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Thunderbird Club

#254,724
MCF said:
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.
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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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I don't remember what I got mine for. It was used, and I may have got it in late 2015 or early 2016. I paid more than the GC deals back then, but not much more, delivered. The guy I got it from said he liked it, but it wasn't his thing. It clearly identified him as a non-Bird person. It was luck to have stumbled across it at just the right time, whether they become collectible or not.
 
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#254,726
RedVee said:
light switches are another thing the US does differently to us. Here you switch it down for on, up for off.
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That's perfectly reasonable. The switches are the correct orientation, it's everything else that's upside down.
 

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#254,730
MCF said:
Your joking. Right Geoff?
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About the temps? No complete brain fade. TBF though it was 1972 when we ditched Fahrenheit, and I see 0c much more often than 100c (never).

Re the light switches, no joke. I only learned you guys do it the other way from a YouTube by a young American couple pointing out what was different here. They also mentioned that it was odd to them that we have switches on our wall power sockets (for appliances etc).
I assume it is British Commonwealth thing. I guess Canada would do it the US way because of proximity. Guess.

587460AC-3D6E-4D48-BD12-67BF5B624A14.jpeg D950C5D2-96E6-46B7-8330-ED1848DC0D79.jpeg


which way do you click toggle switches in old MGs Triumphs Jags?


KaraQ said:
I only remember because all the metric stuffs is multiples of 10, yes?
But I wasn't sure about the boiling for Fahrenheit.....I guess I could've asked Alexa :bag:
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:laugh: I remembered 100 to boil but just assumed it was the other method I guess. What a maroon! :laugh:
 
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#254,731
RedVee said:
Re the light switches, no joke. I only learned you guys do it the other way from a YouTube by a young American couple pointing out what was different here. They also mentioned that it was odd to them that we have switches on our wall power sockets (for appliances etc).
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Same switch configuration in India and Sri Lanka.
 
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#254,733
MCF said:
And it started me down this crazy road and getting to know all of you. Who knew when I walked into GC that day thinking I was finally going to buy a Thunderbird (I saw it a few days before when it first came in and was priced at $1099 instead of $999) after wanting one for 45 years.
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Think how excited you'll be when that 1964, or 1976 Thunderbird finds you.
 
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#254,736
MCF said:
Anyone looking for a budget hard case that will fit Gibson Reverses and Epi IVs, Pros, and Classic Pros? Gator has B stock of their wooden Thunderbird case available for $99. These will not fit non-reverses or the Epi Vintage Pro/60s.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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I have one that came with my IV. It’s tougher than the Epi case.
 
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#254,739
I think it's maybe been touched on before, but how does the 2015 Thunderbird sound different from the EB bass with the same pickups? I know there was some lamenting in some places that the EBs were pretty bright to the point of it not being a good thing for some. I know there is no switches for added flexibility, but seems they should sound pretty similar, but maybe they don't at all.
 
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#254,740
dagrev said:
I think it's maybe been touched on before, but how does the 2015 Thunderbird sound different from the EB bass with the same pickups? I know there was some lamenting in some places that the EBs were pretty bright to the point of it not being a good thing for some. I know there is no switches for added flexibility, but seems they should sound pretty similar, but maybe they don't at all.
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George has a 5 string EB and a ‘15. He is best suited to answer this re the sound. The ‘15 Thunderbird is bright if I want it to be. The bridge pickup is very hot. The tap switches on the EB are volume push/pull pots. The micro switches on the Thunderbird are likely due to the thinner body.
 
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