New 2009 Grabber II and, yes, even the Ripper!

[uwe]

The body does look narrower, but is not. Same old 9" and then some at the waistline. But it looks deceptively narrower (and better IMHO) because the bass features a lot more bevelling at the cutaways, the top and the bottom. That gives it a much more elegant, almost SGish appearance. Surprising how a little thing like that can so much affect appearance (and in a good way too, this bass doesn't look bulky one bit anymore, even though it is still the same large size).

Sound? All the bite/middish rasp of a vintage Grabber, but with more low ooomph and a trace more treble. No doubt due to a combination of now set neck, the three point bridge (rather than the flimsy Fender-rip-off of the original Grabber) and the force of the TB Plus pup which is quite versatile irrespective whether it sees traditional use in a TBird as a soapie, in an LP Standard as a guitar-size chromeling, in an SG as a faux-mudbucker or now in the Grabber II as "the slider". That said, I was still surprised how dark the bass sounded when I plugged it in considering it is all maple. It's hard to tell from the thick (handicraft-looking, but still appealing) matte finish whether the wood is really maple - that is what the Gibson site states -, to me the bass sounds more like a maho body with a maple neck would, Fenderbird lovers should be in ecstasy at their first listen (or those people who like the Yamaha Attitude sound). The greater sensitiivity/responsiveness of the sliding TB Plus pup also has the pleasant s(l)ide effect that grabbing the pup (the sliding mechanism is a lot more stable/tighter than on your father's Grabber, you need to apply some real force to move it) for a position change has a much greater influence on the sound. The bass is never muddy, but with the pup in frontal position, it does grab your manhood.

All in all, the bass looks, weighs, handles and sounds a lot more substantial than an old Grabber. There is nothing cheap about it - a lovely three piece maple neck with - jawohl! - even a volute!

Two gripes: The route for the truss rod nut is mighty small and you could tell by the appearance of the new nut that already the guy setting it up in Nashville had a hard time getting a grip on it. And the fret job in the upper registers could have seen a little more attention too (and thus enabled a lower action, which is ok now, but not what it could be on a new modern 1.500 buck bass or - for that matter - actually is on a 200 buck Czech one ...  ).

I do wonder whether Gibson should not reinstate the Grabber to full former glory as a regular series model. This new Grabber II could have real appeal for Stingray and Fender P players looking for a darker and phatter sound. Anybody who likes the ooomph of an old Ripper combined with the snarl of a Grabber should try one out.

Uwe

[Highlander]

Uwe makes "sound" deservedly sound like a description for a fine wine...

I bow down before my God...   

ps... and I've just finished a rather nice (albeit budget) Merlot...   

pps - Uwe, and the tally now is...?

You do ze counting, Himmel!!! (Something like a 108 with Epis, Orvilles and Kalamazoos included me thinks.)

