• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Epiphone Club

#1,001
Anyone here own a fenderbird? I saw them for the first time yesterday and am curious about them. Can you get one in any scale length? The Thunderbird I owned in the 90's was a beast! I loved playing it back then but I'm way too old to be wielding one today for more than a couple of songs. I recently purchased my first shortscale bass after playing for 30 years and am looking to get another shorty. So I am curious if anyone knows if a fenderbird can be shortscale. I would imagine that it could be from what I read but I'm wondering if anyone actually has one.
 
#1,002
Moedailey said:
Anyone here own a fenderbird? I saw them for the first time yesterday and am curious about them. Can you get one in any scale length? The Thunderbird I owned in the 90's was a beast! I loved playing it back then but I'm way too old to be wielding one today for more than a couple of songs. I recently purchased my first shortscale bass after playing for 30 years and am looking to get another shorty. So I am curious if anyone knows if a fenderbird can be shortscale. I would imagine that it could be from what I read but I'm wondering if anyone actually has one.
Click to expand...
As far as I know, they're all custom made, so you could probably get almost any scale length you want. Unless you buy a used one, obviously. I think most are made with standard Fender P or J necks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Miles_ONeal and Moedailey
#1,003
Moedailey said:
Anyone here own a fenderbird? I saw them for the first time yesterday and am curious about them. Can you get one in any scale length? The Thunderbird I owned in the 90's was a beast! I loved playing it back then but I'm way too old to be wielding one today for more than a couple of songs. I recently purchased my first shortscale bass after playing for 30 years and am looking to get another shorty. So I am curious if anyone knows if a fenderbird can be shortscale. I would imagine that it could be from what I read but I'm wondering if anyone actually has one.
Click to expand...

Most FenderBird types I have seen have been typical 34" scale. I know Cataldo Basses made a 32" scale but don't remember if he has built a short scale. Gibson made a short scale model several years ago but you don't see them up for sale much. If you are building one or having one built for you, I would think you would be able to get a short scale FenderBird.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedVee and Moedailey
#1,004
Nocturnal said:
Most FenderBird types I have seen have been typical 34" scale. I know Cataldo Basses made a 32" scale but don't remember if he has built a short scale. Gibson made a short scale model several years ago but you don't see them up for sale much. If you are building one or having one built for you, I would think you would be able to get a short scale FenderBird.
Click to expand...
You know from our talks before that I love a Thunderbird. Nothing compares to the sound they have. I am just not physically capable of playing one of those beasts for very long anymore. I miss those days though and would love to get my old warped body back to the shape I was in when I had my big bird. Hopefully when this pandemic passes I will be able to gig enough to afford a custom build. We've been tearing it up around East TN every weekend since May. Finally got in the studio last weekend and cut a demo with a Grammy nominated producer who is interested in managing our little three piece blues project. But we have a young headstrong guitar player who thinks we can somehow create our own label and go it alone without industry backing. He was in diapers when I was playing shows for the same freaking money I'm making now. I been playing too long to waste anymore time dreaming of fame and fortune. I just want to make good music that I love and play shows where I am not worried about getting paid or wondering if my car is going to break down on the way to a dive bar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Miles_ONeal, Nocturnal and redstrand
#1,005
Moedailey said:
You know from our talks before that I love a Thunderbird. Nothing compares to the sound they have. I am just not physically capable of playing one of those beasts for very long anymore. I miss those days though and would love to get my old warped body back to the shape I was in when I had my big bird. Hopefully when this pandemic passes I will be able to gig enough to afford a custom build. We've been tearing it up around East TN every weekend since May. Finally got in the studio last weekend and cut a demo with a Grammy nominated producer who is interested in managing our little three piece blues project. But we have a young headstrong guitar player who thinks we can somehow create our own label and go it alone without industry backing. He was in diapers when I was playing shows for the same freaking money I'm making now. I been playing too long to waste anymore time dreaming of fame and fortune. I just want to make good music that I love and play shows where I am not worried about getting paid or wondering if my car is going to break down on the way to a dive bar.
Click to expand...
That's why I have thunderbird pickups in a P bass, the Gibson DC and the Epi Embassy...all super comfortable and all sound killer
 
  • Like
Reactions: RedVee, Miles_ONeal, Nocturnal and 1 other person
#1,006
redstrand said:
That's why I have thunderbird pickups in a P bass, the Gibson DC and the Epi Embassy...all super comfortable and all sound killer
Click to expand...
I still have the stock pick ups from my old Thunderbird, maybe I will put them in one of my other basses. I just put a new set of Dragonfire pups in my O-bass.
Screenshot_20200814-192340.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stephen Davis, Miles_ONeal, Nocturnal and 1 other person
#1,007
Moedailey said:
You know from our talks before that I love a Thunderbird. Nothing compares to the sound they have. I am just not physically capable of playing one of those beasts for very long anymore. I miss those days though and would love to get my old warped body back to the shape I was in when I had my big bird. Hopefully when this pandemic passes I will be able to gig enough to afford a custom build. We've been tearing it up around East TN every weekend since May. Finally got in the studio last weekend and cut a demo with a Grammy nominated producer who is interested in managing our little three piece blues project. But we have a young headstrong guitar player who thinks we can somehow create our own label and go it alone without industry backing. He was in diapers when I was playing shows for the same freaking money I'm making now. I been playing too long to waste anymore time dreaming of fame and fortune. I just want to make good music that I love and play shows where I am not worried about getting paid or wondering if my car is going to break down on the way to a dive bar.
Click to expand...

