Thunderbird Club

[godofthunder59]

Aside from playing them in the bass they came in for a couple minutes to be sure they worked, I essentially didn’t even use them. They came in my white ‘03 Gibson ‘bird, and I immediately put in a set of Novak Thunderbird pickups, double sick taped some rings and switched the black bridge with nickel Babicz, and black tuners with nickel Hipshot mini clovers.

From this:
View attachment 5338185 View attachment 5338187


to this:
View attachment 5338191 View attachment 5338193

Looks better already, I'm sure it sounds better as well!

 

[JJR58]

Just getting over a 'bug' that kicked my @$$ for a few days. I'm s'posed to be doing something but I can't remember what so I'm going back to bed. WFIT(Well, eff it then).

Ugh! Rest up Mike.

 

[dagrev]

Just getting over a 'bug' that kicked my @$$ for a few days. I'm s'posed to be doing something but I can't remember what so I'm going back to bed. WFIT(Well, eff it then).

Hope you get to feeling better. Peanut Butter Whiskey as a remedy? That kind of thing always seemed to work with on doctor. Might not "work," but might make you feel less bad....

*Preempting the caution from my resident attorney, this is not sound medical advice.

 

[godofthunder59]

My bird brethren, I would like to take a informal pole. How many of you would be interested in a Overend Watts signature Thunderbird II? Imho a Epiphone 60s Thunderbird would make the perfect starting point and from a manufacturing standpoint a very easy process aside from getting Pete's estate on board.
Please keep it to yes or no, not I'd rather see so and so get a signature bass as I hope to use this to make my case with my friends at Gibson.

 

[saltymonkey]

YES!

 

[JJR58]

My bird brethren, I would like to take a informal pole. How many of you would be interested in a Overend Watts signature Thunderbird II? Imho a Epiphone 60s Thunderbird would make the perfect starting point and from a manufacturing standpoint a very easy process aside from getting Pete's estate on board.
Please keep it to yes or no, not I'd rather see so and so get a signature bass as I hope to use this to make my case with my friends at Gibson.

Yes.

 

[ectoflanger]

Good morning and happy Friday to my Thunderbird loving sisters and brothers. Insanely long week here and I am grateful for Friday to arrive. A great many changes at work with a transition/promotion coming ever so slowly. I have been toying with the idea of a new bass or piece of gear to celebrate. In the back of my mind I have always secretly liked Flying Vs, practicality be damned. I recall reading something from Gibson about some in the works, when they first announced the Gene Simmons birds. I have never read or seen anything about them since. I came across these two old photos, maybe Jack is playing a Guild, it is hard to tell. Curious if anyone has heard anything about a new run of them from Gibson or Epiphone? Will they all be short scale?
I hope you all have a good day and a relaxing weekend.
Cheers.

I was jonesing for a Flying V bass over the holidays but bought my first Thunderbird instead-

Gibson made the first run of Flying V basses in the early-mid 80's and any of them from that era are rather pricey. Don't know of any new Gibsons on the horizon other than a possible Gene Simmons model.

However, Ibanez made some 'lawsuit series' Rocket Roll Flying V basses in the mid-70's. There were a couple for sell on Reverb back in December but they've since sold. The 1973 model had a bolt on neck with an EB3 pickup setup and the 1977 model had a set neck, clear finish korina body, and a P/J pickup setup.

If I remember correctly one sold for around 1800 and the other for around 2 grand USD-

 

[Stealth57]

My bird brethren, I would like to take a informal pole. How many of you would be interested in a Overend Watts signature Thunderbird II? Imho a Epiphone 60s Thunderbird would make the perfect starting point and from a manufacturing standpoint a very easy process aside from getting Pete's estate on board.
Please keep it to yes or no, not I'd rather see so and so get a signature bass as I hope to use this to make my case with my friends at Gibson.

Yes, pending pricing.

 

[Ringhammer]

Looks better already, I'm sure it sounds better as well!

Definitely sounds better. It’s the only ‘bird I have flats on, EBCF’s, and I’m not sure that’s the best string choice on this one. Always seeking the elusive “perfect tone”. And not just one perfect tone, it’s a matter of seeking the perfect tone, times the number of instruments you have (and then times the number of amps, oh it never ends). Such a first world problem…

 

[Bent77]

Yes, pending pricing.

Yes, same

 

[BklynKen]

no, those things have no idea if they’re left-handed or backwards or upside down. Unless you’re in the southern hemisphere than Coriolis effect.

I'm thinking more the angle of the pickups. I wouldn't think only one side being able to tilt would make it symmetrical, so I figured that would have more of an effect on the strings on that side. The low strings are on that side on a right-handed bass, where it's the high strings on a left-handed.

 

[Bent77]

I'm thinking more the angle of the pickups. I wouldn't think only one side being able to tilt would make it symmetrical, so I figured that would have more of an effect on the strings on that side. The low strings are on that side on a right-handed bass, where it's the high strings on a left-handed.

I’m thinking that you can get them where you want, just some time with the little screw driver. You may have to take or loosen two screws on the same side a little more to get it to sit exactly flat but otherwise I think it will be just fine.

 

[WillyW]

My bird brethren, I would like to take a informal pole. How many of you would be interested in a Overend Watts signature Thunderbird II? Imho a Epiphone 60s Thunderbird would make the perfect starting point and from a manufacturing standpoint a very easy process aside from getting Pete's estate on board.
Please keep it to yes or no, not I'd rather see so and so get a signature bass as I hope to use this to make my case with my friends at Gibson.

YES!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Definitely sounds better. It’s the only ‘bird I have flats on, EBCF’s, and I’m not sure that’s the best string choice on this one. Always seeking the elusive “perfect tone”. And not just one perfect tone, it’s a matter of seeking the perfect tone, times the number of instruments you have (and then times the number of amps, oh it never ends). Such a first world problem…

yeah but somebody has to have it….

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Don’t know what Epiphone called it other then their version of some sort of burst.

out of the park on this one….”bourbon burst”….

 

[JJR58]

out of the park on this one….”bourbon burst”….
View attachment 5338285

Absolutely love it!

 

[WillyW]

 

[SubHuman]

My bird brethren, I would like to take a informal pole. How many of you would be interested in a Overend Watts signature Thunderbird II? Imho a Epiphone 60s Thunderbird would make the perfect starting point and from a manufacturing standpoint a very easy process aside from getting Pete's estate on board.
Please keep it to yes or no, not I'd rather see so and so get a signature bass as I hope to use this to make my case with my friends at Gibson.

YES!

 

[ectoflanger]

My brother had a Triumph 650 and a BSA, both choppers.

I had a guitarist friend from England who was also a bike aficionado. I remember him mentioning not only the BSA but another bike hadn't heard of- a Matchless.

 

[ectoflanger]

Here's a cool example of how the bass can drive a song-