That’s what I assumed. Just making sure. Thanks Dave.
What day are you thinking you’ll pick up the ‘15? I’m probably more excited than you are…
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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What day are you thinking you’ll pick up the ‘15? I’m probably more excited than you are…
It is supposed to arrive at the local GC on Monday. I'll unbox there for a thorough inspection. I'll bring an Epi case to make sure it all fits. I read a TB post that said the 2015 list price was close to $2,600.
With the coil taps, I assume with the toggle in the up position you have the humbuckers and in the down position, you have single coil???
Tempted. Very tempted. But I promised myself to get the BaCH pickup replaced and the TV Silver lower bout gouge repaired before I get another Thunderbird. And there’s the Master Effects Super 800 to get as well…
The list was about $2400. Gibson closed and sold a warehouse in Nashville in 2015 in an attempt to generate some cash to stave off bankruptcy (Chapter 11 happened in 2018 anyway). Gibson arranged to liquidate the warehouse inventory through GC. During the second and third weeks of October, GC had amazing prices on Gibson Guitars and basses. That included some new Les Pauls and new ‘13, ‘14, and ‘15 Thunderbirds along with other guitars. See my receipt from 10/24/15. A day that is one of the happiest days of my music life.
You could get a ‘15 for around $1200 or so during 2016 as some of them got flipped. But the prices went up and hovered around $1500 or thereabouts until 2020 when they became scarcer and started going for close to 2k or more. Yours at $1450 with only a mark on the headstock (mine has one from a ceiling fan) is a great deal. And it will be more collectible as the years go by.
The switches work like a light switch. Down is off, up is on. Both down is full humbucking mode.
I think you will really enjoy it. I know you like flats, but think about trying stainless rounds on it to bring out all the tone from those pickups.
Edit: The list was $2599.00.
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My first was USS Yorktown, now a museum in Charleston, SC.
That Rex Brown really checks all the right boxes for me, and that price is approaching used pricing. Unfortunately right now isn’t a good time to bite on that hook. Maybe another day.
Gibson Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird Electric Bass Guitar - Ebony
Headstock side of the 12th fret wire so you can hook a tape measure on it.
The center of the fret would be most accurate and take various fret wire sizes out of the equation. (too detailed....I know
)I am planning on taking traces and measurements from a number of basses at the GTG.
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The problem you’ll run into measuring from the bridge side of the 12th fret wire is that some people will be using a tape measure. If you bump the hook end (dumb end) of the tape measure up against the fret you’ll need to add as much as 1/8th of an inch to the measurement because the tape measure is in compression not tension.
Were you a pilot or an airdale?
From a practical engineering sense, the pickup location measurements in the sticky should be used for general reference only and not actual design or construction. The measurements were taken by different people and using different measuring devices with no general protocol to follow. I personally wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see an accuracy of +/- 1/8” on a good portion of the data. As it stands, there’s no way you could reliably use the existing data to route pickup locations in a pickguard or body.The center of the fret would be most accurate and take various fret wire sizes out of the equation. (too detailed....I know
I am planning on taking traces and measurements from a number of basses at the GTG.
What you’re planning on doing at the GTG is the right way to do it. Write a measurement protocol, and have as much of the data gathered by one person using the same measuring device as possible.
Centerline of 12fret wire to actual measured centerline of the pickup (not eyeballed as most of the data currently is) is the way to go. And if you’re going so far as to measure from the centerline of the fret wire for maximum accuracy you should also actually measure to the dead center of the pickup (as measured with a micrometer). That would minimize any perpendicularity error that would be more pronounced at either end of the pickup.
I put the ones listed there in year order, maybe easier to compare? But there are some inconsistencies.....
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1964 Gibson IV : 10 13/16”, 14 ¼”
1964 Gibson Tbird : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1964 Epiphone Embassy : 10 ¾” 14” (!)
196? Gibson NR : 10-11/16”, 14-3/16”
1976 Gibson Bicentennial : 10 9/16” 14 ¼”
1977 Greco II : 11” (note 33.5” scale)
1988 Greco TB-70 : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1988 Greco TB-70 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
1990 Greco IV : 10-7/8”, 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
2006 Gibson IV : 10 ¼”, 14 3/8”
2011 Gibson Tbird : 10 1/8”, 14 ½”
2012 Epiphone IV: 10 11/16, 14 ½
2013 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-5/8”
2013 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 5/8”
2013 Epiphone CP : 10 15/16”, 14 ¾”
2014 Epiphone CP 10 1/8” 14 7/16”
2014 Epiphone CP : 10 1/8”, 14 7/16”
2015 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2015 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2017 Epiphone VP 10 7/8” 14 ¾”
2017 Epiphone VP : 11”, 14-7/8”
2018 Epiphone IV : 10 ¾”, 14 5/16”
2019 Epiphone CP : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2019 Epiphone CP: 10 3/16, 14 7/16
2019 Epiphone CP 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2019 Epiphone VP: 10 15/16, 14 13/16
2022 Epiphone VP 10 ¾” 14 5/8”
???? Epiphone VP : 10 13/16” 14 11/16”
???? BaCH II : 10-5/8”
???? Epiphone Goth (Korean) : 10-3/4”, 14-5/8”
???? Epiphone IV (MIC) 10 7/8” 14 9/16”
???? Spector Rex5 Pro : 12-3/8”, 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)
