Gibson GRABBER Vs RIPPER - Which sounds more EVIL?

In depth Comparison. 1975 Gibson Grabber Vs 1974 Gibson Ripper through a 2010 Mesa Boogie Big Block 750 with a Mesa Diesel 1x15 cab with an Eminence Delta speaker. Basses miked by Sennheiser MD421 Close Mic and AKG C451E Room Mic. Outboard API 521C and 525. Sound interface TC Electronics Studio Konnekt 48 into PC and Cubase. Simon Karlsson plays WFL and Ludwig Classic Maple drums.

[@innocentoctave]

Both sound great. I've never understood why these basses weren't more successful. They don't have the vague, wooly sound of the older Gibson basses: they sound like viable alternatives to the Fender Precision and the Rickenbacker for rock. It would be interesting to hear these alongside a Thunderbird.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks! I think in other genres than rock the sound may be to chunky and lacking in the very lowest frequencies.

[@100chuckjones]

Holy shit batman. that Ripper with the bridge PU is one of coolest bass sounds ive ever heard.Not sure how you keep up these great videos, great topics but I love them. thank you very Johan (and Simon too)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Chuck, I’m glad to hear that. Yeah that setting on the Ripper is what I use in most mixes. Cheers

[@faithnoman2635]

the thin maple body helps as well.

[@Declare57]

This is a comparison I've been aching to see! Congratulations on finding these 2 vintage basses!

[@jcoulter43]

Loved them both, but the Ripper bridge sounded just a tad "awesomer" ;-) Like someone else already said, you can even make a bass demo interesting to a non-bass player! Rock on bro!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks brother!

[@andrewlyon8924]

I really like your bass videos. The demos you play always sound really great and your channel aesthetic goes really well with your playing.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks, thats so good to hear! Cheers

[@stevenmgyori3826]

Thanks brother, well done, great gear and tones. I think it's both a curse and a blessing to be stuck in the 70's!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks my friend, so true. But mostly a blessing ;-)

[@superspeederbooster]

Grabber is extra nasty.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Luki ;-)

[@edthri]

Grabber legend: Lou Barlow.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah, great player

[@martyscovers2022]

@Mark Wright The entire Dinosaur Jr. is great.

[@tilttrip210]

Just bought the Ripper today. Pretty penny but it is my dream bass and in excellent condition with all original parts and case. No scuffs on the back. Might upload a video of the unboxing. Can’t wait for when it ships

[@klydolph2]

I got a Grabber in natural finish. Bought it at Musikbörsen in Gothenburg in -84 or so for 1875,- SEK. I love it dearly and now it's worth a small fortune :D

[@Astropearl]

Wow.. I like they way these basses sound! Great Video! I also love KISS

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks, really good to hear that from a fellow Kiss fan!

[@sean_shimmer]

grabber more evil, both great, perhaps put flats on it for extra kill

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks! :-)

[@bobjoe7508]

I always use heavy gauge flat wounds on my bass, I just love that sound.

[@SteveOuimette]

Let's just say I bought a Grabber after hearing this. Had a Ripper in the past but never bonded with it. The Grabber was immediate. Surprisingly light too unlike my old Ripper.

[@patrikzarkovic289]

I love how you have ear protection in every one of your videos!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Its actually both headphones and ear protection. But its almost too loud to play without. Cheers

[@jimmyjoe3823]

Great comparison, Johan. Fantastic sound.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Jimmy!

[@videomaniac108]

I just wanted to say thanks again for all the great work that you're doing with these basses. I saw an earlier video that you did comparing these two and really liked it. I made an erroneous comparison of the basses to the Fender J and P. I got the basses reversed and didn't proofread my remark, sorry for any confusion that might have caused to any readers. I'm thinking of getting another bass to accompany my Thunderbird and I might start seriously considering these.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Jim! I think these are a great compliment to the T-bird. Especially the Ripper that can be set to very bright and punchy tones. Cheers

[@jeremygruenewald6680]

Love it! More bass videos. I’d love to hear what they’d sound like through some legendary guitar amps. JMP, Hiwatt, Orange, etc.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Jeremy! More bass videos will be coming up! :-)

[@guitarocd9984]

Bass players the most important dude in the band. Back in the day it was hard to find one. You made a bass video interesting not easy to do. that's talent.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks man, really good to hear that. Yeah and the bass players are, for some reason, often the ‘manager’ of the bands.

