New Epiphone Vintage Pro Thunderbird

[LoTone]

Love the tone and the look of the bass but I have issues with the ergonomics.

 

[Thornton Davis]

Finally got around to installing the hand rest covers on my Vintage Pro. Take a look and yes, I'm old school and I'm lovein' this bass.

TD

 

[BassikLee]

I played a "76" Thunderbird for a few years, and these new Epiphone birds are calling my name. Badly.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Road test. Changed strings to lighter gauge(neck stayed good), minor tweaks on pickup heights. Passed with flying colors. Same thing the EpiEmby did with the BOSE, upper notes do NOT get lame like some other basses(BOSE crosses at 140Hz sending bass guitar fundamentals to the vertical array of micro speakers).

PS:
Sweetwater vs. the USPS update. Ordered a white one with case on 12/4/17. It "disappeared"(Sweetwater said it shipped, USPS says they never got it although their website showed ACCEPTED on 12/5/17....somebody is not being truthful) and Sweetwater wanted to "hold my $$$ until later in January when we expect more". Told them forget it, found another one like the picture above that weighs in at a low 8lbs3oz, used the $$$ they were going to "hold" for another white one, and said "Send lighter tobacco burst one now". Back to the '70's when I had two '64 T-Birds like this BUT they were single pickup ones.

 

[Benko]

I've never been a thunderbird person but given the feedback and the fact I found one online new at 449 USD (tax + shipping included) I'm giving it a short, mine will be a black beauty

 

[willsellout]

I desperately want one of these. I love my Epi T bird so much. It's my main player.

 

[RedVee]

I've never been a thunderbird person but given the feedback and the fact I found one online new at 449 USD (tax + shipping included) I'm giving it a short, mine will be a black beauty

Come over to the thunderbird club when you get it.

 

[3bc]

I voted "I'll pass" but not cause of the looks. Think these are great looking basses. I owned a Gibson t-bird for 5 years and an epi as a stage back up for a muse-ish rock band i played in. Worst bass for the money you can buy. Doesn't play particularly great, sound is cool but one dimensional and not in an otherwise unobtainable, SVT Classic, world beating kind of way, and buzzed like a fridge in less than ideal conditions even with the humbuckers.

The epi had basically nothing in common with the Gibson other than looks. It was heavier, the neck was WAY fatter, played even worse, didn't have the same sound, etc.

This is my opinion only, not trying to rain on any parades. But to me the only reason to buy a t-bird is for the looks. It's a hugely inferior product in every other way, dollar for dollar, against all sorts of other brands. And in that sense, the epi is the way to go so you spend a few hundred on a bass as opposed to nearly 2K.

 

[dmt]

I voted "I'll pass" but not cause of the looks. Think these are great looking basses. I owned a Gibson t-bird for 5 years and an epi as a stage back up for a muse-ish rock band i played in. Worst bass for the money you can buy. Doesn't play particularly great, sound is cool but one dimensional and not in an otherwise unobtainable, SVT Classic, world beating kind of way, and buzzed like a fridge in less than ideal conditions even with the humbuckers.

The epi had basically nothing in common with the Gibson other than looks. It was heavier, the neck was WAY fatter, played even worse, didn't have the same sound, etc.

This is my opinion only, not trying to rain on any parades. But to me the only reason to buy a t-bird is for the looks. It's a hugely inferior product in every other way, dollar for dollar, against all sorts of other brands. And in that sense, the epi is the way to go so you spend a few hundred on a bass as opposed to nearly 2K.

It’s not clear to me which one, the Epi or the Gibson, you consider "the worse bass for the money you can buy".

It seems like you’re saying the Epi is the worst, you definitely say that the Epi and the Gibson have "basically nothing in common" and you seem to indicate that it was the Epi that was heavier, had a way fatter neck, played worse and didn’t have the same sound. But then at the end, you recommend buying the Epi to save money.

I truly wonder as I’ve long lusted after a Thunderbird but I’m not sure that, with that big long neck sticking way out there, it’s ever going to be a major part of my playing time. Considering that, and given the price of the Gibson, and finally that the current Gibson doesn’t have the cool old pickups, I’ve never pulled the trigger. And getting a lower quality Epiphone didn’t excite me either. But now this Vintage PRO has come out and I’m re-intrigued, though I’ve never bought an Epiphone before and haven’t been overly impressed with the ones I’ve tried (though I did kinda like their long scale SG bass I tried out once).

 

[KB5]

I'm so torn on these. I love the look. Love the sound. I really love five strings and do a fair amount of playing above the 12 fret. Upper register access is not great on a bird and I would sorely miss the B string. I had considered a Lull T5 but funds don't allow. I may just get the Epi for specific applications just because it's so freaking cool.

 

[Thornton Davis]

I voted "I'll pass" but not cause of the looks. Think these are great looking basses. I owned a Gibson t-bird for 5 years and an epi as a stage back up for a muse-ish rock band i played in. Worst bass for the money you can buy. Doesn't play particularly great, sound is cool but one dimensional and not in an otherwise unobtainable, SVT Classic, world beating kind of way, and buzzed like a fridge in less than ideal conditions even with the humbuckers.

