Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Guitar Amps
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Radiohead theory
  • Steely Dan's drum machine
  • Deep Purple in the dungeon
  • Prince's drummers
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
The Gibson Les Paul Music City Special – 50th Anniversary is a limited edition hybrid that combines the old Marauder and Music City Junior, and offers them in wine, tobacco sunburst and ebony finishes.
Guitars Gibson celebrates 50 years in Nashville with limited run twist on a cult electric played by KISS
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry: the NC soul/rock phenom's new signature model is based on his 1962 heirloo, Big Red, and offers a slightly different set of specs as his Custom Shop version.
Artists Gibson unveils new signature ES-345 for Marcus King, and it is the evolution of a family heirloom
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Guitars Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
Epiphone Jeff Beck Oxblood 1954 Les Paul
Artists Epiphone unveils Inspired By Gibson Custom version of Jeff Beck’s iconic 1954 Oxblood Les Paul
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Guitars Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
Guitars “These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
Epiphone 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue
Electric Guitars “A really vintage‑flavoured friend”: Epiphone 1957 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue review
The new Gibson Murphy Lab Light Aged Acoustics released on 9 September 2025, all lined up in a wood-panneled show room with round windows and a rural landscape outside.
Guitars Gibson expands acoustic Murphy Lab collection with five Light Aged classics – including a Nick Lucas 1929 reissue
“The most talked-about guitar of the summer is coming to the Gibson Garage London”: P-90s, Light Aging from the Murphy Lab, handwritten Oasis lyrics… The Gibson Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard has been unveiled and is here photographed in the Gibson Garage, with a variety of close-ups to show every detail.
Artists Gibson unveils Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul: hand-signed, limited run – the ultimate Oasis guitar?
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Guitars Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
The Fender Richie Kotzen Stratocaster is made in Japan and features a contoured ash body with a stunning figured maple top, and comes with DiMarzio pickups and Gotoh tuners.
Artists Fender gives Richie Kotzen’s figured-maple topped MIJ signature Strat a global release
Rick Graham is photographed in a dark setting with a warm stagelight in the background; he holds his new signature electric guitar, a shell-pink S-style with a reverse headstock
Artists Charvel and Rick Graham team up for Pro-Mod signature model with relic'd nitro cult colour finish
Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) takes to the air with the Gibson ES-345 that has been missing since Back To The Future wrapped in 1985. On the right, a teaser of a forthcoming Gibson replica of the guitar.
Guitars Cesar Gueikian teases Gibson Custom Shop replica of Marty McFly’s “1955” Back To The Future ES-345
Ernie Ball Music Man Pino Palladino StingRay: the bass legend's new signature model is offered fretted or fretless, and in a deep and luxurious 79 Burst finish.
Bass Guitars Pino Palladino teams up with EBMM for a signature StingRay inspired by the bass that started it all
  1. Guitars
  2. Bass Guitars

In Pictures: Gibson Grabber 3 70s Tribute Bass

News
By Matthew Parker published 11 September 2012

A closer look at some of the features on the reissued bass

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Gibson Grabber 3 70s Tribute Bass

Gibson Grabber 3 70s Tribute Bass

Gibson recently announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Body

Body

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Bridge

Bridge

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Pickups

Pickups

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Controls

Controls

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Neck

Neck

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Headstock

Headstock

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Profile

Profile

Gibson has announced that it's once again reviving the Grabber bass design in the form of the new Grabber 3 70s Tribute, a three-pickup solid-body bass, which (unlike the original) features a set neck.

The original Gibson Grabber G-1 had a bolt-on neck and an usual sliding pickup and was said to sound more akin to a Fender bass. The firm reissued a tweaked version of that model for a limited time in 2009 as the Grabber II.

This latest bass is based around an even rarer Grabber variant, G3, which had three fixed-position single-coil pickups and was only produced between 1973 and 1975, but once again has been given a few modern tweaks, including new pickups.

The Grabber 3 70s Tribute has a US MSRP of $1,499 (approx. £935). Click through the gallery to find out more.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.

Read more
The Gibson Les Paul Music City Special – 50th Anniversary is a limited edition hybrid that combines the old Marauder and Music City Junior, and offers them in wine, tobacco sunburst and ebony finishes.
Gibson celebrates 50 years in Nashville with limited run twist on a cult electric played by KISS
 
 
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
 
 
Gibson Marcus King ES-345 in Sixties Cherry: the NC soul/rock phenom's new signature model is based on his 1962 heirloo, Big Red, and offers a slightly different set of specs as his Custom Shop version.
Gibson unveils new signature ES-345 for Marcus King, and it is the evolution of a family heirloom
 
 
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
 
 
Epiphone Jeff Beck Oxblood 1954 Les Paul
Epiphone unveils Inspired By Gibson Custom version of Jeff Beck’s iconic 1954 Oxblood Les Paul
 
 
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
 
 
Latest in Bass Guitars
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, September 8 included Spinal Tap (Nigel Tufnel aka Christopher Guest, David St. Hubbins aka Michael McKean and Derek Smalls aka Harry Shearer) and Marty DiBergi (aka Rob Reiner) ("Spinal Tap II: The End Continues"), and musical guest Spinal Tap. (Disney/Randy Holmes) SPINAL TAP  (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
Five basses! Spinal Tap recruit Tal Wilkenfeld and Thundercat for bottom-heavy Jimmy Kimmel performance
 
 
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - AUGUST 22: Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson performs during Megadeth concert as part of Dystopia World Tour at Luna Park on August 22, 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Santiago Bluguermann/LatinContent via Getty Images)
Dave Ellefson has his say on whether Metallica did Dave Mustaine a favour by sacking him
 
 
Sir Paul McCartney rocks the London O2 crowd in 2024 and gives them a sly glance as he plays his iconic Hofner 500/1 bass.
Paul McCartney’s stolen bass was one of music’s biggest mysteries – and now they are making a film about it
 
 
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
 
 
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
 
 
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
 
 
Latest in News
Adrian Sherwood
Dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood on embracing AI and playing the studio like an instrument
 
 
Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richard of The Rolling Stones perform during the final night of the Hackney Diamonds '24 Tour at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
“They’re all hyped up”: Marlon Richards says that the Stones have been recording a new album in London
 
 
Jacob Collier
Using his signature ‘DAEAD’ tuning, Jacob Collier recorded a 5-string acoustic guitar album in just four days
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score a mind-blowing $1,000 off the stunning D'Angelico Excel SS, $500 off the gorgeous Heritage Standard H-535, and so much more
 
 
English band Radiohead performs live on stage at I-days Festival. June 17th, 2017
“An attempt to deliver tickets as fairly as possible”: Radiohead defend ticketing system
 
 
A robot band in 1958
Deezer report that it’s now receiving over 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks every day
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...