[@guitarocd9984]

Yeah bass players are a different breed can't live without them LOL

[@JohanSegeborn]

;-)

[@LennySugiono]

Had a friend who had an ebony rippper with a slab ebony fretboard. Believe me when I say it was the most thunderous bass tone I have ever heard through a bass stack.

[@AGore88]

Love your videos! Your playing is fantastic and you have an extremely satisfying voice!

[@gaoldias]

What a sound from both basses! Why Gibson stopped making these is one of the great mysteries of life! I'd buy one in a New York minute if they every re-issued them.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks! They actually make the Ripper today. www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/Gibson-USA/Ripper-II-Bass.aspx

[@gaoldias]

Sadly it was a limited run in 2009. Discontinued. Oh well..

[@JohanSegeborn]

Oh, sorry. I think the originals are pretty common on ebay though

[@BlazonStone000]

I was unaware of any Grabber bodies being made with mahogany. I thought they were made from all maple and then later alder?

[@drnemoali]

I want to be like Johan when I grow up. Seriously, love the videos.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks my friend :-)

[@jkf9167]

I've always liked the Ripper, but the Grabber just sounds enormous. It was so much more end that there's no reason to move the pickup toward the neck for any rock mix. Grabber is more evil.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Josh, I agree. The Grabbers got a really big sounding bass tone.

[@triphex]

Now I want a ripper. Great video.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Glad to hear that, Thanks!

[@creion9394]

Great presentation. Beautiful music.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Andrei! I'm really glad to hear that!

[@tellarjj]

I buy this Gibson Ripper in 1974 during a Tour in Scandinavia excellent Bass that i always have here.

[@Chris66JTM45]

I'm no Bass player Johan but love the sound on the Ripper. For info ... Normans Rare Guitars featured a demo of a very clean looking 1981 L9 S version on their channel as this weeks guitar of the day for Thursday ... they didn't manage to capture the sound of the guitar as well as you did with your recording techniques

[@Dr.Turkey]

I like the ripper more for sure. Looking at the grabber, it looks like the pickup can move anywhere within the space that would be between the ripper's bridge and neck pickups but can't actually go to those positions making it sound worse in each one (imo) Thanks for making this video, it was great!

[@obornes]

I have a Ripper 75 with an alder body. There's been problems with some Ripper pickups when ageing. Seymour Duncan Custom Shop makes replicas. I have those; very good pickups. It also have the Hipshot SuperTone 3-Point Replacement Bridge for added sustain and 3-way switch instead of the four-position rotary selector. I like it better that way and you will be able to select neck pickup only. Very EVIL. With the rotary switch you can not select neck pickup only. In my opinion you only get half a bass that way, if you're not interested the out of phase option. I believe you can get a custom five-position rotary selector now that will give you all the standard tones + neck only. It would be interesting to hear a neck only pickup comparison between a Grabber/Ripper.

[@bpdarragh]

Grabber looks, sounds and plays more evil. Shouldnt you have got your gene Simmons fancy dress out?

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! I had one when I was a kid ;-)

[@Chris66JTM45]

Both nice Norlin era Gibsons and great to see/hear thanks Johan. I believe Greg Lake moved from a Fender Jazz to a Ripper whilst in ELP so not surprising as you say that they sound quite similar. The Grabber to me has almost that Gibson mudbucker pickup low down tone heard on the 50's violin styled EB1 and follow on SG styled EB0

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Chris, yeah the Grabber sounds like a mix between an EB0 and a P-bass

[@lobotomy007]

great sounds here! my winner is the grabber but the ripper is also fantastic. by the way, that mesa big blog grit sounds incredible and suits perfectly the character of the gibsons

[@DMSProduktions]

I was WAITING for the KISS references!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha, they usually come up around here ;-)

[@robjgolde3221]

I really wish Gibson would do proper reissues of both of these basses. Easily my favorite basses that Gibson ever made.

[@2002nkpB]

Yeah they just released a gene Simmons signature you think they would make it a grabber since you know... That's what he played??? But no it's just the same shitty thunderbird as all their other signature basses just with his name on it. Makes no damn sense.

[@ant1sokolow]

I tend to prefer the Grabber. The "Neck" position is great because the position is more a mid position, and the other way the "bridge" one is not too 'bridge'. And perhaps the mahogany body and humbucker give a fatter sound. And i dig the Grabber flying V head... To be honest the grabbing pickup was a 'fake good idee' : not very practical. Both are very sexy masculine axes with the sound and look of the 70/80 turnaround. Great bass playing in a very 'guitar'(rock) way.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks man, I’m glad you like it! And yeah I needed a screwdriver to move that grabber Pickup ;-)

[@ant1sokolow]

Forget to say: i'm glad to see your beard regrowing ;-)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! I’m actually glad about that too ;-)

[@DaCostaGuitars]

The Grabber is an Alder body (starting in 1975-76, 77 they went back to maple), The Ripper is Maple (75 -76 also alder, then back to maple in 77 onwards).