I'm originally from East TN! :)

Hope the demo goes well!

You should stop by the Thunderbird club, there's a few that have had fenderbirds, they could give you more info about them
 
  • Like
Reactions: Miles_ONeal and Moedailey
#1,009
Moedailey said:
You know from our talks before that I love a Thunderbird. Nothing compares to the sound they have. I am just not physically capable of playing one of those beasts for very long anymore. I miss those days though and would love to get my old warped body back to the shape I was in when I had my big bird. Hopefully when this pandemic passes I will be able to gig enough to afford a custom build. We've been tearing it up around East TN every weekend since May. Finally got in the studio last weekend and cut a demo with a Grammy nominated producer who is interested in managing our little three piece blues project. But we have a young headstrong guitar player who thinks we can somehow create our own label and go it alone without industry backing. He was in diapers when I was playing shows for the same freaking money I'm making now. I been playing too long to waste anymore time dreaming of fame and fortune. I just want to make good music that I love and play shows where I am not worried about getting paid or wondering if my car is going to break down on the way to a dive bar.
Click to expand...

Hope something positive comes from the demo. Your guitar player is right that you CAN start your own label and work without industry backing. It's an uphill battle either way, but having some support isn't always a bad thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stephen Davis, Miles_ONeal and KaraQ
#1,010
My epi eb0 resparked my love of bass. About 2 years in got my airline jetsons and neglected it a bit. But often now back to eb0 or at least more every other day than months of not touching it.

Need to finish her up. Want to put on a novak bass gold foil that I hope fits better than guitar victory gold foil so can move it closer to bridge. And need to put in a 3 way switch I removed when adding a 12 way varitone.

Love em both with low tension flats. Silly me thought I would try different strings more often. Nope. She is at least my mod bass (guild reissue bisonic, hipshot bridge (helpful f9r my 7th fret buzz) and victory surface mount)
20200306_193907.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: B-Mac, ChrisDom, Moedailey and 4 others
#1,011
It's been too quiet and I realized I never posted after I got my latest. Top to bottom, it's Leon (2012 Thunderbird IV awaiting nut surgery for a conversion to BEAD, and a Supertone bridge), Pattie Mjölnir (2019 Classic Pro), and Hela (2019 Vintage Pro). Pattie's the newest. And yes, they are laying on a giant lips bean bag.

3birds.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: ChrisDom, PoppaJoe, west al and 6 others
#1,012
Miles_ONeal said:
It's been too quiet and I realized I never posted after I got my latest. Top to bottom, it's Leon (2012 Thunderbird IV awaiting nut surgery for a conversion to BEAD, and a Supertone bridge), Pattie Mjölnir (2019 Classic Pro), and Hela (2019 Vintage Pro). Pattie's the newest. And yes, they are laying on a giant lips bean bag.

View attachment 3990962
Click to expand...
Poor Leon !
 
  • Like
Reactions: Miles_ONeal
#1,017
Later_Peter said:
I had to sell mine... the neck drop made playing a pain. Tried different straps, added weight to the bottom strap pin, 0000 steel wooled the back side... nothing worked for me... glad you're enjoying yours.
Click to expand...
I keep hearing about people having bad neck drop on the AWR. Funny, I have no noticeable neck drop with mine. I guess it’s the balance difference between some.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KPJ and Later_Peter
#1,019
Whoop whoop, I got to become a member of the Epiphone club today!
PXL_20201219_155149325.jpg

She's a 2004 Korina flying V in almost pristine condition (one of the volume knobs is chipped), picked it up for about €300 locally. I'm kind of a beginner still. It's my first short scale, I've got a long scale Yamaha that's stuck abroad after a Covid related move, so I thought I'd pick up something different to play while I work on getting the yammy back home. I love it, it's got a brand new set of short scale flats on and sounds and plays great. I might do some work on her in the future, but at the moment I'm just over the moon with her :)

I wonder if flying v guitar gig bags and hard cases would fit her.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20201219_155149325.jpg
    PXL_20201219_155149325.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 27
  • Like
Reactions: west al, Stephen Davis, B-Mac and 4 others
#1,020
ChrisDom said:
Whoop whoop, I got to become a member of the Epiphone club today!
View attachment 4094963
She's a 2004 Korina flying V in almost pristine condition (one of the volume knobs is chipped), picked it up for about €300 locally. I'm kind of a beginner still. It's my first short scale, I've got a long scale Yamaha that's stuck abroad after a Covid related move, so I thought I'd pick up something different to play while I work on getting the yammy back home. I love it, it's got a brand new set of short scale flats on and sounds and plays great. I might do some work on her in the future, but at the moment I'm just over the moon with her :)

I wonder if flying v guitar gig bags and hard cases would fit her.
Click to expand...
That's a treat, play it well!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ChrisDom and Nocturnal

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back