Gibson 1975 bass catalog. Page 4. Left hand page of a double page spread on the L9-S Ripper and Ripper fretless. The background image is of a Ripper bass, with the controls, or Q-system in the foreground.
The text on this page is very interesting and perhaps slightly misleading. In describing all the detailed artistry in guitar building that Gibson was capable of (and rightly very proud of too), it sets itself apart from the likes of Fender; yet all this in the year it popularises its most Fender-like (up to that point) bass, the Grabber. Few of these features regularly appeared on Gibson bass guitars, though with the exception of the Grabber, most Gibson basses did at least have the 'precision' (set) neck and a high-gloss nitrocellulose finish.
History repeats itself every time a Gibson guitar is made. Only a company with such a long history of craftsmanship, like Gibson, can put so much traditional skill and knowledge into every instrument it makes. Hand carved tops and backs. Multiple body binding. Numerous coats of special finishes that require delicate re-sanding with each additional coat. Hand bent rims. Precision neck fitting. Every one of these operations is a craft in itself that has been handed down from generation to generation at Gibson.
$3500
$9000
$3800
$1990
$3800
$2700
€2550
€279
£2100
€350