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MIM 50's reissue P bass or Epiphone Thunderbird Pro

What would you do?

  • Buy a 5th bass and make it a Thunderbird.

    Votes: 20 57.1%

  • Trade a Mim Precision bass for a Thunderbird.

    Votes: 2 5.7%

  • Stop gassing and practice.

    Votes: 12 34.3%

  • Insert carrot option here.

    Votes: 2 5.7%
  • Total voters
    35
Bassmaticmatt

Bassmaticmatt

Feb 13, 2016
799
1,069
43
Dallas
#1
I have an itch for a new bass. I'm thinking I want a T-Bird. I could just go buy one but I keep thinking "I could trade my P bass for one." Am I dumb for considering this? The Fender in question is a MIM 50's reissue Precision Bass in Fiesta Red. It's not the current road worn bass, but a 2001 reissue. I do have a Ibanez TMB-300 that can cover the p tone. But the Fender is pretty sweet. But so are the T birds. And I dig the look of the t bird. What would you do? Order and make payments? no interest. Trade a nice but redundant bass? Or be happy with the 4 bases I have and go to practice?
 
#2
Well, only you know how much you value the P. If it’s just sitting as you use the Ibanez for those sounds,well, no big loss if you move it on (after all, you can always re-buy a P if you end up missing it). Also, only you know the value of that money to you.

Still, I personally think 5 is a good number (that’s what I have, lol), so that would have me keeping the P and adding the ’bird.

However, I don’t like red basses, so in the end I voted for selling the [red] P and adding the Thunderbird!

(In other words, any of your options are pretty dang good; have a good think on what would make you happiest and then go for it!)
 
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#5
Double E said:
I'd trade the Ibanez for the Thunderbird.

The Fender is worth more than the Epiphone so unless you'd have some cash coming your way, that is a bad deal anyway.

I say keep the Fender!
Click to expand...
They both fetch similar money on the used market from what I can tell. But that being said I'd expect a few bucks to come my way. After working in a guitar store for a while I've decided that trying to make a profit selling guitars and bases isn't worth it. In theory I could get $450ish out of the P. But in practice in Dallas,Tx that's a long shot. But people around here love to trade gear. So much so that I've made cash offers before and been asked if I have something to trade instead. It doesn't bother me but it makes it hard to greet cash out of an instrument. I'd post it in the classifieds here but I don't really want to ship it. I don't trust delivery people or the people who load the trucks sort the packages etc. I'm leaning toward buying the T bird new and keeping all the bases.
 
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#6
If you can pay cash up front (not credit card or financing) and are financially stable, just buy the T-Bird. If you would have to pay with a credit card or get financing, trade in the Ibanez and get a lower model T-Bird. Or, trade in the Fender and get a T-Bird Pro IV or whatever the one they're always raving about on this site :D
 
#7
jackn1202 said:
If you can pay cash up front (not credit card or financing) and are financially stable, just buy the T-Bird. If you would have to pay with a credit card or get financing, trade in the Ibanez and get a lower model T-Bird. Or, trade in the Fender and get a T-Bird Pro IV or whatever the one they're always raving about on this site :D
Click to expand...
I can pay up front for the T-Bird but why wrap up the full amount when I can finance at 0% with no hit on my credit report? 4 is the number of bases i'm most comfortable with. Every time I get more I feel the urge to thin the herd. And one bass usually gets neglected.
 
#8
Bassmaticmatt said:
I can pay up front for the T-Bird but why wrap up the full amount when I can finance at 0% with no hit on my credit report? 4 is the number of bases i'm most comfortable with. Every time I get more I feel the urge to thin the herd. And one bass usually gets neglected.
Click to expand...
Because you'd be paying with money you don't physically possess, which means you can't guarantee really anything. You can assume that you'll have the money, and maybe you'll be right. But catastrophes do happen, and you really don't know for sure where you'll be in six months. No one really does.

If you're saying that you can pay for the whole 'Bird right now, why wouldn't you?
 
#9
Invalid Link Removed

“Each one should come with this warning: ‘If you don’t meet all our purposely complicated terms for this offer, you’ll be sorry and will end up owing lots of interest,'” says Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the Public Interest Research Group.
 
