• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Gibson Grabber/Ripper/G-3 club

#741
BigBigGuy44 said:
I'm not sure where to ask this so figure I'll start here. I was the lucky winner of 1977 G-3 on eBay. Seller has not been reliable at all when it comes to shipping so I am starting to suspect other issues. Pictures and description are vague. From the serial, it should be a 1977. Does this look original?

View attachment 874025 View attachment 874026 View attachment 874027 View attachment 874028 View attachment 874029
Click to expand...

Two weeks is plenty of time to ship and receive virtually anything these days. If you're getting any stalling or stories, cut your potential for losses early and notify eBay as soon as you suspect something might be up. Read up on eBay's buyer protection policy and follow the steps outlined. Ditto for PayPal if you used that (and you should whenever possible) when buying on eBay.

Been there. And fortunately, I did what was needed when it needed to be done so I didn't lose any money on a deal the seller tried to renegotiate with me. I bought a bass, and the seller kept putting me off on shipping it (couldn't find the right box, car broke down, etc.) Turns out he sold the bass he sold me to somebody else (locally and for more money); and was now asking (insisting actually) for me to accept another instrument because he "forgot" to delist the item on eBay when he did. That made no sense, because I asked him a question and got an anawer back from him just an hour before the auction ended. Then, when I said "no problem" and just asked for my money back - and he balked. ("Aw c'mon man…I really need the cash!)

End of story. I contacted eBay and PayPal and had a refund in fairly short order.
 
#742
Can I have a number? I'm the owner of a '75 G3. Little bit of a twist in the neck, but still plays and sounds great!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    476.2 KB · Views: 62
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rodl2005 and bassbrad
#744
BigBigGuy44 said:
Thanks @40Hz I'm not concerned at all about eBay, moreso if this bass is delivered, is it right for a 1977?
Click to expand...

It all looks good. But I thought the pickup covers for the early '70s G3 models were all clear acrylic. At least the '75s & '76s were. I don't know if the black covers showed up as early as 1977. Black was definitely the norm for the ones that came out in the '80s.

But whatever. It looks all original - or at least all real Gibson - to me. Congratulations. Play it well!
 
Last edited:
#746
40Hz said:
It all looks good. But I thought the pickup covers for the early '70s G3 models were all clear acrylic. At least the '75s & '76s were. I don't know if the black covers showed up as early as 1977. Black was definitely the norm for the ones that came out in the '80s.

But whatever. It looks all original - or at least all real Gibson - to me. Congratulations. Play it well!
Click to expand...

-////

@BIGEJ2 - Addendum: just double-checked my memory. According to Fly Guitars, the black covers were introduced mid-1978, so I wasn't imagining things.

So from that (assuming Fly has it right), I'd suspect that 1977 is more likely to be 1978 or later. But so what? If it feels and sounds good, just rock it and don't worry about it. The G3 is a really nice bass. You won't be disappointed.
 
#747
@40Hz thanks man! Yeah, I have been wanting one of these for years. I don't really care what year it so long as it looks original. Finally found one that was within my price range but the seller is being sketchy. Already talked to eBay and everything is teed up.

Will a regular pickguard screw work hold the truss rod cover on? When it comes (assuming it will), is there anything I should look for? These things have been known to be rock solid but again, the seller has me on edge.
 
#748
BigBigGuy44 said:
@40Hz thanks man! Yeah, I have been wanting one of these for years. I don't really care what year it so long as it looks original. Finally found one that was within my price range but the seller is being sketchy. Already talked to eBay and everything is teed up.

Will a regular pickguard screw work hold the truss rod cover on? When it comes (assuming it will), is there anything I should look for? These things have been known to be rock solid but again, the seller has me on edge.
Click to expand...

Any short cover type screw should work fine.

And I agree. The actual year of manufacture doesn't matter with a G3. Any minor changes that got made by Gibdon were purely cosmetic with that model.

I also can't think of anything else to look for - besides the delivery man. Just give it a cleaning and a thorough examination when it arrives. After that, maybe some new strings, do a setup, and "Bob's yer uncle!"

The "tall blondes" (also known as "fat bottomed girls") family of Gibson basses tend to be well made. So if it's treated with a little respect, it'll give you long years of faithful service.

The pickup switching is interesting on the G3. Some real nice sounds are to be found by really getting to know what's what with the controls. So definitely spend some quality time experimenting and critically listening to what it can do. Bill Lawrence's pickup designs are also very responsive - so try varying your technique and playing positions as well. I think it'll surprise you just how much in the way of subtlety and nuance these basses can deliver.

Luck! :thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: BIGEJ2
#752
96tbird said:
No. The screws are very small button head; tuner screws are the closer match if not exact.
Click to expand...


