Thunderbird Club

[Bent77]

Ugh. The new Epiphone 60's Thunderbirds are made in China.

My EB-3L is made in china. It’s a very good bass

 

[godofthunder59]

My EB-3L is made in china. It’s a very good bass

No doubt. Personally I think the MIC stuff is well made, the MIC Jack Casady is great. I was told point of manufacture wasn't going to change, so Gibson wasn't particularly forthcoming with me. Also I have to sell this stuff, I can't tell you how often customers walk away from Made in China.

 

[dagrev]

Ugh. The new Epiphone 60's Thunderbirds are made in China. I guess I should clarify. Epiphone's China facility puts out a good product, I'm not complaining about that. I was told production wasn't shifting and that they would continue to be built in Indonesia, so that's what I have been telling people. Also I have to sell this stuf and MIC makes a difference to a lot of customers, they won't touch it.

I avoid if at all possible and not so much to do with quality. They dump so many counterfeit items you wonder when you buy a name brand if it's even the real name brand or not.

 

[Bent77]

No doubt. Personally I think the MIC stuff is well made, the MIC Jack Casady is great. I was told point of manufacture wasn't going to change, so Gibson wasn't particularly forthcoming with me. Also I have to sell this stuff, I can't tell you how often customers walk away from Made in China.

Probably the same customers that refuse to pay more for the American version

 

[MCF]

Ugh. The new Epiphone 60's Thunderbirds are made in China. I guess I should clarify. Epiphone's China facility puts out a good product, I'm not complaining about that. I was told production wasn't shifting and that they would continue to be built in Indonesia, so that's what I have been telling people. Also I have to sell this stuf and MIC makes a difference to a lot of customers, they won't touch it.

As they look up prices on their MIC phones to haggle with you.

 

[Bent77]

As they look up prices on their MIC phones to haggle with you.

No doubt

 

[Bent77]

I avoid if at all possible and not so much to do with quality. They dump so many counterfeit items you wonder when you buy a name brand if it's even the real name brand or not.

In store I wouldn’t be too worried. Ali express? Forget about it

 

[BklynKen]

I recommend considering a Rickenbacker 4003s/5. Pretty close string spacing, nice neck profile (to me anyway) and really good sounding bass. I took off the strings it came with new and put a set of Cobalt Rounds on it and it really gave me the sound I was hoping for. I had intended on putting a set of Cobalt Flats on it, but made a mistake when ordering, and didn’t notice until I final got around to putting them on. Happy accident.

Please keep us updated on how these age for you. I've been curious about the, but also hear that they can get rusty or something after a while. No personal experience, though. They're A LOT more expensive than my SITs.

 

[_Tay_]

Please keep us updated on how these age for you. I've been curious about the, but also hear that they can get rusty or something after a while. No personal experience, though. They're A LOT more expensive than my SITs.

I used to use Cobalt flats and they are a great bright sounding flat. Rust got em in the end! Though i do have very corrosive sweat it seems..

 

[JJR58]

I used to use Cobalt flats and they are a great bright sounding flat. Rust got em in the end! Though i do have very corrosive sweat it seems..

I’ve personally never had a single rust issue in all the years I’ve been using them.
Except once, and was not a result of the strings, but when my alien sweat was in full bloom, that was many moons ago.

 

[dagrev]

As they look up prices on their MIC phones to haggle with you.

My Samsung is not made there. Vietnam it seems, which seems a little better, and a reason I keep going back to them. I know, the parts likely come from the lowest bidder. And, some countries have several clever ways of keeping product prices artificially down. I will gladly pay some degree of a higher price if made here or other friendly places. That's just me.

 

[dagrev]

In store I wouldn’t be too worried. Ali express? Forget about it

Most likely. I don't know why, but customs busts huge counterfeit shipments in Northern Kentucky and here. As in truck loads of name brand clothing, jewelry, auto parts (spark plugs seem to be a popular item to fake), you name it. They never say where they were intended to be shipped to (Earl's Alley Discount or a legit store). Part of the investigation aspect I suppose. But these people are not getting a van load but loads the size of tractor trailers of fake items.

 

[Ringhammer]

Word is the cobalt rounds will eat frets faster than Willy.

I don’t play it enough that I will probably notice. It has its uses, but considering all the other lower tunings I use, including a whole step drop on each, I got the lows covered. I will be trying a doubling trick in a song were about to record playing a part of the repeating progression in a full octave lower, and mixing it in just enough to notice, kind of a manual octaver.

