RIPPER Characteristics

[ramone57]

a mudbucker will fit in the route with a minor modification, you make 'em a little deeper.   

[uwe]

"Sidewinder pickups are clean beasts, even if you wind them hot, you won't get much grit out of them. They have a more "single coil" character."

Exactly. And that is why the Ripper will forever be Gibson's Jazz Bass.

[copacetic]

And thats sorta what I was pleasantly surprised to find when playing the bass> Not that it mimicked a Fender Jazz but it is a Gibson original.

[exiledarchangel]

They should have named it something like "smooth operator" instead of ripper IMHO.

[uwe]

"Designed to rip your ears off!" was perhaps ever so slight an overstatement when the Ripper was introduced.   But you wouldn't go amiss in Sade's band playing one. We really should talk Herr Denman into getting one in addition to his Stingray and Gretsch Broadcaster.

http://www.bassplayer.com/article/groove-operator-paul/June-2010/113949

With Trevor Bolder, Geezer Butler and Colin Hodkinson he certainly had some inspired role models early on!