Thunderbird Club

[dukeorock]

Can’t tell easily that I’m playing my Gibson T Bird, but it’s still a good shot from a Mike Lynch gig last week

 

[GBassNorth]

I've always liked the look and feel and sound of the T bird but, aren't they neck heavy? Last thing I need to do is wrestle with my bass .

Not to beat a dead horse but the quick answer is - every bass manufacturer is perfectly capable of creating an instrument here or there that does not balance well. And on occasion most have, possibly even Gibson. However, I've not seen anything to indicate that Thunderbirds as a whole neck dive. In fact after playing scores of different Thunderbirds I have yet to find one that DOES neck dive. Like any other bass you need to use a wide leather bass strap. It also makes a big difference if the upper strap pin is located on or near the neck heel.

If others claim they have neck diving TBirds I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but I don't give any credence to the claim that all Thunderbirds neck dive. There's just no data to back up a broad claim like that. An exception here or there is feasible but certainly not the norm.

yes they have neck dive issues.

If you say yours dive I believe you, but I'd counter with zero modern (post bicentennial) birds I've played dive. I don't have any experience with Thunderbirds built 40 plus years ago, and not much experience with the Epiphone bolt on neck basses.

And the myth continues.

Must be true, I read it on the internet.

not a myth on my basses. and yes if slung low and played with a pick it is more of a non issue. I dont do either. also non reverse is much better.....

I knew there was a reason I wanted a NR bird, thanks for fueling my GAS.

I have not had any issues with neck dive from Thunderbirds with the exception of bolt-on Epiphones. That issue gets solved by moving the upper pin to the heel of the neck. I find that they balance where you put them, unlike other bass shapes that won't let you rotate the neck up. The most neck dive I get from a bass guitar is my Precision, ironically enough. I had a Ric that wanted to be horizontal all the time. No neck dive, but it wouldn't let me move the neck up at all, either. As I understand it, there are Thunderbirds that dive badly. I just haven't played one yet.

My understanding is that a '76, like the one I assume your signature mentions, has the pin on the vestigial upper bout and also has a larger headstock. I'm sure it has some neck dive, especially if the pin is not at the heel of the neck.

One more datapoint that confirms my experience as well.

The one time that I was playing a P bass, my car got broken into. I haven't played a P bass since and my car hasn't been broken into. P basses cause cars to be broken into.
Everyone knows that playing with a pick cures neck dive

It's all beginning to make perfect sense to me now.

asking the tbird club if they have neck dive - you are getting answer from folks who are not bothered by it. you need to go try one out and see if it bothers you. FWIW it does to me, some of my old alder fenders and eb's can dive too. it's what you feel about it not all of us here.

Wise words. Only the buyer can confirm if the bass in question us right for them. All we can do is provide well worded anecdotal evidence to give them additional data points.

That said, I assume you have two data points on the topic. One is 40 plus years old and not reflective of current Gibson TBird offerings and the other isn't a Gibson brand Thunderbird at all and is probably equipped with what I assume to be a Fender style bolt on neck. Probably two very important qualifiers that would be good to have in a well worded anecdotal account of your experience.

Strap pin on the upper bout (as opposed to the anatomically correct neck heel) moves everything at least 5cm out of whack.

...and every cm counts.

I really don't get neck dive from a Gibson of Epiphone. None. Full stop. Each of the three Gibsons and the now fretless Epiphone stay put wherever I want them. My FenderBird has what I would call neck sag more than neck dive. I also have a slippery strap on it, and it's mostly neutral, just not completely. I also have a bolt-on Epiphone with the strap button moved to where it should have been in the first place. It stays put now that it's been modified. That's necessary to make it stay put. I'm happy to grant you that.

A '76 like yours probably does have some dive. The main thing is that anybody who thinks about playing a Thunderbird has to try it to see if it will work. The ergos don't work for everyone, and there are Thunderbirds that dive. Just as there are other bass guitars that dive, but not all Thunderbirds dive any more than all Precisions dive. The conventional wisdom that Thunderbirds are guaranteed divers is not accurate. It is completely accurate to say they are not for everyone, just as Rics are not. The ergos are NOT Fender ergos and they don't act like Fenders.

I don't like Jazz basses at all. So, there's that, too. I do like Precisions and have a keeper. Keeper or not, it does dive a bit.

Another data set that confirms my experiences as well. Except I'd add that because I frequently flip between playing many different brands and types of basses I just don't feel anything super special about TBird ergonomics. I find them as comfortable as any Fender or Spector or Alembic I play. Ya want talk neck dive, try my very beloved Warwick Thumb BO5 bass. Ya wanna talk heavy, try my Pre EB Stingray. Ya wanna talk wide fretboard and string spacing, try my Alembic Essence. They all have their playing nuances but it's nothing I can't get used to within a few minutes of playing.

