Dee Murray's Gibson Ripper?

[40Hz]

These basses were known to have off gassing pick guards that often corroded electronics including pickups.

it would be more correct to say sometimes corroded rather than “often corroded.” And that only affected a small number of Rippers that were left untouched in their cases for extremely long (as in years) periods of time.

The actual cases of off gassing problems are pretty rare. But once the story started going ‘round it kinda grew in the telling. Ask most people who talk about it who they actually knew who had the problem and most times it turns out to be one of those: “well… I knew a guy, and he knew a guy, who heard it from this other guy…” stories.

Bottom line: It can happen. But it’s awfully rare.

 

[40Hz]

If that 4 way switch is wired and caped like the EB3, the one position is the neck pickup and is pretty much mud personified.

The Ripper pickups and wiring were designed for Gibson by Bill Lawrence. Neither the pickups, the tonestack, nor the wiring scheme were used on any Gibson other than the Ripper. The EB-3 doesn’t even enter into the picture. And FWIW, you couldn’t get a muddy sound out of a Ripper on a bet. The pickups are ceramic sidewinder design humbuckers. But due their extremely narrow aperture they behave more like a single coils than humbuckers.

 

[s_wood]

I am a Ripper fanatic... i own a few of them, and from what I can tell that bass looks legit. There were not many sunburst Rippers built when they were using the original “fat horn” body style, but the ones I’ve seen from that era look just like that one. I would buy that bass right now if i knew where it was.

 

[SturmUndDrang]

Thanks for dropping some knowledge 40Hz. Gibson definitely made at least one Cherry burst ripper because the original AC️DC bassist Mark Evans had one.
I wonder if we'll ever see someone refurb their gassy Ripper tort with a Spitfire. That'd be something.

 

[40Hz]

Thanks for dropping some knowledge 40Hz. Gibson definitely made at least one Cherry burst ripper because the original AC️DC bassist Mark Evans had one.
I wonder if we'll ever see someone refurb their gassy Ripper tort with a Spitfire. That'd be something.

Yeah. I’ve seen the pictures and read about it. For the record, I really like the look of Gibson’s cherryburst too. I have an old ES-125TC with that finish and it’s aged beautifully. But last I heard Gibson would never officially confirm that was an original finish of theirs on that model. Story I heard was they said they might have made a few for the Ripper’s debut at a few trade shows. But it was never a catalog item either way.

This is one of those odd things. From what’s out there, it seem there are apparently three cherryburst Rippers that do look like they could be factory originals. But again Gibson was pretty mum about acknowledging them.

Most plausible explanation I heard (and I have no way of knowing if it’s true) was that there were five or six cherrybursts made. These were sample/prototypes. And Gibson had a very strict policy that non-production instruments are neither to be sold nor given away. So if some made it out of the unsecured storage area they were kept in, they were “acquired” by some Gibson employee(s). And since that was strictly against company policy, nobody was all that eager to claim credit, and nobody in senior management was particularly anxious to do anything about it. So it became one of those “it never happened” things.

As far as gassy guards go, I have a ‘74 I bought new in 1974. No issues with it at all. I also picked up an ‘83 a few years ago as a backup. No corrosion issues with that one either. So go figure.

The thing that makes me wonder if the burst on that Dee Murray is original is that it has the early rounder body style. Gibson changed it to the sleeker more contoured style in 1975. Which was also the first year the burst finish became available.

The other thing is that that particular burst doesn’t look much like Gibson’s thin border style tobacco/yellow burst they were using on Rippers. So I’m wondering.

 

[mikeswals]

The Ripper pickups and wiring were designed for Gibson by Bill Lawrence. Neither the pickups, the tonestack, nor the wiring scheme were used on any Gibson other than the Ripper. The EB-3 doesn’t even enter into the picture. And FWIW, you couldn’t get a muddy sound out of a Ripper on a bet.

Gibson did make a guitar version at the same time; it was called the L6-S. Bill Lawrence also made the electronics package for this with similar type of pickup switching. That guitar roared! I'm not a guitar player at all, not even a little bit. But I heard a local guy play an L6-S, and I went out the next weekened and bought a first year '73 so my guitarist could record with it. Miss that sound.
I did have a Ripper for a short time once. Killer bass! And you're spot on, no way can it get mud.

 

[rtslinger]

Dee Murray is not list as a notable Gibson Ripper player
but, he is know for his Gibson EB-3 in the early years so many it was his? I couldn't find one image of him playing this bass and I looked at many yesterday.
no matter if it was him or not $1100.00 for that bass is good in that finish which was only a couple hundred produced and being a long time owner of my 1975 Ripper which I purchased new in 75, If you know how to use the controls and they are still working correctly, the Ripper can be a very versatile bass in the tone dept.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Gibson did make a guitar version at the same time; it was called the L6-S. Bill Lawrence also made the electronics package for this with similar type of pickup switching. That guitar roared! I'm not a guitar player at all, not even a little bit. But I heard a local guy play an L6-S, and I went out the next weekened and bought a first year '73 so my guitarist could record with it. Miss that sound.
I did have a Ripper for a short time once. Killer bass! And you're spot on, no way can it get mud.

I have a buddy who had an L-6S years ago which he sold or traded. After going through a number of other nice guitars (and still getting good tones) the L-6S is one he’d like back. I has an S-1 which was definitely on the heavy side but better then my 77 p bass and got some interesting tones as well.

 

[Dluxe]

The Ripper was also known as the L9S.

 

[Dluxe]

I'll post a picture of my old burst '74 later today when I get home. It's on my desktop which I rarely use anymore. I never had an issue with the gassy tort guard on that one either.

 

[bassdude51]

 

[s_wood]

Here’s a pic of my cherryburst Ripper. It’s completely original, including the tort guard which hasn’t gassed (yet). As you can see, the Sunburst pattern is similar to the supposed Dee Murray bass, and the body style is the original “fat horn” design.

Look here for more info about the cherryburst Rippers.
Link Removed

 

[mikeswals]

Like on the late 60's Fenders pearloid guards, pickguard Gassing happens on instruments left in the cases for extremely long periods of time. The gas has nowhere to go so gets absorbed onto all the surrounding finish and parts.
if you regularly took it in and out of the case then nothing to worry about.

But by now, they've should have gassed off. Its when they were new is when these chemicals were most fresh.

 

[B-Mac]

Might want to check this out if it hasn't already been posted.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[bradd]

That's the original finish. I have one in the closet awaiting restoration. The pickguard has shrunk but not broken. The electronics have a little corrosion but perform perfectly. Seeing this makes me want to get it up and running. Unfortunately, the previous owner pulled the frets and dots and filled slots with Bondo.

 

[Dluxe]

Here's my old one as promised. Sold in the late 90's.