Gibson Grabber

Seems to be that I somehow came across one of the first Grabbers ever made - serial number 000040. 20 fret, 4-string, string-through bass. Bought it on eBay for a price that tells me the seller was plausibly clueless, and could not resist grabbing it up - pardon the pun. Am unsure of the wood used in the body, though I'm assuming it's maple considering the timeframe. Flying-V style headstock and machine heads, and it seems the previous owner did a magnificent job of stripping the paint to a natural finish. And of course, it has the standard Gibson sliding pickup built in. Previous owner also added an optional strap-pin on the upper horn so one can wear the strap wherever is most comfortable simply by altering the location of the pin. It seems to have no more than an oil finish, and the entire bass reflects that color - that old, smoke-stained, heavy used color. This bass is straight-forward - no fluff, no frills, no needless silliness. this bass is built to do its job, and that's what it does. that is why it receives a low rating here, because it is a bass designed to melt skulls, not dazzle them.

I play a little bit of everything, but my personal style has always been influenced by Gene Simmons' playing - specifically that on Alive!. I try to incorporate as few of my influences - claypool, manring, jaco - as possible, while using little bits of what they do to improve my own style. I am running this bass through an old Kustom Roll'n'Tuck cab - you know, the one that's coated in velour - and I've gotta say, with the stripped down quality of the amplifier, I'm really getting to hear the bass do what it was designed to do. It emits virtually no buzz or idle noise. The sound, if pulled toward the neck position, is more bottom-heavy than if pulled toward the bridge. A lot can be manipulated with the tone knob itself. All in all, this bass has a heavy, thick, bottom-end sound, with very little low-mid noise. its highs are crystal clear, and its lows are capable of vibrating the walls of my residence while only having my amp on the 1 position. In my opinion the bass is very versatile for either stage or studio, but be warned: this isn't a bass to just pick up and play. this beast does as it wants, your are simply a catalyst. this monster of a bass has a life of its own.

When I got the bass from eBay it was completely dismantled - machine heads, bridge,you name it - were all in separate bags with their corresponding screws. the thin that really blew my mind though was the thickness of the next and the width of the body - this is truly a huge bass. it took me roughly 30 minutes to completely reassemble the bass, and the action was already set perfectly. i had to make no adjustments, and since i turned the bass after stringing it, i have had to make no adjustments whatsoever. it has stayed perfectly in tune. the headstock has been snapped off at some point, but whoever did the repair work did such a great job that i cannot even feel the inconsistencies in the neck.

This bass will definitely withstand a gig. i've been thrashing about the house since i got it, and have yet to even knock the bass out of tune. the hardware has lasted for 36 years, i can't honestly foresee it giving out now. the natural finish has no paint or anything to chip, so it should be fine - though given the abuse Gene Simmons gave his red one in the 70s, i'm sure even a finished one would hold up to quite a beating. the strap pins are solid, i adjusted them myself. i always ensure strap pins are solid since i use StrapLoks and want to make sure my basses don't go flying mid-gig. it seems so far that this bass is totally dependable but i've yet to gig with it, so we shall see. if i WERE to gig with it, i would keep a backup simply because i do not like to be unprepared. my previous main bass (which is now my backup) is an Epiphone Thunderbird so i should be set either way. :P

this bass is 36 years old - i'm not even sure there IS customer service for it anymore.

i've been playing for almost 10 years now, and this is by far the best bass i've owned. I used to have a quilt-top black and gray neck-thru warlock - you know those ones that were only produced for about six months - and up until now i missed that bass every day of my life. I finally feel like i've got the bass i've always wanted - excluding a Carl Thompson of course- and that makes me quite happy. If this bass were lost or stolen i would do everything in my power to find another one of the same year, but i'm not sure it could ever be replaced. this bass is truly mindblowing. Anyone that wants a piece of rock/funk history is highly advised to check eBay or elsewhere for one of thse beasts. They're unbelievable.

Mine's a 1982 gibson grabber. 4-string through body construction, sliding pick-up , passive, maple body and neck, one volume knob, one tone knob, reversed tuners,... the basics actually

Really heavy sound, great definition, the sustain is AWESOME, very warm sound as well.I play this bass in a deathmetalband. And well it was the most perfect band I could find. It fits perfectly ! I play this bass over an ashdown abm 300 head and an ampeg 4*10 hlf cabinet. the sliding pick up isn't that variable actually. So i don't play around with it that much. i slide it towards the bridge to get a heave steady tone, an dthat works perfectly. I also fade out the bass on my amp... cuz well ... this bass sounds really heavy by itself. perfect for me !

