Kinda like me-and others("Hi, Kat!")-with the superfluous pup.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- Tags
- club thunderbird
Y’all are slackin’, I’m only 7 pages behind.
Mock-up done, need to cut the brass nut, and finish the body.
old strings from the drawer, not sure what they are, but they’ll likely stay after I’m finished.
Mock-up done, need to cut the brass nut, and finish the body.
old strings from the drawer, not sure what they are, but they’ll likely stay after I’m finished.
LOL. I think the real problem is I'm depreciating.
Nice work for feets.Y’all are slackin’, I’m only 7 pages behind.
Mock-up done, need to cut the brass nut, and finish the body.
old strings from the drawer, not sure what they are, but they’ll likely stay after I’m finished.
Sooo… how sure are we that all these Thunderbirds coming from the used market in Japan aren’t fakes? I’ve been keeping my eye on them for months as well as searching through the extensive sale history of eBay and Reverb. The Japan shops seem to have an overwhelming majority of them.
Serial numbers are only sometimes visible/given. And when I look up a serial number or use the decoder they can come up as a mandolin from a different year.
I’m relatively new here but has this already been discussed?
Serial numbers are only sometimes visible/given. And when I look up a serial number or use the decoder they can come up as a mandolin from a different year.
I’m relatively new here but has this already been discussed?
I take your point and the concern. Fair question and one many of us have wondered about as well. I doubt the fake aspect as the most probable explanation, however. (China would be another matter and they would almost certainly be fakes.) I suspect that there are buyers who were/are smart enough to get their hands on US instruments. It may (or may not) be more complicated than that, but I don't think anyone really knows for sure, I sure don't. As for Gibson serial numbers...that's just a mess. Gibson at times reused them and had different systems so there is overlap at times. Sometimes showing different years or even instrument: your bass may be a 2005 or a 1956 Acoustic, for example. I have a bass that could be a guitar of a very different decade. It's clearly not a guitar, so you have to go with the year for the bass. I hope you get some good possible suggestions.
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For the record, turkeys are in the front yard giving me the feather, just asking for trouble.
you should walk up to that turkey like Thor and say “Keep looking at me like that and I’ll bring the Thunder, bird…”
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Thing is, it's difficult bass to fake - not that it couldn't be done. But that's the point, Greco, Ibanez, Orville, Burny ESP and Epiphone have all made Birds and put their own name on the headstock. American made guitars are highly sought after in Japan and a lot of other countries, it's almost a cultural thing to like U.S. fads and western trends.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Plenty of White Thunderbird here...........
trade you that superfluous pup for this?….Kinda like me-and others("Hi, Kat!")-with the superfluous pup.
Non-plated Metal bass pickup cover for Gibson Thunderbird bass guitar | eBay
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I think a lot of American instruments were bought and shipped to Japan when their economy was booming and the Yen was high versus the USD.
And the same instrument is often listed by multiple sellers.
Considering the effort it would take to fake a 60’s Tbird, the faker would be much better off putting that effort into making a Les Paul.
Good point on the more difficult to fake front.
Unlike Fender basses (where there are gazillions of unfinished bodies, necks, bridges, tuners, and pickups on the open market), it’s much more problematic to build a fake Tbird.
Neck through construction, proprietary three point bridge, unique pickups, neck angle to body, and a limited buyers market vs Fender. It can be done, but there’s much more money in faking more popular guitars and basses.
Kinda like counterfeiting one dollar bills, you can do it, but the money is in the $20 bills and up.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Three bass players and a T-shirtPopular bass...........
So tell us more about that bird.Popular bass...........
I don’t see a third PU screw or a red/white/blue bird on the pick guard, so I assume it’s not a Bicentennial. I don’t see a hard tail, so I assume it’s not a VP. I do see a Gibby logo on the headstock, so I assume it’s a neck through.
Are they Lull pups by chance? And what year Gibby is it?
All basses look the same to my wife so as long as I can sneak it in I'm in like Flynn (amps too). I do usually eventually tell her though but they all cost 500 dollars (at first). I do let her buy anything she wants though, although probably mostly to assuage my conscience.
