In 1972 Gibson produced a series of 'Guitar of the Month' brochures, each dedicated to one of their high end models, the Les Paul Recording guitar, L5-CES, ES-175D, Super 400-CES, ES-355TD-SV and
Byrdland. Each brochure was a single sheet folded into four panels, with details of the instruments themselves, their features, musical purpose, and a little history behind the development of each guitar. Only the Les Paul Recording was a new model; the others were all well established in the Gibson line. Follow the link to see scans and further information on these leaflets and other Gibson guitar catalogues from the CMI and Norlin periods.
The earliest versions of the Vox Stroller were actually copies of an early Japanese electricguitar, the Guyatone (also sold under the brand Antoria) LG50. These Strollers, although short-lived did undergo a few changes before taking on the more familiar Strat influenced style of many mid-sixties UK-built Vox guitars. The biggest difference between early and late LG50-style Strollers (and the two pickup version, the Shadow) was the larger pickup, a shade longer, but noticeably wider used in the very first Vox guitars. Compare this early Vox to a 1963 Stroller with the later V1 pickup. For more information about Vox guitar pickups in general, see the Vox guitar pickups page.
I've just purchased this Ripper and the fretboard looks like rosewood rather than ebony, I was told that the frets have been replaced with jumbo but according to the previous owner the fretboard is original.
When I received it I removed the pickguard (not original) to check the color underneath and I found this really weird routing job.
According to the serial (starts with 00) this Ripper is a '76 but the strings plate and pickups suggest a '77.
There are also 5 clear dots after the bridge, I have no clue what these are, at first I thought it was filling but then i can see the original wood thru.
Hi KD and welcome. That is a really good looking Ripper. And that, unfortunately was the first clue something was up...
I just don't like the way they did mid seventies sunburst Rippers very much. The early ones were good, but in the mid seventies they tended to have too little edge colour
But yours isn't like that. I suspect yours has had a very major restoration with several new parts - the body was probably natural once, with a maple fretboard. It definitely had the old-style pickups - you can see two screw holes in the middle of each route, where the old-style pickups were mounted. The new-style pickups don't fit those routes, so they have been enlarged before the refin.
I may be wrong, but I guess those dots were the positions of three bridge screws from a replacement bridge (maybe a baddass or equivalent) and the screw holes of the bridge cover, in a different position.
Your fingerboard might be the old maple board stained or coloured in some way. It's hard to say for sure without a close-up look, but it looks to have darker and lighter areas.
Great looking bass - whoever restored it did a nice job.
Thanks Jules, I'm a big fan of your site and I'm on it regularly, started on gibsonbass.com!
Is there a way to tell if it has been refinished? I guess the fact that there is finish on the new routed areas should be enough, if it wasn't done at the factory of course!
Looking at this new picture of the fretboard, do you think it's stained maple?
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In 1972 Gibson produced a series of 'Guitar of the Month' brochures, each dedicated to one of their high end models, the Les Paul Recording guitar, L5-CES, ES-175D, Super 400-CES, ES-355TD-SV and
Byrdland. Each brochure was a single sheet folded into four panels, with details of the instruments themselves, their features, musical purpose, and a little history behind the development of each guitar. Only the Les Paul Recording was a new model; the others were all well established in the Gibson line. Follow the link to see scans and further information on these leaflets and other Gibson guitar catalogues from the CMI and Norlin periods.
The earliest versions of the Vox Stroller were actually copies of an early Japanese electricguitar, the Guyatone (also sold under the brand Antoria) LG50. These Strollers, although short-lived did undergo a few changes before taking on the more familiar Strat influenced style of many mid-sixties UK-built Vox guitars. The biggest difference between early and late LG50-style Strollers (and the two pickup version, the Shadow) was the larger pickup, a shade longer, but noticeably wider used in the very first Vox guitars. Compare this early Vox to a 1963 Stroller with the later V1 pickup. For more information about Vox guitar pickups in general, see the Vox guitar pickups page.
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76 Gibson Ripper Tobacco Sunburst question