[@kimseniorb]

All I can hear are those awfully loud hihats

[@TravellingPillsbury]

Yes, they're masking some of the mix bandwidth in the upper tonalities of the bass track (but remember, you don't want to be around when the drums stop, because, well, you know -- bass solo coming up).

[@chrissoares23]

"That funky sound most people hate." - Johan Segebom Literally laughed out loud.

[@JohanSegeborn]

;-)

[@BigTrouble324]

Those Grabbers sounds awesome! My brother had one 20years ago, but that was a G-3 with three single coils I think. Very clear and punchy sound.

[@JohanSegeborn]

I used to play G3 throughout the 80s. Really versatile

[@theperfectsetupguitarandba4816]

It's interesting to see the differences in construction of the basses. From a 3 piece, set neck, with a heavy duty bridge, with individual strings ferrules, to a scarf jointed, bolt on neck, with a stamped plate bridge and a string ferrule plate. I believe that your thoughts on the tone difference are correct. The woods and the pickup locations are both the key factors. I didn't care too much for the grabber in the bridge position, everything else sounded great though. They used all sorts of crazy wiring techniques back then. Kind of stuff that you do not see done in any guitars or basses. Who knows what that switch in the ripper is doing? I have an EB3 with an interesting control as well. Opened up, I've never seen anything else like it. Was one of them easer to play?

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hi, the Ripper played much more easily but the Grabber was in need of a neck setup. Cheers

[@theperfectsetupguitarandba4816]

That was my guess. I do like the head stalk and tuner placement on the grabber. They should bring that style back.

[@jordandelacruz1866]

I'm biased because I love my 76 black Gibson Grabber bass so much! Very versatile and can even get Musicman sounds with a much more comfortable playing Maple neck imho! Thought it looked like Gene Simmons bass on Kiss Alive 1 but I guess that was a black Ripper no?

[@TwistedThrill44]

The two both sound great, but I'm more partial to the Ripper, not to mention that the name Ripper in itself is pretty metal :)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! Yeah I think Judas Priest has a song called the Ripper

[@ianhughes100]

Hey Johan, on my 78 Ripper, position 4 is the both pickups out of phase. I wasn't a fan, so I had found a schematic online on how to rewire that position to be neck only. Position 2 is bridge only, so it felt right to have a neck only position as well. Plus it sounds like a huge P-Bass in neck only!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hi Ian, then if my Ripper has the original switch positions, I used the both pickups out phase position. If you compare to your bass, did the bright Ripper sounds in this clip sound like bridge pickup or the both pickups out of phase? Cheers

[@ianhughes100]

To me it sounds like the out of phase position. Easy way to test is when its plugged in and in that position, tap the neck pickup pole pieces with something metal, like a small screwdriver (make sure the amp volume is low!). You'll hear an audible tap if the pickup is engaged and nothing if it is not. Hope that helps!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks, I’ll do that!

[@siegfriedwashburn3484]

Hi, Johan! Ripper sounds more rockin', more bright. If we will compare those 2 basses to Rickenbacker, the most evil bass in the world, Ripper is very close to Rick. Grabber with his mahogany body have more deep sound, but mahogany is not so bright. I am shure, that Grabber is better, than my Ibanez, but Ripper is more melodic. If most of basses done from ash, maple or alder, maybe Ripper has just a little more standard sound. BTW, FIRST TIME I CAN HEAR 2 GIBSON BASSES! So, thank you for the video, and see you! Zigfrid

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hi Zigfrid! Yeah Rickenbacker 4001/3 idoes indeed have the biggest chunkiest tone of any bass. I compare the Ripper and a bunch of other basses to a Rickenbacker 4003 in this clip: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqrYfoNnpZqlf5o See you! Johan

[@siegfriedwashburn3484]

Johan Segeborn Thank you very much, lets see!:-)

[@markymarco2570]

Grabber better in the mix. Ripper better alone.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks man

[@igorpanov1245]

Ripper wins for my taste. More adult and definitive sound, so more rock-ish.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Igor!

[@67Stu]

Great rock bass sounds! The Grabber really grabbed me! Could you do the same test through your vintage Hiwatt!

