Vintage fretless ripper on the 'bay Should I go for it ?

Highlander · March 30, 2010, 12:31:55 PM

iirc someone mentioned that these came supplied from Gibson fretless, on request...?

Is this one of those...?

godofthunder · March 30, 2010, 12:48:42 PM

Factory fretless, don't know that they were special order.

Denis · March 30, 2010, 12:53:47 PM

Quote from: godofthunder on March 27, 2010, 05:48:18 PM
New three ply guard on the way for $29 bucks, Now all I need is a bridge. Oh crap the original is 5 ply, oh well what do you want for $29 bucks ?

Great looking Ripper!
Did your $29 pg fit? If so, who'd you get it from? So far, I've bought THREE pgs and not one of them fits my '73 Ripper.

godofthunder · March 30, 2010, 01:20:37 PM

oh great. I bought from this guy. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=220574668868&view=all&tid=584624853012

Denis · March 30, 2010, 01:45:04 PM

That link no longer works but was it this guy?
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Cream-Single-Ply-Gibson-Ripper-Bass-Pickguard_W0QQitemZ220570031562QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item335aff95ca#ht_500wt_1182

I bought one from him because he'd pictured an early pg without the 3 holes beside the each pup. It arrived, and HAD the holes and clearly was not the one pictured. I tried it and the holes won't line up. I wrote him an email. He never replied but 2 days later a replacement showed up. Problem was, it was a duplicate of the first one.

So then I found an original early Ripper pg on the bay and won that auction. Arrived in okay shape given it's age, and THOSE damn holes won't all line up either...
I think my Ripper is a freak.

godofthunder · March 30, 2010, 02:03:12 PM

Yep same guy.

uwe · March 31, 2010, 03:45:36 AM

The fretless Ripper was the most prominently pushed of all Gibson fretless basses, it was even regularly featured in the catalogues of the time, an honor which fretless RDs and Victories never shared even though they were available as series models too.

But generally, in the old days, if you asked nicely for a fretless, you got one. I even have a stock fretless LP DeLuxe and there is at least one stock fretless modern day TBird around too. It was offered on EBay a few years ago, but the auction was pulled before I got in a bid.

Highlander · March 31, 2010, 02:43:18 PM

Never knew that... stock fretless RD...

(lots of stuff I don't know, mind you...)

uwe · April 01, 2010, 07:07:37 AM

That was a mahogany one-off they did for Ralphe, but there were later on also regular maple RD Artists with fretless ebony boards around. It's been a while since I saw one on ebay though.

Highlander · April 03, 2010, 02:21:20 PM

Interesting... that is something I contemplated on my RD before I went for the inlays (on Peter Cook's advice)

Denis · April 06, 2010, 10:12:59 AM

Quote from: godofthunder on March 30, 2010, 01:20:37 PM
oh great. I bought from this guy. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=220574668868&view=all&tid=584624853012

GoT, did you get your pg from this guy yet? If so, how did it work out?

godofthunder · April 06, 2010, 10:22:42 AM

Not here yet...............................

godofthunder · April 10, 2010, 12:29:32 PM

I am bummed there are three extra holes around the pickup cut outs . Two on the bass side and one on the trebel. Back it goes. The screw pattern seems to match up though.

saltymonkey · April 10, 2010, 12:34:24 PM

Can you make a template from that one Scott and make your own?

godofthunder · April 10, 2010, 02:20:47 PM

Sure I was hoping not to have to make one though.