Gibson EB-1 1953
Gibson EB-2 Banjo Headstock 1959
Gibson EB-0 Double Cutaway Les Paul Junior Body 1959/60
Gibson EB-6 (ES-330/335 Hollowbody) 1961
Gibson EB-0F 1963
Gibson EB-6 (SG Body) 1964
Gibson Reverse Thunderbird II 1964
Gibson Reverse Thunderbird IV 1965
Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird II  1966
Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird IV 1967
Gibson EB-2D 1967
Gibson Melody Maker EB-0 1967
Gibson EB-2  1968
Gibson Les Paul Recording Bass 1969
Gibson EB-1 Reissue 1969
Gibson Slothead EB-0 1969/70
Gibson Slothead EB-3 1969/70
Gibson Slothead EB-0L (+ 2 TB Plus Pickups) 1969/70
Gibson SB-300 1970-72
Gibson SB-400 1970-72
Gibson EB-0 1970-72
Gibson EB-3L  1972
Gibson EB-4  1970-72
Gibson Singlecut Ripper Prototype 1972-73
Gibson Les Paul Signature 1973-75
Gibson SB-350 1973-75
Gibson SB-450 1973-75
Gibson Les Paul Triumph 1973-75
Gibson Ripper 1974
Gibson Grabber G-1 1974
Gibson L-9S Ripper Fretless 1976
Gibson Thunderbird IV  Bicentennial 1976
Gibson Grabber Fretless 1976
Gibson RD Standard 1977
Gibson G-3 Maple Fretboard 1978
Gibson RD Artist  1979
Gibson Ripper 1981
Gibson Flying V 1981
Gibson Victory Standard 1981
Gibson Victory Standard Fretless 1981
Gibson RD Artist ACB w/CMT 1981
Gibson G-3 Ebony Fretboard 1982
Gibson Victory Custom 1982
Gibson Victory Artist 1982
Gibson Explorer Korina Custom-Built 1982/83
Gibson Explorer Shadow  (Piezo) 1986
Gibson Explorer 1986
Gibson Thunderbird II Japan Limited Edition 1986
Gibson IV Bass 1987
Gibson V Bass 1987
Gibson V Bass w/Kahler Tremolo 1987
Gibson 20/20 1987
Gibson Wayne Charvel Prototype Bass IV String 1987
Gibson Wayne Charvel Prototype Bass V String 1987
Gibson Q-80 1987
Gibson Q-90 Shadow (Piezo) 1988
Gibson Q-90 Combo 1989
Gibson Thunderbird VI One-Off Korina Model built by Phil Jones 1990 (based on discarded 1981 prototype)
Gibson Explorer West Coast Custom Shop?, "early nineties"
Gibson EB-650 1991
Gibson Les Paul Doublecutaway Phil Jones Prototype Fretless 1991
Gibson EB-750 1992
Gibson LPB-1 (passive) 1992
Gibson LPB-1/5 Les Paul Special (5-String) 1993
Gibson LPB-3/Standard 8-string Custom Shop T.M. Stevens signature model 1994
Gibson LPB-2/5 Les Paul Deluxe (5-String) 1995
Gibson LPB-2 Les Paul Deluxe Fretless 1996
Gibson Les Paul Meshell Ndegeocello Prototype 1996
Gibson SG Long Scale Bass (one-off item) 1997
Gibson Thunderbird IV 1997
Gibson Leland Sklar Signature 1998
Gibson AB Super 400 Archtop 1999
Gibson Blackbird Nikki Sixx Signature 2000
Gibson SG-Z Cherry 2000
Gibson SG-Z Ebony with Mudbucker 2001
Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop Bass 2001
Gibson Primavera Custom Shop Bass 2001
Gibson Les Paul Standard "Custom" Bass 2003
Gibson SG Reissue 2005
Gibson Thunderbird Studio 4-String 2005
Gibson Les Paul Doublecut 2005
Gibson Thunderbird Studio 5-String 2006
Gibson Thunderbird IV Gothic - Limited Edition 2006
Gibson "Guitar of the Week" SG Supreme Natural Satin Flametop 2007
Gibson "Guitar of the Week" Les Paul Money Bass 2007
Gibson "Guitar of the Week" Thunderbird IV Zebra Wood 2007
Gibson Les Paul Faded Limited Edition Flat Top Bass Guitar 2007
Gibson "Guitar of the Week" SG Supreme Fireburst Flametop 2007
Gibson "Guitar of the Week" Les Paul Money Natural Satin Flametop 2007
Gibson Thunderbird IV Nikki Sixx Signature Model 2008
Gibson 2009 Limited Run Series Grabber II 2009

Epiphone Newport  1966
Epiphone Embassy 1966
Epiphone Scroll Bass 1976
Epiphone Genesis 1979
Epiphone Thunderbird Non-Reverse 5-String
Epiphone Jack Casady Signature
Epiphone Les Paul Special Prototype (neck-thru, quilted maple top) 1999
Epiphone Elitist EB-3 2003
Epiphone Explorer
Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat Signature 2005
Epiphone Gothic Extreme Bass 2005
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Arctic White Limited Edition 2006
Epiphone Ripper Limited Editon Prototype 2006
Epiphone Ripper Limited Editon 2006
Epiphone Nikki Sixx Signature Blackbird 2007

Kalamazoo KB 1 "Made by Gibson" 1967

Orville by Gibson Thunderbird IV 1991


I still think someone should start a little flutter on what will be the hundredth - gotta be something exceptional...

No wind-up Uwe, but what was the outcome re the original Explorer...?

[Chris P.]

Nice explanation, Uwe. Maybe I find one used once...

Bevelling of the edges sure makes a bass look very different. My big almost slab bodied '76 EB3 looks much larger than my well bevelled SG RI, but it isn't.

[Highlander]

91+15+1+1... I keep seeing red before my eyes... 

[SKATE RAT]

hey, Uwe. do you have cases for all those? 

[Chris P.]

I guess cases and gigbags. But the most disturbing thing is that he has a black F104 plectrum for every bass! Also for the non-Gibbies...

[Highlander]

I thought being eccentric was a British trait...?

I may be wrong, but there is a rumour going round that "black is the new black..."

[uwe]

hey, Uwe. do you have cases for all those? 

For about 80 % of them I have cases. I have actually rented space in the office to store my cases there - no joke!

[Chris P.]

Are the rumours true that you will be buried (50 years from now of course) in a very large Gibson case the CS made you? A friend of a friend of a friend of my butcher's sisters daughters roommate works at a cloth factory and he spoke about a big order of pink lining for an XL Gibson case....

[uwe]

I have acquired a plot of land in Nashville and as we speak my crypt is being erected!

[uwe]

Did I mention that my mahogany coffin will be mounted on rails for forward and backward movement?

[Chris P.]

Black hardware I suppose? Like the carrying handles?

[uwe]

Black hardware, jawohl, made from the finest confiscated Dutch bicycles!

[barend]

Uwe,

since you have them all. What do you think is the best sounding Gibson bass you have?

[uwe]

For sheer brute force, warmth, fuzziness and resonant sustain my clownburst gunshot wound slothead EB-0L with two chrome TB Plus pups added to the original mudbucker. That said, the Grabber II that started this thread is a remarkable reissue and certainly among the ten best Gibson models in my collection.