1964 Gibson Tbird : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1964 Epiphone Embassy : 10 ¾” 14” (!)
196? Gibson NR : 10-11/16”, 14-3/16”
1976 Gibson Bicentennial : 10 9/16” 14 ¼”
1977 Greco II : 11” (note 33.5” scale)
1988 Greco TB-70 : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1988 Greco TB-70 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
1990 Greco IV : 10-7/8”, 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
2006 Gibson IV : 10 ¼”, 14 3/8”
2011 Gibson Tbird : 10 1/8”, 14 ½”
2012 Epiphone IV: 10 11/16, 14 ½
2013 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-5/8”
2013 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 5/8”
2013 Epiphone CP : 10 15/16”, 14 ¾”
2014 Epiphone CP 10 1/8” 14 7/16”
2014 Epiphone CP : 10 1/8”, 14 7/16”
2015 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2015 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2017 Epiphone VP 10 7/8” 14 ¾”
2017 Epiphone VP : 11”, 14-7/8”
2018 Epiphone IV : 10 ¾”, 14 5/16”
2019 Epiphone CP : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2019 Epiphone CP: 10 3/16, 14 7/16
2019 Epiphone CP 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2019 Epiphone VP: 10 15/16, 14 13/16
2022 Epiphone VP 10 ¾” 14 5/8”
???? Epiphone VP : 10 13/16” 14 11/16”
???? BaCH II : 10-5/8”
???? Epiphone Goth (Korean) : 10-3/4”, 14-5/8”
???? Epiphone IV (MIC) 10 7/8” 14 9/16”
???? Spector Rex5 Pro : 12-3/8”, 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)
________________
And how different is that than if you measure a different way?
I moved to the center of the fretboard to try and center a little better.....the way the hook is on this particular tape measure, it puts the beginning of the measuring portion near the center of the fretwire, it looks like?
.....and it turns out, using a straight-edge that's metal/magnetic is an issue if you need to not hold it
, so I found a non-magnetic solution 
Still not perfectly precise, but looks like 11" for the neck p/u, and 14 13/16" for the bridge p/u?
Great to know Irv! I want to commission you to do a black pickguard with a chrome Thunderbird logo for my Epi Silverburst and a matching TR cover with a chrome Epi logo. I’ll bring it.The center of the fret would be most accurate and take various fret wire sizes out of the equation. (too detailed....I know
I am planning on taking traces and measurements from a number of basses at the GTG.
I remeasured my 2018 IV and it matched my previous measurement of 10 3/4"/14 11/16". Same with the 2014 CP at 10 1/8"/14 7/16". My 2021 VP is 10 15/16"/14 3/4", which is supposed to be close to the 60s Gibson but the bridge pickup is a good 3/8" - 1/2" closer to the bridge. A new measurement on Marshall's 2005 Gibson Studio is 10 1/2"/14 1/2".I put the ones listed there in year order, maybe easier to compare? But there are some inconsistencies.....
________________
1964 Gibson IV : 10 13/16”, 14 ¼”
1964 Gibson Tbird : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1964 Epiphone Embassy : 10 ¾” 14” (!)
196? Gibson NR : 10-11/16”, 14-3/16”
1976 Gibson Bicentennial : 10 9/16” 14 ¼”
1977 Greco II : 11” (note 33.5” scale)
1988 Greco TB-70 : 10-7/8”, 14-3/8”
1988 Greco TB-70 10-7/8” and 14-3/8”
1990 Greco IV : 10-7/8”, 14-1/8” (note 33.5” scale)
2006 Gibson IV : 10 ¼”, 14 3/8”
2011 Gibson Tbird : 10 1/8”, 14 ½”
2012 Epiphone IV: 10 11/16, 14 ½
2013 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-5/8”
2013 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 5/8”
2013 Epiphone CP : 10 15/16”, 14 ¾”
2014 Epiphone CP 10 1/8” 14 7/16”
2014 Epiphone CP : 10 1/8”, 14 7/16”
2015 Gibson Tbird : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2015 Gibson Tbird 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2017 Epiphone VP 10 7/8” 14 ¾”
2017 Epiphone VP : 11”, 14-7/8”
2018 Epiphone IV : 10 ¾”, 14 5/16”
2019 Epiphone CP : 10-1/4”, 14-1/2”
2019 Epiphone CP: 10 3/16, 14 7/16
2019 Epiphone CP 10 ¼” 14 ½”
2019 Epiphone VP: 10 15/16, 14 13/16
2022 Epiphone VP 10 ¾” 14 5/8”
???? Epiphone VP : 10 13/16” 14 11/16”
???? BaCH II : 10-5/8”
???? Epiphone Goth (Korean) : 10-3/4”, 14-5/8”
???? Epiphone IV (MIC) 10 7/8” 14 9/16”
???? Spector Rex5 Pro : 12-3/8”, 15-3/8” (note 35” scale)
________________
