Gibson Grabber tone on a bugdet

[bigmuff113]

Some of my favorite bass tones are from the Grabber. Whats the best way to get that tone below $450? I really don't care how it plays as long as its playable.

[mpdd]

used g&l sb-2 tribute or L2000 tribute, ime these are the only basses that are as ballsy and deep as my grabber

[dStar]

My first thought was eBay, but when I checked 70 's Grabber are asking $1300. ***? I had '74, I think it cost $250 new. I hadn't thought they would appreciate, that much. They are OK basses, but there are better ways, that I can think of, to spend $1300 ,

[Figjam]

My favorite thing about grabbers/g3's is the feel of the neck,so for me there is no other option right now. For the tone, The g&l with the musicman pickup in the P position may be a good bet. Hard to come by though.

[mpdd]

bought mine in 92 when i was 18 for 265 bucks

[bigmuff113]

Well if anyone can get me that early Dinosaur Jr tone with anothe bass, don't hesitate!

[grisezd]

As others have said, the G&L does that pretty well. Short of that a music man style humbucker in anything will get you in the ballpark, especially as you move it towards the neck.

[Figjam]

Something with a PJ configuration could probably dial in a workable tone.

[grisezd]

Originally Posted by bigmuff113

Well if anyone can get me that early Dinosaur Jr tone with anothe bass, don't hesitate!

Keep in mind that anything you hear recorded is pretty processed by the time it gets to your ears. That's not a knock on anybody, just the fact that the bass tone on the record gets optimized to sit well in the mix, then the whole thing gets compressed and sweetened. Then it's the live sound guy's job to get the bass to sound that way live. The right bass can help, but don't get discouraged if you can't nail the tone, even with all the right gear!

[ElmRealmRider]

"we used to drive to any promising music store in a 100 mile radius.. i think we found the rick in connecticut (this is the kind of detail j will remember ) ..i think i paid $500 for it which seemed outrageous...but it was really beautiful , i loved it right away..never picked up the gibson grabber again.. i wonder if i traded in?? (j would know this too)..
grabbers have a unique mid range-y sound too.. boing-y..that's what i played on the recordings of 'raisans' 'in a jar' 'lose' ..the whole first record..
i bought the rick halfway into he recording of 'you're living all over me'.. - lou barlow quote from loobiecore forums

I got a rickenbacker years ago to match lou's tone, then a couple years later i got a gibson grabber, finding out afterwards most of my favorite bass tracks were done with a grabber. Still been trying to get his gnarly tone from the grabber, cant do it. maybe its his amp at the time ( i believe it was one of those SS Marshall Jubilee amps), or maybe its his aggresive playing with double stops and chords. I'm not sure if he used any pedals in those early days but ive never seen anything on it. Not to discourage you away from the grabber, cause i love mine, but its hard to get lou's exact tone, but maybe you can do a better job than me.

[George Mann]

Perhaps you could an SX from Rondo Music and modify it with a Grabber pickup.

[bigmuff113]

Originally Posted by ElmRealmRider

"we used to drive to any promising music store in a 100 mile radius.. i think we found the rick in connecticut (this is the kind of detail j will remember ) ..i think i paid $500 for it which seemed outrageous...but it was really beautiful , i loved it right away..never picked up the gibson grabber again.. i wonder if i traded in?? (j would know this too)..
grabbers have a unique mid range-y sound too.. boing-y..that's what i played on the recordings of 'raisans' 'in a jar' 'lose' ..the whole first record..
i bought the rick halfway into he recording of 'you're living all over me'.. - lou barlow quote from loobiecore forums

I got a rickenbacker years ago to match lou's tone, then a couple years later i got a gibson grabber, finding out afterwards most of my favorite bass tracks were done with a grabber. Still been trying to get his gnarly tone from the grabber, cant do it. maybe its his amp at the time ( i believe it was one of those SS Marshall Jubilee amps), or maybe its his aggresive playing with double stops and chords. I'm not sure if he used any pedals in those early days but ive never seen anything on it. Not to discourage you away from the grabber, cause i love mine, but its hard to get lou's exact tone, but maybe you can do a better job than me.

Yeah he used a 300 watt Marshall SS head I forget which one... The ibs300 or something like that. Looked like this iirc

http://soniccircus.com/site/amps/all...files/l457.jpg

[CnB77]

Wasn't there an Epiphone reissue? Not in production atm, but if you look carefully one might turn up in your price range eventually.

Buying a cheap bass and modding it extensively may work as well.

[LowNotes1]

There have been a few Ripper-type re-issues over the years. I have one of the Epiphone Ripper LE's from about 6 years ago maybe? Cost me $450 new, has a P/J config. Mid-rangy tone, better suited for pick playing than fingers IMHO. There is a black one on Ebay right now. Not sure how the sound compares to any Grabbers, never played one of those.

[Immigrant]

I picked up an Epi Ripper similar to the thumbnail above (only the single pup version) for less than $200 on EvilBay.

I can't say it sounds exactly like the Grabber I had in '75, but it sure looks the part. FWIW, I paid $375 for my Grabber new in '75. How times have changed.

[lowphatbass]

Back in the day a buddy of mine had a Vantage or Aria Pro II that he had modified with some different pickups and a pickguard to cover the route mods. IIRC it was a solid color and looking back it probably was originally a single pickup model. http://www.vintagecustomguitars.com/...6729318799.jpg
It seemed kind of silly at the time because MIJ basses didn't have much "cache" and you could probably buy a Grabber for pretty cheap.

[seang15]

Grabbers just remind me too much of Gene Simmons. And that's not good.

[Fly Guitars]

Originally Posted by dStar

My first thought was eBay, but when I checked 70 's Grabber are asking $1300

I don't think they generally sell for anything like that. Sure they get listed, but i'd say most player-grade Grabbers go between $600 and $800.

Seriously, I don't think getting a Grabber for $450 is impossible. A battered one with no case, bridge cover, a replaced bridge and worn finish/refin, would be around this price.

The truth is, if you can bear to be patient and watch ebay/craigslist etc, a cheap one will come up eventually. But I know it's hard if the money is burning a hole in your pocket!

[bigmuff113]

My dad saw one at a garage sale! But he didn't inquire :/ life goes on

[bigmuff113]

Does anyone know where to get replacement parts for a grabber?