The reason why Gibson Thunderbirds are so cool...

[Gibenbackerbass]

It's all about tone.

That and style.

 

[Fly Guitars]

Martin Turner is still playing that Thunderbird, and it still sounds fantastic

 

[Kink Rimson]

I saw him live last year, he ran the bass through a Hartke for low end and an Ashdown ABM for the drive... It sounded the same as this wonderful tone.

It gives me the hump that the modern Thunderbirds sound nothing like this whatsoever.:scowl:

 

[TheDialog]

I was just looking at a Zebrawood Thunderbird...it's such a good looking bass. I play all Fenders, but would love to own a Thunderbird down the road

 

[lousybassplayer]

MORE GIBSON THREADS!!!!!!!!!

I wish I loved T-Birds like the hard core Tbird fans do. I want to. They look cool, they sound great in the right hands and they have this sort of je ne c'est pas. I just can't make them work for me. I'm sure I will try again some day. In the meantime, I will leave them to those who can make them work so well.

Edit: I can't spell in French, so forgive me. i am still relatively sure thats what I meant to say.

 

[Sufenta]

Here's a T-Bird put to good use.


Definitely have my eye on one of Lull's T-Birds.

 

[Jjango]

They look cool, they sound great in the right hands and they have this sort of je ne c'est pas.

Edit: I can't spell in French, so forgive me. i am still relatively sure thats what I meant to say.

I think you might mean je ne c'est quoi.

 

[godofthunder59]

Man a blast from the past big Ash fan saw them in '72 ! Love martin and his Thunderbirds ! Live Dates is the best especially ballad of the Beacon !

 

[RickenBoogie]

Had my first one not been a 5 stringer, I'd probably still have one. Yeah, for my money, it's the best bass tone Gibson ever gave us.

 

[lousybassplayer]

I think you might mean je ne c'est quoi.

Yeah, that would make more sense wouldn't it? Shame of it is I am from and grew up in a state where French is the second language. IN some places, the first. Oh well, I'm a dipwad.

And on the other topic, if I could get a crack at a Lull T bird, that might just do the trick. Chances are I never will get the chance though.

 

[godofthunder59]

Here is a promo shot of me with my '69 Non reverse Thunderbird II dubbed the warbird, my main bass since '78. I have retired it from stage in the last year but it still makes gigs from time to time.

Another NR I saved off of ebay it was in really rough shape when I got it, failed headstock repair, pup swapped out for a Dimazio model One, control area caved in., great player now. Before

After

And one of my favorite stage basses a 2001 Tbird I modded the snot out of extended cutaway, Badass bridge, Dimarzio model G hidding under the chrome cove in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan Custom Shop repro Thunderbird pup in a '76 cover at the bridge.

Opps forgot about this here is a Thunderbird II have have been restoring,started out like this

and now looks like this

 

[vbasscustom]

im really diggin his dress. i would deffinetly wear that to a gig

 

[lousybassplayer]

Let me guess, a tribute band? Is it GWAR?

I have always liked the non-reverse a little better.

 

[ShavedHippie]

It's all about tone.

That and style.

And kimonos.

 

[godofthunder59]

Not really a Thunderbird, I built this NR Fenderbird and use it a lot on stage, Powered by a Dimarzio Model G, next to Tbird pups these are my favorites, this thing is a flame thrower !

 

[$Lindz$]

This thread is definitely a thRAD.

Gibenbackerbass has joined with TBird1958 and myself in the Gibson Bird Army, it seems.


(shows how awesome the T Bird's growl cuts through)

As for currently active bands making NEW music, Jared from Kings of Leon definitely does the most to bring out the nuances that only the T Bird provides. I could list an entire page of songs where his bass lines are so simple and effective and the tone is so perfectly matched with the dirty blues sound of those Gibson ES (and sometimes LP) guitars.

 

[TBird1958]

Nothin' else has "the tone, the look...................The word is Thunderbird!

 

[godofthunder59]

Mark, love the purple bird!

 

[KaseOfBass]

Thunderbird...Schmunderbird

 

[godofthunder59]

Thunderbird...Schmunderbird

Must be one of those Fender guys