New Epiphone Ripper?

[Iome]

I've found this one-pickup Epiphone Ripper for sale: http://www.strumentimusicalionline.org/images/RIPPER.jpg
The article just say "It's Back" Brand new for only 259€, looks nice, but i can't find any info on the web, does anybody know something? Uwe?

[Chris P.]

Strange.. The Epi Rippers of the last couple of years had a P/J pick up configuration and another bridge. If I hear or see anything about in on the Messe (I'm leavinf for Germany in an hour) I'll let you know!

[uwe]

The above looks to me like the nineties Ripper Epi had brought out, though most of these were natural. That is the old Epi pup by the looks of it. Also the newer Rippers have a mock-ABM bridge, not the three point. As they have just brought out the "ltd ed" modern Ripper with P/J pup configuration in black, I doubt they would go back to this.

Here's the new model:



Those new Epi Rippers sound great btw. Structurally, the older ones aren't really any worse, but the single pup is of lame quality.

[Freuds_Cat]

Fender style pups just look wrong.

[Iome]

I agree with F.C. it looks better with the 'bucker and, being lefthanded, it'll be easier to swap over

[uwe]

No issue with the better looks of the non-Fender pups, but the new pups just sound better even though they are uglier.

[Freuds_Cat]

I wonder why they chose them rather than say, Soap Bars of some kind. I would have thought you would get your sound and your looks without leaning in the Fender direction.

[uwe]

Availability on the market I guess. On a budget model like the Epi Ripper they are not going to design gibsonish looking pups if there are fenderesque ones readily available.

Or as someone once here said: The Ripper/Grabber/G-3 family were Gibson's Fender emulation anyway, so why not go for the real thing as regards pups? 

[Muddslide]

Wel, it's no longer "new" at all, but I've had a couple of these Epiphone models with the P/J pup configuation and I think they are aces.

I did own a "real" '76 Ripper for several years and I loved the feel of the thing but I could never get muc more than mud from it.

Back in 2007 I scored a natural-finish Epi Ripper that I loved but had to sell a few months later. Really wish I still had it.

Just a couple of weeks ago I found a black one used at a local GC. It's really a killer instrument, especially for the price I got it for. Now I'll be looking for another one in natural to keep it company.

Obviously this is a very UN-Gibson like bass, and aside from the body, not even similar to the original Ripper. I happen to like the differences. I prefer bolt-on necks for a number of reasons for one thing.

I am very fond of the stock pickups on these. They sound far fatter than Fender P/J styles. I think it might have something to do with the fact that the pickups are closer to the neck than they are on Fender basses.

As I say it is very fat-sounding, but has a lot of clarity. Good trebly growl from the J pup too. Lots of tonal variations.

I think this bass is suitable for any style of music, though of course aesthetically it might not work out for a 50's-type rock and roll band, or a surf band, etc.

For any music made after the original Rippers came out in '73, though, it's perfect. For me at least.

[Muddslide]

PS-- I notice there is a guy on this forum or elsewhere who calls these the "Gripp3r" model because they fuse aspects of the Ripper, Grabber and G3. But yet it's different.

A lot of folks think these are fugly, but I've been bass-less for several months and only had a low budget. I shopped around a long time and lucked into this one.

For over 30 years I've been a pretty dedicated Precision guy, but I figure I can find a P anywhere at any time. These I don't see too often. Don't really know why they weren't more popular.

[uwe]

I came up with Gripp3r!  Fine basses they are, no complaints. And I agree the P/J combo sounds beefy on those, yet has clarity.