Shockwave Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Hey guys. I may be hitting the trigger on a Gibson Grabber II that is at Dawsons in Leeds. I have already asked on person who has played on it, now i want your opinions! Yeah i understand its a right bastardisation of the original one. I dont like the fact its got a rosewood board and three point bridge, either way how close in "Sound" Is it to an original grabber? Cheers in advance! Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly deluxe Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I owned an original one,it was awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumbo Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Gibson instruments can be so hit and miss in terms of playability. I bought an SG Standard guitar a few years ago, it's one of only 2 SG's I've ever played that I really like the feel of. I think if you're liking the feel of it, go for it Although I cannot comment on this specific bass you're talking about, I think you've got to go with what feels right to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Rather detailed description of the sound vs the original [url="http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=1912.135"]here[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NURZE Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've owned a grabber g3, two regular grabbers and two rippers. I always liked the grabbers the most. The g3's sounded brighter but the grabbers were just awesoms players. The rippers had only one decent setting... One thing I didn't like about the grabbers though was the muddy sound. And there was nooooooooooooo way that sound could be altered. For the style i was playing back then it was alright (loads of hardcore bands play grabbers) The newer version sounds brighter, and a lil punchier, and in my ears it sounds awesome. More like a fender P. The old bridge was just awful, it was made as cheap as possible so the 3-point upgrade was defintely a good move if you ask me. Al the features the grabber II has were things I hoped they'd placed on it 30 + years ago. Brian Cook from Russian Circles plays one now. And I think he used 1 (or 2) regular grabber(s) for over ten years... the ony thing i don't like about the grabber II is the headstock. the old one was cooler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 The guy from Cave-In used a Grabber or Ripper and it sounded awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='NURZE' post='1151937' date='Mar 6 2011, 09:55 PM']I've owned a grabber g3, two regular grabbers and two rippers. I always liked the grabbers the most. The g3's sounded brighter but the grabbers were just awesoms players. The rippers had only one decent setting... One thing I didn't like about the grabbers though was the muddy sound. And there was nooooooooooooo way that sound could be altered. For the style i was playing back then it was alright (loads of hardcore bands play grabbers) The newer version sounds brighter, and a lil punchier, and in my ears it sounds awesome. More like a fender P. The old bridge was just awful, it was made as cheap as possible so the 3-point upgrade was defintely a good move if you ask me. Al the features the grabber II has were things I hoped they'd placed on it 30 + years ago. Brian Cook from Russian Circles plays one now. And I think he used 1 (or 2) regular grabber(s) for over ten years... the ony thing i don't like about the grabber II is the headstock. the old one was cooler.[/quote] I think your assessment of the Grabber/G-3 bridge is harsh. "Just awful" without any qualification does paint a rather over negative picture. At least the old bridge allowed individual string height adjustment - the 3 point bridge only allows you to tilt the whole unit. No through body stringing either on the "reissue"? The old bridge was no different to any other Fender bridge of the day, except that it had walls which prevented side to side movement of the saddles. My only beef with it is the use of slotted grub screws - some of mine have broken at the slot. Despite that small niggle, I still feel compelled to register my disagreement with your statements that the original bridge is "just awful" and that the 3 point bridge is an "upgrade" - for balanced argument if nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly deluxe Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I think that this will be the only time that a 3 point bridge will be mentioned as an upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinynorman Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I've had 3 basses with 3-point bridges. It's a bit of a shock the first time you restring when all the saddles fall out, and feels strange to be doing a small adjustment with a screwdriver the size of Wales, but when you get used to that they're ok. I was getting suicidal with the sound of my Ripper, until I replaced the missing bridge cover and installed a piece of foam between it and the strings. I now have at least 3 usable settings. Magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NURZE Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' post='1151946' date='Mar 6 2011, 11:03 PM']The guy from Cave-In used a Grabber or Ripper and it sounded awesome![/quote] he used a grabber AND a an ebony ripper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.