Funny Picture of Gene Simmons with his Grabber.

SKATE RAT · July 19, 2009, 10:38:22 PM

are the skunk stripe Grabbers the ones that have a 3 screw truss rod cover?

hollowbody · July 19, 2009, 10:40:46 PM

If you're going to buy this bass, you'd better pick up this too.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/1278058112.html

hollowbody · July 19, 2009, 10:41:36 PM

Quote from: SKATE RAT on July 19, 2009, 10:38:22 PM
are the skunk stripe Grabbers the ones that have a 3 screw truss rod cover?

The one skunk I've seen had the 3 screw TRC.

Uwe's Edit: Non-skunks had three screw TRCs too, only very late Grabbers and G-3s featured the trad 2 screw bell TRC. What makes the skunk TRCs different is that they are not plane, but shaped to follow the descending curve of the neck into the headstock (which lies quite a bit lower than the neck on the skunks).

uwe · July 20, 2009, 03:35:29 AM

Quote from: Kenny Five-O on July 19, 2009, 06:02:09 PM
Gotta agree, Uwe... they produced some great stuff but not got any at present on CD...

Anyone for another BOC link... Pavlov's Dog...

Both Manifest Destiny and Bloodbrothers were re-released on CD a few years ago. It was about time too.

This is the vid I was talking about, some nice busy Grabber playing there. It could be the Grabber from the auction actually. Good shots at 1.16 and 1.22.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ruUm-TGMXg&feature=related

Nice hot pants there with Top Ten! And stunning 'fros.

And the pre-ownership of a Dictators member would make that bass more appealing to me than the Kiss connection.

Hornisse · July 20, 2009, 11:53:53 AM

It does look like the same bass Uwe. Looks like some sort of chrome cover over the sliding pickup too, or am I imagining that?

Hornisse · July 20, 2009, 11:57:45 AM

Uwe is correct about the one piece Grabber truss rod covers. They are curved to go with the slope from the fingerboard to the straight as an arrow headstock. The nut is very 7enderish too.

uwe · July 20, 2009, 12:33:14 PM

Quote from: Hornisse on July 20, 2009, 11:53:53 AM
It does look like the same bass Uwe. Looks like some sort of chrome cover over the sliding pickup too, or am I imagining that?

I wouldn't call it "imagining", maybe mind-expanding drug use is more apt?!!!

Initially I thought as much too, but go to 3.01 of the clip and you see that the grey is underneath the strings, possibly something he stuck in there so the sliding pup wouldn't move as he constantly rests his thumb on it.

Uwe

Highlander · July 20, 2009, 04:22:36 PM

Ta for the tip re the Dictators CD's, Uwe...

Hornisse · July 20, 2009, 11:04:03 PM

Don't know if this is still available, but it would be a great neck for a project Grabber.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7451910

nofi · July 21, 2009, 06:22:21 AM

i'm sorry but i could never picture simmons as an actual musician. more of a pt barnum combined with equal parts used car salesman and pawn broker.

Freuds_Cat · July 21, 2009, 07:05:27 AM

Quote from: uwe on July 20, 2009, 03:35:29 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ruUm-TGMXg&feature=related

lowend1 · July 21, 2009, 07:37:22 AM

Quote from: nofi on July 21, 2009, 06:22:21 AM
i'm sorry but i could never picture simmons as an actual musician. more of a pt barnum combined with equal parts used car salesman and pawn broker.

Gene is certainly a musician, albeit one who figured out early on that he needed to do more than just play to achieve his vision of fame. Looking back, I think he knew exactly what he was doing - but the bass lines on alot of the old Kiss stuff are among the most fun to play, IMHO.

uwe · July 21, 2009, 08:44:05 AM

This won't win the "most inventive crowd pleasing bass solo ever"-award, but I've heard worse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6vdZ_b0l_U&feature=PlayList&p=7589504037669E5E&index=0

When he can be bothered and all the fire-breathing and blood-spitting doesn't get in the way, Simmons has both the technique and the choice of notes to play something meaningful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2uslqysYH0&feature=related

(good old Garth, for all his qualities and maybe intimidated by the presence of hard rock icons, tries a bit too hard to give his vocal a tough edge on this performance; but the Ronnie Lane/Ron Wood inspired bass is nice)