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Many Just Don't Get IT, Gibson Thunderbird

#382
Tommygunn said:
God Incarnate.
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/thread.

(P.S. JUST THINK OF THE TONE HE HAD!!!!)
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Amen Bro...
Entwistle%20basses.jpg
 
#383
TBird1958 said:
:)

G.E you're a Fender P guy thru and thru :)

I do think you're right about Gibson QC tho, at best its not good. My 'Birds have all visited Lull's shop, he's made them good players.


I do enjoy this clip of Walter Becker playing his '63 'Bird tho.....

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Man oh man - is that guys T-bird neck divin' or WHAT??? :p
 
#391
plekan said:
Thanks for sharing that list. I wonder how many of them played them out of endorsement? And how many of them play them exclusively. I almost never see people playing items they endorse. Actually shocked to see a couple people on this list.

As for Entwistle I wouldn't agree he did his most influential work with one. He and guys like JMJ don't count as they easily have 40+ basses and at some point were bound to own one. A lot of the guys on this list probably don't play them exclusively rather it is just another tool in the tool box. And that's fine.

I'll give you Squire, he was a monster on those things.

I'm not even a Hoppus fan but I've never got a lame comment on my bass before. I like the jazz body on the pbass and the thing plays great. To each his own. I still don't get IT.
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Yes, many of those players I mentioned don't use them as their main bass but it seems fair to view it as they see some value/validity to the instrument (even if just as another tool in the box - something I agree with) so I do think they "count" even if they are not the instrument a given player uses most of the time. The majority of those are vintage instruments so I don't think endorsements are the issue (maybe players like JMJ and Shavo) but I really don't think people like Mike Watt are endorsement whores and I know for a fact Ament bought his. In any case it is certainly a minority. Given the fragility and being vintage, I think many of these are used more for recording than live use so they might be less obviously associated with some on the list.

re: Entwistle - you are correct that he had more than 40 basses. Still, that single '64 IV was his main stage and studio bass from 1972-1976. In a way, I'd say that's more of an endorsement in that he singled it out given so many options. I did say SOME of his most influential work, not all of it.

I'm sure everything you say about the Hoppus bass is true. I was just trying to point to the subjectivity - it just looks a little 'off' to me but I can see the functional value.

plekan said:
That sounds awesome. Pics?
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IMG_3486.jpg

Knobs are master tone, pan & master vol --passive.

Dr. Eagle said:
Amen Bro...
Entwistle%20basses.jpg
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If that buzzard in the foreground is the one I think it is, I've played it :D (Modulus neck and the body was built by Dan Ransom in San Francisco - Dan is who routed my P-bass above for the t-bird pups)

BigOldHarry said:
Odd - it states that a grand total of 21 T-birds were built in 1979??? Am I reading that correctly? If so, that doesn't sound right to me...
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Yeah, the production numbers on the old ones are surprisingly low -- they were commercial failures and their numbers were infinitesimal compared to Fender's basses at the same time. They had a remarkable impact on popular music given those numbers.
 
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#392
gaffster787 said:
Anyone know of a list of all of the various Gibson/Epi Thunderbird models over the years?
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This is a good site for information on the Gibson models:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Some of the modern variations not listed there are:

  • Blackbird (Nikki Sixx)
  • Studio 4 & 5
  • Zebrawood GOTM
  • Nikki Sixx Thunderbird IV (red)
  • Shortscale 2011 NAMM 'bird

As for Epiphone, I think they have had:
  • Thunderbird IV
  • Non Reverse 4 & 5 (P&J configuration)
  • Epiphone Elite (MIJ)
  • Limited Edition IV's (red, white, blue, black)
  • Silverburst
  • Goth
  • Nikki Sixx Blackbird
  • Pro IV & V

Just going from memory on those - anyone know of any others?
 
#397
Muddslide said:
Went to GC today to look for a case for my Epi Ripper and they had an Epi T-bird in there for $199. I didn't plug in, but I played it for some time and man...WANT!
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Yeah, that's an Alembic with an old "Dean" headstock (Dean started doing that in the '70s when they first came out - - I don't know who copied who, but I don't think Alembic was copying anyone...)
 

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