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I don't know if this is allowed, if not ......... please delete it. In Scottsdale, AZ
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Hey!
Here is a Grabber copy, made of flame maple. Plays and sounds awesome
- Hipshot tuners and bride
- Rickenbacker Hb1 without cover in the moveable pickup system
Here is a Grabber copy, made of flame maple. Plays and sounds awesome
- Hipshot tuners and bride
- Rickenbacker Hb1 without cover in the moveable pickup system
VERY COOL!!!Hi all and sorry if I'm making mistakes, it's my first post.
I'd like to ask the experts on a Grabber/Ripper looking bass I've seen in a shop in the UK. I can't identify the model and can't understand if the (quite high) price tag is worth it. I'm still very green around basses so please forgive my ignorance.
- the pick-up placement is of the L9-S, same body shape of G-3 and L9-S
- the pick-ups are two humbuckers, similar to the SG EB-0 or the Les Paul (so basically, all chrome looking)
- has tobacco sunburst body with a tortoiseshell pickguard, the neck looks like alder.
- the headstock is of the G-3 (arrow-shaped), not painted
- no serial or other marking on the headstock, only on the neckplate (60XXX?, can't remember the numbers though, sorry) with no logo or anything else.
- it has two knobs for the volume and two knobs for the tone, one pick-up switch with the "treble/rythm" label
- the layout of the knobs and switch is pretty much identical to this
https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/body6-jpg.1470829/
- the bridge looks like the L9-S type, and it has through-body holes for strings
It's very well used, chipped paint, significant fretwear, showing cracks near the headstock and a seam around 3/4 of the neck, as if the neck had been repaired/rejoined at some point. Or maybe it's always been like this?
I couldn't plug in anywhere, I just had my nux mighty amp with me, and it seemed the tone knobs were doing the opposite of what expected, and actually...not much at all, the bass sounded very thumpy and "stuffy".
Thanks in advance - please remove/relocate the post if it's the wrong board, but it's really hard to find advice on grabbers/rippers apparently!
I'd like to ask the experts on a Grabber/Ripper looking bass I've seen in a shop in the UK. I can't identify the model and can't understand if the (quite high) price tag is worth it. I'm still very green around basses so please forgive my ignorance.
- the pick-up placement is of the L9-S, same body shape of G-3 and L9-S
- the pick-ups are two humbuckers, similar to the SG EB-0 or the Les Paul (so basically, all chrome looking)
- has tobacco sunburst body with a tortoiseshell pickguard, the neck looks like alder.
- the headstock is of the G-3 (arrow-shaped), not painted
- no serial or other marking on the headstock, only on the neckplate (60XXX?, can't remember the numbers though, sorry) with no logo or anything else.
- it has two knobs for the volume and two knobs for the tone, one pick-up switch with the "treble/rythm" label
- the layout of the knobs and switch is pretty much identical to this
https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/body6-jpg.1470829/
- the bridge looks like the L9-S type, and it has through-body holes for strings
It's very well used, chipped paint, significant fretwear, showing cracks near the headstock and a seam around 3/4 of the neck, as if the neck had been repaired/rejoined at some point. Or maybe it's always been like this?
I couldn't plug in anywhere, I just had my nux mighty amp with me, and it seemed the tone knobs were doing the opposite of what expected, and actually...not much at all, the bass sounded very thumpy and "stuffy".
Thanks in advance - please remove/relocate the post if it's the wrong board, but it's really hard to find advice on grabbers/rippers apparently!
A picture would help!
That said, Gibson never made a bass with the “arrow” headstock used on the Grabber and G-3 save for those two models, neither of which was ever offered with two “mudbuckers” - or two pickups of any kind, for that matter. I suppose it’s possible that someone could have modified either a Grabber or G-3 by replacing the stock pickup(s) with two mudbuckers. The L9-S had a set neck with a traditional Gibson headstock shape, so it’s almost impossible that the bass started out as a Ripper.
Another oddity is that the 3 point bridge was never used on either the Grabber or G-3. Both of those basses used a bridge that is generally similar to what one would see on a Fender Jazz or P. Lastly, the front of the headstock should say “Gibson” and the serial number was usually stamped into the wood (though for a few years decals were used).
There is almost no chance that the bass was an original Gibson. It could be a heavily modified G-3 or Grabber. It could be somebody’s home brew out together from parts.
That’s my best guess.
