2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

This is for showing off your collection of southpaw basses.
If you want to chat about a particular bass please start a new thread in the discussion forum. Let's keep this section all eye candy all the time.
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

2020 is gonna be remembered by all that's been happening but also by the weird and unusual things that have been popping up, this was one thing I've never expected to see but it's here and it's real. :?
Image Image Image
User avatar
bobjones2260
Posts: 1021
Joined: December 20th, 2011, 11:42 am
Location: Philly Area

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by bobjones2260 »

Talk about a Unicorn! Congrats! BTW What year is the bass?
User avatar
Matt R.
Posts: 3967
Joined: March 14th, 2008, 1:45 pm
Location: Huntsville, AL
Contact:

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by Matt R. »

I was wondering who got that
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

bobjones2260 wrote:Talk about a Unicorn! Congrats! BTW What year is the bass?
Thanks Bob! It's a 76.
User avatar
AzWhoFan
Posts: 2866
Joined: March 14th, 2008, 10:57 am

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by AzWhoFan »

Congrats, that is indeed a unicorn. Never have I ever seen such a sight!
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

AzWhoFan wrote:Congrats, that is indeed a unicorn. Never have I ever seen such a sight!
Thanks Marc! Me either!
ch willie
Posts: 426
Joined: February 22nd, 2017, 5:58 pm

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by ch willie »

O my, I. wanted one of those when I was a kid. Congratulations. I've enjoyed the pics, such. a rare sight, for me anyway. Love it.
User avatar
pjmuck
Posts: 3993
Joined: March 9th, 2008, 7:46 am
Location: West Orange, NJ

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by pjmuck »

:shock: Well I guess the $100,000 question is: Is it real or a custom build?

There was another member here who had a lefty Ripper. Turns out that was a parts bass that was built. So I'd love to hear the story on the one, 'cause thee aren't supposed to exist.
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

pjmuck wrote::shock: Well I guess the $100,000 question is: Is it real or a custom build?


Thanks ch willie! This bass is a ton of fun to play and sounds great, I don't understand why they bash it on Talkbass.

There was another member here who had a lefty Ripper. Turns out that was a parts bass that was built. So I'd love to hear the story on the one, 'cause thee aren't supposed to exist.
Wen I received I took it all apart and looked closely and compared to the bodies sold on Reverb, the routing is identical plus the finish on the bass is perfectly aged as much as the rest of the bass. Also the pickguard is exactly the same as the righty ones, 5 ply.
Looks like it's been played and A LOT by a righty and even being lefty he kept it for so many years.
I don't have solid proof but it seems legit to me. Maybe an employee build or a very special "custom order".
Whatever it is, I love it but would like to know the story behind it as well.
Remember the lefty Electra X-610 was also not supposed to exist and I found one :P
http://leftybassist.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9185
User avatar
pjmuck
Posts: 3993
Joined: March 9th, 2008, 7:46 am
Location: West Orange, NJ

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by pjmuck »

paulo wrote:
pjmuck wrote::shock: Well I guess the $100,000 question is: Is it real or a custom build?


Thanks ch willie! This bass is a ton of fun to play and sounds great, I don't understand why they bash it on Talkbass.

There was another member here who had a lefty Ripper. Turns out that was a parts bass that was built. So I'd love to hear the story on the one, 'cause thee aren't supposed to exist.
Wen I received I took it all apart and looked closely and compared to the bodies sold on Reverb, the routing is identical plus the finish on the bass is perfectly aged as much as the rest of the bass. Also the pickguard is exactly the same as the righty ones, 5 ply.
Looks like it's been played and A LOT by a righty and even being lefty he kept it for so many years.
I don't have solid proof but it seems legit to me. Maybe an employee build or a very special "custom order".
Whatever it is, I love it but would like to know the story behind it as well.
Remember the lefty Electra X-610 was also not supposed to exist and I found one :P
http://leftybassist.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9185
Awesome! Quite a find.

