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Thunderbird Club

#309,681
dagrev said:
Last I heard they may release one this year, but they won't be cheap. I don't know what the hold up is, the prototype was seen and played almost two years ago. I was told it seemed like they did it right by the person who played it. Why the waiting is beyond me. Market timing or some other reason from a book a suit read in college no doubt.
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Idk my sources say don't hold your breath. Gibson since the sale is going back to it's core guitar market. Honestly I'm surprised the NR is still available.
 
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#309,683
PhR75 said:


Sam Yaffa playing a natural '76 T-Bird. I'm not sure how many of those were imported here back then but I think not many so it could be the one I used to own too (and my friend nearby owns now). Anyway, great sound and is it too loud? Naah...
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I have seen Sam play a natural finish, red finish, and a white finish Bicentennial Bird. Might have all been the same bass that was refinished?
 
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#309,684
godofthunder59 said:
And many folks do! I was just trying to point out that on thier introduction they were not well received. I was working at The House of Guitars in '76 and bought one of the first ones to come in ( the bridge pickup was microphonic and squeled like a stuck pig) The neck pickup was weak and thin sounding, the bass sounded like a knock off Jazz bass more than a Thunderbird. Not everyone was as excited as I was and for the most part they sat or if sold they were traded back relatively quickly. The following year '77 I bought my first Nonreverse and I was home😊. It wasn't till much later that Bicentennials with thier Sidewinders gained wider acceptance. I think in part there is a corelation to the rise in popularity of the Jazz bass and a more defined tone in popular music. Just my 2 cents of course. No right or wrong answer and I realize my opinion is colored by my abject disappointment in my first Thunderbird purchase way back in '76.
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I've always really liked '76's but they are quite different from the '60s or later ones, those pickups and that wiring scheme are unlike any other Birds.
I would agree that Gibson had issues with the pickups in terms of QC, of my two the purple one is about as good as a '76 gets, the green one is okay, not great, not as good as the purple in terms of tone. The green one has had three different '76 pickups (plus a Bartolini) in the bridge position - ugh!
I also think '76s are going to sound very different thru various rigs, mine were good thru the old GK Rig, but I need to spend some time with them and the Trace Elliott because they're a bit underwhelming right now. It's surprising to see where prices on these have gone as well, mine were about 1K ea, tho neither were in great shape.

Still, lotsa love for the '76s!

Yeehaw!
sTsE19M.jpg
 
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#309,697
Camaro69 said:
Give us something to look forward to
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Our winter is strange weather this year, it's been dry, not much rain in the past couple weeks and the 10 day forecast doesn't show any at all, just cold, although not so much as some places in the US. It usually means we'll have a crappy Spring and Summer.
 
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#309,698
TBird1958 said:
Our winter is strange weather this year, it's been dry, not much rain in the past couple weeks and the 10 day forecast doesn't show any at all, just cold, although not so much as some places in the US. It usually means we'll have a crappy Spring and Summer.
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No rain down here since right after Christmas. Nothing on the radar but temps only down to upper 30s. Normally by now, we’ve had a few days in the 20s.
 
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