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Finding a bass similar to Gibson grabber/ripper
- Thread starter jzel
- Start date
Yup.
The Gibson Grabber, the Gibson Ripper, and possibly the RD. Really, there's nothing quite like a Gibson bass and in my opinion for good reason. Each one I've ever played (with the exception of a late 60s EB-2) has this huge bottom end, a growly midrange, and then that's about it. If that's the tone you're looking for, congrats this is the perfect machine for that, but if you want some more tonal variation, then you're out of luck. A stingray may kind of sort of approximate that tone if you turn the treble way down and boost the bass, but it doesn't quite do precisely what a Gibson can do. On the other hand, it can do a hell of a lot more, with much better body balance to boot.
The Gibson Grabber, the Gibson Ripper, and possibly the RD. Really, there's nothing quite like a Gibson bass and in my opinion for good reason. Each one I've ever played (with the exception of a late 60s EB-2) has this huge bottom end, a growly midrange, and then that's about it. If that's the tone you're looking for, congrats this is the perfect machine for that, but if you want some more tonal variation, then you're out of luck. A stingray may kind of sort of approximate that tone if you turn the treble way down and boost the bass, but it doesn't quite do precisely what a Gibson can do. On the other hand, it can do a hell of a lot more, with much better body balance to boot.
I don't think it sounds anything near a Stingray - they both can be bright and present, but Rippers sound more like Rics to me, due to their thin hard maple bodies. They have more of a piano-ish/harsh midrange, whereas Stingrays always sounded funkier and more mid-scooped to me. Stingray's highs sound very "active" when boosted, but they are missing the harsh metal attack Rippers have.
Here's a Ripper:
Why not just buy the Epiphone version used? They show up on here and Ebay for time to time for really good prices. Mine had brilliant highs and excellent lows, even before I stuck the big humbucker in the bridge position:
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Grabbers and Rippers sound nothing alike. Grabbers are very loud and aggressive sounding, a great rock bass. Rippers have much weaker output and a more docile tone. Rippers are set neck while Grabbers are bolt on. As stated above Epi made a nice Ripper a few years back though it has a P/J set up. In the 70's some Japanese import companies made Ripper copies those are not to bad if you can find them. Both the Ripper and Grabber can be a good value on the vintage market, why not grab a real one?
I haven't found that to be true. Rippers may sound warmer(the set-neck, like in my link, not my Epiphone pictured), but they have a piano-like tone. The ones that were made of maple, that is. There was a couple years in the 70's they were alder.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
G of T 59 I never knew the Rippers pups to be weak as a Kitten I rocked one for years through 2 Ampeg SVT and it could take down walls! Man the Grabber and G3 most be loader than what has totally taken away my hearing in one ear! I just can imagine, I played an outdoor concert in the center of a football stadium and I heard my notes bouncing off the building across the street. I have a 1975 L9-S The Ripper.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
Two SVTs will cure any bass of weak pups! I have been playing since '71, in music retail since '76. I used to run two SVTS next to a stack of Marshall Majors. Put Ripper pups on a meter I forget what the values are but they are lower than a Grabber.
i would no recommend you get an epiphone version of any gibson bass, my first bass was an epiphone les pual special, and one day after playing a little i unplugged the cord and the whole jack pulled out. It was a quick fix with a soldering gun but after that it never sounded the same. i would just get what you want and be happy.
Thanks God of thunder 59 for the lesson we learn something new everyday. I have been playing since 1967 (9 years old) started on the DB in grade school got my first electric bass at 11 bought my Ripper in late 1974 when I was 16 still have it. I had a chance to buy a Black Grabber or the Ripper and I went for the Ripper because I seen Gene Simmons use one in concert in 1974 and I was a big Gene fan back then. The only time I ever saw it again was Kiss alive album.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
I saw KISS in late '74 early '75 I can't remember, it was before Alive came out I still have the Tshirt from the tour
Quite possibly the best experience of my young life! Gene preferred the Grabber to the Ripper because of it's output and raw tone at least that is what I have read. I am looking for pickup values now I will post when I find them.
Look closely at Kiss' Alive album cover and you'll see that Gene has a Grabber.
Back to the OP's question... I've owned a '75 Grabber and the first issue Epi Ripper (single pickup), which I still have. The only difference I could make out was that you can't move the pickup on the Epi. Tonally, I can't tell you much, there was 20 years between owning the 2, but I don't think there was much difference in sound.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
- 9,060
- 38,448
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
The grabber is a very loud bass. My G3 is pretty wimpy compared to my other passives (a few 70s fenders and a grabber) so I can't imagine how quiet the ripper must be...
Mine are in the low mid 5's..... which is why they are at Curtic Novaks being rebuilt to bisonic specs...
Holy moly, coreyfyfe, not my experience at all: my G-3 is way loud! Have to dial out gain when switching basses. Some of the hottest passives I have seen. And I don't want to lower the pups because the snarl I get is awesome.
Cool thing about the G-3 is those pups can come right up close, 2mm on the bridge, and really drive the signal: no worries about strings contacting mags. Since they are all wound to different specs you can get good output balance from the lower 3-4mm neck pup to the bridge with a little time put into it.
Cool thing about the G-3 is those pups can come right up close, 2mm on the bridge, and really drive the signal: no worries about strings contacting mags. Since they are all wound to different specs you can get good output balance from the lower 3-4mm neck pup to the bridge with a little time put into it.
