Thunderbird Club

[Basvarken]

Do you know which generation the lefty run was part of? Not that I can find one anyway.

I'm not sure. Did not keep track of those.

 

[Gaolee]

Played a motorcycle rally/ swap meet yesterday. A vendor had this Epiphone Thunderbird for sale. The seller was happy for me to give it a go and I was pleasantly surprised how light it was. The action was about 4" off the fretboard & speaking of fretboard, it was separating from the neck at the nut. The tone I was able to mangle out of it was pretty good, the bolt on neck was big [which I liked], but very difficult to play, and the neck dive was as bad as expected. Always loved the design but could never get along w/ the ergonomics. This could be a nice little project for somebody.


View attachment 7024938

Once the upper strap button gets moved to the neck heel, dive is no longer an issue. That must be a 2000s made in Korea one. The earlier ones had big necks like you describe.

 

[Gaolee]

Got no pic of an 18 year old me playing the bass (I had a Ric 4003 which I still have and Aria XRB and Peavey Combo 300 which I don't) but here's a 48 year old me from last Friday. Probably played a wrong note because I'm smiling. The bass has the DeCola pickups which are now road-tested and passed it.
The 18 year old me probably wished I would own a Hiwatt amp, a 60's style T-Bird, a modded Telecaster bass or two and a few other basses. He got that.
View attachment 7025235

There is no evidence of the 18 year old me. That is probably good.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

LET’S GO!….,,

 

[TBird1958]

LET’S GO!….,,
View attachment 7025320

My phone tells me that it's 93 degrees in Hollister right now..........................
Have a great show and drink some water, my friend!

 

[Engle]

At one time - asking prices have been going up. It used to be you could buy an Epi Goth for cheap but I just checked eBay and they are all over $500. Cheapest one was this one w/HSC - EPIPHONE THUNDERBIRD BASS GUITAR with Original Epiphone Hardshell CASE -See Pics | eBay

While scanning I saw this - never heard of this model. Looks to be piezo -

View attachment 7025073

Epiphone Zenith Bass Amber w/ hardshell case | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Epiphone Zenith Bass Amber w/ hardshell case at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

The one I was referring to has the fingerboard separating and the action is high enough to make it almost unplayable. The neck may be repairable, but it should be priced as a loaded body. According to @2saddleslab :
The action was about 4" off the fretboard & speaking of fretboard, it was separating from the neck at the nut.

 

[Stealth57]

There is no evidence of the 18 year old me. That is probably good.

My phone tells me that it's 93 degrees in Hollister right now..........................
Have a great show and drink some water, my friend!

Probably 10 degrees cooler than past 3 days. I’m going 50:50 bar in a few minutes.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

The one I was referring to has the fingerboard separating and the action is high enough to make it almost unplayable. The neck may be repairable, but it should be priced as a loaded body. According to @2saddleslab :
The action was about 4" off the fretboard & speaking of fretboard, it was separating from the neck at the nut.

The one in the photo had no such high action.

 

[MCF]

Something cool is brewing in my little toolshed...
Can you guess what it is ;-)

Excellent Rob!

 

[MCF]

@Engle
As promised - a comparison heel shot between my Blue BaCH (light weight bass, with belly cut and forearm contour) and my white BaCH (heavy bass, with belly cut only). The neck shape and thickness near the heel and the heel joint to the body is significantly different between the two basses. I don’t know which one is what generation, maybe @MCF or others can chime in with that info.
View attachment 7025158
View attachment 7025159

Rob @Basvarken is the man with answers all things BaCH.

 

[JIO]

The one I was referring to has the fingerboard separating and the action is high enough to make it almost unplayable. The neck may be repairable, but it should be priced as a loaded body. According to @2saddleslab :
The action was about 4" off the fretboard & speaking of fretboard, it was separating from the neck at the nut.

got it -

 

[JIO]

That green is stellar. It would be a good Thunderbird color.

I would call that emerald green - the '85-'86 Fender Performer had a cool green, I think they called it metallic jade.

