1975 Gibson Ripper Bass, Natural finish in excellent condition. Serial number 551929. It's extremely light weighing only 8 lbs 2.5 oz with the bridge cover on. When we bought the bass it had been fitted with a Fender style bridge. We have fitted a Gibson style 3 point bridge. It also has replaced pots. Other than that the bass is all original including the case. In addition to being lightweight, it also has a slim neck profile. Nut width: 41 mm. Depth at the 1st fret: 21 mm. The 4-way switch allows for lots of variety in tone. It's a lovely bass to play and it sounds great.
The Ripper was designed by Bill Lawrence who was working for Gibson at the time. The contoured body edges vaguely echo the SG, its offset horns were clearly reminiscent of other popular makes. It has a set neck and through-body stringing allowing for greater sustain and this bass definitely has that, along with a superb tone.
The body has a few small scuffs to the finish, mainly along the edges but overall it's very clean as are the neck and headstock. There's an extra screw hole on the outside edge of the lower horn, presumably from a re-positioned strap button and a few under the bridge plate from where the Fender style bridge had been fitted. The neck is straight and the truss rod works as it should. The frets are clean with very little play wear. Some genius decided to scratch out 265 mde 72 into the back of the headstock which is the only major cosmetic flaw. This bass has been fully set up in our workshop with a fresh set of Nickel Rotosound strings. Come and try it out at my showroom in Hoxton London.
| Condition | Excellent 8.75/10 |
| Case | OHSC |
| Weight | 8 lbs 2.5 oz |
| Serial Number | 551929 |
1975 Gibson Ripper Bass, Natural finish in excellent condition. Serial number 551929. It's extremely light weighing only 8 lbs 2.5 oz with the bridge cover on. When we bought the bass it had been fitted with a Fender style bridge. We have fitted a Gibson style 3 point bridge. It also has replaced pots. Other than that the bass is all original including the case. In addition to being lightweight, it also has a slim neck profile. Nut width: 41 mm. Depth at the 1st fret: 21 mm. The 4-way switch allows for lots of variety in tone. It's a lovely bass to play and it sounds great.
The Ripper was designed by Bill Lawrence who was working for Gibson at the time. The contoured body edges vaguely echo the SG, its offset horns were clearly reminiscent of other popular makes. It has a set neck and through-body stringing allowing for greater sustain and this bass definitely has that, along with a superb tone.
The body has a few small scuffs to the finish, mainly along the edges but overall it's very clean as are the neck and headstock. There's an extra screw hole on the outside edge of the lower horn, presumably from a re-positioned strap button and a few under the bridge plate from where the Fender style bridge had been fitted. The neck is straight and the truss rod works as it should. The frets are clean with very little play wear. Some genius decided to scratch out 265 mde 72 into the back of the headstock which is the only major cosmetic flaw. This bass has been fully set up in our workshop with a fresh set of Nickel Rotosound strings. Come and try it out at my showroom in Hoxton London.
| Condition | Excellent 8.75/10 |
| Case | OHSC |
| Weight | 8 lbs 2.5 oz |
| Serial Number | 551929 |