That said, Gibson never made a bass with the “arrow” headstock used on the Grabber and G-3 save for those two models, neither of which was ever offered with two “mudbuckers” - or two pickups of any kind, for that matter. I suppose it’s possible that someone could have modified either a Grabber or G-3 by replacing the stock pickup(s) with two mudbuckers. The L9-S had a set neck with a traditional Gibson headstock shape, so it’s almost impossible that the bass started out as a Ripper.
Another oddity is that the 3 point bridge was never used on either the Grabber or G-3. Both of those basses used a bridge that is generally similar to what one would see on a Fender Jazz or P. Lastly, the front of the headstock should say “Gibson” and the serial number was usually stamped into the wood (though for a few years decals were used).
There is almost no chance that the bass was an original Gibson. It could be a heavily modified G-3 or Grabber. It could be somebody’s home brew out together from parts.
That’s my best guess.
Picture would definitely help. But based on the description you've given, i'm inclined to saying it's a copy from the likes of Aria pro II, Ibanez, or any other Japanese brand of the 70s which produced many copies.
Actually, I believe that the later Grabber/G3's did go to a 3-point bridge. I've seen them on late 70's early 80's models.
The 1980 parts list for the G-3 on Fly Guitars specs the flush mount Fender style bridge. 1980 was the last year for the G-3.
That's incorrect - Rippers & Grabbers changed to alder in 1975, but the hardware stayed the same. The Ripper's the only one with the 3 point bridge. Alder body wood only stayed for a year or two of production from 75-77. Then back to maple body.
The grabber's that have 3 point bridges are copies - I know because my grabber copy from 70's Japan, branded Maya, has a 3 point bridge.
The grabber II (2009) and G3 tribute (2012) reissues used a three point but the original run never did as far as I’m aware.
Hey!
Gibson rippers had book headstocks, set neck, double humbuckers with 3 point bridges
Gibson Grabbers and Grabber 3s had the arrow headstocks, bolt on necks and fender style bridges. So no grabber had 3 point bridges from factory.
Usually japanese copy brands made basses with 3 point bridges and arrow styled headstocks. But they made ripper copies with the double mudbucker configuration My best guess is that is a Japanese grabber copy with japanese ripper copy electronics
Thanks for pointing that out. It must have been the reissues that I found when I was looking for a hi-mass bridge. When I searched for the bridge, the info I got back was that the 3-point was the replacement bridge. I did find a exact replacement, but it's made by Argonaut who is a small builder.
Hi all!
Question: I have a pretty original g3 but my ocd kicked in when I screwed back the truss rod cover after maintenance. My g3 has a three screw cover and really 98 % of all g3’s I checked (this thread/interwebs) have twe screw covers.
Does anyone know something about that?
At first I was scared but fortunately I found two other examples in this thread!
secondly: I’m looking for a bridge cover for g3. They’re not out there I know. Could anyone give me the dimensions of one? Considering having one made somewhere.
Thanks!
Question: I have a pretty original g3 but my ocd kicked in when I screwed back the truss rod cover after maintenance. My g3 has a three screw cover and really 98 % of all g3’s I checked (this thread/interwebs) have twe screw covers.
Does anyone know something about that?
At first I was scared but fortunately I found two other examples in this thread!
secondly: I’m looking for a bridge cover for g3. They’re not out there I know. Could anyone give me the dimensions of one? Considering having one made somewhere.
Thanks!
Attachments
I believe two versus three screw depends on when they were made, though I was never sure of the years. May have just been whatever they had at the time.
This 78 has a three screw
1978 Gibson G3 Bass Guitar >> FlyGuitars
This 76 has a two screw
1976 Gibson G3 electric bass guitar >> FlyGuitars
My two 78 G3s both had two screw
But my 77 grabber had a 3 screw
While my 82 grabber had a two screw, and painted headstock. The cover was a blank replacement but the original holes were for a two screw style.
A friend of mine managed to take a picture of it, here it is
Thanks for all the inputs folks, I think it's more and more likely that it's some sort of assembly of different basses...?
Also, I mentioned G-3 without realising it's only the three pick up version that has this name, sorry for the confusion.
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Definitely not a gibson that’s for sure. The headstock shape is wrong for a vintage, too much point on the back of the arrow. The modern reissues were really pointed at the base and tip of the arrow head, the vintage were much rounder. This bass seems to be in between with a rounded tip but sharp on the corners. Compare the headstock shape with the images I posted up above.
The body is also wrong, it looks like it doesn’t have the right shape to the forearm cut and other top contours and the positioning of the bridge relative to the back of the body looks off to me but maybe it’s just the picture there.
Maybe it’s just a trick of the light/picture but you can see what I mean about the contours, especially on the upper horn, relative to these images of my old grabber and G3 basses
