Adler body Thunderbird not sounding like Thunderbird

[sokolasty]

Well, I love the looks of T-Bird, but mahogany sound, high-mid-less and forget-the-high-end, doesn't encourage to get one.

Is there any bass that looks like T-Bird and sounds like Precision?

 

[MattZilla]

Your issue is in the pickups.


Lollar and/or Fralin are names I’ve read here of winders who seem like they would probably be very happy to give you a 60s P tone in a T Bird pickup shell.

 

[two fingers]

@MattZilla nailed it. Gibson made several basses (particularly in the 80s) with T-bird style electronics but different bodies. Many Gibson enthusiasts claim they sound very birdish.

So you could likely get a bird and swap out the electronics and open up the tone some.

Spector made (maybe still makes?) a somewhat bird style body and put EMGs in it.

There are a few Nikki Sixx signature models out there that are somewhat bird shaped and have different electronics as well.

Dingwall recently put out a pretty wild bird style bass as well.