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Is it worth buying a Epiphone Thunderbird?

#41
I have a TV Sliver Epi it has a thinner neck nothing like the P Bass.
Only you can decide if it is worth it.
For sound a feel i wish I would have bought on sooner.
I am holding out for a Brad Lowe Bird!!
 
#43
I had a Korean made bolt-on neck 'Bird for a while, and gave it to my son. I liked it a whole lot, because it had a huge neck, sounded great, and balanced well once I moved the strap button from the upper bout (if you can call it that) to the heel of the neck. I missed it and bought a Pro IV with an active circuit. It balances well, has a very consistent, thin neck and made a fantastic fretless once the frets were pulled. I didn't like the active circuit very much, so I have rewired it with Alumitone Bass Bars. Oddly enough, it sounds very similar, except now it doesn't go silent when the battery dies. They are inexpensive and if you get along with them, they are great. If you don't get along with them, do something else. I think the 'Bird's shape is one of the most comfortable body shapes out there, but you can't expect it to hang on a strap like a standard issue Fender. If you do, you will be very disappointed. If you point the neck closer to the ceiling, you will be much happier.

I don't think you choose to be a 'Bird person. You either are a 'Bird person or you aren't. They choose you and you know when you play one whether you have been chosen or not.
 
#44
From my own experience:

Pros: cheap, fast neck, dual humbuckers (sound really good!), they look fantastic.
Cons: neck dive, heavy, can't really sit down when practicing (I prefer to stand anyway so this one was no big deal for me), access to the upper frets (16th and up) takes getting used to.

I took care of the neck dive by experimenting with the strap button placement. I even added a third strap button to the underside to keep the T-bird close to my stomach. Mine was a cheapie so I didn't really worry about doing it. But the result was a really comfortable fit. When I looked it up I quickly discovered that practically everyone who owns one has the neck dive issue but it can easily be remedied.

It's a bass that takes getting used to. Once you make it comfortable for yourself they're well worth it. They just don't come that way out of the box.
 
#46
ack said:
Well, I was given a brand new Epi T'bird IV for Christmas a few years back because I was caught jonesing for one in a catalog.
I have tried to love it...hell, I've even tried to like it.
I might dislike everything about it this bass, except the sentiment that brought it to me.

I do like one thing about it: the tone when I blend 50% neck and 100% bridge pickup is pretty nasty.

I just have trouble with the way this bass fits me. I always feel like I'm reaching for something 10 feet away from me - I'm sure that others love the way it fits & feels to them. The body is light, and the headstock is substantial - all adding up to a wrestling match that I don't need to be in.

I've read that the Pro series has a few upgrades (like Gibson TB Plus pickups) and they have 7-piece neck-through construction. I've never touched one, but there are plenty of folks who love 'em. Best of luck.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same for for me - heck, I tried two standard Epi 'birds... Loved the sound, just could not get used to the balance of the bolt-on neck.

So I bought a Gibson 'bird. Never looked back. :bassist:
 
#47
Given that these basses (especially the neck-through) are rather different from Fenders, how much problems do they have with dead spots?

By the way, I saw a review from Session.de where the reviewer slung the strap in front of the body's bridge area, which caused the bass to balance quite well.
 
#49
I don't own a Epi Tbird, but I've picked up a few. Not really comparable to a real Tbird in my opinion. So...$200-$250 for a Epi Tbird Pro IV, I'd say yep. $400 new? Prolly not.

Otherwise, save your money and get a real Gibson IV or Studio IV. You should be able to get into one of those for under a grand if you keep a keen eye on the dusty corners of the interwebs. If you have $1500 there's a sweet Tbird Studio V on Ebay...that's a good deal!
 
#53
I had one of the bolt on versions; it was a decent instrument (the wood of the neck & body matched very good, it resonated fine unplugged), nice thick neck, and neckdive can be dealt with; just replace one of the strapbuttons.
But, they sound rather 'meh' to me; so try one before you buy one.
 
#54
I picked up an epi T Bird Pro IV last week at a boxing day sale, but I'm taking it back today. It looks great, and I do like the feel of the neck, even though it's a bit of a stretch to get to the bottom of it. It's solid construction, although the head of one of the pick up screws was already mashed to the point that I couldn't get a grip, and I think it's missing a spring on another screw. Other than that, it's pretty solid, but ultimately, the tone is not for me, and I don't really like the way it sits in a mix. I think this is mainly due to the pre amp (which is also a bit noisey with the treble boosted), so I think I'll try to get my hands on a Classic pro (which is passive and has Gibson pickups), or save up a bit for an actual Gibson.
 
#55
i just got a korean made, pelham blue one off here on TB, awesome bass, would not want it to be my only bass (a p bass would be the only one if I could have only one), but I have a few basses. I think it is a welcome addition to any bass collection.
 
#57
I think they're worth it, but with different reasons for each model.


Bolt-on:
The least expensive. These a have thicker neck and a thinner tone. Although they can get a basic Thunderbird tone with some tweaking, they feel very different.

Goth:
Much like the standard bolt-on, but with a thinner neck.

Pro:
These have slim neck-through construction and play more like the Gibson, but have active electronics and a brighter sound.

Classic Pro:
With slim neck-through construction and USA pickups, these are similar to the Gibson both in terms of tone and feel.


* Older models with the strap button located on the body edge in the upper horn location will neck-dive. Newer models, or older basses where the strap button has been relocated to behind the neck heel (where a neck plate would be on a Fender) are better balanced. For instance, my Classic Pro came with the strap button behind the body in the neck-heel location and doesn't neck dive at all.
 
#59
I've got a epiphone pro iv in trans black great bass very versatile with the active pickups. Strap button behind the heal = no neck dive at all.Thin neck is the fastist i'v ever played.(had a few spectors kramers charvels and others).This is the one bass i would never want to be without.Go for it they can be had quite cheap seconhand.
 
#60
I had one a while back, and it was a gorgeous bass sound wise and in terms of neck ergonomics, but I couldn't stand the way it used to sit against my body; seemed quite obtuse compared to the Fender types and the Peavy Cirrus I had before.

I was going to pull the pickups and electrics and install them on a J-type bass, but one of my friends offered me a straight swap for a new Precision he acquired and I took that route. He was still playing it ten years after, and when the "fitting" issues came up, he never noticed them as the bass seemed to hook in to his build and stature more.
 

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