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Epiphone Thunderbird bass IV
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$244.14
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8.2
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Description:
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Thunderbird IV Bass guitar
Body: Alder
Neck: Mahogany
Fret board: Rosewood
Pickups: Dual Humbuckers
Controls: 2 volume 1 tone
Harware: Black chrome
Finish: Coffee Table shiny Tobacco sunburst.
Pickguard: 3 ply W/B/W with thunderbird graphic.
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Author
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miller4053
Registered User
Registered: January 2005
Location: Gilbert AZ
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Wed March 16, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Tone tone tone!!! Light weight , Fast neck
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Cons:
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Neck dive, poor quality tone pot
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I had always wanted a Thunderbird since I started playing bass. I have been playing bass guitar for 34 years.
I thought I would have to get a Gibson to get the playability and the tone I wanted. Well the Gbison does have better finish and hardware/electronics however as far as tone goes the epiphone version is just as good for alot less. I tried both basses together and really could not tell alot of difference in the tone or playability. I know the resale value is not there but I am not selling mine so..
I have had this bass for three years so far. Yes I have gigged with it pretty heavy (2-3 times a week) and I have had a very good expereince.
There have been a few hardware issues over the past 3 years.
1. The tone pot foil failed (replaced with mighty mite pot ) cost: $7.50
2. The first week I owned it I had it setup and it was discovered that the truss rod was either broken or did not respond.
I sent the bass back to Epiphone/Gibson .
They were great!! They replaced the neck the tuners the bridge the pickups and the strings and ran a setup for me. This was all done within 4 days of shipping it to the. Cost:$43.00 shipping
I added a guitar strap button to the neck heel to couter the neck dive. Cost $2.00
I added spring loaded brackets to the back of the pickups .(Makes a big difference in tone)
Let me just say that bass overall is a good value and Epiphone/Gibson backs up their products no questions asked!! It may have cost me a little bit of dough but it is now an awesome bass guitar that has a very unique bass voice. The dark mohagony tone is awesome for rock and when adjusted properly can be used to simulate a Double bass sound for bluegrass/ jazz.
A very Cool bass for the bucks.
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fitchy_rocks
Registered User
Registered: November 2005
Location: Nottingham, England
Posts: 34
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Review Date: Thu December 1, 2005
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $300.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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cool tone, great looking, easy to play
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Cons:
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tone gets boring, not versatile
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the epiphone t-bird has just as much tonal quality and great looks as its bigger gibson brother. Obviously it is not perfect, for one it doesn\'t appear to have the finish of the gibson, but make no mistake this is an awesome rock bass and certainly value for money.
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How many guitarists does it take to change a lightbulb? 100. One to do it and the rest to say, "I can do that"
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sidd_laroy
Registered User
Registered: April 2008
Location: Cross Plains, Wisconsin
Posts: 164
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Review Date: Thu April 24, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $300.00
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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it looks cool
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Cons:
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not very versatile sound wise. Uncomfortable neck
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I bought a thunderbird a few months ago and honestly, i regret it. I was going to either buy a vintage modified p bass or a thunderbird, and i decided to go with the thunderbird based mostly on looks. I had played it a bunch before i bought it but it wasn't untill after i took it home i realized all of the flaws. The biggest and most annoying negative aspect to me is that the neck is extremly uncomfortable. it's hard and it makes my thumb hurt. Not only that but the fret board is at a weird angle to the point where it's almost sharp. I'm afraid if i play too fast my fingers will be amputated (joke). The sound is deep, which for my style isn't very good. Even when i play with a pick the tone is too deep and mellow for me. if i turn down either of the pickups it sounds like a terrible mix of somewhere between punchy and thin, and deep and mellow. I can't manage to get a good sound out of it but maybe it's just me. I prefer my squire p bass and my jazz bass to it. I might just sand the finish off the back of the neck seeing as how i can only manage to get $75 for it used. But it does look cool, the action can get pretty low, and there's minimal fret buzz, so it isn't a complete waste of money.
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Go Blackhawks!! Thunderbird Club #5
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stuonbass
Registered User
Registered: October 2006
Location: St Louis, MO, USA
Posts: 549
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Review Date: Sun November 23, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $279.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Big fat tone
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Cons:
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what do you want for less than $300
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Great value for the price and I love the look and tone of this bass. I have yet to get the action set just right. Pickup height is crucial in the overall tone of this bass. Too low and the tone is bland. Get them closer to the strings and it really comes to life. I have played only one gig on this bass and I found it to have an awesome '70's vibe. The tone is big and fat with an awesome growl. Soloing the neck pickup gives a P-bass vibe and playing both pickups is a Jazz bass tone with balls. It makes my Geddy Lee sound thin.
I hope to work the neck/action problems out. Should just be simple tweaking of the bridge saddles and truss rod. There is some rattle here and there and spots on the neck seem like the note just dies. Typical factory set up (lack of set up)issues. Ergonomically speaking, this bass is quite different to a Fender. Theres is the neck dive/ balance issue to get used to and the upper edge of the bass where I rest my forearm lacks the nice contour and is not comfortable to play after a few hours. It is quite light though.
I would recommend this bass for blues and 60's and 70's rock.
