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The Grabber II, which is part of Gibson USA’s new Limited Run Series guitars, pays homage to the first-issue original of 1973-’75 Grabbers in many details. A Grabber has frequently been the bass of choice of Mike Dirnt of Green Day, while Krist Novoselic of Nirvana played its similarly constructed two-pickup cousin, the Ripper. Countless players of the day thrived on the Grabber’s blend of thump and rumble, while many more contemporary players have rediscovered its appeal. Its 34½-inch scale length made it one of the “big boys” of the bass world, yielding a low, resonant response, while its thin, comfortable, solid maple body contributed to its excellent tonal clarity and punch. Its single sliding pickup was one of the main factors in its appeal, and allowed the player to fine-tune the frequency response of the instrument.
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The 1970s are often considered something of a “dark period” for guitar design, but the decade did spawn some undeniable classics, of which the Grabber is certainly one. Also, once plugged in, that fat humbucker proved brighter and more cutting than many similar-looking pickups that had appeared on Gibson basses in years past. Although its contoured body edge vaguely echoed the SG, its offset horns were clearly reminiscent of other popular makes, as was its bolt-on neck. The original Grabber clearly was a Gibson instrument, with its humbucking pickup, bell-shaped truss rod cover and arrow-shaped, Flying V-inspired headstock, but it was also one of the least traditional bass guitars to emanate from the company in its storied history. The Grabber II - like all Limited Run Series models - will be produced in a strictly limited run of only 350 guitars. The model has been out of the Gibson catalog since 1982, but it’s back again, thanks to the new Grabber II, now available as part of Gibson USA’s new Limited Run Series guitars. Its sleek design was matched by a thick and heavy, yet well-defined tone, and thousands of players found its blend of simplicity and versatility very hard to ignore. In 1973 the Gibson bass came out of the shadows in the form of the Grabber G1, a rock-minded four-string that grabbed the attention of bassists everywhere.