That's very cool that you're compiling a list of people who play those Gibsons! Not very many bass players play the Ripper or Grabber due to its weight and size, but I love the tone mine gets and it suits my Motown / ClassicRock / Southern Rock band's sound perfectly. My Ripper is a 1974, and is made completely of Maple. If you look closely, you can see that the bridge pickup is not original. Back in 2000, the electronics on the bass ceased operating, and I had to have them rebuilt by NAU Engineering. The bridge pickup is a custom humbucker made from two Fender Lace Sensor pickups wired together (with the red writing on them: the most powerful configuration produced by Fender). The Neck pickup looks totally original however. But it's NOT! It is a cleverly modified Grabber pickup. It is now impossible to identify it as such without removing the pickguard. I also had to have the switch replaced with another old Ripper switch. Finally, the tuning machines were upgraded about 30 years ago to Schallers (by the first owner). Replacing the pickups has actually been a blessing because it gives the bass greater versatility, allowing it to sound both mellow, and very funky, with deep lows, and crisp highs. The original pickups were not as good. I currently use the bass with my band The Jennerators