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Many Just Don't Get IT, Gibson Thunderbird

B

bluewine

Inactive
Sep 4, 2008
10,296
27
WI
#1
I have been around playing bass longer than a lot of you, I think I started my first band in 1966, I was in the 6th grade.

I finally got to the point where I could aford a Gibson T-Bird, I traded up from my undesirable Epi Bird to a nice 1991 Gibson Thunderbird.

Back east when I was coming up, if a guy came out on stage with a Gibson Thunderbird you knew it meant serious rock. At the time they were the icon bass for ultra cool rock look.

I told a few of my buddies about my new aquisition, and all I got was,"why did you by that" and "I never got into those".

I guess the apeal of thses bass is not universal. I play in a Pop Rock band and the whole experience of using the my new Thunderbird is awesome.

Too bad for you guys that don't get it.
 
#10
I'd love to have a 5-string T-Bird for my rock gigs. They represent only a portion of the gigs I play, and a T-Bird wouldn't fit aesthetically or aurally with most of my other gigs, but it would be great to have one for certain times. Someday I'll get one.
 
#14
mongo2 said:
'91 Thunderbird?...Pffft...The only real Thunderbirds are from the '60s. Too bad you just don't get it.

;):hiding:
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You might be right, I tried out 2 60s Gibson Thunderbirds, both had been modified and the necks were thick like a base ball bat, plus those things would have been a Bitch to maintain.

Sorry, again you might be right, guess you have to find a good one.
 
#16
bluewine said:
Yea it is, gets kind of borin seeing every bloke plain bass in a band standing up their with a Jazz or P bass.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I see guys playing them in our local clubs fairly often. One guy has a Nikki Sixx zebra-striped copy. I dont find them attractive in appearance, nor in sound most importantly. But that's just me. To each his own. I don't knock the guys that play them, but when they ask for my opinion, I tell them the truth: that they usually sound dull and muted. One guy plays one with a Moses graphite neck. All flat black. Looks ok, but again, the sound is very muted and unremarkable.
 
#17
If anyone watches the classifieds i have sold 3 birds int he past few months, 2 gibsons , 1 greco. I dig them alot , tone wise there fantastic, at least mine were. I really loved both my gibsons.................alot of people buy these based on looks, i know first hand as i know what the buyers of mine said.

Right now I am birdless but i will own another someday , just for now i perfer a P bass, its way more solid and my band shoves all our gear into a tiny truck, a bird is way to easy to break in my current rough gigging enviroment.
 
#18
I think they're fully badass.
I find that I get the most comments/compliments from non musicians (hopefully most of your audience). I think they just look great on stage and I'm usually asked to play play it over my other basses.
They have that Gibson sound (obviously) so, I understand why some people don't like them.
They're not like Fenders at all.
 
#19
Yuck, neck dive city. Sorry but I've seen alot of people with em & I had a friends 1979 bird for a week. Did not like anything it did. There are alot of reasons most players use Jazz & P basses... Gibson Thunderbirds is one of them. BTW my names Tbird because I work in the lightning protection industry.
 

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