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Custom Gibson Ripper

W

warmumbrellas93

Oct 10, 2024
5
4
#1
Hello, let me know if I should post this somewhere else. This is my first time posting on talkbass after several years of lurking.

I am trying find someone to help me make a custom ripper.
I would like to have a body made to be routed from the back so the front has as much wood exposed as possible (no pick guard). I want to have my dad do some relief carving onto the front of it. I have thought about trying to build one myself but I really want this bass to be playable and well constructed. My dad is a skilled wood carver but he doesn’t trust himself to learn how to build a bass guitar on account of having early onset Alzheimer’s. But he has always wanted to carve some artwork on a guitar and I want to have a bass with his artwork to remember him by.
Basically I just want to find someone who could build the body and the neck to my specifications, and routed properly so that all I have to do is send him the body and he can get to work without having to worry about messing anything up.
I live in Athens, Georgia. It would be great to find someone in the Atlanta area or anywhere within a couple hours of Athens but I’m open to other options.
 
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#3
warmumbrellas93 said:
Hello, let me know if I should post this somewhere else. This is my first time posting on talkbass after several years of lurking.

I am trying find someone to help me make a custom ripper.
I would like to have a body made to be routed from the back so the front has as much wood exposed as possible (no pick guard). I want to have my dad do some relief carving onto the front of it. I have thought about trying to build one myself but I really want this bass to be playable and well constructed. My dad is a skilled wood carver but he doesn’t trust himself to learn how to build a bass guitar on account of having early onset Alzheimer’s. But he has always wanted to carve some artwork on a guitar and I want to have a bass with his artwork to remember him by.
Basically I just want to find someone who could build the body and the neck to my specifications, and routed properly so that all I have to do is send him the body and he can get to work without having to worry about messing anything up.
I live in Athens, Georgia. It would be great to find someone in the Atlanta area or anywhere within a couple hours of Athens but I’m open to other options.
Click to expand...

Im way far in great north Canada, so i'm not in any way here to offer to build because of distance. However curious to clarify a few of your requests:

- When you say routed from the back, are you speaking of the electronics (control pots/knobs) cavity. Pickups can be front routed to their corresponding shape so you'd have as much wood exposed.

- relief carving you'd have a core wood & a top wood to hide the relief (if youre talking about weight relieving). Keep in mind, original ripper basses were 1.25" thick.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
#4
warmumbrellas93 said:
Hello, let me know if I should post this somewhere else. This is my first time posting on talkbass after several years of lurking.

I am trying find someone to help me make a custom ripper.
I would like to have a body made to be routed from the back so the front has as much wood exposed as possible (no pick guard). I want to have my dad do some relief carving onto the front of it. I have thought about trying to build one myself but I really want this bass to be playable and well constructed. My dad is a skilled wood carver but he doesn’t trust himself to learn how to build a bass guitar on account of having early onset Alzheimer’s. But he has always wanted to carve some artwork on a guitar and I want to have a bass with his artwork to remember him by.
Basically I just want to find someone who could build the body and the neck to my specifications, and routed properly so that all I have to do is send him the body and he can get to work without having to worry about messing anything up.
I live in Athens, Georgia. It would be great to find someone in the Atlanta area or anywhere within a couple hours of Athens but I’m open to other options.
Click to expand...


Per TB rules the builders here in the LC are not supposed to solicit business in their or others threads. If you’re looking for someone here to build your project, and there are a number of more than capable people, I’d suggest looking through a few build threads and see who’s work you like and contact them via direct message.

I’m pretty sure a couple of builders here have made Ripper basses or variations thereof.
 
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#6
ThaCoast said:
Im way far in great north Canada, so i'm not in any way here to offer to build because of distance. However curious to clarify a few of your requests:

- When you say routed from the back, are you speaking of the electronics (control pots/knobs) cavity. Pickups can be front routed to their corresponding shape so you'd have as much wood exposed.

- relief carving you'd have a core wood & a top wood to hide the relief (if youre talking about weight relieving). Keep in mind, original ripper basses were 1.25" thick.
Click to expand...


I’m sorry I don’t think I know the lingo or terminology very well when it comes to this stuff. I just want the electronics to be installed from the back of the bass instead of the front like a normal ripper.

By relief I just mean the carving style. Bassically carving pictures/designs into the front of the bass. Nothing to do with weight.
 
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#7
Matt Liebenau said:
Per TB rules the builders here in the LC are not supposed to solicit business in their or others threads. If you’re looking for someone here to build your project, and there are a number of more than capable people, I’d suggest looking through a few build threads and see who’s work you like and contact them via direct message.

I’m pretty sure a couple of builders here have made Ripper basses or variations thereof.
Click to expand...
Awesome thank you so much for redirecting me I will start digging and see if I can find someone. 🙏
 
#8
warmumbrellas93 said:
I’m sorry I don’t think I know the lingo or terminology very well when it comes to this stuff. I just want the electronics to be installed from the back of the bass instead of the front like a normal ripper.

By relief I just mean the carving style. Basically carving pictures/designs into the front of the bass. Nothing to do with weight.
Click to expand...

The electronics being installed from the back is a simple carve to do. As long as you know how many controls you want, & how they're positioned when looking at the body from the top, it's easy to design a cavity size around said electronics.

& carving designs into the front of the bass is something you'd have to discuss with whoever you contact to commission your ripper bass build. Best of luck
 

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