The Grabber was Gibson’s first bolt-on-neck bass, and it’s certainly a strong conceptual nod in the direction of its main competitor. The Grabber, which listed for $369 in ’75, was designed to be affordable—not only to compete with Fender but also with the import basses that were entering the U.S. market. The paddle-shaped Flying V-type headstock creates an interesting symmetry with the wide, thin body. It’s not the prettiest bass on the block, but it has a simple, utilitarian appeal.

The red wine color has darkened with time and offers a subtle contrast with the huge, black plastic pickguard, which covers most of the body and houses the Grabber’s unique sliding pickup. If you want to change your tone in a hurry, you simply “grab” the pickup and move it to your liking. Though the pickup moves less than 2", there are a surprising number of sonic variations. It sounds good in all positions, and it’s lots of fun to mess around with the middle, slightly phasey-sounding spots.

The 34 1/4"-scale maple neck feels chunky and P-Bass like, and it’s easily accessible up to the 20th fret. Acoustically, this bass is much louder and brighter than most solidbodies, and that natural ”liveness” translates into a punchy midrange electric tone that sounds different from previous Gibson basses, with the possible exception of the Thunderbird (although the Grabber’s zingy tone is more reminiscent of an early-’70s Jazz Bass, or a less refined StingRay, than a T-Bird). The pickup’s sound is brighter than traditional Gibson humbuckers, with a sweet, clear midrange. My only complaint is that the Grabber’s sound is a little thin. Even with the pickup pushed toward the neck and the tone knob rolled off, it’s almost impossible to get a thick Motown tone without palm muting or adding EQ. That’s hardly a damning observation, as this thing will cut through a rock or funk track like nobody’s business.

Two famous Grabber users were funk monster Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson and Kiss’s Gene Simmons, which gives us an idea of this bass’ range. The Grabber had a good run during the ’70s and was later joined by the G3, which replaced the sliding pickup with three single-coil pickups. Discontinued in 1982, the Grabber went a long way toward keeping Gibson in the bass game at a critical time in the company’s history.