Thunderbird Club

[smatanovic]

It's a great question - We encourage that here
It's the spark of a good conversation, there are many different Thunderbirds out there.

Awesome, thanks. Looking for a reverse t bird, love me some Simon Gallup and the occasional Krist Novocelic. Im relatively new to the instrument (about a year) having picked it up at age 49 so that I could play with my daughter who is a guitarist. I do not play out, merely at home for my own enjoyment.

 

[Engle]

I’m not sure that I have the stomach to go through 14,000+ pages, but as I’m considering a Thunderbird, are there any post or posts that the club can point to when debating the merits of the through-neck versions versus the bolt on?

I’m coming from the world of bolt on neck, fenders, if that context is useful.

As far as Epiphones: The bolt on versions are pretty good value, but the neck though Vintage Pro/60's are nicer with better pickups/hardware.
I suggest playing them in store if you can. The ergonomics are different than a Fender.

 

[TBird1958]

Awesome, thanks. Looking for a reverse t bird, love me some Simon Gallup and the occasional Krist Novocelic. Im relatively new to the instrument (about a year) having picked it up at age 49 so that I could play with my daughter who is a guitarist. I do not play out, merely at home for my own enjoyment.

It's hard not to recommend an Epiphone '64 or Vintage Pro Thunderbird, they are neck through, have a warm growly pickup and are neck through. They do "play" a bit differently if you're accustomed to Fenders, they are comfortable when you're seated.
Thunderbird '64 Bass Guitar - Ember Red - Sweetwater

 

[Rickplaysbass]

I’m not sure that I have the stomach to go through 14,000+ pages, but as I’m considering a Thunderbird, are there any post or posts that the club can point to when debating the merits of the through-neck versions versus the bolt on?

I’m coming from the world of bolt on neck, fenders, if that context is useful.

Seriously.... Don't try going through our pages. I swear we talk about thunderbirds, but if you read through the pages.... Wheeeeewwwww, the topics...

 

[BklynKen]

Awesome, thanks. Looking for a reverse t bird, love me some Simon Gallup and the occasional Krist Novocelic. Im relatively new to the instrument (about a year) having picked it up at age 49 so that I could play with my daughter who is a guitarist. I do not play out, merely at home for my own enjoyment.

Excellent to hear. And maybe after getting your Thunderbird you'll be inspired to play out. Lots of us older than you do.

 

[Engle]

Awesome, thanks. Looking for a reverse t bird, love me some Simon Gallup and the occasional Krist Novocelic. Im relatively new to the instrument (about a year) having picked it up at age 49 so that I could play with my daughter who is a guitarist. I do not play out, merely at home for my own enjoyment.

Playing with your daughter is wonderful. I do that every chance I get! My daughter is a bassist (orchestral), so I have recruited her for bg vocals and percussion in my cover band.

 

[GBassNorth]

Somebody needs to buy this bass. The seller dropped the price again.
Cataldo G8R 4 String Electric Bass 2010s - Green Nitro | Reverb

Was looking at that one, but I’ve just bought three other basses in the last week, so I’m gonna hold off for now.

AC/DC with a '77.....Sheesh, 16 years ago!

Possibly my favorite out of all your band videos! All are great, this one is epic!

Nice. Though recently my head has been turned by a baby or sonic blue Bach.
BTW Aussie country singer Troy Cassar Daley named his EH Holden Daphne because it’s a solid mid blue.

I know the feeling. Unfortunately, I won’t know for another week or so if I got scammed on the blue BaCH IV I purchased last week.

Anyone else having issues with Fret Nation? Delivery has always been fast from Jason but my last two orders haven't shown up. I had to cancel a Roto 88 medium scale set after 2 months of waiting and have been waiting about a month for some SIT Power Flats. I doubt it is Jason and more likely the manufacturers.

Just bought a set of GHS strings from FN last week, showed up at my door two days later.

I’m not sure that I have the stomach to go through 14,000+ pages, but as I’m considering a Thunderbird, are there any post or posts that the club can point to when debating the merits of the through-neck versions versus the bolt on?
I’m coming from the world of bolt on neck, fenders, if that context is useful.

