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Epi T-bird, LP Sp. or Ripper???

rodl2005

rodl2005

Jun 1, 2005
19,566
15,062
Tasmania, Australia
www.facebook.com
#1
Hi all, I'm thinkin of pickin up one o' these Gibson copies for a Hard rock thing I'm doin. :hyper:

Any opinions on WHICH is the best(I know thats Loaded) But ANY info on 'em would be appreciated!!

I LIKE the Ripper shape best!!!

I like the T-bird for simple ROCK style.
The LP special has a nice black trans flame finish & looks easiest to find a case for????? :hiding:

:help: PLEASE????????????????????:rollno::p:D
 
#2
I've got a black Epi LP Special. It has a very good deep, clean sound and sustains forever and the tone is even all over the neck. It is not good for slapping/popping.

Yes, it is easy to find a case for it.

It isn't made with the best quality materials/workmanship, but should be fine if you don't drop it (like I did).

I have no experience with the other two.
 
#6
Well I DO want it for a hard rock band.......... So.... Hmmmmmmm ppl HAVE said the LP sp. IS a good deal & best of the 3, but I do so like the other's body Shape!! Darn decisions. While I DO want it 4 the rock band I STILL want it to have decent playability, sound-Articulation etc, feel etc.
So--- yep the LP Sp. DOES seem to be in front on the 'all round' side!!

Oh- I 4got to mention- I'm quite willing to do some mods on the bass I end up with, to help it be THE bass!! So new pups & bridge MAY be on the cards depending on the originals performance!

Thanx so far,

Keep 'em comin.
 
#7
rodl2005 said:
Hi all, I'm thinkin of pickin up one o' these Gibson copies for a Hard rock thing I'm doin. :hyper:

Any opinions on WHICH is the best(I know thats Loaded) But ANY info on 'em would be appreciated!!

I LIKE the Ripper shape best!!!

I like the T-bird for simple ROCK style.
The LP special has a nice black trans flame finish & looks easiest to find a case for????? :hiding:

:help: PLEASE????????????????????:rollno::p:D
Click to expand...


My Ripper came with a hard case, so I am surprised the LP does not.

Of these, I would say the T-bird IF the Ripper comes with only one pickuop, like mine did. 2 pickups will offer more
versitility.

I LOVE the Ripper's big body, too, but I can't help but think I may have been happier with the T-bird.

I am not sorry I bought the Ripper, but it has never given me the sound I thought it would. I am thinking of going with flatwounds on it, and if that does not work, I may either seel

I am not familiar with the LP, but both the Ripper and the T-bird have simiar necks (kinda chunky for my tastes), identical bridges, and classic '70's sound.

Good luck with what you decide on, man!

:bassist:

Forgot to mention: of these, I would imagine the LP is the lightest, the T-bird is in the middle, and the Ripper is HEAVY! The heaviest bass I have ever seen/played/held. The thing may be made of stone in some parts!!
 
#11
Indiana Mike said:
had a P/J ripper

The neck is a beefy P bass feel width

If you like jazz widths you may not like the ripper
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's my problem! (I wonder if I can put a J-bass neck on my Ripper?)

I didn't play one before I bought it, and got it for a steal (long story short, a friend of mine had an endorsement deal with Epiphone. He could get me one of their basic basses for pretty cheap, and since I was sans bass at the time and we were going to be doing some jamming, he ordered me up the Ripper. I would have gone with a bass with a more slender neck.)
 
#12
rodl2005 said:
No I'm cool with the neck dimensions. Wondering on the Ripper's 'playability' & how she'd sound w/ a decent set of pups & even pots etc. changed????
Click to expand...

Between my Jazz and Ripper, I have to say the Jazz is much more playable, but I love Jazz neck width.


The Ripper is a solid bass through and through - the neck is great and the bass just feels so THERE as you play. It is slender in the body, which is nice. Easy to play standing or sitting.

As someone said above, slapping/popping are not great, but I don't get the feeling you will be doing a lot of that, anyhow.

I play with a pick 60% of the time, and when I do, the Ripper sings. Notes are full of punch and attitude. Finger style is nice on it, too. I get a more soft, almost country sound doing so, but I feel this is more from the one humbucker than anything. I easily rest my thumb on the neck's little "overhang" part near the upper horn or on the pickup when usin fingerstyle.

All in all, the Ripper is a nice bass that does not get the props it deserves.
 
#14
fwiw, I like the Epi LP better than the Epi T-bird. I don't own either but have played both several times at GC. both are good value for the price but the LP sounds better to me and it's quiet, where the bird was a bit noisy with the tone turned up. a case is available for both basses, iirc.
as rodl2005 mentioned, it would be easy to upgrade the Ripper's pickups with all the P's & J's available. maybe that's the way to go.
 
#15
AAGGHHH!!!!! I'm now even MORE uncertain...:D

Thats MY problem tho.. & PLEASE keep these replies coming!! They're great!

Yes- the pup upgrade option w/ the Ripper IS a major point IMO. Love the body shape & thought it felt OK to play(well, a Epi Ripper I tried in a store ages ago).

Good to hear the LP Sp. pups ARE good! Does anyone know if the LP Sp.'s body is BIGGER than the LP guitar's(6 string) body-or is it the SAME body, with a bass neck attached??:ninja:

T-bird = GREAT look, chunky sound & feel...... Sounds good still :rollno:
 
#20
Let me elaborate about the looks a little before I go to bed so you know where I'm coming from. I've played strictly Fenders (Jazz, Pbass, and Telecaster) for the last 25yrs or so and that's probably why the LP Sp looks strange to me. Plus, I used to work at a music store and took home a Gibson LP Studio bass for a night and hated it. So don't take my opinion about the looks too seriously.

Oh, and no, the LP Sp didn't include a case. I bought it at Guitar Center and also picked up a RoadRunner case for about $70.
 

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