Here's Stan the Man with his early G3
big_stanleyclarkeG3.jpg
big_stanleyclarkeG3.jpg (30.55 KiB) Viewed 30898 times
User avatar
donahue
Posts: 529
Joined: January 29th, 2016, 4:45 pm
Location: Eugene, OR

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by donahue »

Sick!! Would love to try that out. How do those old Bill Lawrence pickups sound?
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

donahue wrote:Sick!! Would love to try that out. How do those old Bill Lawrence pickups sound?
They sound awesome, these audio clips gives you an idea. https://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/ ... dclips.php
Basshappi
Posts: 965
Joined: March 14th, 2008, 2:28 pm

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by Basshappi »

OH. MY. GOD!!! :shock:
"Nothing is what is seems, but everything is exactly what it is." B. Banzai
User avatar
fivebass52
Posts: 3628
Joined: November 26th, 2008, 6:14 am
Location: Oahu, Hawaii
Contact:

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by fivebass52 »

A lot of tonal diversity there! Sounds great!
R&B Stretch Bass, Walter Woods 1000w Green-Light Stereo Amp, AccuGroove El Whappo and TR112, assorted axes, amps, cabs...
http://www.myspace.com/thestrangershawaii
ch willie
Posts: 426
Joined: February 22nd, 2017, 5:58 pm

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by ch willie »

I so hope I never see one of those up for sale. I'd have to put my dog's daily food supply in danger.
User avatar
pjmuck
Posts: 3993
Joined: March 9th, 2008, 7:46 am
Location: West Orange, NJ

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by pjmuck »

Very unique tones.

It always struck me as odd though (or a missed opportunity, IMO) that, given the fact the bass has 3 PUPs, you only get 3 sounds. You can't solo any of them, can't mix PUPs 1 and 3 only, or in phase/out of phase, serial/parallel option, etc. I know it's taboo to mess with something as rare as this, but I think I'd try some non-destructive way of making the bass more versatile.
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

pjmuck wrote:Very unique tones.

It always struck me as odd though (or a missed opportunity, IMO) that, given the fact the bass has 3 PUPs, you only get 3 sounds. You can't solo any of them, can't mix PUPs 1 and 3 only, or in phase/out of phase, serial/parallel option, etc. I know it's taboo to mess with something as rare as this, but I think I'd try some non-destructive way of making the bass more versatile.
I see what you're saying and makes total sense.
Maybe somewhere down the road I would consider doing a reversible mod like that but I still using one setting most of the time. I really like the 3 settings so far but lately I have been using the 3 pickups together (buck and a half) with the tone rolled off half way.
DrizzlyGecko!
Posts: 2
Joined: January 25th, 2021, 6:35 am

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by DrizzlyGecko! »

Wow, man! That's really cool! G3 is my dream bass lol, wish I could find a lefty one. Where did you find that?
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

DrizzlyGecko! wrote:Wow, man! That's really cool! G3 is my dream bass lol, wish I could find a lefty one. Where did you find that?
Thanks!
It popped on Reverb!
User avatar
paulo
Posts: 3612
Joined: December 9th, 2014, 5:27 pm
Location: Beantown

Re: 2020's last NBD Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Left Handed

Post by paulo »

It's been some good time now since I bought this bass and one thing I've noticed, it has side dots on both sides.
And the lefty dots seems to be added after the neck was done, still they're there after all the righty abuse.
It's harder and harder to say since there's no proof if it's a factory lefty or not but to be realistic I lean towards the possibility that it has a custom built body specially for it.
Regardless, it's a true 70's body and perfectly well made if it's really custom made all I can say is, it kicks ass!
Also, I have a righty 1974 Grabber bass with the sliding pickup, today I've sent it to Michael Dolan as he agreed to build a lefty body and pickguard for it within the next 14 weeks, I can't wait for that one!
Post Reply