mentions that on guitar you have to play bass (no chords!) or it will sound crap. Nevertheless guitarist started liking this crap...

anyways, just a bump