How many Thunderbird basses do you own?

[GBassNorth]

Does this acoustic one count?
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Only if we’re counting the most awesome exotic Tbird builds! That bass is a work of art. Did you build it?

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Here's a rare bird. Dingwall Dbird. Voted best new bass at NAMM a few years back. Production started in China and a few made it out into the wild before the "cease and desist" came from Gibson's lawyers.

Esitimate maybe 150 of these birds out there. A true lawsuit bass.

Sheldon Dingwall does exquisite design work. The balance is perfect, no neck dive. Three pickups for a wide variety of tones. Excellent fit and finish. A cool, compact 2 and 2 headstock. Color shift blur to purple paint.

All this and a 36.25" E string to 34" G multiscale.

And it's light, about 8.5 lb.

I just added some Luminlay dots, because blur glowing dots are super cool. Fret illusion block stickers.

Thunderbirds are hands down the coolest and absolutely one of the best sounding basses, imo. That being said, I cant use em for jazz/fusion/funk, even if they do have a jazz neck..
For all things rock, country and similar, I love em, but yeah, a different tool for different jobs, right? I couldnt imagine NOT having one tho, thats for sure.

Malt - Love the Dingwall DBirds. That purple color shift looks awesome, didn’t know any DBirds were made in that color before the cease and desist order came out. I have the aqua green sparkle, definitely an in your face finish option.

H K - It can easily pull off jazz, fusion and funk. Ultra fast neck with easy access to the full scale, nice tight lows and clean crisp highs in a relatively mid focused bass. All passive but still very hifi sounding on some pickup settings, and in other settings nice and warm and mellow. Sound wise it’s a great fit for the genre. Looks wise, fusion and funk are a go, jazz maybe a stretch.

I don’t slap, but I’ve heard from some of those that do that fanned frets make it more difficult to slap. If that’s true then this might not be a good choice for you. Try one (if you can find one) or its newer and widely available replacement, the DRoc. You might be surprised.

 

[TBird1958]

When a Thunderbird isn't a Gibson.

 

[H K]

Why not for those genres?
Have you visited the Thunderbird Club thread? Between the GTGs and just visiting (and mine) I bet I've played around 75 birds!

If I'm being completely honest? I need my bass strapped fairly high for those genres and I feel like I look silly with a bird that high.
I still have it reasonably high in other genres, as I only play with fingers, but yeah VANITY is the reason..

 

[2groggy]

Only if we're counting the most awesome exotic Tbird builds! That bass is a work of art. Did you build it?

Yes, thanks. Here's the build thread https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ab...ic-thunderbird-5-from-reclaimed-wood.1503092/

 

[BklynKen]

If I'm being completely honest? I need my bass strapped fairly high for those genres and I feel like I look silly with a bird that high.
I still have it reasonably high in other genres, as I only play with fingers, but yeah VANITY is the reason..

Valid!

 

[Water buffalo]

Four of my TBSO's

'64 II (since 1978 - it has history with me ) - ebony/abalone pg / added Seymour Duncan "Hawkbucker" B-pu in '87 / added Scott Dawsons Badbird compensated bridge (original safely in a box) / brass nut cut to correct factory mis-cut bone nut. Massive sound - it's my drummers favorite sounding bass. That's saying a lot!
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My next oldest T-bird shaped object (from '98)... Factorbird fretless - G&L L2000 MFD pu's & 9v pre / solid Koa 3 section body / Kubicki Ex-Factor lined fretless neck and Factor tuner-bridge.
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Epi bolt-on T-bird body / Kubicki Factor 9v pre / Wilkinson buckers / Saunders (early FCS made) P-neck / Hipshot Supertone (string-thru) bridge
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'Gojira" (passive) Fenderbird - chambered mahogany Epi bolt-on body, AllParts Fender Authorized maple J neck / Curtis Novak Darkstar pu's / Hipshot KA bridge / internal LED 'lighting' under aluminum pg / removable upper strap-peg extension (zero neck dive) Dunlop Strap-Lok system
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Beautiful birds! Your Kubicki Bird reminded me of an old polaroid picture that I have from the mid eighties... The T Bird is a 1979 model that I modded with pickups from a G&L L2000. If I remember correctly, they fit with no routing. It sounded great.

