The six string, EB6 Baritone Bass Guitar is one of the most rare of Gibsons creations. So rare
that even the experts can't agree on the numbers produced, or upon the dates!
In 1960 (according to A.R. Duchossor, author of "Gibson Electrics The Classic Years", or in 1961 if you believe Zach
Fjestad, the author of the "Blue Book of Electric Guitars") Gibson responded to the success of Fender’s Bass VI
with the EB-6. The EB-6 was initially styled after the EB-2 bass (1958 release), with a body in
the style of an ES-335 guitar. Like the Fender Bass VI, the EB-6 features a shorter-scale neck (30.5 in.), but the strings
are tuned an octave below a standard guitar. In 1962 Gibson switched the body design to an SG-style (similar to the EB-0 and
EB-3).
According to Zach Fjestad, Gibson only produced 135 of these EB-6 basses in total over a seven-year period (1961-67),
of which 67 are the semi-hollowbody similar to the EB2, and 68 are in the SG solid-body shape.
The EB-6 also features in the book "Gibson Electrics The Classic Years" by A.R. Duchossor. Of the first thinline
hollowbody version (for which it specifies one pickup) it states that "only 67 EB-6's were shipped in 1960 (34 units) and
1961 (33 units)". Of the second solidbody SG-style version it states "Only 66 solidbody EB-6's were shipped between 1962 and
1965, including a very small number of single pickup versions (probably no more than a dozen."
"Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars" (2nd ed.) offers shipping totals for both versions combined "Discontinued (135
total shipped): 1968" and the 2009 Vintage Guitar Price Guide refers to the 2 pickup version stating "1960-1966. Introduced
as semi-hollowbody 335-style 6-string with 1 humbucker, changes to SG-style with 2 pickups in '62.
So there you are. What is completely clear is that these are exceedingly rare instruments. And
here you can see examples of both!