Well my grabber is pretty torn up. It has some really deep scratches on the back, some parts where the finish is gone, some dents some scratches on the front ... These all came from previous owners. Since i'm always REALLY careful with my gear. Well it still looks great though. And i was looking for grabber for over 4 years... and well some scratches couldn't hold me back.

Well I bought this bass from a dutch man. And well what he did with the bridge, knut and tuners was awesome. Perfectly tuned, no dead tones, straight neck, tuners still did their job. the hardware does have some oxidation on it, but hey... everything still works and that's what counts.

Well the bass is huge. I think it would even win a fight from B.A. Baracus.

No seriously... What gibson achieved with this bass was just great. It's a really basic bass, that came with only the essential parts of a bass guitar. No fancy things like the alembics or jaydees,this is just a modest bass that does his job in a perfect way. The tuning always stays intact, never had any problems with anything actually. Ever. Huge massive body that can take a punch, dent or scratch. My grabber has never failed me...

I might put a new finish on the bass though. But that's it.

Well, my bass is 24 years ld. Soi doubt there will be something like costumor support afte rall these years. Buet hey, when i asked th epeople from Gibson from what year my bass was, they were really friendly and helped in an instant. SO hey even that was a good experience.

Been playing for close to 10 years. And had quite an amount of basses in my hands. From fenders precisions to ibanez jazzbasses ... and well this bass is definitely the best i ever played. very light, even though it's a HUGE body. Good sound, and very very very durable.

If it got stolen.. I'd definitely look for another one. I love this bass. And this will NEVER part with me.

I bought it used in 79 for $125. 20 fret, solid top, all natural finish, all Alder I believe, one volume, one tone. Sliding pickup with string though body. It came with it's orginal hard case which is still in good shape. A little road wear but nothing bad.

I have played in a couple of bands mostly Rock and R&B. I love the full sound - low end is all good. I play thru a 150 w. Bass amp into 1 x 18" black widow and 4 x 12 JBL cabinets. More than enough sound for garages or small clubs. Needed to mike it when playing a larger venue. I think this was more of a limitation of the amp and speakers.

Bought used so not sure of the factory setup but I have been playing it 26 years and never had it serviced at all. Maybe I should.

I have played it live several times and it had more than enough sound to fill the venues I was playing - mostly night clubs and gyms, dance halls. I have only one scratch on the front where I rest my thumb as I don't use a pick. Other than that the finish is perfect and the hardware is aging well. I have never had the neck/truss rod adjusted - should I? It stays in tune in and out of the case - amazing. I have no doubt this bass will last.

Never needed it.

I have been playing since I was 13 and had a Kingston 3/4 scale for a little over a year before buying my Grabber. I had no idea how good of a bass I was buying - I have to credit my older brother with helping me find it. Thanks Mark. I have played other basses over the years and no doubt have liked the feel of a few but the Grabber will always by my number 1.

My Grabber is a 1974. Basic 4 string through body with 20 frets. Single volume and tone with sliding pickup. It is black with a two piece maple neck. Everything is original except the strings. The tuners are reversed and always stay in tune. Not much more to tell as far as features go.

The sound can be anything you want from a deep growl to really punchy depending on your setup. Good pickup for passive without a bunch of noise. This bass is the best sounding bass I've got.

I bought this bass used and the paint is a little beat up, however everything is solid and tight. The neck and headstock still look good after 20+ years. No fret buzz, intonation stays perfect.

Built like a tank on steroids; always stays in tune and never gives me any problems. It is heavy and will wear you out until you get used to it.

Have no idea.

Been playing a while and own several basses. This is my favorite by far. If it was lost or stolen, I'd beat someone's ass for sure. They just make basses like this anymore for less than a 1000 bucks. Find one on E-Bay and buy it.

1974 gibson grabber. My dad bought It for me for my 16th birthday. I am 31 now and I love It as much now as I did then. 20 frets and 4 strings. it has the sliding pickup (that i love). It has a natural maple finish 1 volume and 1 tone control

When I got It, I was playin jazz and funk. Now I play mostly rock. I use A 300W Peavy with A 15in black widow speaker. I have A hard time getting the sound that I like but I think is has more to do with the amp than the grabber.

