I've always liked the look of the Gibson Rippers and Grabbers, and in turn the 70s/80s Japanese copies.
That's why when this popped up on facebook not too far from home I had to have it.
After a quick message to our resident expert on Japanese basses, @Bassassin, for some much appreciated info I'd agreed a price the seller and I were both happy with.
These are the sellers pictures.
I picked it up yesterday and had a chat with the seller.
He acquired it forty years ago in a swap for a 4x12 guitar cab, the seller is also a guitarist so it's spent the last forty years hanging on his wall, with the occasional play just for his own fun so it's in really nice condition.
A couple of dings that were there when he got it and a couple of little issues that have been sorted but obviously have left it non original, which is a shame but can't be helped.
Firstly, the original scratchplate was a celluloid one and had started gassing off and crumbling, so he has fitted a replacement. The original would've been a very dark tort, as per the early Gibson Rippers, the later ones were black (I think). I was going to make a single ply black one but I actually quite like one on there now.
Secondly, the original three point bridge had snapped and this is a generic replacement. It seems a pretty good copy and looks the part so it'll probably stay as well. The only issue is the strings are higher than I'd like but the bridge is bottomed out, something I'll address.
I've pulled it apart for a good clean and polish, and to sort any little issues such as the pots which are a little crackly.
Very clean in the cavities and nice, tidy routing. Maybe newer manufacturers could learn something from the Matsumoku workers as I've seen some more modern basses that are much rougher.
The electrics look good and all original so just a squirt of some cleaner/lubricant will hopefully quieten things down.
You can see the 'burn' marks where the celluloid scratchplate had started to react.
It's constructed in a kind of butchers block fashion but build seems really good.
The rear with a rather nice grain to it.
Three piece neck construction so should be stable.
And a set neck. All the wood joins are nice and tidy and in all honesty most of the woods match really well.
I'll update in a couple of days when it's rebuilt, set up and been put through it paces with some new strings.
Hopefully the pickups will have the same edge to them as the Gibson ones.
I have the same Kimbara Bass, rescued from a Charity shop in Southampton as a wall hanger. i love it and have been doing amateurish restoration on it. I hoped i could ask some advice. it has the original scratach plate but this is becoming really brittle and cracking. it constanbtly has a white crystaline powder appearing on the surface and is sometimes wet, despite being in a dry room wth good airflow (i have a number of other guitars that are not doing this).
I want to replace the scratch plate but am worried about the choke as this seems integral. does the disc with the numbers (under the chickenhead dial) come away and could i put this onto a new scratach plate? and would a proper gibson ripper plate fit the pickups ok?? i have found some but they're £45 - £75 a go and i dont want to throw that kind of money for it to be wrong!
Many thanks
NBD Kimbara Ripper.
in Bass Guitars
Posted
I have the same Kimbara Bass, rescued from a Charity shop in Southampton as a wall hanger. i love it and have been doing amateurish restoration on it. I hoped i could ask some advice. it has the original scratach plate but this is becoming really brittle and cracking. it constanbtly has a white crystaline powder appearing on the surface and is sometimes wet, despite being in a dry room wth good airflow (i have a number of other guitars that are not doing this).
I want to replace the scratch plate but am worried about the choke as this seems integral. does the disc with the numbers (under the chickenhead dial) come away and could i put this onto a new scratach plate? and would a proper gibson ripper plate fit the pickups ok?? i have found some but they're £45 - £75 a go and i dont want to throw that kind of money for it to be wrong!
Many thanks
Paul
Devon