Where to start? I've been lurking on TB for years but never felt like I had anything worth sharing until now. Through a combination of luck, an unexpected cash infusion and a tip from a fellow gearhead, I managed to score this (likely) 1974 Gibson Ripper in almost new condition.
This particular Ripper, as far as I've been able to determine, is a very early one. The pot codes date to the 48th week of 1973; the serial number can only be pinpointed to the 1970-75 range, thanks to Gibson's numbering scheme at the time. It has the slightly wider body and shorter rounded horns seen on early models, as well as the darkest tort pickguard known to man, invisible except in direct sunlight:
The bass was a bit dirty and dusty when I opened the (non-original) case, but the body and neck are virtually untouched. I know I'm only the second owner, but I don't know any of its backstory beyond that. I wish I did. It's finished in the rare tobacco sunburst option, much brighter than the later two tone bursts Gibson did (see Rick Danko's Ripper in the Last Waltz for comparison).
The rotary switch and knobs are all in perfect condition, and positions 1-4 all work as designed: 1 - Both pickups in series, 2 - Bridge pickup only, 3 - Both pickups in parallel in phase, 4 - Both pickups in parallel out of phase. The pickups are the original Bill Lawrence sidewinder "super humbuckers", and they sound incredible, with deep thundering lows but also a tremendous amount of high end clarity, which isn't something you generally expect to hear from a Gibson bass.
The headstock has the most wear, and even that's not too significant:
I hesitate to call it a vintage bass, but it's first bass I've ever owned that's older than I am, and there's a mystique about it that really speaks to me. Throw in the fact that it's a rare finish and body shape and fantastic player to boot, and I'm in NBD heaven.
This particular Ripper, as far as I've been able to determine, is a very early one. The pot codes date to the 48th week of 1973; the serial number can only be pinpointed to the 1970-75 range, thanks to Gibson's numbering scheme at the time. It has the slightly wider body and shorter rounded horns seen on early models, as well as the darkest tort pickguard known to man, invisible except in direct sunlight:
The bass was a bit dirty and dusty when I opened the (non-original) case, but the body and neck are virtually untouched. I know I'm only the second owner, but I don't know any of its backstory beyond that. I wish I did. It's finished in the rare tobacco sunburst option, much brighter than the later two tone bursts Gibson did (see Rick Danko's Ripper in the Last Waltz for comparison).
The rotary switch and knobs are all in perfect condition, and positions 1-4 all work as designed: 1 - Both pickups in series, 2 - Bridge pickup only, 3 - Both pickups in parallel in phase, 4 - Both pickups in parallel out of phase. The pickups are the original Bill Lawrence sidewinder "super humbuckers", and they sound incredible, with deep thundering lows but also a tremendous amount of high end clarity, which isn't something you generally expect to hear from a Gibson bass.
The headstock has the most wear, and even that's not too significant:
I hesitate to call it a vintage bass, but it's first bass I've ever owned that's older than I am, and there's a mystique about it that really speaks to me. Throw in the fact that it's a rare finish and body shape and fantastic player to boot, and I'm in NBD heaven.