I have never had any problems with the bass. I went into the navy and my bass stayed In the case for a few years. when I finally got home and took It out, IT WAS STILL IN TUNE!!!!

I have used this bass all over the country. It is very solid. I did put if on a freshly copied piece of sheet music and it bled lines on the back. The neck has never needed to be adjusted.

N/A

I have two other gibson insturments(and a few other brands) this is my fav. I dont think I could ever have another bass that I love like this one(it is heavy though). I have tried to find A bass that I would not be so protective of, but I havent found one that plays as well or sounds as good. If I ever get rich I would like to have A collection of gibson basses. I am sure that I would go to prison If someone stole my bass and I found out who they were.

mine is a 1982 grabber, reverse tuners (not wielded but nailed), string-thru-body, body and neck maple. 20 frets. one plastic volume knob, one plastic tone knob, sliding pu. Light, thin and big body (it is a plank), with a cover on the bridge. It has all that it takes if you want to play music and not electronics. So for me personnaly i coud give this a 10. But i guess the rating is for the number of features too, which is low
D'addario flatwounds 34" strings aren't long enough for this string-thru-body by the way, the wounded cotton at the end is on the nut.

I was fooled a bit by some reviews on the web about the deep sound of this bass. It is definitely not a P-bass. The sound is often guitarish. It is very punchy (probably because its all maple, and then string thru body too), and bright. Even with flat wounds. The lows come out very easily, it is definitely a quality bass, they sound full but the coloring of the sound is more suitable for rock or the slap-pop kind of funk. I do definitely not have a warm woody sound with this bass, even not when turning the tone knob all down. I dont use it for reggae, r&b, the sound just isnt in it.

There is quite some space between the neck and the body and the nut hasnt been glued exactly in the middle of the neck. The quality is definitely not in the finish, but in the functionality: it all just works perfectly.
It is a very light instrument because of the thinness of the body.
The neck is relatively broad , but also relatively thin, so it still is easy to play on. I have little hands, but love to play on this baby.
I must give high points here, because in the end it all is about how easy the thing plays and how well things work (and how well it sounds of course)

22 years old. One screwhole for the bridge cover has given up, the screw is loose. The finish on the bottom of the neck from the 1st to the 6th fret has completely worn off.
It hardly gets out of tune (I live in a region with a very variable climate)
good enough i think

no clue I think Gibson is in the US :)

Been playing 4 years.
I was looking for a P-bass, but couldnt afford one. When I bought this Grabber it had very light round wounds. I hoped to get a warmer sound if I put on flats. Not enough. The sound of this bass doesnt suit the styles of music I play most(r&b, reggae, soul. For funk, blues and rock it is good), but I still have it. I love the feel of it when I play it, and the ease with which the lows come through.

My grabber is a 1975 and was made in the united states. It is a four string and has twenty frets. The controls are only volume and tone but the pickup slides from the bridge to the neck position making a small diffrence in the tone. It still has the original bridge cover and is a string through body. One of my gromits for the back has been replaced with a washer. The body is thin and has a natural maple finish that has been warn from years of use. The neck is two piece maple and is the nicest neck I have ever played on. The tuners are reversed.

The sound is really punchy and clear for a passive bass. It goes well with my eden cab that I like to push a little. The bass makes almost no noise. The best setting is to have the tone all the way up and the pickup in the bridge position. I think this bass is the best sounding bass I've ever played

When I bought this bass the action was two low. That is not a common problem with a bass. It was two easy to play and still didnt buzz. Every thing was perfect. I have never played a bass that plays as well as this bass.

I have played this bass at all my live shows since i got it. People come up to me after the show and say you're crazy man, how can you swing a bass like that around like that. I just laugh and remeber my old squire that i broke the headstock off of at a show. This bass allways stays in tune and never had any problems taking the abuse i give it.

none, never had a problem

I have been playing for four years and have own one other bass. A squier pbass. I love this bass Gibson did a great job with this bass. If it were stolen i would search for another bass simular to it. I have heard that vintage basses are inconsistant when it comes to quality among the same models. I love the neck

Maple body,neck and fretboard,natural finish,string thru body,all is stock. Sliding humbucking pickup. I have the original case and even the case candy.Couple of small dings all else is mint. I believe this one was made in 1974.

