Gibson Grabber
Encyclopedia
The Gibson Grabber was a bass guitar
introduced in 1973 along with the Gibson Ripper. The Grabber featured a bolt-on 34½" neck like the Fender basses and shared a similar body with the Ripper. The Grabber also had a V-shaped headstock like the Gibson Flying V
guitar. What made the Grabber truly unique from other basses was its sliding pickup to which the name refers. The bassist was able to position the pickup by sliding it either up or down to simulate a neck or bridge pickup. The pickup was brighter than the traditional Gibson style humbuckers, which made it sound more like Fenders. The Grabber had one volume, one tone control and a removable bridge cover. The Grabber was originally built with a thin, maple body, but it was changed to alder in 1975. 1975 was also a peak year for Grabber sales, totalling 2,637 basses shipped. The Gibson Grabber was marketed in wine red, ebony, natural, walnut and white colors. The Grabber was popular and quickly replaced the Gibson EB0
as Gibson's entry level bass. The Grabber was discontinued in 1982.
Later, another model of the Grabber was produced called the Gibson G3
. This bass had three stationary pickups mounted in the neck,bridge and middle positions. A three way switch was added to the control scheme so that the pickups could be activated as humbucking pairs; neck & middle, bridge & middle, or all three in humbucking configuration for the so-called "buck and a half". Although very similar, the Grabber and G3 have different and unique sounds which lead players to prefer one over the other.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
introduced in 1973 along with the Gibson Ripper. The Grabber featured a bolt-on 34½" neck like the Fender basses and shared a similar body with the Ripper. The Grabber also had a V-shaped headstock like the Gibson Flying V
Gibson Flying V
-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
guitar. What made the Grabber truly unique from other basses was its sliding pickup to which the name refers. The bassist was able to position the pickup by sliding it either up or down to simulate a neck or bridge pickup. The pickup was brighter than the traditional Gibson style humbuckers, which made it sound more like Fenders. The Grabber had one volume, one tone control and a removable bridge cover. The Grabber was originally built with a thin, maple body, but it was changed to alder in 1975. 1975 was also a peak year for Grabber sales, totalling 2,637 basses shipped. The Gibson Grabber was marketed in wine red, ebony, natural, walnut and white colors. The Grabber was popular and quickly replaced the Gibson EB0
Gibson EB-0
The Gibson EB-0 is a bass guitar that was introduced by Gibson in 1959.-History:The EB-0 was first marketed in 1959 in response to the declining sales of Gibson's EB-1. The body was styled after the Les Paul Junior, but retained the mahogany neck and body and 30.5" scale length of the EB-1. It was...
as Gibson's entry level bass. The Grabber was discontinued in 1982.
Later, another model of the Grabber was produced called the Gibson G3
Gibson G3
The Gibson G3 bass was a companion model to the Gibson Grabber, and a bass version of the S-1. It debuted in 1975 with the same body shape and styling as the Grabber but a different pickup configuration...
. This bass had three stationary pickups mounted in the neck,bridge and middle positions. A three way switch was added to the control scheme so that the pickups could be activated as humbucking pairs; neck & middle, bridge & middle, or all three in humbucking configuration for the so-called "buck and a half". Although very similar, the Grabber and G3 have different and unique sounds which lead players to prefer one over the other.
2009 Reissue
Recently Gibson produced a limited reissue of the single adjustable pickup version of the Grabber. It is limited to 350 models and is available only in black.External links
- Gibson Grabber– Information, sound clips and pictures of the Gibson Grabber.
- Gibson Grabber reissue