If looking at official Thunderbirds (Gibson and Epiphone brand) there’s a few general rules that apply. The less expensive basses tend to be bolt on, and the more expensive basses tend to be neck through. Kinda like the Fender world, where Squier has some darn nice offerings at their price point, so does Epiphone. One need not fork out $2000+ dollars to get a killer Tbird.

I have plenty of bolt on birds as well as set neck and neck through birds, they all sound and play great. I’d say the tendency for neck dive is greater in my bolt on birds and almost non existent in my neck through birds. I’d also say the hardware quality is a bit lower in my bolt on birds (probably because they are typically lower cost basses).

Tone wise - there are some interesting options out there. The Epiphone VP (or 60’s bass or whatever Epiphone is calling it these days) is a beautiful, high quality, great sounding throw back to the Thunderbird vintage era. As good a reissue as Fender has ever done on any of their basses, it really captures the look and feel and sound of the original Tbird. Used prices are down around $500 and new prices are sub $1000. Well worth the money. A discontinued model called the Epiphone Tbird Classic Pro bass (corrected - neck through poly finish) is also an excellent choice if you want a the modern Gibson Tbird sound at about a quarter of the cost (can be found in the $500 bracket). There are some great used deals out there on the new Gibson NR basses, which sound fantastic (a bit darker sounding than the VP bass, very similar to the CP sound), I’ve seen sales listed as low as $1200 for mint used ones. But even the standard Epiphone thunderbird IV is a solid choice. IMHO, It’s really hard to find a bad thunderbird, especially if you stick to Gibson, Epiphone, Greco, Cataldo, Lull, Dingwall and BaCH.

Find a Tbird that fits your budget and run it past this club for comment. You’ll get tons of very insightful help and possibly even get directed to an even better deal on a similar Tbird, happens every day around here.

 

[RedVee]

Was looking at that one, but I’ve just bought three other basses in the last week, so I’m gonna hold off for now.


Possibly my favorite out of all your band videos! All are great, this one is epic!


I know the feeling. Unfortunately, I won’t know for another week or so if I got scammed on the blue BaCH IV I purchased last week.


Just bought a set of GHS strings from FN last week, showed up at my door two days later.


If looking at official Thunderbirds (Gibson and Epiphone brand) there’s a few general rules that apply. The less expensive basses tend to be bolt on, and the more expensive basses tend to be neck through. Kinda like the Fender world, where Squier has same darn nice offerings at their price point, so does Epiphone. One need not fork out $2000+ dollars to get a killer Tbird.

I have plenty of bolt on birds as well as set neck and neck through birds, they all sound and play great. I’d say the tendency for neck dive is greater in my bolt on birds and almost non existent in my neck through birds. I’d also say the hardware quality is a bit lower in my bolt on birds (probably because they are typically lower cost basses).

Tone wise - there are some interesting options out there. The Epiphone VP (or 60’s bass or whatever Epiphone is calling it these days) is a beautiful, high quality, great sounding throw back to the Thunderbird vintage era. As good a reissue as Fender has ever done on any of their basses, it really captures the look and feel and sound of the original Tbird. Used prices are down around $500 and new prices are sub $1000. Well worth the money. A discontinued model called the Epiphone Tbird Classic Pro bass (set neck I believe) is also an excellent choice if you want a the modern Gibson Tbird sound at about a quarter of the cost (can be found in the $500 bracket). There are some great used deals out there on the new Gibson NR basses, which sound fantastic (a bit darker sounding than the VP bass, very similar to the CP sound), I’ve seen sales listed as low as $1200 for mint used ones. But even the standard Epiphone thunderbird IV is a solid choice. IMHO, It’s really hard to find a bad thunderbird, especially if you stick to Gibson, Epiphone, Greco, Cataldo, Lull, Dingwall and BaCH.

Find a Tbird that fits your budget and run it past this club for comment. You’ll get tons of very insightful help and possibly even get directed to an even better deal on a similar Tbird, happens every day around here.

Classic Pro is neck through. Basically a modern Tbird made in Asia.

 

[SubHuman]

Seriously.... Don't try going through our pages. I swear we talk about thunderbirds, but if you read through the pages.... Wheeeeewwwww, the topics...

