Thunderbird Club

[JJR58]

Dude, if I don’t worry me, you won’t!

Classic!!!
We completely understand each other.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Classic!!!
We completely understand each other.

You know it.

 

[dagrev]

I just got on the VP bus and need some info. Like, what was the 1st year it was introduced? Is there a serial # record? Where were they made (I'm assuming mine is MIK as it has Korean pots) and have they been made in the same country for all the years leading to 2023? I recall reading here that tuners have changed - what tuners and what years did that happen? Any other info would help if you know of it. I checked Wiki and it needs updating because the VP isn't mentioned. Thanks ahead of time -

After playing it since it arrived yesterday - I'm kinda' smitten by this bass. I'm going to take it to TSC's rehearsal on Thursday night to confirm what I'm already hearing at home - that it's an exceptional bass both in sound and feel of that neck. It really is very much like my '64 II - a neck that I know "like the back of my hand" - a neck I've played since 1974. So now experiencing this - those of you owning one of these; the neck feels like a '63-'65 Thunderbird bass, and totally stock - it sounds really, really good. (and is way cheaper than a vintage T-bird!)

With this bass, Epiphone did what Fender did with their Road Worn series years ago; they produced a really exceptional bass for under $1k. Fenders RW series P's & J's sold like hotcakes. (not certain if the are still being made) I played a J in a music store and it played/sounded great! Aside from being "road worn", it was light and similar to the VP - a legit RI of an early '60s Jazz. It was on sale (just under a grand) and I was tempted but I already have a few awesome J's. The VP for the price I got it for is a steal. I don't need another bass, but I'm tempted to keep this one 'as is'... that's how good it is.

View attachment 5093363

Another believer! Best Thunderbird from Gibson/Eps since the 60s. If you want that more vintage vibe from that era in your head. Do yourself a favor Geo, keep it for a few shows and then decide. You can always get another to mod and sell.

Off the top of my head, I think they came out in 2016. Mine are both from '17 with the burst having the first gen tuners with longer stems. All are made in Indonesia.

 

[Ringhammer]

How are you modding it?

Nothing major, just put some Novak pickups in it, probably going to re-wire V/B/T, change the cap too .047 or .033. Hipshot extender, black pickguard.

 

[Gaolee]

the big question for me - same pickups? i know most people aren't crazy about them, but every time i played one in a GC, i really liked what i heard.

I have had them off and on, and every time I let one go, I start thinking about getting another one. They are their own thing and far better than they have any right to be. It kinda sounds like they might be choosing you. That is how it works.

 

[dagrev]

I wonder if the VP necks have some discrepancies over the years. I know the Epi Goths had different necks one year to the next. My VP feels as good as my '64 II. I'll do more extensive comparative investigation of the two later.

My VP necks are nice, but not '64 Thunderbird, '64 Embassy or even the '06 Gibson Thunderbird--which is as great as the '64. Not a dig on the VPs, I just don't find mine as close to the original as the '06.

 

[stlrocker]

Anybody looking for an Acoustic 370?
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I'm here to enable, although it is very tempting!

Already have one. I would recommend it.

 

[PillO]

I am an untalented mimic monkey.

I always thought of you as more of an orangutang...

 

[bobyoung53]

Silvertone Sun….
View attachment 5091108

One of my friends had the one on the left with the case-amp when we were kids, it sounded and played pretty good. I did a gig with it when I was in the 8th grade in the school auditorium, the only song I can remember playing is "House of the Rising Sun" We had no singer and the owner of the Silvertone played bass on my guitar.

 

[PillO]

and then Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll happens….

IIRC it was Mick Shrimpton who said "As long as there is sex and drugs, I can live without rock'n'roll"

 

[PillO]

As one of my HS English teachers said, "I done tol' you an' TOL' you..."

In Canada that is pronounced Atodaso.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

A Tradition. A Philippe’s double dip and pickle before the game. View attachment 5093771View attachment 5093772View attachment 5093773View attachment 5093774

your best post EVER!!..

 

[bobyoung53]

IIRC it was Mick Shrimpton who said "As long as there is sex and drugs, I can live without rock'n'roll"

I gotta watch that again, it's been a while.

 

[RexxRokket]

Hey there, guys.

Long time without posting anything.

To make it short, here's a video where I'm playing my Thunderbird... again.

 

[Stealth57]

I just got on the VP bus and need some info. Like, what was the 1st year it was introduced? Is there a serial # record? Where were they made (I'm assuming mine is MIK as it has Korean pots) and have they been made in the same country for all the years leading to 2023? I recall reading here that tuners have changed - what tuners and what years did that happen? Any other info would help if you know of it. I checked Wiki and it needs updating because the VP isn't mentioned. Thanks ahead of time -

After playing it since it arrived yesterday - I'm kinda' smitten by this bass. I'm going to take it to TSC's rehearsal on Thursday night to confirm what I'm already hearing at home - that it's an exceptional bass both in sound and feel of that neck. It really is very much like my '64 II - a neck that I know "like the back of my hand" - a neck I've played since 1974. So now experiencing this - those of you owning one of these; the neck feels like a '63-'65 Thunderbird bass, and totally stock - it sounds really, really good. (and is way cheaper than a vintage T-bird!)

