Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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
- Thread starter Andy_colassal
- Start date
It was a total flop in its day, though its better brother the Ripper is making a comeback of sorts. Its only bigtime user was Gene Simmons. I'd get it if the guy offered to sell it for $300, otherwise I'd pass.
The Grabber, with its sliding pickup, was, in my opinion, crap, but the Grabber 3, with 3 pups was better. I think they were single coils, if I recall correctly. (I was young -- I didn't know a single coil from a humbucker from third base 
) Like almost all the basses I've had and gotten rid of, I wish I had it back.
It wasn't the brightest bass around, but I used it primarily for jazz, and often had it strung with tapewounds, so it didn't matter to me.
) Like almost all the basses I've had and gotten rid of, I wish I had it back. It wasn't the brightest bass around, but I used it primarily for jazz, and often had it strung with tapewounds, so it didn't matter to me.
Ed from Thrice seems to love his Grabber, though it has undergone a few mods
http://alchemyindex.com/?p=45
http://alchemyindex.com/?p=45
I had one for a while when I was a teenager. It sounds like mud. Slip the pickup up or down, it makes no difference. It was a maple body with a maple neck, still just mud.
Mike
Mike
It's nice to see people in bands like that into their gear as much as everyone here is. Too often do i see people with just another P-bass, because everyone else uses them, its good to see a bit of integrity out there.
There is an old school musician that used to hang out next door at the repair shop next to my folks house, who was all about gear. Anyway, my brother and I went to his house one day in search of a tele for him. He had like 12 Jazz basses, some CIJ some MIA and other assorted old school goodies, and then he had a Grabber in the corner and I told him how much I liked it and he said that's all he plays at home when he practices he loves the sound he gets.
When I was growing up in the '70s I used to drool after Fender and Gibson basses. Back then I thought the sliding pickup was a silly, stupid idea. Not sure if I still do.
I bought my Grabber really cheap a while back. It was a great bass even though it had a broken truss rod and a big lump in the neck. It had a certain growl to it. The sliding pickup really didn't do anything but at least Gibson tried something new. I guess the theory behind it was that you can get a bridge, middle, and neck position all with one pickup. It was a cool bass though.
Hey Andy,
I played one with the sliding pickup in the mid 80s. This was 5 piece 50s/60s show-band. We did lots of visual gags and the guitar player loaned me his Grabber to avoid dinging up my P-bass. Anyhoo....I played it every Friday and Saturday night, 5 sets a night (I was much younger then), for 3 years and that thing took a pounding, literally, and kept right on tickin!
It was good enough for the time and the gig but it was nothing special. I'd take my P or Warmoth J for pure sound any day. I've never been much of a Gibson Bass guy as I rember those awful sounding EBOs and EB3s from the 70s......YAK!
Just my opinion.
PD
I played one with the sliding pickup in the mid 80s. This was 5 piece 50s/60s show-band. We did lots of visual gags and the guitar player loaned me his Grabber to avoid dinging up my P-bass. Anyhoo....I played it every Friday and Saturday night, 5 sets a night (I was much younger then), for 3 years and that thing took a pounding, literally, and kept right on tickin!
It was good enough for the time and the gig but it was nothing special. I'd take my P or Warmoth J for pure sound any day. I've never been much of a Gibson Bass guy as I rember those awful sounding EBOs and EB3s from the 70s......YAK!
Just my opinion.
PD
I bought a Grabber in the mid 70s, the first bass I ever purchased. The Ripper was the one I really wanted but, since I couldn't afford it, the Grabber was my next choice. I actually think the sliding pickup is a neat idea in theory. IIRC the slogan was "forward for a deep roar, back for a clean punch" but it never seemed to make any difference in the tone on that bass. It wasn't very versatile tonally and, like another poster said, not the brightest of basses but it wasn't muddy either. I played that bass until it was stolen in the early 80s. Frankly, I don't miss it. Every bass I've had since has been better. It wasn't bad, just nothing special. I owned a G3 for a little while and I thought it was a better instrument.
I recently saw a Grabber for sale and I think it was $800 (3 times what I paid for mine). I would never buy one at that price, there is better stuff around. All it has going for it is the Gibson name.
I recently saw a Grabber for sale and I think it was $800 (3 times what I paid for mine). I would never buy one at that price, there is better stuff around. All it has going for it is the Gibson name.
Philbiker said:
I sometimes wonder if the Grabber is responsible for the sliding pickup not catching on. It didn't do squat tonewise from what I remember.
Or maybe it's just as well to have 2 pickups.
Thanks for all the info guys. Im sure what to think. I received very mixed feedback. But i think i still want to get the Grabber. Just to try it out. If it isn't any good, I'll sell it for more! Haha! One day i'll get a ripper. Thanks again.
I had one a long time ago. I picked it up on a lark and dropped it like a hot spud. I guess if I were a collector, I'd want one, but I hated the way it played, the way it felt and the way it sounded. Aside from that, it was a great bass.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Mods: Bartilini preamp, stock pickup, turned pick up around backwards to slide further back. Sounds and plays great.
Mods: Bartilini preamp, stock pickup, turned pick up around backwards to slide further back. Sounds and plays great.
I followed the posted URL and it's nice to hear from true lovers of the Grabber. I have the Grabber G3 and totally worked it over. Plenty of range in sound and sexy looking instrument ( sunburst ). Not as hot or clean as others might be. It's a good jazz bass.
I will eventually pick up a jazz or P bass and will have my two favourites.