The epi had basically nothing in common with the Gibson other than looks. It was heavier, the neck was WAY fatter, played even worse, didn't have the same sound, etc.

This is my opinion only, not trying to rain on any parades. But to me the only reason to buy a t-bird is for the looks. It's a hugely inferior product in every other way, dollar for dollar, against all sorts of other brands. And in that sense, the epi is the way to go so you spend a few hundred on a bass as opposed to nearly 2K.

Your comments are subjective and may be accurate regarding previous models of Epi's Thunderbird, but you couldn't be more off base by assuming that the Thunderbird Vintage Pro suffers from the same issues. You should try one then come back and comment on your findings. In my 50 years of playing I've never owned a Epi for many of the reasons you stated. I was very impressed to see that the TVP is a product that's finally taken Epiphone to the next level of product offering in quality, fit finish, playability, tone. I'm glad that I now have one in my collection.

TD

 

[godofthunder59]

I played a "76" Thunderbird for a few years, and these new Epiphone birds are calling my name. Badly.

Way better than a '76. The two piece bridge provides much better string tension than the three point and the pickups sound like 60's units, spank the anemic '76 pickups.

 

[godofthunder59]

It’s not clear to me which one, the Epi or the Gibson, you consider "the worse bass for the money you can buy".

It seems like you’re saying the Epi is the worst, you definitely say that the Epi and the Gibson have "basically nothing in common" and you seem to indicate that it was the Epi that was heavier, had a way fatter neck, played worse and didn’t have the same sound. But then at the end, you recommend buying the Epi to save money.

I truly wonder as I’ve long lusted after a Thunderbird but I’m not sure that, with that big long neck sticking way out there, it’s ever going to be a major part of my playing time. Considering that, and given the price of the Gibson, and finally that the current Gibson doesn’t have the cool old pickups, I’ve never pulled the trigger. And getting a lower quality Epiphone didn’t excite me either. But now this Vintage PRO has come out and I’m re-intrigued, though I’ve never bought an Epiphone before and haven’t been overly impressed with the ones I’ve tried (though I did kinda like their long scale SG bass I tried out once).

The pickups are key on these basses, frankly most have never played a 60's Thunderbird and have only the post 1989 Thunderbirds to compare.

 

[3bc]

It’s not clear to me which one, the Epi or the Gibson, you consider "the worse bass for the money you can buy".

It seems like you’re saying the Epi is the worst, you definitely say that the Epi and the Gibson have "basically nothing in common" and you seem to indicate that it was the Epi that was heavier, had a way fatter neck, played worse and didn’t have the same sound. But then at the end, you recommend buying the Epi to save money.

I truly wonder as I’ve long lusted after a Thunderbird but I’m not sure that, with that big long neck sticking way out there, it’s ever going to be a major part of my playing time. Considering that, and given the price of the Gibson, and finally that the current Gibson doesn’t have the cool old pickups, I’ve never pulled the trigger. And getting a lower quality Epiphone didn’t excite me either. But now this Vintage PRO has come out and I’m re-intrigued, though I’ve never bought an Epiphone before and haven’t been overly impressed with the ones I’ve tried (though I did kinda like their long scale SG bass I tried out once).

It is fair to say I have not played a recent model and mine were both circa 2005 or so. And by worst value I definitely meant the Gibson. I got mine when they were going for $1,750, which back then was not a whole lot less than an American made lakland, and twice the price of an American made fender P or J. Much worse bass than both, and really a terrible investment. Vintage Gibson guitars have great value, but really anything in the last 20 years has not appreciated much at all. A studio LP has been around $1,000 for 15 years. The T-Bird has been the same basic price for basically as long. SG, likewise. In that same time frame, an american made fender has gone from maybe $700 to well over $1k for the most part.

The Epi wasn't necessarily a bad value, just a bad bass. 2x4 type neck, poor action even after adjustments, generic sound. And that's coming from someone who LOVES the 2x4 type neck on his Warwick. But a very different quality for a big fat neck.

 

[godofthunder59]

I voted "I'll pass" but not cause of the looks. Think these are great looking basses. I owned a Gibson t-bird for 5 years and an epi as a stage back up for a muse-ish rock band i played in. Worst bass for the money you can buy. Doesn't play particularly great, sound is cool but one dimensional and not in an otherwise unobtainable, SVT Classic, world beating kind of way, and buzzed like a fridge in less than ideal conditions even with the humbuckers.

The epi had basically nothing in common with the Gibson other than looks. It was heavier, the neck was WAY fatter, played even worse, didn't have the same sound, etc.

This is my opinion only, not trying to rain on any parades. But to me the only reason to buy a t-bird is for the looks. It's a hugely inferior product in every other way, dollar for dollar, against all sorts of other brands. And in that sense, the epi is the way to go so you spend a few hundred on a bass as opposed to nearly 2K.

I am am curious how many 60's Thunderbirds have you played? They have virtually nothing in common with the modern post '89 Gibsons in terms of sound and even less so than bolt on Epiphone's. The Vintage Pro Thunderbird is a very, very nice modern adaption of the classic 60's Thunderbird. Pickups and bridge are key.

