A few weekends ago I dropped by my local GC because I was curious about Thunderbirds, which I've always admired but never played because I'd heard they were unwieldy and limited tonally. So I tried out an Epi 'bird and was surprised by how comfortable it was and that it actually sounded pretty good. Shortly thereafter I scored a LE white "Custom Shop" off ebay which felt even nicer than the one I had demo'd and had different pickups that were seriously hot compared to my Jazz basses.
Well it turns out that the Epi was the gateway drug for the real deal! After playing it in a band situation I quickly decided that I just had to have the Gibson. Now the standard tobacco burst is beautiful and classic but the cherry really spoke to me. I've always loved the look of Les Paul Jr.s and SGs with this finish. I got the last one Musician's Friend had.
Right out of the box I was blown away! Even the case is impressive with its lizard grain tolex and white plush interior. The padded leather handle feels like a Rolls Royce steering wheel (I imagine). Upon opening the case a sweet smell wafted out--a friend said it reminded him of a root beer float. Must be the lacquer I guess.
The mahogany through the transparent red is just gorgeous. The only finish flaw is some orange peel in the crease where the raised center part of the body meets the "wings". Our lead guitarist who works at Collings, a builder of really high-end guitars, said he could have it finish sanded and buffed out in these areas but it doesn't really bother me that much.
Some descriptions of this model list "casca preciosa", a type of South American rosewood, as the fingerboard wood, but the Gibson website says it's baked maple, which I had never heard of. Apparently Gibson has gotten into hot water recently over the supposedly illegal importation of Indian rosewood and has started using maple that has been heat treated. The resulting wood is very hard like ebony but lacks the open pores (and pretty grain) of rosewood. In any case it's dark brown and doesn't call attention to itself.
Being a retro guy, I was dead set on replacing the black hardware with nickel, but IMO the black is a nice complement to the cherry and matches the (admittedly ugly) pickups. Also I had planned to switch out the pickguard with a black one but I think the white offers a contrast to the dark finish.
One of my favorite things about this bass is its light weight--just a skosh under 8 lbs. This and the contour on the back of the body make it super comfortable strapped on. Thanks to the strap button on the neck heel the balance is perfect too.
Last night I tried the T-Bird out on a three hour vintage country gig and the whole band was floored, not only by its dramatic look but its incredible tone. I felt like I was playing a 9 pound sledge hammer with a velvet handle! The sound is HUGE with full, round notes and instant attack. Strung with flats there is a focus on the fundamental that I haven't experienced before. Despite the gloss finish, the neck is really fast and a little narrower than a J bass.
After 20 years of playing and owning some really nice basses I feel like I've finally found "the one". Aside from a few finish flaws I love everything about this bass. Okay, enough of my rambling, here are the pix. In honor of Mark and his Subaru, here are a few shots in front of my '59 Olds plus one with the rig, an Ampeg SVT-7 Pro and Pro Neo 410. Enjoy!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot--could I have a number?