So how is the neck on those 4003s/5’s? I had a German Warwick 6 and you could park a ford ltd widthwise on that shager, and I hated it.

I have tried and owned, briefly, a few 5’s, and all of them were just too wide. The neck is also pretty flat on the back side of my 4003s/5, which I also found I like a lot. Mine’s from 2019.

Another thing about the other fives I had, an ESP LTD and a really cool looking Ibanez BTB, both neck through, is, to me, they just didn’t sound good. In all cases they were with some modern pickups with active electronics and just didn’t do it for me. The Ric, with the weird Doritos chip pickups comes really close to sounding like a classic 4003.

Please keep us updated on how these age for you. I've been curious about the, but also hear that they can get rusty or something after a while. No personal experience, though. They're A LOT more expensive than my SITs.

I haven’t used them on anything else, but as far as the set on the 5, it’s hanging in my living room and gets played from time to time. After a couple years they still sound good.

 

[Hondapunk]

Most likely. I don't know why, but customs busts huge counterfeit shipments in Northern Kentucky and here. As in truck loads of name brand clothing, jewelry, auto parts (spark plugs seem to be a popular item to fake), you name it. They never say where they were intended to be shipped to (Earl's Alley Discount or a legit store). Part of the investigation aspect I suppose. But these people are not getting a van load but loads the size of tractor trailers of fake items.

Which start as Shiploads of counterfeit items

 

[WillyW]

I have tried and owned, briefly, a few 5’s, and all of them were just too wide. The neck is also pretty flat on the back side of my 4003s/5, which I also found I like a lot. Mine’s from 2019.

Another thing about the other fives I had, an ESP LTD and a really cool looking Ibanez BTB, both neck through, is, to me, they just didn’t sound good. In all cases they were with some modern pickups with active electronics and just didn’t do it for me. The Ric, with the weird Doritos chip pickups comes really close to sounding like a classic 4003.

Thanks,

I'm definitely going to have to find one to try before I buy one.

The Epiphone Pro V I think I would buy without trying.

not that I'm in a hurry to get into 5'er land

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Probably the same customers that refuse to pay more for the American version

wonder if it’s not more for geopolitical (China +1) issues than quality ones….

 

[dagrev]

You want Batwings? Get a big one.

 

[WillyW]

You want Batwings? Get a big one.
View attachment 5358262

Love the bass, hate those batwing headstocks!

I have 2 of the new Embassy basses AND the Epiphone Wilshire, Crestwood, and Coronet.... I would not have gotten them if they brought back the batwing!

I think If I hadn't gotten 2 of the Embassy basses I may have gotten a Newport 30" scale. even thought I don't need any of them....

 

[WillyW]

I don’t play it enough that I will probably notice. It has its uses, but considering all the other lower tunings I use, including a whole step drop on each, I got the lows covered. I will be trying a doubling trick in a song were about to record playing a part of the repeating progression in a full octave lower, and mixing it in just enough to notice, kind of a manual octaver.





I have tried and owned, briefly, a few 5’s, and all of them were just too wide. The neck is also pretty flat on the back side of my 4003s/5, which I also found I like a lot. Mine’s from 2019.

Another thing about the other fives I had, an ESP LTD and a really cool looking Ibanez BTB, both neck through, is, to me, they just didn’t sound good. In all cases they were with some modern pickups with active electronics and just didn’t do it for me. The Ric, with the weird Doritos chip pickups comes really close to sounding like a classic 4003.



I haven’t used them on anything else, but as far as the set on the 5, it’s hanging in my living room and gets played from time to time. After a couple years they still sound good.

Thanks,

I'm definitely going to have to find one to try before I buy one.

The Epiphone Pro V I think I would buy without trying.

not that I'm in a hurry to get into 5'er land

I do like this lobster guy, if you like his assessment or not he's honest about what the thinks.

 

[dagrev]

Love the bass, hate those batwing headstocks!

I have 2 of the new Embassy basses AND the Epiphone Wilshire, Crestwood, and Coronet.... I would not have gotten them if they brought back the batwing!

I think If I hadn't gotten 2 of the Embassy basses I may have gotten a Newport 30" scale. even thought I don't need any of them....

I think the whole bass is something of an acquired taste. They are Olympic class neck-divers, but the neck feels as great (same), as my '64 Thunderbird.