That's my favorite part! Some of the other clubs here I love too but they are pretty tame and almost never veer off-topic. We have a lot of fun sharing and enjoying life here but it always comes back to Thunder Birds!

 

[Engle]

Great deal on an Epiphone MIJ set neck. These are basically the same as an Orville - all mahogany:
Epiphone TB-90 / Electric Bass Guitar / made in Japan | eBay

 

[smatanovic]

Playing with your daughter is wonderful. I do that every chance I get! My daughter is a bassist (orchestral), so I have recruited her for bg vocals and percussion in my cover band.

That warms my heart. My kiddo is 13 and she and I started going to shows a couple of years ago. So far we've seen Mitski 2x, Pixies, and The Vibrators together. She has a lot to learn but I feel good about our choices thus far. For now we're working through the Boy Genius song book, as well as the obligatory Taylor Swift track. I want her to dive into The Cure and Soundgarden and Radiohead (the bands that really moved me over the years) but I want her to mold her own passion without ttttoooooo much of my influence.

 

[SubHuman]

Awesome, thanks. Looking for a reverse t bird, love me some Simon Gallup and the occasional Krist Novocelic. Im relatively new to the instrument (about a year) having picked it up at age 49 so that I could play with my daughter who is a guitarist. I do not play out, merely at home for my own enjoyment.

I don't play out anymore (Dang I miss it!) but I still have a music room and used to have friends over at least once a week to jam but COVID ruined that. My Son is a multi-instrumentalist and he comes over a couple of times a month and I have a drummer friend so we jam and record, play darts and just have fun.

I finally got to try out my new Epi 60's T-Bird last week and it sat in the mix quite well. You will love a T-Bird and I found a brand new one with a lifted claw for $400 so bargains are out there. It was an easy fix and I'm glad I pulled the trigger. I also have 2012 Pro IV I'm currently modding. I recommend the neck through version or set neck if you're looking. They sustain really nicely.

 

[Engle]

That warms my heart. My kiddo is 13 and she and I started going to shows a couple of years ago. So far we've seen Mitski 2x, Pixies, and The Vibrators together. She has a lot to learn but I feel good about our choices thus far. For now we're working through the Boy Genius song book, as well as the obligatory Taylor Swift track. I want her to dive into The Cure and Soundgarden and Radiohead (the bands that really moved me over the years) but I want her to mold her own passion without ttttoooooo much of my influence.

If she's anything like my daughter, she will find her own music and hopefully some will overlap with yours.
Mine started on bass guitar in elementary school band. Then my band put our kids together to make a rock band - which didn't last. Now she's in university playing in the orchestra, studying music and education.

 

[Rickplaysbass]

That's my favorite part! Some of the other clubs here I love too but they are pretty tame and almost never veer off-topic. We have a lot of fun sharing and enjoying life here but it always comes back to Thunder Birds!

Absolutely wonderful to be a part of. But if you're digging the thread looking for TBird knowledge there's no telling what particular avenue we were running down on any given day/page. Lol

 

[JJR58]

Classic Pro is neck through. Basically a modern Tbird made in Asia.

Really is the best bang for the buck.
And even those have gone up in price.
Glad I got the deal I did for 150.00.
And went mod city on it.
But hey, what ever the budget is, something is to be found somewhere.

 

[smatanovic]

This place already feels like home. The nerdiest home, which is the best kind of home.

 

[Rickplaysbass]

I didn't even want the bass but I offered to buy it just to save it from whoever did that.

 

[SubHuman]

View attachment 5373257

I didn't even want the bass but I offered to buy it just to save it from whoever did that.

For only $12 a month you too can save a Bass in need. Que Sarah McLachlan.

I string all my Basses that way!

 

[dagrev]

I saw them in what was their glory years (Many years ago) and I was totally blown away by their energy and just the fact they were a 3 piece band. I was just listening to their music the other day and didn't realize some of the members still carried on the band. Mel Schacher is a power house bassist and Vegas too...dang enjoy that show!

I got to see GF in one of the we're gigging again shows around 1980 or so. BTO opened. Great show. Would sure love to see that one again.

 

[dagrev]

Wow. Missed a few days and lost 25 pages!

Me too. Having to quick skim pages and skip liking much of anything.