[@JohanSegeborn]

;-) Thanks! Im afraid the Hiwatts arent mine but Ill keep it in mind.

[@green_3101]

Hi, great video. What strings are you using on these basses?

[@rhrbcool]

The Grabber neck position ❤❤❤

[@montys8th]

Five years ago you couldn't pay anyone to play a Gibson bass. Now these things are red hot and the prices have soared accordingly.

[@arissp4950]

Ripper for me, i like maple bodies. bright but not brittly. it has that attack and on neck pickup that oomph as well. the grabber is super good as well

[@markymarco2570]

Johan, did you ever play them through an SLP? I think they both would sound awesome with the Marshall, either distorted or at the sweet spot.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hi! No but I played an EB3 through an SLP in this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaeZeqWej6lnbLs

[@markymarco2570]

Thaks!

[@DaCostaGuitars]

The Grabber has its unique "growl", that's what gives it a nice overall tone. I think the Ripper bass would've faired more evil if the switch was in position 3 (both pickups, parallel). It would've brought the Ripper into the same ball game as the grabber.

[@MW47742]

They both grab me first, them rip me apart!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha ;-)

[@in2anthr]

I dont know if its been addressed, but, I dont remember hearing of either of these two basses ever having been made of mahogany...Am I wrong there?..Great video!!.. :)

[@ARKii44]

the bodies were made of maple or alder depending on the year, never mahogany as far as I know

[@mootsym]

basses sound great.. but how about that SG? What pickup is that? great tone!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Matthew! Its got a Custombucker in the neck. Thats the pickup I used here. I changed the bridge pickup to a 1970s Dimarzio Super 2. Cheers

[@franciscomolinaloza5139]

And the neck Mic only in the Ripper??

[@allrequiredfields]

Roundwounds??? Roundwounds on 60s and 70s basses is like putting a 60s Gibson or Fender through a Line-6. I'm genuinely bummed - I was really hoping to get a good idea of what they sound like.

[@owensagness43]

Hope you're going to daisy chain those full stacks behind you in the next video - so we can see just how loud Hendrix's a full stadium setup was :-)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! Actually I am. If I use 100W amps with all 5 full Stacks and G12H or JBLS in the cabs I'll theoretically approach 140dB :-)

[@owensagness43]

Johan Segeborn Nice! And frightening too!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah, the ear protection better not fall off ;-)

[@owensagness43]

You should win an award for the loudest video ever recorded on KZbin ! :-)

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hahaha! ;-) If I survive :-)

[@RockBassTv]

Early Green Day stuff were made with a G-3 or Ripper on some Nirvana songs. Can't think of others at the moment.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah those are classics too

[@CarloMarchiori]

Mahogany body grabber? The Wikipedia says it was maple till '75 then alder

[@albertozambaldo9374]

hi Johan, when a test with the grabber, with a sound more Kiss type Alive 75?

[@JohanSegeborn]

Hi Alberto, Alive 75 is probably mostly Grabber or Lobue, and maybe some Ripper. Gene uses more distortion than I did here though.

[@gerryloughran1676]

Ripper got the power neck is sweet - interesting head stock on the Grabber

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Gerry!

[@toneyisaiah3556]

Respect the Ripper Bass Made by Gibson.

[@jamesfindlay423]

Humbucker on the bridge, always gonna be a winner.

[@joshuabarnes7543]

The Gibson Grabber has an alder body until 77 before they went to Maple bodies

[@pattonPwr]

Ripper > Grabber

[@agdm11]

Grabber is overall better sounding, more beefy and evil. It's algo an AWESOME bass to use with effect pedals, takes them all way too good but nothing like playing it through an old Ampeg B15N with the natural tube drive of the amp.

[@erikfraunfelter3628]

Very Black Night Deep Purple! My preference s the ripper. It's warm without being too woofy with both pups and has great high end on the bridge. The Grabber would be epic for metal music ala Iron Maiden. I love the tone overall!

[@DMSProduktions]

Classic version, Jump In My Car by TMG, came out in '75, I was 7 y/o. Ted played a Gibson Ripper in blonde! kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooHWkmuDf7qSa5I

[@JohanSegeborn]

Great song

[@krzysztofjaworski1378]

Compared to grabber and ripper there is a bit too quiet, this is a pick up setting, the grabber has too quiet sound, and is richer in harmonics than the ripper, in my opinion

[@CyberChrist]

I've seen another instrument with a sliding pickup, I think it was a really interesting feature ^^

[@JohanSegeborn]

Which instrument is that? Cheers

[@CyberChrist]

I think it was a guitar on a Scott Grove video... but I'm not particularly in a hurry to watch one of those again to check this out, lol.

