G3 Reissue

[patman]

between the Bi-centennial bird and the G-3,  the public would have started playing Gibson basses if they were affordable and well made...But those models disappeared too soon.

[Dave W]

between the Bi-centennial bird and the G-3,  the public would have started playing Gibson basses if they were affordable and well made...But those models disappeared too soon.

Wasn't the Bicentennial bird quite a bit more expensive than a Fender or Musicman back then?

IIRC the G3 was more competitively priced. Its problem was underpromotion and styling that didn't appeal to enough bassists.

[uwe]

The Ripper/Grabber/G-3 fat-bottomed girl look aged quickly, I thought Grabbers already looked old-fashioned when Gene Simmons still played them. And the G-3 pups didn't exactly look confidence-inspiring around a time when Musicman introduced the largest bass pup ever with a battery.

The TBird never had mass appeal to bassists, too outlandish, not slap-inviting at a time when slapping began to become all the rage and with an inhibiting upper register (lack of) access. No bassist I knew wanted one in 1976, they wanted Jazz Basses, Stingrays or Alembics/Ibanez Musicians. Rics and TBirds were viewed as "hard rock bass guitars" a serious guy with chops (and a Stanley Clarke record at home) would not want to be seen with. I remember being at a shop and them actively talking me out of a 4001 and telling me to get some knock-off Alembic from Hoyer instead (and idiot I was I actually succumbed). Gibson basses were rare in shops and more often than not more expensive than any Fender, Stingray or Ric.

[Droombolus]

I wanted a bi-centennial Bird but couldn't afford it and ended up with a Ripper instead ....... which I didn't like much in the long run  and traded in on a Kramer B-350 .... A long chain of misses started off there. I blame the Amsterdam shop owner who had a bi-centennial hanging in his store for years and refused to give even the slightest discount ....... 

[patman]

I seem to remember a bi-centennial selling for approx. $900 back then...quite a bit more than a Fender.

I really liked the sound of the 76 bird.

[uwe]

Hardly any Bicentennials made it to Germany back then, it was something you had to order for (and then wait for months on end). RDs were relatively - as far as Gibson basses can go - prevalent in the shops for a short window of time between 77 and 79. Someone must have had high hopes for them.

[Highlander]

Some RD's never made it out alive...

[JZumbro]

The TBird never had mass appeal to bassists, too outlandish, not slap-inviting at a time when slapping began to become all the rage and with an inhibiting upper register (lack of) access. No bassist I knew wanted one in 1976,

Hell, I bought one in 1976, so I guess there was one bass player that wanted one. I will admit it was on sale for half price ($400!) because it wasn't selling. I still have that one, the one in my avatar.


Back to the G3 reissue, I love the honey burst one. If I hadn't just bought a SS Thunderbird a few months ago I might be tempted to get one.

[TBird1958]

The new Fat Bottom Girl is on it's way to me from Sweetwater, should see it next week.

[godofthunder]

  I bought my first Bird in '76 a fresh out of the box Bi-cent. I sadly sold it while I was in Boston in '86.

[gearHed289]

  I bought my first Bird in '76 a fresh out of the box Bi-cent. I sadly sold it while I was in Boston in '86.

Tom Scholz didn't dig it, huh? 

[uwe]

That would have been a perfect setting for ole Scott, Boston bass players do have a reputation of being kinda hot.

You know, there is a bass in that picture too:







If we can step down a minute marvelling about the wonders of nature and how good she can be: Frau Kimberly Dahme is actually a new country guitarist/singer/songwriter who was seen at a club gig by Tom Scholz and hired as a bassist for the current line up for her, uhum, backing vocal skills. This is her with her own stuff:



And you know what, while her looks and the novelty aspect of a female bass player in an up to then all male band like Boston surely can't have harmed, her voice is so beautiful (and not the typically high girlie range of many other recent female country pop female singers) that I actually would like to believe it was foremost her voice that got her the job. I'll order her CD now.

[godofthunder]

Tom Scholz didn't dig it, huh? 

Ha ha ha. While I lived in Boston. I did meet Bostons bass player Fran Sheehan while living there

[uwe]

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/Gibson-USA/Grabber-3-70s-Tribute-Bass.aspx?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gibson%20Guitar%20Corp.&utm_content=Product+eBlast+9-6-12

"Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass

Following a tradition of great bass guitars that included the popular EB series, as played by Jack Bruce and others, Gibson thoroughly redesigned its take on the low end in the 1970s to address the increased power, punch and fidelity required by the rock, funk and pop music of the day. The result was the Grabber, an electric bass with superb playability and unprecedented cutting power. The new Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass from Gibson USA recaptures the best qualities of the original version, produced from 1973 to 1975, but increases the overall quality and versatility with a glued-in neck for improved resonance and sustain, and three newly designed Gibson single-coil bass pickups wired for hum-canceling performance in all positions. From tonewoods, to pickups, to playing feel, the Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass is engineered to make the most of your low-end requirements and remains as relevant today as it was when first released nearly 40 years ago. What's more, the Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass looks great in either grain-textured Satin Ebony Black or Satin Honey Burst finish, both in hand-sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer.

The foundation of the Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass's eviscerating punch is found in a departure from traditional Gibson tonewoods. The thin body is crafted from solid maple (Grade A beneath the burst finish, Grade C beneath the opaque) and carved in a double-cutaway shape with contoured edges reminiscent of the classic SG but also totally original as well. A glued-in Grade-A maple neck with a satin natural finished back is carved in a slim, fast profile that measures .820" at the 1st fret and .920" at the 12th. It is topped with a baked maple fingerboard that offers a rich brown appearance, enhanced tonal clarity, and excellent durability with easy playing access right up to the 20th fret thanks to the deep body cutaways. The headstock follows the "arrowhead" shape of the original Grabber, reminiscent of Gibson's earlier Flying V guitar, and features four chunky Grover™ tuners with Shamrock keys. A PLEK-cut Corian™ nut, as well as Plek dressed frets insures maximum playability. Finally, optimum sustain and precise intonation are ensured by Gibson's meaty three-point adjustable bass bridge, a sturdy design that provides an ultra-solid anchor at the body end.

With a solid tonal foundation assured, the Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass rams it all home through three pickups of an entirely new design from Gibson USA. The G3 Bass pickups are single-coil units made with genuine Alnico V magnets for optimum clarity and cutting power, and impressive fidelity throughout the instrument's frequency range. A clever wiring scheme through the simple array of a three-way switch and master volume and tone controls assures that these units—with a reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup—offer hum-canceling performance in all positions. The "switch up" position gives you the neck and middle pickups for a rich, woody tone. The middle position taps all three pickups for a round, funky tone. And with the switch down, the bridge and middle pickups offer a punchy, snappy sound. All together, this simple yet clever array gives the Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Bass unexpected versatility and makes it the perfect choice for any style of contemporary music. Each bass comes protected in a plush-lined bag with black exterior and includes owner's manual and adjustment literature, along with Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service."

[godofthunder]

"optimum sustain and precise intonation are ensured by Gibson's meaty three-point adjustable bass bridge, a sturdy design that provides an ultra-solid anchor at the body end." Oh that's rich! LMFAO