With this bass, Epiphone did what Fender did with their Road Worn series years ago; they produced a really exceptional bass for under $1k. Fenders RW series P's & J's sold like hotcakes. (not certain if the are still being made) I played a J in a music store and it played/sounded great! Aside from being "road worn", it was light and similar to the VP - a legit RI of an early '60s Jazz. It was on sale (just under a grand) and I was tempted but I already have a few awesome J's. The VP for the price I got it for is a steal. I don't need another bass, but I'm tempted to keep this one 'as is'... that's how good it is.

View attachment 5093363

My ‘21 VP has Korean pots but was built in Indonesia. Everything I’ve read says they always were?

 

[Stealth57]

Something I've wondered about, speaking of VP necks.....a lot of folks, that have them to compare, have said that the necks on their VP and CP are noticeably different.
From what I could tell with the '19 VP I used to have, and the '13 CP I have, the necks felt identical - shape, size, thickness, etc.

It has also been discussed about the pickup position change on the CPs after the 2013 first year - but this was also the same on the VP & CP that I had, so it makes me wonder, if maybe the 2013 CP was re-designed in two different ways - one with a bigger headstock (and different bridge, etc.) and released a couple of years later (2016? 2017?) as the VP, another as the 2014+ CP with slight changes...to be more like modern Gibson Thunderbirds?





Any of you guys have a more new-ish CP and Gibson that you could compare?

My CP is from February 2014 and my VP from later ‘21(don’t recall the month as I sit half a world away). I have never noticed any difference in the necks. Maybe there are some but they aren’t obvious to me.

 

[Stealth57]

A Tradition. A Philippe’s double dip and pickle before the game. View attachment 5093771View attachment 5093772View attachment 5093773View attachment 5093774

Where’s the unlike button

 

[TBird1958]

My VP necks are nice, but not '64 Thunderbird, '64 Embassy or even the '06 Gibson Thunderbird--which is as great as the '64. Not a dig on the VPs, I just don't find mine as close to the original as the '06.

I think the necks on my '76s are closet to a '64, but my '89 is really right there too. VP is a little bigger, but certainly good.

 

[TBird1958]

Hey there, guys.

Long time without posting anything.

To make it short, here's a video where I'm playing my Thunderbird... again.

Damn!

 

[GBassNorth]

and then Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll happens….

Yeah, that’s my excuse for lack of bass talent. I was too distracted with sex and drugs to focus much on rock and roll.

The cap in my '21 MIK (Korean pots) VP is marked 2A683J. So is that .683uf? If so, It doesn't sound dark or muddy to my ears. Have yet to A/B it with my '64 II but it sounds Thunderbird familiar.
View attachment 5093180

Of course it doesn’t sound muddy with that cap. It’s a VP. Those are Completely different pickups than the black plastic three screw Eppi Goth and IV pups I was referencing. The VP pickups are substantially brighter and not wound as hot as the Goth pickups.

see, this is where people get misled…
683J means 68 + 3 zeros OR
68000pFd (J denotes 10 x 10^-12) which equals 68nFd or .068uFd
the confusion stems from different conventions (older, newer, domestic, european etc.) for numbering capacitor values…

Good catch on my typo. I posted quickly (before my morning coffee) as I was getting ready to run out the door for a golf match.

I just got on the VP bus and need some info. Like, what was the 1st year it was introduced? Is there a serial # record? Where were they made (I'm assuming mine is MIK as it has Korean pots) and have they been made in the same country for all the years leading to 2023? I recall reading here that tuners have changed - what tuners and what years did that happen? Any other info would help if you know of it. I checked Wiki and it needs updating because the VP isn't mentioned. Thanks ahead of time -

After playing it since it arrived yesterday - I'm kinda' smitten by this bass. I'm going to take it to TSC's rehearsal on Thursday night to confirm what I'm already hearing at home - that it's an exceptional bass both in sound and feel of that neck. It really is very much like my '64 II - a neck that I know "like the back of my hand" - a neck I've played since 1974. So now experiencing this - those of you owning one of these; the neck feels like a '63-'65 Thunderbird bass, and totally stock - it sounds really, really good. (and is way cheaper than a vintage T-bird!)

With this bass, Epiphone did what Fender did with their Road Worn series years ago; they produced a really exceptional bass for under $1k. Fenders RW series P's & J's sold like hotcakes. (not certain if the are still being made) I played a J in a music store and it played/sounded great! Aside from being "road worn", it was light and similar to the VP - a legit RI of an early '60s Jazz. It was on sale (just under a grand) and I was tempted but I already have a few awesome J's. The VP for the price I got it for is a steal. I don't need another bass, but I'm tempted to keep this one 'as is'... that's how good it is.

View attachment 5093363

VP’s are fantastic basses even well above their price point. Going by memory here, but IIRC the VP was released very early in 2017. I think I got mine in late spring of 2017. Sometime around August or September of 2017 the tuner spec was changed. Mine has the original spec tuners.

I can’t speak with any first hand knowledge on the issue, but many VP players that are also vintage Tbird owners claim the VP is more comparable to the 1960’s Tbird sound than any other Gibson or Epiphone Tbird released to date.

I'm not 100% sure the first year of production, I know they were in production by 2017, maybe as early as 2016? Don't remember seeing a 2015.....
Afaik, all the VPs have been made in Indonesia, as well as the Classic Pros, and most of the Pro 4/5 basses (my Pro 5 is a first-year 2009 made in China, the later years were Indonesia).
The tuners have changed, maybe 2018-ish? from a large mount-plate to a smaller mount-plate (maybe other differences?), but I think both versions were Wilkerson.
Of course, as with most things Gibson/Epiphone variations probably exist.......

I think the VP release was very early 2017 near January IIRC.