Why substitue when you don't need to? As I said, any small cover screw (I didn't think I needed to spell out "truss rod cover screw") like one of Invalid Link Removed should do just fine. You can often get them in local guitar shops. Sometimes just for the asking if it's an indy shop.

Craft and hobby shops also often carry very similar screws. Bring the screw you've got and just match it up. ;):thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
#753
With encouragement from my local tech guru, I figured out how to dismantle and lube the tuners on the Ripper today. Probably the first time it was done since it was built forty years ago. It makes a big difference. They work nice and smooth like the other basses.

Otto
 
#754
40Hz said:
Why substitue when you don't need to? As I said, any small cover screw (I didn't think I needed to spell out "truss rod cover screw") like one of Invalid Link Removed should do just fine. You can often get them in local guitar shops. Sometimes just for the asking if it's an indy shop.

Craft and hobby shops also often carry very similar screws. Bring the screw you've got and just match it up. ;):thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Ummm, my post was in answer to op question (the post above yours) where he asked if pickguard screws would work. I answered before I read your post TBH. :thumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 40Hz
#755
Okay, so after two weeks of shenanigans with the seller, the bass arrived today. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with.

The body finish is matte whereas the neck is gloss. Is this correct?

The bridge pickup on the treble side is screwed in below the pickguard. The bass side sticks about a half inch in the air. The center screw head also sticks up about a half inch in the air. Is there any trick or anything I need to be cognizant of when taking the pickguard off to check it out?

Frets are very low. Highest is about 2mm above the fretboard.

Essentially, the seller has been untruthful about shipping and handling, so I want to make sure the bass is the way it is supposed to before contacting him. It sounds pretty good plugged in the the E string won't get into tune and again, the bridge pup is all jacked up. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.
 
#756
BigBigGuy44 said:
Okay, so after two weeks of shenanigans with the seller, the bass arrived today. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with.

The body finish is matte whereas the neck is gloss. Is this correct?

The bridge pickup on the treble side is screwed in below the pickguard. The bass side sticks about a half inch in the air. The center screw head also sticks up about a half inch in the air. Is there any trick or anything I need to be cognizant of when taking the pickguard off to check it out?

Frets are very low. Highest is about 2mm above the fretboard.

Essentially, the seller has been untruthful about shipping and handling, so I want to make sure the bass is the way it is supposed to before contacting him. It sounds pretty good plugged in the the E string won't get into tune and again, the bridge pup is all jacked up. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

1) The alder bodies were offered in both "Natural Gloss" and "Natural Satin" finishes. The satin finish was supposedly the most common. The necks are bolted on so I'm not 100% sure if there was also a satin finished neck. All the G-3s I've ever seen had glossy necks and bodies. But if there was a satin neck, a replacement neck may have been substituted. Not a definite however. Gibson occasionally would use whatever parts were available at the end of a production run. If they were out of satin finished necks, I wouldn't put it past them to just use a shiny one. Maybe somebody else knows if the neck finish always matched the body finish. However, considering Gibson was looking for ways to keep the costs down on the Grabber and G-3, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they used the same necks for all of them.

2) You can adjust the pickup height three ways to suite your own preferences. All adjustment screws should be flush with the pickguard - not sticking up in the air. (Is it original or were a longer screws substituted?) Although somebody may have set the pickup in such an odd manner for whatever reason, most times the pickups were set fairly even left to right with the strings. I've never seen one of those pickups set below the level of the pickguard. I can't see why somebody would want such an extreme angle, but there's no accounting for tastes.

Try loosening the screw on the bass side and see if the other two screws drop back down. They might be stripped and the screw on the low side is what's actually holding the pickup in place or pushing the other two screws up because it's so low.

3) The frets on these Gibson basses are pretty low and flat compared to something like your average Fender. If you're not getting buzz (check every fret on every string) and they don't look like some bozo did a lousy fret job on it, I wouldn't be too worried.
 
Last edited:
#757
BigBigGuy44 said:
Okay, so after two weeks of shenanigans with the seller, the bass arrived today. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help me out with.

The body finish is matte whereas the neck is gloss. Is this correct?

The bridge pickup on the treble side is screwed in below the pickguard. The bass side sticks about a half inch in the air. The center screw head also sticks up about a half inch in the air. Is there any trick or anything I need to be cognizant of when taking the pickguard off to check it out?

Frets are very low. Highest is about 2mm above the fretboard.

Essentially, the seller has been untruthful about shipping and handling, so I want to make sure the bass is the way it is supposed to before contacting him. It sounds pretty good plugged in the the E string won't get into tune and again, the bridge pup is all jacked up. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...
40Hz has presented some sound advice. Now that you've had a good comment, here's the obligatory 'pictures please!' one.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back