The sound is superb. I get great highs for solo and such.Also can get down deep and full for the Blues. Very versatile.
It plays thru a Fender Bassman and a Hartke amp.

All is stock and set up perfect. The action is low. No flaws whatsoever.

This thing is a rock.
It dropped once from a wall hanger from 6' and bounced right back up and settled into my hands as I raced over to save it.
Actually it is very solid in all aspects.

Never needed.

This is an outstanding bass. If I could find another Grabber as nice as this one I would buy it immediately. The only thing I wish the Grabber had would be a Fretless model.
I've been playing off and on for 37 years.
I also own a 57 Fender P bass, a Lightwave Optical 5 fretless,
Gibson EB-3 and an Ibanez SR506.

Mid 70,s. Kiwi punx. Big maxo trebly bass wall of death thru homemade JBL K140 cab and Jansen Bassman 75 (or something like that). Sliding pickup the spunkettes liked to handle. nicely degenerating chrome down by the seaside. Dark red like dried blood and a pretty neck. Came with a case that knocked out V8 boy cold on Boot Hill. Still nice and used looking.

Screams thru the posiest guitar mangler's histrionix!
Drives the boot boys into a frenzy,
Cuts off punkettes caryotid arterial flow,
Beats anything for working clarse blooz...

Action was as low as whores top in Vegas
It was perfekt

Nothing has ever needed adjusting other than the player!!!

Gibson, they must be gods. They would be if they would make me a Fender Telecaster '76 custom replica with the same finishes as the voodoo!!

Been playing for 40 years, with a Diplomat cusom 'made in Japan' and various Gibsons and Fenders. But now my fave rave is a screaming hardtail Burns Steer that combines perfekto with Unkle Grabber in a mix on my Korg D1600
Rock on Tommeeeeee!!!

I have played a 1975 Gibson Grabber bass since 1986. I bought it used from a really nerdy guy that I used to work with who bought it from Stanton Music back around 1976. The first time that I played it it was "love at first sight". I played it unplugged and even without amplification I couldn't believe how sweet the sound was and how awesome the factory action was.

I immediately offered the guy a ridiculous amount of money for the guitar - $750. At the time the "book" value of the instrument was only $199.

I would pay it again in a heartbeat!

How can I describe the tone of a Grabber? Down low it bites likes a bluesy singer. Up high it wails like a diva!

I have had one musician after another play this instrument and fall in love with it - one of them was guitar player Phil Keaggy who saw me play it at church and came up to check it out.

He owns a similar Gibson - a G3 - that he also loves. He had just had Rick Kua play his G3 on the album "Sunday's Child". He said that Rick almost wept when he had to give the instrument back to Mr. Keaggy.

That is the kind of weird attachment these mid-1970's Gibson basses have on musicians.

I have never understood why Gibson stopped manufacturing these great instruments!

My Grabber is natural with an ash finger board and black pickup guard and knobs.

It is one sexy axe!

One of the unique "features" of the grabber was a sliding passive humbucking pickup. It tends to just slide down to the bridge and stay there (which is fine by me).

This sliding pickup idea was really stupid from an engineering stand point but, hey, you get used to it after a while!

The Grabber was extremely well made - from a time when craftsmanship in instruments was quite good.

The one thing that is not good about the body design is that it does not feel right played sitting down.

Oh well nothing and no one is perfect!

The solution is pretty easy - just leave your strap on while you're seated and it works out just fine.

I have never dealt with Gibson because I am fortunate to live close to one of the best guitar techs in the nation. His name is Mark (don't know his last name) and he is the lead tech at "The Guitar Shoppe" in Laguna Beach.

He has done work for a "who's who" of cats including Chet Atkins and Keb Mo.

The factory setup on my Grabber was nice but Mark has make it freakin' believable!

If you live near Laguna Beach you have to check this guys's work out!

I have played Fenders - and I hate them! I will never buy another Fender bass - ever!

I also own a highly customized defretted Washburn AB20 and an Epiphone El Capitan.

Asking me which one is my "favorite" is like asking me which of my children I love the most. They all have good points and bad points but I love them equally!

However, I am now on the "prowl" for a Gibson Ripper if THAT gives you any indicator...