On a side note, check out the 67 EB0 with three mudbuckers (and an onboard MXR micro amp!). I eventually turned it into a bass VI with a vibrato.

Good times.

 

[JIO]

Beautiful birds! Your Kubicki Bird reminded me of an old polaroid picture that I have from the mid eighties... The T Bird is a 1979 model that I modded with pickups from a G&L L2000. If I remember correctly, they fit with no routing. It sounded great.
View attachment 7200738

On a side note, check out the 67 EB0 with three mudbuckers (and an onboard MXR micro amp!). I eventually turned it into a bass VI with a vibrato.

Good times.

Thanks! Yah, G&L MFD pu's sound awesome! Gibson at one point made that T-bird with MFD looking exposed-pole pu's (active?) but the G&L's poles are height adjustable.

Three mud buckers! That's a lot of mud!

 

[Water buffalo]

I've owned several over the years, I currently have four.

*Epiphone Elite T Bird IV, sunburst (crack at the nut, awaiting reapir/restoration, thinking about turning it into a custom color TBird II).
*Epiphone Classic Pro, white for now (modded with a third, middle, pickup, awaiting custom paint).
*Epiphone 60's T Bird, black. Purchased disounted, new with light cracks on both sides of the nut (easy repair). This one is the best Thunderbird I have owned in years (I owned a 64 TBird II in the early 80's). I love this one.
*Epiphone 64 T Bird, purple flake. Purchased new, Love the color, the first one that showed up had a way high neck angle/bridge height (bridge was leaning), and small cracks on both side of the nut. It didn't play well at all. Purchased from Zzounds, they sent me a return authorization, I sent it back, I originally was going to get a refund, but decided to try a replacement. I was glad I did, because the next one was perfect. It's a really cool bass, but I prefer the black 60's Bird. It's special.

But the purple one sure is sparkly...

 

[happygilmour]

My newly created 5 string, 32" scale, slightly relic'd. Easy to play with minimal dive.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

If I'm being completely honest? I need my bass strapped fairly high for those genres and I feel like I look silly with a bird that high.
I still have it reasonably high in other genres, as I only play with fingers, but yeah VANITY is the reason..

The show is the show!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I've owned several over the years, I currently have four.

*Epiphone Elite T Bird IV, sunburst (crack at the nut, awaiting reapir/restoration, thinking about turning it into a custom color TBird II).
*Epiphone Classic Pro, white for now (modded with a third, middle, pickup, awaiting custom paint).
*Epiphone 60's T Bird, black. Purchased disounted, new with light cracks on both sides of the nut (easy repair). This one is the best Thunderbird I have owned in years (I owned a 64 TBird II in the early 80's). I love this one.
*Epiphone 64 T Bird, purple flake. Purchased new, Love the color, the first one that showed up had a way high neck angle/bridge height (bridge was leaning), and small cracks on both side of the nut. It didn't play well at all. Purchased from Zzounds, they sent me a return authorization, I sent it back, I originally was going to get a refund, but decided to try a replacement. I was glad I did, because the next one was perfect. It's a really cool bass, but I prefer the black 60's Bird. It's special.

But the purple one sure is sparkly...
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I need a sparkly purple modern vampire bird...

 

[Water buffalo]

I need a sparkly purple modern vampire bird...

I really like the blue one too...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I really like the blue one too...

It’s cool, too, but purple is my jam.

(Insert grape joke here.)

 

[Albert Ross]

I played Fender and Music Man for years, but these days, my 2 main basses are both Birds. El numero uno is a 2018 Gibson Thunderbird. It's the only one I've ever played, it's under 9 pounds and is perfectly balanced. I got it used off of Craigslist about a year ago. I also have a D-Bird (another CL find), which looks similar (see pic below), but is a completely different avian beast. Dingwall CS told me they only imported 85 D-Birds before Gibson spoiled the party.

