Thunderbird Club

[JJR58]

Marshall?

 

[BklynKen]

Is that Eastern Standard time or Pacific time?

Kelvin.

 

[JJR58]

Kelvin.

Classic!!!!!!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

BaCH noodling, you say?

more to come…… now we have Red/White/Blue BaCHs….

 

[JJR58]

more to come…… now we have Red/White/Blue BaCHs….
View attachment 5215640

Wow!!!! Freakin in love!

 

[GBassNorth]

more to come…… now we have Red/White/Blue BaCHs….
View attachment 5215640

Scrumptious!

 

[JIO]

She’s so sparkly! Must be Glitter Tuesday…
View attachment 5215589

Purple & green go well together!

 

[TBird1958]

more to come…… now we have Red/White/Blue BaCHs….
View attachment 5215640

This is the one that's coming to stay with me in Seattle, yes?

 

[dagrev]

Here's an interesting nitro vs. poly experiment.

Cool. What I watched was interesting.

 

[dagrev]

more to come…… now we have Red/White/Blue BaCHs….
View attachment 5215640

Fantastic!

 

[TBird1958]

She’s so sparkly! Must be Glitter Tuesday…
View attachment 5215589

I do like the sequins.........

 

[JIO]

Is that Eastern Standard time or Pacific time?
I think Chuck was already off to his other appointment by 11:45 pacific time.
If so, it might have been Miles on Eric’s Burns Bass.

? My red Vista Sonic is sitting next to my Godjira Fenderbird.

 

[Gaolee]

Hello TB Thunderbird folks, I'd like to join your club and am looking for any tips/things to look out for when buying a Gibson Thunderbird. I've dug through a fair amount of posts here to get some info but thought I may as well ask for help more directly. If there is a previous thread that acts as an idiot's guide to picking a TBird then would love a link to it.

I want to gig with this bass so probably steering clear of anything too vintage, important or fragile. I am hoping to get some growl, and a fast-ish neck, I think I can sort out any output problems easily with preamps etc... I feel there's a lot of discussion about upgraded bridges and pup configurations and am also interested to find out if the bolt on versus thru neck makes much difference. Also...do they fit into gig bags?

Thank you!

It has probably already been answered, but we don't mind redundancy around here.

Bolt-on necks are only entry level Epiphones. They are fine bass guitars and good on their own terms. They are not Gibsons. Their necks can be chunky or not, depending on when and where they were made.

There are several varieties of Epiphones. The only active ones are Pro IV and Pro V (five string). They are fine as instruments, although I hated the frets and electronics on the one I have. It's now fretless and passive. Other varieties are neck-through and have Gibson or Gibson-like pickups, depending on which one. Vintage Pro and 60s models are reputed to be the closest to original Thunderbirds as any made these days. I had one and didn't like it as much, but that's my personal blasphemy. I may not have given it enough time.

I currently have a '91 that's been refinished and modified, a mostly stock '01, and a nearly bone stock '15. All Gibson. I can't tell you which one is better, although there's just something about the '01 as far as I'm concerned. I play the '91 all the time. They have been plenty durable for me over the last however long. Famous last words - have have not had a headstock problem of any kind. They also balance well for me and are no problem to play in a lot of different styles. So much for all the stereotypes that we make fun of around here.

Then you can get into the Non Reverse versions. My other personal blasphemy is that I don't much care for NRs and don't want one at all. The main thing is that you try them out. If one chooses you, you will know that you are a Thunderbird player and won't be satisfied with not having and playing one. That's what happened to all of us, even those of us who still play other bass guitars.

If nobody has mentioned it yet, we don't use the search function around here. Answering questions gives us an excuse to talk about Thunderbirds.

I hope that helps, and good luck with your search. You are on your way to being chosen by a Thunderbird because you are open to having that happen.

 

[Gaolee]

Wait, what?! If I'd have enabled, the NR would be undergoing some irreversible surgery.

Nah, if we enabled you, that's what would be happening. Not that we mind that kind of thing.

 

[ThaCoast]

I wonder what's the point of selling black nickel rings, then.

They did tell me the only had 4 of the black nickel rings and I bought all of them. I wonder if they will re-stock?

As noted prior, probably exhausting inventory. Where just plain nickel & gold may be easier to come by/manufacture (higher demand).

Gray day here, I'm doggy tired from work and rehearsals, I'll be glad when November rolls around.

This, your green Jackson bird, & i believe the refin purple/tiger striped bird are hands down my favourite of yours! Simply stunning my Queen

 

[GBassNorth]

? My red Vista Sonic is sitting next to my Godjira Fenderbird.

This one?

 

[Stealth57]

It has probably already been answered, but we don't mind redundancy around here.

Bolt-on necks are only entry level Epiphones. They are fine bass guitars and good on their own terms. They are not Gibsons. Their necks can be chunky or not, depending on when and where they were made.

There are several varieties of Epiphones. The only active ones are Pro IV and Pro V (five string). They are fine as instruments, although I hated the frets and electronics on the one I have. It's now fretless and passive. Other varieties are neck-through and have Gibson or Gibson-like pickups, depending on which one. Vintage Pro and 60s models are reputed to be the closest to original Thunderbirds as any made these days. I had one and didn't like it as much, but that's my personal blasphemy. I may not have given it enough time.

I currently have a '91 that's been refinished and modified, a mostly stock '01, and a nearly bone stock '15. All Gibson. I can't tell you which one is better, although there's just something about the '01 as far as I'm concerned. I play the '91 all the time. They have been plenty durable for me over the last however long. Famous last words - have have not had a headstock problem of any kind. They also balance well for me and are no problem to play in a lot of different styles. So much for all the stereotypes that we make fun of around here.

Then you can get into the Non Reverse versions. My other personal blasphemy is that I don't much care for NRs and don't want one at all. The main thing is that you try them out. If one chooses you, you will know that you are a Thunderbird player and won't be satisfied with not having and playing one. That's what happened to all of us, even those of us who still play other bass guitars.

If nobody has mentioned it yet, we don't use the search function around here. Answering questions gives us an excuse to talk about Thunderbirds.

I hope that helps, and good luck with your search. You are on your way to being chosen by a Thunderbird because you are open to having that happen.

Custom shop is bolt on.

 

[GBassNorth]

Custom shop is bolt on.

…and might I add, has a serious kick a$$ set of pickups. They don’t do bright and glassy, but I was shocked at how well they did deep and sassy! I thought I was relatively GAS free but after trying Marshall’s Custom Shop (white Tbird with the black trim ring chrome guitar pickups) I’m pretty much sold. At the right time one of these and one of the new Rex Tbirds will join the flock here at the GBass household.

 

[Stealth57]

…and might I add, has a serious kick a$$ set of pickups. They don’t do bright and glassy, but I was shocked at how well they did deep and sassy! I thought I was relatively GAS free but after trying Marshall’s Custom Shop (white Tbird with the black trim ring chrome guitar pickups) I’m pretty much sold. At the right time one of these and one of the new Rex Tbirds will join the flock here at the GBass household.

My surprise as well. Of course, Marshall was the enabler.

 

[PhR75]

Anybody here using a DOD 250? Just bought a clone or a version of it called ODD Overdrive Preamp 471. I use it as a booster to drive the always-on Digitech Tone Driver which provides my basic "lightly dirty" tone. On it's own the ODD sounds a bit too harsh to my liking but stacked with the Tone Driver it works very well.