Epiphone has revived the Grabber – a cult classic bass guitar once favored by the likes of Gene Simmons, Mike Dirnt, Krist Novoselic and more.
While many Epi basses (and Gibsons, for that matter) take aesthetic inspiration from their electric guitar counterparts, this curiously contoured double-cut four-string is one of those exceptions to the rule.
Indeed, it’s quite unlike any Epi electric you’ll be able to get your hands on, with the Grabber flaunting a spiky horn design, some upper body bevels, two-a-side headstock and an expanded black pickguard to provide a rather unique design.
And, as mentioned, the Grabber carries some history behind it, and finally makes a triumphant comeback following decades of player requests in the form of a new Inspired by Gibson reissue.
Hailing from the 1970s, this design was adopted by a slew of high-profile bass players, perhaps most notably Gene Simmons, who selected the Grabber as his go-to bass in the mid-’70s. It can also be seen on the cover of KISS Alive!
For the revived take, Epiphone has opted for a three-piece alder body, C-profile three-piece maple neck and maple fingerboard, as well as all the bells and whistles you’d expect from an Epi bass. That includes a 34” scale, bone nut and medium jumbo frets.
A more surprising spec is the Epiphone Bass humbucker, which neatly offers an SPDT mini switch for coil-splitting, as well as the standard master volume and tone knobs.
Elsewhere, there’s a Grabber four-string bridge, which lines up alongside Clover button tuners, black speed knobs and a truss rod cover that reads ‘The Grabber’. This new model is available in Ebony or Natural.
To look at, this new version looks to be a faithful adaptation of its source material, and while it might not opt for the more extravagant pickup pairings of some of the original Grabbers – there was also one with three oversized single coils – it does a decent job of bringing back the ’70s vibe to the players who have apparently been clamoring for it for years.
“Players have been requesting a reissue of this model for decades, and Epiphone has heard you!” the firm writes. “The Epiphone Grabber Bass is an Inspired by Gibson reissue of the vintage ’70s era classic that has been played by everyone from Gene Simmons and Krist Novoselic to Mike Dirnt and Lou Barlow, to name a few.”
The Grabber is available now for $999.
Head over to Epiphone to find out more.
