b5pilot Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I just saw in the new issue of BP that Gibson has reissued the old Grabber bass. For $3200 list. Are they nuts? Anybody who's ever owned a grabber would say that bass is worth maybe $600 tops, and that's pushing it. And we think Fender is pushing it price wise. Sheesh! Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My old bass teacher had an old Grabber. It was freaking awful. It sounded like crap, playing it felt like you were fighting a bear in a bathroom stall, and it was heavy. Sans resale value, I would take an average Squier over the Gibson any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Gibson makes great acoustic and electric guitars. For some unknown reason, they have never figured out how to make a bass (maybe the Thunderbird is the exception). This is another nail in the coffin. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 I've owned two in the past. One used and one I constructed from a factory second with used parts and a badass 2 bridge as the original bridges were crap. These basses weren't that bad but they aren't worth $3200. Back when they were new in the 80's they cost roughly $350. I just don't know what they are thinking or who they are trying to sell these to. It's really sad. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My first "good" bass was an EBO. For all it's faults -- and there were many -- I still miss it. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 I used to have one of those. It was the model with the SG style body and the slotted peghead. Lots of fun to play but muddy as hell. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanYmaL X Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I just googled them and found one '77 for a little over 900, and one new Grabber II listed at around 1200 (but out of stock). Personally I see nothing even remotely appealing about this bass. It looks awkward and unbalanced, not to mention just plain ugly. I've never played a Gibson or Epiphone bass but I also have not seen one that interests me, so I'm not missing anything. Possibly a Thunderbird, but it looks too heavy and unbalanced to be practical. DX Aerodyne Jazz Deluxe Pod X3 Live Roland Bolt-60 (modified) Genz Benz GBE250-C 2x10 Acoustic 2x12 cab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davio Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My first bass was a busted up Gibson Grabber (3 pup model, not the sliding pup one). The finish was stripped, pickguard was bubbly, had a warped Schecter birdseye maple neck (Fender style) with only one or two unbroken tuners. Wiring was shot to hell. My mom bought it for me from a dusty bin at a local shop for $99. I spent weeks learning how to fix it and got it into more or less playable condition and it lasted me 3 or 4 years through highschool. I still have the body and neck for future projects but I scrapped everything else because it was crap. I'd never buy another even though I'll never get rid of what's left of this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 That's pretty nuts, but it seems that Gibson is aiming its instruments at collectors, not players. You, too, can be a nostalgic baby boomer (and I am one) for just $3200. Glass wall display case priced separately. I still have my fretless Ripper from 1976, it has always sounded and felt really good, and more so with the Bart preamp and Lane Poor pickups I put in it. But you're right, Gibson just doesn't seem to have any real interest in bassists any more. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherNburn Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I just don't see paying $3200 on any single bass, sorry. I know there are a few "if I won the lottery" basses out there but in my (ham)hands, I doubt anyone, including me, would hear the difference between a $1500 bass and a $3200 bass. I'd go as high as $2000 for a dream machine if I could justify it but not a Grabber. I don't think Gibson ever really took the bass market too seriously, they only put out a few models because they feel they have too. If you think my playing is bad, you should hear me sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 You haven't lived until you've heard Capasso rockin' out on his Gibson EB. Really. Peace. --s-uu spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Gibson makes great acoustic and electric guitars. For some unknown reason, they have never figured out how to make a bass (maybe the Thunderbird is the exception). I think they've figured out how to make basses. There is the Thunderbird, as you say, and the Les Paul "Money" bass they made a couple of years ago was really excellent--I had one & loved it. HOWEVER, the Thunderbird is weird enough & expensive enough that it'll never be much more than a niche instrument, and whereas the Money bass could have been a condtenda', instead they just made a few & then dumped it. (Oh yeah, and they called it the "Money" bass.) They can make good basses. They just can't market them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40Hz Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I dunno. I have one of the original Rippers which I bought back in 1973 for $358. I think it's an excellent bass provided you like the 70s sound. Run through a vintage Acoustic 301 or an Ampeg B-15N, and it sings in a sweet voice that (to my ears) was totally unique. Crystal clear and 'flooomy' sounding when strung with a set of Rotosound Swing Bass strings. That being said, I completely agree with b5pilot. Gibson has gone completely off the deep end with the pricing on the reissue. Especially since this new model doesn't have the unique Bill Lawrence design pickups and that funky passive-coil midrange tone control that contributed so much to the original sound. At $1000-$1200, it might have appealed to a nostalgia freak or an old timer like myself. But at the $3K+ price spot there are just too many fine basses (including some boutique models) for anybody to take that number seriously. Especially nowadays when you can score a well made and exceptionally nice sounding Fender, Spector, or Warwick for well below a grand if you shop around. Oh well...Gibson killed off the original Ripper by being stupid about how they marketed the little bugger when it first came out. Now it looks like they're about to do it again. I guess they can't get any closer to the original than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Oh well...Gibson killed off the original Ripper by being stupid about how they marketed the little bugger when it first came out. Why, whatever do you mean? http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/graphics/ripper74.jpg Even so, I'd have one! (An original, that is!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40Hz Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 ... Even so, I'd have one! (An original, that is!) Well, if you ever find yourself in NYC, check Manny's and a some of the other pro shops up on W 48th Street. I've spotted a few Rippers up there ($900) from time to time. Or maybe it's just the same one over and over...but there ya go! ----- P.S. Ahhh...the old days. That ad was originally in Guitar Player wasn't it? Or maybe a very early edition of Bass Player? The issue with Greg Lake on the cover? (And just who is the "swan" in that picture anyway? Does anybody know who that is?