Not gonna lie, my "76 did neck dive, that's why I got rid of it, although I LOVED the tone and looks. Neck was a little skinny for my taste, which is why my "66J is a hanger queen.

My Lull T5 has a tiny bit of dive, mitigated by a 4" suede backed Italia strap. I wear it a little lower than normal because even my other basses were causing issues after 49 years of playing, and use the lower strap over the front of the bass trick learned here. The 1st fret is farther away than some like, but it doesn't bother me.

Sometimes you have to call a spade a spade. I've never found another bass with all the tones my T5 has, so it's definitely not going anywhere, and it is so sexy, it helps disguise the fact I'm a 67 year old playing Hard Rock with younger folk. Most all the advice I've read in this club is gospel, so you may not have to try before you buy unless you are super finicky about every single aspect of a bass, if so you'll probably never be satisfied anyway....

Another good data point on the balance of the bicentennial. Again, a 40 year old Gibby TBird may not be completely representative of modern Gibby birds.

Not an issue for this Queen!
Not even a '76, I know what works for me.

A Vintage datapoint that's potentially different from the others. Not positive if V is saying the bird don't dive or if the comment is more a reflection of any diving it may have is of no concern to V.

Not neck dive again. Don't mean to be rude or condescending in anyway.
My Birds don't swim.

In nature, not many birds do swim. Sounds like the Gibbys and Eppis might have a diver here or there but far from the "norm" it is misrepresented to be.

Did cross my mind to photograph my three Birds hanging on their straps, but I'm too tired and grumpy.
The only 'reachy' Bird was the Pro IV, all the others are within normal parameters.

Never cross a grumpy Kat!

 

[Dadagoboi]

This guy's a boutique pedal builder.

 

[Kriegs]

Has anyone put a detuner on the Epi?

I'm a little preplexed by the Wilkinson tuners... trying to find a Hipshot match. I'm not sure if there is a drop-in replacement?

Indeed it's a Gotoh GB7 Bass Xtender and was a simple swap, no modifications needed

 

[PillO]

Indeed it's a Gotoh GB7 Bass Xtender and was a simple swap, no modifications needed
View attachment 3444481

Is your G tuner ever so slightly crooked?

[edit] not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[Kriegs]

I went into GC last night and in the used section they had this beauty. Not a Thunderbird, but it's little brother a 2018 Gibson Firebird Studio. I've always wanted a Firebird to match my 3 Thunderbirds, but never liked the mini humbuckers that most of them have. This one has my favorite, P90s. It has a great slim neck, and sounds fantastic. I put a deposit down, and will pick it up in a couple of weeks. When I get it I'll take a pic of all my 'birds together.

View attachment 3444342 View attachment 3444342

Congrats on the impending NGD!

What's that? A chance to show off my twins? Well, it is TBT

 

[Kriegs]

Not that I know of right now, but we are here to enable. Finding one for you is a mission we must take on.

I'm still looking after almost a year

 

[Kriegs]

Is your G tuner ever so slightly crooked?

[edit] not that there is anything wrong with that.

hrmm....in that picture, it does look slightly off, but I don't think that it's actually off. I'll double check when I get home tonight, but it also looks like, if it really was that crooked, that I'd definitely feel that when tuning so, for now, I'm going to go with it's an optical illusion in the picture. I'll report back later

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Is your G tuner ever so slightly crooked?

[edit] not that there is anything wrong with that.

Ironically, I thought his D tuner was off.

 

[Larry V]

Indeed it's a Gotoh GB7 Bass Xtender and was a simple swap, no modifications needed
View attachment 3444481

Is your G tuner ever so slightly crooked?

[edit] not that there is anything wrong with that.

"Slightly" is being generous.

 

[JIO]

Thunderbird Thursday

 

[JJR58]

And a good morning to all on this ThunderBird Thursday.
In keeping with @JIO's color scheme.

 

[GonePlaid]

I did build a bed in the back.

To clarify: I did not build a bed while in the back of the van. I built a bed into the van. Of course, it was only used for naps on breaks.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

TT..

 

[GonePlaid]

Not a new pic, but a good one:

 

[Goatrope]

Ruling the roost on TT..

 

[Gaolee]

Where's Vince?!

Good question. We haven't had any Rotten Kid visitations for a while. I suspect he's in class and tuning up bulldozers and things like that.

 

[Gaolee]

I always wanted a Firebird, but now bass consumes my music time so I’m content with Thunderbirds.

Dog math - n+1. Content? Bah!

 

[Gaolee]

Some bassists call them ‘the herd’, some take ‘family pics’...

I’ve always preferred ‘the flock’.

View attachment 3444347

When you are discussing 'Birds, that's the appropriate terminology. And the appropriate imagery for some of us, too.

 

[Gaolee]

I'm still looking after almost a year

We are slacking. We need to pick up the pace!