Gibson announces Epiphone Grabber reissue

[Basvarken]

Just saw this over at Talkbass:

https://publish.reddit.com/embed?url=https://www.reddit.com/r/gibson/comments/193cu5z/gibson_grabber_reissue_by_epiphone/

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Gibson Grabber Reissue by Epiphone
I've got some exciting insider news: Epiphone is set to re-issue the iconic Gibson Grabber model bass from the 1970s, which was discontinued in the 1980s. The Epiphone Grabber bass will be available in a natural finish, and black finish. Unlike the original sliding pickup, this re-issue will sport a non-movable, mounted pickup. All this goodness will be available for a price of $999.99, and is set to be released late 2024.

I don't know wo they are quoting here.
But its too bad it won't feature the sliding pickup, which is the only thing that would make the bass a true Grabber...

[Ken]

Wouldn't that make it a Ripper?

[Basvarken]

I don't think so. Unless it has two sidewinder humbuckers, a set neck and a rectangular headstock.

[Basvarken]

there's also an Epiphone G-3 in the works.

Here's a pic of Mike Dirnt with an Epi G-3

[Dave W]

Mike Dirnt, fiftysomething fake punk in a fake punk band.

His only saving grace is that he's not quite as big an asshole as Billie Joe.

[amptech]

Mike Dirnt, fiftysomething fake punk in a fake punk band.

His only saving grace is that he's not quite as big an asshole as Billie Joe.

I stopped using my Grabber because of him 
Too many 'so you're a Greenday fan..' comments.

[uwe]

Was there ever an Epi G-3? Not aware of that. Only a single pup Grabber (which sounded like grab crap) and a p/j pups Ripper (which sounded good, but not really like a Ripper).

At 1.000 bucks, that new Epi Grabber is gonna be three times as expensive as the original Grabbers which were budget-priced/entry level basses by Gibson. And then not even a sliding pup because they can't be bothererd with the extra production cost. Go figure.

[4stringer77]

That's not a bad price considering $300 dollars in 1973 adjusted for inflation today would be well over $2,000. I'd hate to see what a new Grabber would cost today with a Gibson badge instead.

[Basvarken]

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/231129416040008--epiphone-grabber-bass-natural






















Is it me, or does the neck/body angle seem inverted?

And they changed either the body shape or the pickguard (or both) because the pg does not match the body curve, like it did on the original.


Other than that looks pretty nice.
(But the real charm of a Grabber was of course the sliding pickup...)

[neepheid]

Well, let's look at the positives first

1. It's bolt on, as per the originals, so they didn't miss the point (like Gibson did in their "reissues" making it set neck)
2. Although I can't see what bridge is on there, they haven't used a three pointer, again would have missed the point (insert point banging on about the Grabber II)
3. The headstock shape is right, even Gibson couldn't manage that in their "reissues"
4. The truss rod cover is a dead ringer for the original
5. Most of the originals had full size tuners, although the shafts of these ones stick out a bit further, this is technically correct (see picture below)
6. Clear coating the headstock instead of trad black is (mostly) correct - most Grabbers had a plain headstock, but Gibson being Gibson at the time, I'm sure some Grabbers snuck out with black headstocks.
7. Bridge cover!  Useless for palm muting, but a nice touch and again, technically correct.

Negatives

1. Fixed pickup - WTF thought that would be a vote winner?  Omitting the USP of the bass you are reissuing/paying homage to seems ridiculous to me.  I see there's a mini toggle there, either a coil split or perhaps series/parallel.  Yes, that probably does more tonally than the sliding pickup ever did, but that's by the by.  Other theory - it's a coil select switch, which means the equivalent of moving the pickup about a centimetre.  BOO, COP OUT.
2. Pickguard shape/positioning - yeah, it's a bit off at the bottom, should follow the curve of the body's edge more closely.
3. Pickup choice - from the mounting screw layout, looks like some kind of MM humbucker with covered poles to me.  If so, point missed here, as the Grabber pickup (even though it looked chonky enough to be a humbucker) was actually a single coil.
4. No thru body stringing.

I am a weird mix of excited and disappointed.

[morrow]

That body/neck angle does look a little suspicious. I noticed that right off.

[ilan]

They

And they changed either the body shape or the pickguard (or both) because the pg does not match the body curve, like it did on the original.

The body shape and pickguard shape look unchanged from a 70s Gibson, but the neck pocket is shorter on the Epi and they moved the guard towards where the neck ends now, so now the bottom part of the guard doesn't follow the body contour.

I actually think it looks better this way.

[Basvarken]

That's it Ilan!
Sharp eye 

[ilan]

The body is still thin but it's ash, not maple. Just like the 70s Ibanez knockoff.

The heel is rounded. Gibson's Grabber had sharp corners there.

[uwe]

Never knew the Grabber pups (also thrown on the 80ies Explorer and the Q-80) were single coil, you live and learn. Never an even decent pup. And RD Standard pups that looked like single coils were stacked humbuckers - strange!