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 I had a Ripper once. I traded in one of my grabbers for it. Used it for one gig then I traded it back for that grabber. I found the ripper to be a bit to chunky for my liking. If you want a reissue one though according to BP mag it's going for $3600 list. Sheesh! I think Bob G. is on to something and Gibson is trying to rope in the nostalgic babyboomers (and apparently wealthy ones at that). I was hankering for an old grabber for S&Gs but I will definately pass on these. Not at those prices. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Are they nuts? Yes. And incredibly half-assed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvador Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 The Gibson RD was a good bass.... heavy as hell though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 You haven't lived until you've heard Capasso rockin' out on his Gibson EB. Really. Peace. --s-uu Where is Shecky? I would've expected him to be all over this thread! On a related note, I tried out one of the SG basses. It sounded like dog patch. And for ONLY $1200! Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I used to have one of those. It was the model with the SG style body and the slotted peghead. Lots of fun to play but muddy as hell. Oh totally -- the thing was an absolute mudshovel. It was a cool (if limited) sound though it you could figure out how to use it right. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Well, if you ever find yourself in NYC, check Manny's and a some of the other pro shops up on W 48th Street. Not Manny's -- not anymore -- it's gone. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/nyregion/01mannys.html "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Henry Juskiewicz suffers from a modified "Field of Dreams" delusion; he not only believes "if you build it, they will buy it", he believes he can charge whatever price he wants to and people will pay it. I bought a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe once on the strength of the brand name, and it was the worst-sounding guitar I have ever owned, possibly the worst sounding guitar in the history of Western Civilization. Since then, no brand name, not even the Gibson name, impresses me. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I just spent $300 on a Silverburst Epi T-bird. For what I paid and for what I want it to do, it is fine. I just try to keep in mind that it is the equivelent of a Squier - an inexpensively manufactured knock-off of a way more expensive bass. Although I would love to own an actual T-bird one day, I'll probably never shell out the $1600 to buy one - or $600 for the Epi "Pro" series for that matter. +1 to respondants that state there are way too many really good basses for $3200 (or two pretty damned good ones for $3200 combined). Anyone got a line on how the Epi Jack Cassidy performs? Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 The Jack Cassidy bass is actually a pretty interesting and unique bass. I've played on once or twice (and heard Jack play his) and thought it sounded pretty good and nothing like any other bass. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40Hz Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Well, if you ever find yourself in NYC, check Manny's and a some of the other pro shops up on W 48th Street. Not Manny's -- not anymore -- it's gone. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/nyregion/01mannys.html Bloody hell! One more good thing gone. Hope Sam Ash is happy they can finally finish circling their wagons. Because I don't completely buy their justification for folding up Manny's. Why would a Sam Ash guitar store bring in more $$$ than Manny's if the economic downturn was solely responsible for the closing to begin with? Especially since the Sam Ash name has nowhere near the cachet of Manny's. (And not to be cynical, but I still can't help wondering how long it will be before all those photos they're "putting into storage" start showing up on Hard Rock Cafe walls.) Nothing against Sam Ash. They're fine for what they are. I'll go to Sam for strings - or if I want to put up with some adolescent weekend shredders. But if I'm serious about dropping a few grand, and need the time, selection, and space to really audition a new bass or amp, I'll go to Manny's or G Guitars in New Haven CT. Just my 2¢ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 The issue with Greg Lake on the cover was in Guitar Player in 1974. It's easy for me to remember this since there was an interview with my wife in that issue. Wally ... Even so, I'd have one! (An original, that is!) Well, if you ever find yourself in NYC, check Manny's and a some of the other pro shops up on W 48th Street. I've spotted a few Rippers up there ($900) from time to time. Or maybe it's just the same one over and over...but there ya go! ----- P.S. Ahhh...the old days. That ad was originally in Guitar Player wasn't it? Or maybe a very early edition of Bass Player? The issue with Greg Lake on the cover? (And just who is the "swan" in that picture anyway? Does anybody know who that is?) I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky P Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Yes. the Pricing is just plain nuts. I remeber playing an Epi T-bird bass at the local GC after reading an advertisement in BP that staed "High output passive humbuckers" It was as loud as a P-bass. "there ain't no faux mojo" jcadmus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Well, if you ever find yourself in NYC, check Manny's and a some of the other pro shops up on W 48th Street. Not Manny's -- not anymore -- it's gone. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/nyregion/01mannys.html Bloody hell! One more good thing gone. Hope Sam Ash is happy they can finally finish circling their wagons. Because I don't completely buy their justification for folding up Manny's. Why would a Sam Ash guitar store bring in more $$$ than Manny's if the economic downturn was solely responsible for the closing to begin with? Especially since the Sam Ash name has nowhere near the cachet of Manny's. (And not to be cynical, but I still can't help wondering how long it will be before all those photos they're "putting into storage" start showing up on Hard Rock Cafe walls.) Nothing against Sam Ash. They're fine for what they are. I'll go to Sam for strings - or if I want to put up with some adolescent weekend shredders. But if I'm serious about dropping a few grand, and need the time, selection, and space to really audition a new bass or amp, I'll go to Manny's or G Guitars in New Haven CT. Just my 2¢ What Mannys? It just isn't even there anymore. Sam Ash bought them years ago and had no idea how to run that place. And word is that Rudy's will be moving off of 48th Street. Not sure where, but 48th steet isn't what it used to be. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40Hz Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 ... there was an interview with my wife in that issue. <**40Hz rummages in his memories and does some amateur logical deduction**> Would that be Lady Bo as in Peggy Malone? What a partner you have! Amazing guitarist. I thought your name looked familiar. <** 40Hz doffs his hat and bows deeply **> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slinky P Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Checked rumbled seat music. '77 G1 Grabber on sale for $995 pic "there ain't no faux mojo" jcadmus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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