 

[2saddleslab]

Don't let this one be what you judge all Thunderbirds by, the differences between these and those of Gibson, Greco etc., and even other Epiphones
are many, almost too numerous to describe.

Oh yeah, I've been around long enough to know one example is not representative of all. I've heard nothing but good things about the Epiphone Thunderbirds. That bolt on neck had visions of John Entwistle running thru my head.

 

[MCF]

Oh yeah, I've been around long enough to know one example is not representative of all. I've heard nothing but good things about the Epiphone Thunderbirds. That bolt on neck had visions of John Entwistle running thru my head.

They are nice.

I have 7 bolt ons. Five are Limited Edition Custom Shops. Four have the wider necks. The TV Silver one has the thin neck. I also have a Goth and a Niki Sixx Blackbird. They have the wider necks. Although there were a few years Epi built the Goth with the slim neck.

The LE CS models come in two pickup flavors. The Sparkling Pelham Blue, and the Sparkling Candy Apple Red have standard Epi Pickups. The Silverburst, the White, and the TVSilver have Epi guitar humbuckers. There were also some Ebony ones produced. I’ve seen one with the guitar humbuckers, but most have the standard Epi pickups. The Goth and the Blackbird have the standard pickup. But they called the Blackbird pickups “Deep Sixx.” In reality, I believe that only difference was that the Blackbird didn’t have a tone cap or tone pot.

The standard Epi bursts have wide necks until around 2012 or thereabouts when they went with the slimmer neck for about six years or so. The most recent ones went back to the wider neck.

You really can’t beat the bolt ons for value. They were well made and great “gateway” Thunderbirds. Highly recommended.

 

[MCF]

I would call that emerald green - the '85-'86 Fender Performer had a cool green, I think the called it metallic jade.

View attachment 7025523

I kind of like those knobs.

 

[Gaolee]

Probably 10 degrees cooler than past 3 days. I’m going 50:50 bar in a few minutes.

It is cool here but we have wildfire smoke. I feel crummy from the smoke, but the cool air sure is pleasant.

 

[MCF]

It is cool here but we have wildfire smoke. I feel crummy from the smoke, but the cool air sure is pleasant.

It was mid eighties this weekend at the mountain. But I was inside dealing with the aftermath of a bear break in. The problem here is out of control. For some reason, he went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. What a freaking mess. I’m trying to take it all in stride.

 

[MCF]

In the meantime, I’m enjoying some Quicksilver. Don’t Step on the Bears!

 

[GBassNorth]

It was mid eighties this weekend at the mountain. But I was inside dealing with the aftermath of a bear break in. The problem here is out of control. For some reason, he went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. What a freaking mess. I’m trying to take it all in stride.

I hate to like that post but I gotta give it a thumbs up for patience and perseverance on your part. Just imagine how insane that would have been if you and your better half were sleeping there when the bear came in.

 

[JIO]

I kind of like those knobs.

Hah! I paid $50 (!) for one of those knobs! I bought one from a tb'r in Florida who collects Performer basses. They are F-stamped/raised numbers white plastic knobs with a black ribbed rubber collar. Rare as hens teeth. Fender used them on the Performer bass and guitar, and Strats in the early-mid '80s - the final years of the CBS-Fender alignment. Around that time many Fender/Squier guitars/basses were made in Japan. These were very good quality - Japan was making better instruments than US made Fender/CBS instruments. I got that green Performer in "as is" condition and restored it to original condition. It had a finish issue (me & Pat Wilkins resolved that), was missing a knob and the neck-plate and most importantly the bridge. That bridge was only made for the Performer bass. A Performer bridge is impossible to find. It was only made one year, and only for that bass. So I had our friend Bruce Johnson fabricate one to original specs. This is what makes Bruce legendary - he can make any part of a bass from scratch. I completed the restoration and sold it for a minor profit to a tb'r.

Bruce 'upgraded' it with hex-head bolts - a nice touch.