It certainly could do justice to 80's and modern rock as well.
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Lakland Skyline 55-01, Fender G Lee Jazz Bass, 1984 Squier P-Bass, Epi T - Bird Club Member #47, Ampeg SVT 5Pro Amp, Ampeg SVT610HLF Cab,
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Admiral Axtell
Registered User
Registered: January 2010
Location: Loveland, CO
Posts: 203
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Review Date: Sun August 8, 2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $300.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Looks, Tone, Easy to play
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Cons:
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Neck dive,
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I have had my Bird for 7 months now, it is my second bass and I have done most of my learning on it. It is good for the price but it definitely is a beginner low end bass - If you are within your first year of playing and are still a beginner I would totally recommend this, but I am about to upgrade just because there are much better basses out there for more $. The only thing I would advise to change is that when you get it to unscrew the straplock by the neck and move it to the back of the bass to solve 80% of the neck dive.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5StringBlues
DUDE! Don't use Crisco for lube!!It's a shortening!  |
|5-string club #394|BTB club #104|Ibanez club #666|
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lakesguypaul
Registered User
Registered: May 2009
Location: Massillon Ohio
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Sat November 5, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $100.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Has a nice low and warm sound
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Cons:
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neck dive
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I have been playing for 40 years and i gig out regularly, i am currently playing in a country band. i bought this used on craigs list for 100 bucks including a hard shell case. the bass was in flawless condition as the owner bought to learn on and stuck it in the closet and never used.i replaced the strings with flat wound strings and it sounds exactly like i want now for country music. it plays easily and i like the action and sound i can get. i use a chorus effect with it and i get a great sustain also, my only complaint is the neck dive ,very top heavy and you have to hang on to it all night, i would recommend this bass,especially if you get one on the cheap,you cant go wrong. seems well built and the finish is nice and just looks cool.plays well,sounds good,whats not to like for the money.i have bought other basses new for over 500 bucks that doesn't come close to the quality on this one.
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Andii Syckz
Registered User
Registered: January 2011
Location: Montreal
Posts: 550
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Review Date: Sun November 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $380.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Looks, Growl
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Cons:
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Neck dive,
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I've had one a few years back and recently got the goth model. I like the goth model better cause it's mahogany but i do miss my IV. It had the classic look, had more a midrange punch through mix. The neck dive pissed me off to no end cause being used to letting go of the neck and it stays stationary with my other basses that one is just a b***h! But fixxing it is easy. Sitting down is uncomfortable. IF you're use to having a body cut in the back of the bass (fender precision, jazz, etc.) it bugs me cause i always feel im getting jabbed. But overall it's a great product
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Enjoy the little things.
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Maxpowweer
Registered User
Registered: April 2011
Location: United Kingdom, Leeds
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Wed February 1, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great tone, stunning looks
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Cons:
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Neck dive can catch you out, almost impossible to realistically reach past the 17th fret
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I got this back in 2009 and I love it, and at 200 quid it was pretty cheap even for a 19 year old at the time.
The neck dive can be a problem, as I've forgotten about it and the headstock has hit the ground, but if you have your strap at a reasonable height, it won’t hit the ground. Another problem with the neck dive, is that when playing, your fretting arm is working twice as hard, fretting as usual, as well as holding the instrument up. Reaching past the 17th fret is difficult, especially if playing stood up.
In my opinion the neck and bridge pick ups are distinctly different, with the neck pup giving a nice precisiony growl, and the bridge a nice bright tone. Using both pups gives a really nice mix of the two. This thing is built like a tank too, so nothing short of C4 will seriously damage this bad boy.
I know function should come before form with a musical instrument, but I actually fancy this bass. If it was a human, it would probably be Megan Fox. I think that this is of better quality than an equivalent Squiers. The finish on the neck is flawlessly smooth and looks sexy with a bit of spit and polish.
Overall I adore this bass, warts and all. Probably not the first port of call for a jazz player and I strongly suggest you invest in some strap locks, otherwise the force of the neck dive dropping can pull it off of the strap (which has happened to me). Other than these, flaws I recommend it, tough bass with a cracking tone and qwerky, offbeat looks that will make you the centre of attention.
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FRANKBASSMASTA
Registered User
Registered: July 2012
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Review Date: Wed July 25, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $50.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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GREAT WARM TONE
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Cons:
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SOME DINGUS CHIPPED "MANHANDLED" THE BODY BEFORE I GOT IT (ANYONE KNOW A GOOD TOUCH-UP GUY?)
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WHAT CAN I SAY I WAS IN A FRIENDS GUITAR SHOP ,PICKED IT UP AND ....WOW! WHAT A TONE(ACTUALLY SEVERAL DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO "PLAY" WITH THE VOLUME KNOBS). IT,S A 85' COFEE SUNBURST THAT OTHER THAN A FEW KNICKS IS A BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT.I RESET THE ACTION AND NOW THIS IS QUICKLY BECOMING MY FAVORITE BASS!AND AS FAR AS PEOPLE SAYING IT'S NECK HEAVY....MAYBE IT'S JUST ME OR THE FACT THAT I ONLY PLAY ROCK BUT IT SITS ON ME PERFECTLY.GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!
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