[quote name='Shockwave' post='783002' date='Mar 23 2010, 01:19 AM']hey up guys and gals.
So a band that i loved when i was growing, then hated turning into an adult and just getting back into now, has a pretty sweet bass tone which i never noticed before!
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCUSzSProPw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCUSzSProPw[/url]
So the gear used was an original Gibson grabber, and a Ampeg SVT Special anniversary head, tuned drop C.
I was wondering if anyone knew if the bass sounds more like the all Maple version or the alder version? I know maple is traditionally brighter and the tone seems pretty bright to me, if i bought an alder one would it produce a similar tone?
Is the Sliding pickup a Single coil? How powerful is the output of the bass? (Could it be compared to an active bass? I dont want to have to keep adjusting levels majorly in live shows when switching)
How would you rate the Grabber II reissues compared to the originals? Is it worth paying the extra cost for a new one compared to the older models? Do they even sound alike? I have the cash to buy a pre-owned one in exactly 3 weeks time (Student loan), whats the going rate for one? I did see one mint example go for ~£450 on ebay a week ago, but is this the normal kinda price?
Above all, does anyone gig with theirs constantly, can you get the tone like the one in the link above reasonably easily?
My current rig setup is.
Ampeg SVT-IIP preamp or a Trace Elliot SMX Pre-amp.
Crown XS-700 (1900 watts mono bridged)
Barefaced 2x15 with tweeter.[/quote]
I think I can safely say "gawd knows" on the wood vs. sound front. I think a lot of it is scientific nit picking to be perfectly honest and people convincing themselves that they can hear things. If you want to take it to a microscopic level, no two basses made of the same species of wood will sound exactly the same, wood not being a consistent medium. Johnny Punter isn't going to know a damn thing, that's for sure.
The pickup is a humbucker. I doubt it will compete with an active bass.
In my opinion the Grabber II is an abomination. It's made differently (set neck instead of the bolt on original), it's got the wrong bridge (the originals were a through body Fender style thing, this imposter has a top loaded 3 point bridge), and it totally goes against the point of the Grabber in that it has gone from being Gibson's cheapest bass du jour to one of the most expensive (for the least return). In terms of RRP, only the recently reissued Ripper II outprices it. I don't mind little modern improvements being made here and there in a reissue (the Ripper reissue is a little more authentic in this respect), but the Grabber II takes it far too far and completely misses the point.
I played a Grabber alongside the G-3 and I have to say I wasn't blown away by the Grabber. Fair enough if you're trying to replicate something specific, but the G-3 was far and away the better sounding of the 2 less expensive basses Gibson issued at the time (and if I may say something else controversial, better than the Ripper as well).