Gibson 1975 bass catalog. The front cover features Peter Cetera of Chicago playing the new L9-S Ripper electric bass. The catalog was prepared / printed in late 1974 and the cover uses an early publicity shot showing the first Ripper body style; although very similar, it was subtly different from the examples in the photographs inside. Compare the larger more rounded horns of this picture (particularly the top horn) with the thinner horns of the two basses shown on page 5.
The earliest examples of the Ripper (not that there were many) had a Sunburst finish - usually Tobacco, sometimes Cherry, and typical of previous Gibsons, was paired with a dark coloured fretboard. So the impact of a large-bodied bass with Natural finish / maple fretboard was huge. This look defined Gibson bass manufacture for the rest of the 1970s, with almost 7000 Natural finish Rippers shipping throughout the 1970s. Check out Gibson Ripper bass shipping totals.
This cover page is identical to that of the 1976 Gibson Electric Bass Series catalog.
$9000
$3800
$1990
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$3800
€2550
£2500
€279
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€350