 

[dmt]

It is fair to say I have not played a recent model and mine were both circa 2005 or so. And by worst value I definitely meant the Gibson. I got mine when they were going for $1,750, which back then was not a whole lot less than an American made lakland, and twice the price of an American made fender P or J. Much worse bass than both, and really a terrible investment. Vintage Gibson guitars have great value, but really anything in the last 20 years has not appreciated much at all. A studio LP has been around $1,000 for 15 years. The T-Bird has been the same basic price for basically as long. SG, likewise. In that same time frame, an american made fender...

Okay, thanks for clearing that up.

In my case, I don’t care about appreciation, but, perhaps unfortunately, that’s me. I can see how that could be a factor in evaluating an instrument though. For me though, I mainly just care if I can afford it and it looks and sounds cool and plays well, has a comfortable neck, isn’t too heavy — and has some history about it that speaks to me. I’m into the history of these things. So yeah, the history admittedly actually has nothing to do with how good the tone is or how well it plays, just like resale value doesn’t effect that either. But, we probably all have things that are truly important to us that may not be captured by tone, feel, looks and price alone.

And about the Epis being way off from the Gibsons, i can relate. In this case with the Vintage Pro though, everyone says they’re even better(!), so I’m intrigued; but yeah, through the last 40-is years, Epi versions of Gibson models have definitely been the poorer cousins. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one and trying it out for myself and seeing what I think.

 

[dmt]

godofthunder59, how would you describe the difference between these pickups and the modern Gibsons? (I’ve only played the modern)

Also, here’s a question that’s been growing in my mind — could one take these pickups and put them in a recent Gibson T-bird and have something just as good as the Vintage Pro?

 

[godofthunder59]

godofthunder59, how would you describe the difference between these pickups and the modern Gibsons? (I’ve only played the modern)

Also, here’s a question that’s been growing in my mind — could one take these pickups and put them in a recent Gibson T-bird and have something just as good as the Vintage Pro?

The modern ceramic pickups pickups have a thick clean modern sound. 60's Alnico magnet pickups have a zip and zig, lots of mids and treble with a fundamental low and a mild inherent distortion.

 

[dmt]

The modern ceramic pickups pickups have a thick clean modern sound. 60's Alnico magnet pickups have a zip and zig, lots of mids and treble with a fundamental low and a mild inherent distortion.

Are there other things the modern Gibbies get wrong compared to the original T-bird, or is it just the pickups? (And price!)

 

[dukeorock]

This is my opinion only, not trying to rain on any parades. But to me the only reason to buy a t-bird is for the looks. It's a hugely inferior product in every other way, dollar for dollar, against all sorts of other brands.

If you come in to a thread about any sort of T Bird to say how much they suck, how can you say you’re not trying to rain on any parades?! Of course you are!!! Your experience is a valid counterpoint though. I’m glad we don’t all love the same stuff!

“The only reason to buy a T Bird is the looks.” The reason I put off buying one for so long was the looks! I don’t play hard rock, which in my mind was what these bases were for. Then I heard Alex Hacke on records and looked into what he was playing (hadn’t seen him, only heard the sound)...T Bird. Same for some Kim Gordon recordings. Mike Watts ‘Contemplating the Engine Room’ record (amazing sounding bass!). Found myself shocked how often I was drawn to a sound that turned out to be a T Bird. So I bought a 2014 Gibson for $875 shipped. It’s amazing. Love the feel, the sound and fit and finish are absolutely top notch. A few folks I play for complain when I don’t bring it to the gig! I have no reason to think my (overwhelmingly positive) results equal everyone else’s, but really, that’s the lesson here.

Okay, thanks for clearing that up.

In my case, I don’t care about appreciation, but, perhaps unfortunately, that’s me. I can see how that could be a factor in evaluating an instrument though. For me though, I mainly just care if I can afford it and it looks and sounds cool and plays well, has a comfortable neck, isn’t too heavy — and has some history about it that speaks to me. I’m into the history of these things. So yeah, the history admittedly actually has nothing to do with how good the tone is or how well it plays, just like resale value doesn’t effect that either. But, we probably all have things that are truly important to us that may not be captured by tone, feel, looks and price alone.

And about the Epis being way off from the Gibsons, i can relate. In this case with the Vintage Pro though, everyone says they’re even better(!), so I’m intrigued; but yeah, through the last 40-is years, Epi versions of Gibson models have definitely been the poorer cousins. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one and trying it out for myself and seeing what I think.

That’s the only way to know! I’m looking forward to trying one myself

godofthunder59, how would you describe the difference between these pickups and the modern Gibsons? (I’ve only played the modern)

Also, here’s a question that’s been growing in my mind — could one take these pickups and put them in a recent Gibson T-bird and have something just as good as the Vintage Pro?

I’m not Scott, but I would think you could do that if you wanted to. There are also several great aftermarket pickups by Lollar, Thunderbucker Ranch and Lull, to name a few.