- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,897
- 142,236
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Yeah, but you're in Vancouver - One beautiful city!
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
- Start date
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- club thunderbird
Yeah, but you're in Vancouver - One beautiful city!
Just having a post-fit here. I just got this T-Bird Pro IV in a trade deal today. I've been playing it the last hour or so, and even with the (to me) decidedly awkward strap button placement, I really am having a good time bopping around on it. I'm having to change my approach to the neck and doing lots of radical position shifting, but it's pretty much being a blast to play! I was designing to just flip it, as I've never really wanted one so much, but now I'm pretty sure she's a keeper.
Here she is...
Here she is...
Set up the Gibson to my liking today. Sounds awesome, exactly what I've been looking for, feel is incomparable to the Epis. From reviews I thought the Classic was close, but the Gibson is in another dimension.
It's got one "big" issue. The foam under the neck pick up is to narrow/missing and the pick up keeps falling back into the cavity. Will call the shop tomorrow if they can fix it for free or give me some more goodies(some strings maybe) and some foam.
It's got one "big" issue. The foam under the neck pick up is to narrow/missing and the pick up keeps falling back into the cavity. Will call the shop tomorrow if they can fix it for free or give me some more goodies(some strings maybe) and some foam.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
It may have chosen you. That's how it happens.
Actually after the guy left with his prize I opened up the case again, like it was a princess locked in a coach. I lifted her out of the custom-fit plush lining and decided to look around for a strap. An hour later, there it was.
Last edited:
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
The best thing I ever did to an Epiphone Thunderbird was move the strap button from the upper, well, it isn't really a horn, to the heel of the neck. That's where it is on my Gibson, and it appears to have always been there. I had to move it on a couple Epis. Once the strap button is there, it will balance much more easily.
And, I'm not kidding about being chosen by a Thunderbird. Once you have been chosen, that's pretty much it. You have become a Thunderbird player. It doesn't happen to everyone who picks up a Thunderbird. I didn't set out to become a 'Bird person, but I had one and liked it. Then I let it go. A couple bass guitars later, I had to admit the mistake and find another Thunderbird. That one started life as a Pro IV similar to yours, but it's now fretless and passive. That led to a Gibson Thunderbird, more recently. The Gibson replaced a Rickenbacker that I don't miss very much at all.
And, I'm not kidding about being chosen by a Thunderbird. Once you have been chosen, that's pretty much it. You have become a Thunderbird player. It doesn't happen to everyone who picks up a Thunderbird. I didn't set out to become a 'Bird person, but I had one and liked it. Then I let it go. A couple bass guitars later, I had to admit the mistake and find another Thunderbird. That one started life as a Pro IV similar to yours, but it's now fretless and passive. That led to a Gibson Thunderbird, more recently. The Gibson replaced a Rickenbacker that I don't miss very much at all.
Q
This isn't the first time I've picked one up... Once years ago at Ed's Guitars in Miami, and I had an Epi bolt-on a while back. At a visit back to Miami 3 or so yrs go I played a Gibson, but was too distracted to really dig into it.
This time I was faced with this thing that had been left with me, that I'd agreed to. I picked it up and had nothing better to do than spend some tine with it. And yep, like I said, there it is.
Call me found.
This isn't the first time I've picked one up... Once years ago at Ed's Guitars in Miami, and I had an Epi bolt-on a while back. At a visit back to Miami 3 or so yrs go I played a Gibson, but was too distracted to really dig into it.
This time I was faced with this thing that had been left with me, that I'd agreed to. I picked it up and had nothing better to do than spend some tine with it. And yep, like I said, there it is.
Call me found.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,897
- 142,236
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
I do enjoy reading posts like this, please be welcome here. I'm happy to add you to our club roster if you like.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,897
- 142,236
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Fair point, honestly it would be too much work anyway
I have been thinking about adding chrome hardware so it looks something like this:
^^^Photo property of TBird1958
@TBird1958 do you still have the Gibson on the right? I see it has Hipshot Ultralights, I assume they make a drop in replacement for the Epi Classic, I'd rather not have to drill the headstock.
I do still have both of those basses, they've both changed a little since the pic tho. The Gibson has Mike Lull '63 Spec pickups in it now, visually very similar, sonically quite different than the original stock Gibson. At the time I added the Hipshot tuners they were a bit work but I got it done, even a modest set of tools. It's much easier now, Hipshot has a set specifically for newer Thunderbirds that will likely drop into an Epiphone Classic just as easy........They aren't shown on the Hipshot website, just contact them directly.
I had to move the heel strap button too, but yeah, once I did... There was really no turning back. I was hooked on Thunderbirds. Never expected it, but it happened.
Haji
Supporting Member
Tbird into a Trace head and an Ampeg 410...that's gotta be thunderous!
Thanks Tbird, I believe I'll take you up on that offer!
And yes, Haji, the Trace/Ampeg tank is a pretty good way to get the most out of anything with 4 strings, I think! The 'Bird likes it... I've had that PR410HLF up for sale/trade here on TB, but it keeps sounding like something I need to keep. It gets heavy and hazardous on icy winter stone steps though... Maybe I'll engineer a ramp and pulley system for real bad stretches of wintry nast- like we had last year!
Yes, I didn't set out to get my first TBird, when I bought it new in 2009.
I was in a guitar shop that always has a massive stock of Gibsons (they are the Australian importers, I believe) with my son looking at Les Paul Standard guitars.
He had saved up. He was working his way through the LPs.
I had picked up the odd TBird before but hadn't really bonded, although I had a number of Gibson basses and had always liked humbuckers.
Well I was sitting around bored and picked up a bass and was playing it. I think it was a LP Double Cut Bass. It was nice and they were prepared to do a pretty good deal.
I thought I might buy it and while the guy was checking out whether he could do an even better deal in a package with the LP Standard my son was settling on, I picked a Gibson TBird and plugged it in.
I just instantly felt this TBird was fantastic. The rest is history- we got a good deal on the two guitars- I didn't buy the LP Double Cut BTW.
Interesting thread. This bonding thing, this being chosen by your bass just ever so smacks of Harry Potter in the wand shop... Just musing, lol. But why not- it just appears pretty commonplace here I the T-Bird thread!
Oops, lol. When I said "Tonight that happens" I meant the moving of the upper strap button. Ha... I just didn't mean to come off as so dramatically smitten! Even though it is cool how this rad bass has come into my life- I do appreciate the subtle-worldly manner in which this new acquisition came to be. I dig when something unexpectedly falls into place. Life says "Happy Birthday"...