 

[GBassNorth]

I need a sparkly purple modern vampire bird...

Interesting, would the body shape of a Vampire bird be any different than a standard Tbird?

The reason I ask, is I’m always looking at different ways to meld my favorite guitar types together but still end up with an unmistakable Tbird shaped or inspired body. I love my aorta red Warwick Vampyre bass…

…and have been trying to wrap my mind around a Tbird build incorporating many of the Vampyre body features (violin cutouts on the bouts, raised rim around the bouts, carved out bridge and tail piece) possibly all in a NR body shape. Maybe a Les Paul four knob control layout with G&L pickups and preamp, could be interesting.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Interesting, would the body shape of a Vampire bird be any different than a standard Tbird?

The reason I ask, is I'm always looking at different ways to meld my favorite guitar types together but still end up with an unmistakable Tbird shaped or inspired body. I love my aorta red Warwick Vampyre bass…
View attachment 7201258
…and have been trying to wrap my mind around a Tbird build incorporating many of the Vampyre body features (violin cutouts on the bouts, raised rim around the bouts, carved out bridge and tail piece) possibly all in a NR body shape. Maybe a Les Paul four knob control layout with G&L pickups and preamp, could be interesting.

That's !
I was just thinking of Twilight because sparkly in the sun, but I love how your Vampyre looks. I'd invite one like that over my threshold in a heartbeat! Is there a four string version?

 

[GBassNorth]

That's !
I was just thinking of Twilight because sparkly in the sun, but I love how your Vampyre looks. I'd invite one like that over my threshold in a heartbeat! Is there a four string version?

Yes, there’s a 4 banger as well. Mine is a custom shop neck through build so it’s pretty pricy. But you can acquire a slightly less costly one if you get the Set Neck model…
Chttps://reverb.com/item/39552371-warwick-vampyre-sn4-bass-2003-black

and for a lot less money you can get the bolt on model, which has about 90% of the look and feel of the set neck model…
https://reverb.com/item/88275580-warwick-rock-bass-vampyre-2009-high-gloss-black

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

1 1/2. Epi Vintage Pro and a Fender(actually Squier)bird. One of these days I plan to swap the pickups on the Squierbird. Problem is they come in several slightly different sizes!

BBB

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Four of my TBSO's

'64 II (since 1978 - it has history with me ) - ebony/abalone pg / added Seymour Duncan "Hawkbucker" B-pu in '87 / added Scott Dawsons Badbird compensated bridge (original safely in a box) / brass nut cut to correct factory mis-cut bone nut. Massive sound - it's my drummers favorite sounding bass. That's saying a lot!
View attachment 7198338
My next oldest T-bird shaped object (from '98)... Factorbird fretless - G&L L2000 MFD pu's & 9v pre / solid Koa 3 section body / Kubicki Ex-Factor lined fretless neck and Factor tuner-bridge.
View attachment 7198339
Epi bolt-on T-bird body / Kubicki Factor 9v pre / Wilkinson buckers / Saunders (early FCS made) P-neck / Hipshot Supertone (string-thru) bridge
View attachment 7198335
'Gojira" (passive) Fenderbird - chambered mahogany Epi bolt-on body, AllParts Fender Authorized maple J neck / Curtis Novak Darkstar pu's / Hipshot KA bridge / internal LED 'lighting' under aluminum pg / removable upper strap-peg extension (zero neck dive) Dunlop Strap-Lok system
View attachment 7198340
View attachment 7198341

That Kubickibird is AWESOME!

BBB

 

[Miles_ONeal]

1 1/2. Epi Vintage Pro and a Fender(actually Squier)bird. One of these days I plan to swap the pickups on the Squierbird. Problem is they come in several slightly different sizes!

BBB

Which pickups?