Show me your customised Thunderbirds!

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

 

[TBird1958]

I have a couple..................

This is a restored '76, with all of it's stock parts, custom painted in 7 Up Green by Mike Lull.

This is an Orville, it's stock 3 Point bridge was exchanged for a two point with a beautiful handmade tailpiece so it now looks like a '63 Gibson. Custom painted by HMR Guitars.

 

[Cary M]

hi, i hope y’all dont mind me asking, i was going to start a thread but then i saw this one, and so... what amp sounds good with a thunderbird bass?

 

[ctmullins]

Homemade body (with a little help from Moosehead) and an offbrand Stingray neck:

 

[TBird1958]

hi, i hope y’all dont mind me asking, i was going to start a thread but then i saw this one, and so... what amp sounds good with a thunderbird bass?

I like mine through a GK700RBII + 2 4x10s, articulate, loud when needed. I like a Big Angry Piano tone, this works for me.

 

[mlove]

Homemade body (with a little help from Moosehead) and an offbrand Stingray neck:

View attachment 2798841

View attachment 2798842

Moose red or nothing...
Well maybe Keith’s. Besides that craft beers for me

 

[silky smoove]

Custom T-Bird you say? Here’s mine from Lowe Custom Guitars and Status-Graphite along with some help from EMG, Babicz and Hipshot:

 

[littlebooner]

View attachment 2798540

Almost a Steampunk vibe. Really like it!

 

[dannybuoy]

hi, i hope y’all dont mind me asking, i was going to start a thread but then i saw this one, and so... what amp sounds good with a thunderbird bass?

I have an Epiphone Classic IV Pro that comes with the Gibson pickups, which are very dark and overwound. I never liked the bass straight into my amp, an Orange Terror Bass, but LOVED the sound of it going through a Pike Vulcan overdrive pedal. The pedal was set to low gain so it was more about how it affected the mids rather than adding distortion. I’m now using a Darkglass M900 which has two distortion models in it; I love the sound of the B3K mode with my Yamaha BB but that mode just sounded awful with the Thunderbird, all mud and no mids. Flick it over to the VMT mode though and it sounds PERFECT, due to it boosting the mids like I experienced with the Vulcan pedal. Add to that the amp has two mid bands with selectable frequencies and you can really dial it in well.

Short version - get an amp with decent midrange EQ and maybe a little bit of grit and you’ll be happy! The modern Gibson ones need a bit of massaging to fit into the mix in my experience. Never tried the vintage models or those with vintage reproduction pickups like the Lulls which are brighter and less bass heavy, so likely to need less EQ adjustments.

 

[kat888]

Custom Bird and customised Bird.

case4

• kat888
• Jul 13, 2017

Birds

• kat888
• Aug 25, 2017
• thunderbird bass

Birds

Regarding amplification, a nice meaty valve amp and some 212s will get you there.

 

[Axstar]

If Lemmy played a T'bird , this would be it.

 

[Dadagoboi]

I build mostly 'Custom Thunderbird' style basses...

but I prefer my personal ones original...and old.

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

My Thunderbacker. Only thing missing in this picture is the new chrome bridge.

 

[bongostealth]

Does this count as a Thunderbird"-ish? I don't own it. It's from a listing on Reverb.

 

[Basvarken]

BaCH Non Reverse Thunderbird. Refinished to Inverness Green. Custom pickguard. Sixties repro humbucker. Bone nut. Vintage Tuners.

BaCH Non Reverse Thunderbird. Refinished to Pelham Blue. Custom pickguard.

BaCH Fenderbird with sixties repro humbuckers

 

[Nocturnal]

Lots of beautiful basses in here! I will post pics after work today.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

View attachment 2798540

Great, thanks a million for that. Now I need a Thunderbird. You guys ain't helping one bit

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Great, thanks a million for that. Now I need a Thunderbird. You guys ain't helping one bit

They are helping with persuading your mind that you must get a Thunderbird.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

View attachment 2798540

Now THAT is a cool mod!
Is that your work?