By the mid-'70s, one brand (take a guess...) dominated the solid-body bass market, but that didn't stop Gibson from producing one of the more interesting bass designs of the decade: The Ripper. As the original advertising put it, the Ripper was "designed to rip your ears off!" With two Bill-Lawrence-designed humbuckers under the hood, a 4-way switch, and an interesting mid range control, the Ripper provided plenty of power and low end to do just that. It also provided a different look and feel, and when paired with the wide range of tones on tap, the Ripper has attracted a variety of different players.
Most Gibson Rippers have solid Maple bodies, and because of that, they get pretty heavy. But in 1975 only, Gibson built the Ripper with an Alder body that was slimmer with more edgy carves. Although its body looks huge, the 1975 Rippers are much lighter, and their resonance and tone character are more similar to familiar American designs.
This 1975 Gibson Ripper is a very nice example of a rare bass. Because it has the lightweight Alder body (weighing in at 8 lbs 12.8 oz), it is one of the more desirable examples of a rare model. It is in excellent condition with all of its original parts nicely in tact. When it came to us, we had to reattach the ground wire, but we found no evidence of any past repairs. This 1975 Ripper includes its original case and even some cool hang tags. Mustache not included!