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#10
jackn1202 said:
Because you'd be paying with money you don't physically possess, which means you can't guarantee really anything. You can assume that you'll have the money, and maybe you'll be right. But catastrophes do happen, and you really don't know for sure where you'll be in six months. No one really does.

If you're saying that you can pay for the whole 'Bird right now, why wouldn't you?
Click to expand...
I've set myself up to be able to survive for a year with a sudden complete loss of icome. Which I don't see happening anytime soon since I'm self employed. Unless something super catastrophic like death or a coma or a fatal illness happens I'll be fine.
 
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#11
Bassmaticmatt said:
I have an itch for a new bass. I'm thinking I want a T-Bird. I could just go buy one but I keep thinking "I could trade my P bass for one." Am I dumb for considering this? The Fender in question is a MIM 50's reissue Precision Bass in Fiesta Red. It's not the current road worn bass, but a 2001 reissue. I do have a Ibanez TMB-300 that can cover the p tone. But the Fender is pretty sweet. But so are the T birds. And I dig the look of the t bird. What would you do? Order and make payments? no interest. Trade a nice but redundant bass? Or be happy with the 4 bases I have and go to practice?
Click to expand...
You’re talking about an Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro with the Gibson pickups or their new Vintage Thunderbird, right?
I was going to buy one until I stumbled upon this Reverend Thundergun.
Forgot all about the Thunderbirds in the shop, including the one I had a down payment on, and I’ve since sold my P bass.
These guys aren’t joking when they say thunder!
Other than that, a nice white Thunderbird would look good, no doubt about it.
24xqg60.jpg
 
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#12
jd56hawk said:
You’re talking about an Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro with the Gibson pickups or their new Vintage Thunderbird, right?
I was going to buy one until I stumbled upon this Reverend Thundergun.
Forgot all about the Thunderbirds in the shop, including the one I had a down payment on, and I’ve since sold my P bass.
These guys aren’t joking when they say thunder!
View attachment 3227889
Click to expand...
Actually the one I ordered is a Thunderbird Pro IV. The active one. I like the more modern tone of the active eq.
 
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#14
jd56hawk said:
You’re talking about an Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro with the Gibson pickups or their new Vintage Thunderbird, right?
I was going to buy one until I stumbled upon this Reverend Thundergun.
Forgot all about the Thunderbirds in the shop, including the one I had a down payment on, and I’ve since sold my P bass.
These guys aren’t joking when they say thunder!
Other than that, a nice white Thunderbird would look good, no doubt about it.
View attachment 3227889
Click to expand...
The Revrend is cool but my singer/guitar player plays a Rev that's that same shape. I can't show him up that would be rude. Lol
 
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#15
jd56hawk said:
You’re talking about an Epiphone Thunderbird Classic Pro with the Gibson pickups or their new Vintage Thunderbird, right?
I was going to buy one until I stumbled upon this Reverend Thundergun.
Forgot all about the Thunderbirds in the shop, including the one I had a down payment on, and I’ve since sold my P bass.
These guys aren’t joking when they say thunder!
Other than that, a nice white Thunderbird would look good, no doubt about it.
View attachment 3227889
Click to expand...
FB_IMG_1543286607565.jpg
 
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#18
Bassmaticmatt said:
Actually the one I ordered is a Thunderbird Pro IV. The active one. I like the more modern tone of the active eq.
Click to expand...
I had the Pro on layaway. In natural. Owned one way back when I first started playing.
Very ominous tone with flatwounds or tapewounds. Some people don’t like the preamp...big deal, some don’t like Fender preamps...but I really liked it.
The only thing is, I’m a big fan of the X-Vive wireless system and it doesn’t work with all preamps.
 
#19
jd56hawk said:
I had the Pro on layaway. In natural. Owned one way back when I first started playing.
Very ominous tone with flatwounds or tapewounds. Some people don’t like the preamp...big deal, some don’t like Fender preamps...but I really liked it.
The only thing is, I’m a big fan of the X-Vive wireless system and it doesn’t work with all preamps.
Click to expand...
Right on. I should get a wireless system. Well one made after 98. Lol. Some people hate everything. Some people love everything. I try to enjoy things for what they are. I'm stoked to get my new T-Bird on Thursday.
 
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