[@CyberChrist]

In fact, it was kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGGsd36Zm9Odla8 ^^

[@JohanSegeborn]

Really practical in recording. And its a whole lot better like that when you can slide the pickups all the way between bridge and neck

[@CyberChrist]

Not nearly as practical as a solid steel beam guitar, though ^^ It is a quite strange phenomenon to have a bottleneck go over the pickup and "inverting" the note, too ;)

[@matt53419]

Ripper legend - Rick Danko, e.g. "The Last Waltz"

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

Grabber for me.

[@TheConradChannel]

Weird split of preference... But grabber on the neck and ripper on what you believe to be the bridge

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Conrad! Thats how Id use them too

[@TheConradChannel]

Johan Segeborn ooh nice, now I feel rather reassured in my choice knowing that!

[@JohanSegeborn]

;-) Cheers

[@davidbuzzin426]

👍NOTHING BEATS "MAPLE" & I'M A BIG FAN OF "SWAMP ASH" 👍THE RIPPER👍

[@JohanSegeborn]

Cheers David!

[@TheRobGuard]

Sounds like Gene Simmons bassist thing. Think he played both of those in the 70s. My guess there are only minor differences?

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah he played both theses basses, they do sound quite different though

[@kevsnyder]

Holy shit the grabber kicks too much ass

[@thelusienorchestra]

Grabber is brutal! I have Grabber 1975 with eb0 pick up is very nasty n/

[@BadRonald1]

Funny but I could barely hear the Grabber. The Ripper was prominent.

[@nickfanzo]

Krist says Ripper!

[@exquisitearc8498]

Anyone know the first song?

[@JohanSegeborn]

That was just improvised on open G tuning. Cheers

[@exquisitearc8498]

Johan Segeborn pretty impressive, I thought it would be a KISS song

[@jimfromMaine]

Well playing with a pick will always not sound right.

[@digthemusicman483]

Mike Dirnt

[@semojo1]

Ripper for sure, sounds very cool on the bridge pickup. Great bass tone to punch through. I miss how the old bands let the bass stand out as much as the guitar. Cream, Black Sabbath, GFR

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah, back then all had to pitch in to fill out the mix

[@kimseniorb]

Jazz bass vs pbass

[@danadrian2752]

I prefer the ripper, but I guess if you define evil as having less treble the grabber wins.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Dan

[@gillesbourgeois5348]

patin d'bretzel de merle, c'est pure jouissance auriculaire que tout ceci!!!!

[@Stevie1422]

Hmmmm Both great, but I think the Ripper just sneaks it

[@BadRonald1]

Guy should have closed his hi hats. Thats what I would’ve done. How are you supposed to hear the bass with the high hats that Guy should’ve known that.

[@gngng5626]

I think the only dude that made it big time and played one of those was... Drum roll please.... Gene Simmons of Kiss.Not much of a player but one hell of a big tongue.

[@JohanSegeborn]

I actually think he's under rated. This isolation track is one of coolest hard rock bass Ive heard m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5iuq2Sirdahq6s Cheers

[@ambientnoiseaddict]

Krist Novoselic, Mike Dirnt...

[@ClassicalPan]

Grabber, for me.

[@corvdb8600]

I thought the opposite, the Ripper sounds pretty much like the early Stranglers records where Burnel plays a precision/Hiwatt. Back in the days, we used these basses cause, like Marauders and L6S's, they were the cheaper Gibsons. Always thought Lawrence pickups shine on basses but on six strings I like it more organic..

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah that’s Maple Grabber was the cheapest product in Gibson catalogue back then :-)

[@peterr.7181]

Grabber is the beast.

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Péter!

[@psychorock83]

Ripper

[@JuulStikkelbroek]

Old school Green Day!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Yeah, but I think he used the third version, the G3

[@JuulStikkelbroek]

Johan Segeborn Yeah I believe so too. Cheers!

[@JohanSegeborn]

Cheers!

[@jazon65]

Jag kan höra gamla KISS sound i basen....

[@JohanSegeborn]

Gott att höra!!

[@Solelova67]

I’m a Grabber Man all the way!!

[@FLAMENCO961]

Ripper !

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks!

[@JUGGERNAUT606]

The Ripper all the way`

[@JohanSegeborn]

Thanks Dan