Thunderbird Club

[hillerup]

I had 5 basses, a Les Paul and an acoustic at one point and it was too much. I mean, I'm only down one bass now, but still. Even if each player had an average of six guitars, that doesn't make a lot of sense. I got the impression that Gibson cranked out about 10 guitars and basses a day.

10 guitars and basses a day does sounds more realistic than 2500 a week, or 357 a day for that matter...

 

[Haji]

And let's not forget the number of Epi's that they produce as well...

While they have a facility in Nashvegas, the Epi stuff is imported. I have a friend that works at Gibson running the fret cutting machine. He posted a pic of a rack of Firebirds a while back, so I made a crack about how they were cute with their short necks and skinny strings, and asked where the Thunderbirds were. He said he hadn't worked on TBird necks in quite a long time. I don't know if that means anything, but that is what happened. I'll drop him a line and see if he'll tell me how many guitars Gibson does in a day. I bet the number is significant. When I worked at Taylor Guitars back in the olden days I usually had four to six guitars a day to finish. There were probably 15 people in the finish department then (I'm guessing; I don't clearly remember, as that was quite a while ago). In my estimation, Taylors are finished WAY more carefully that Gibsons are, and Gibson is a bigger factory. A hundred a day across their model lines could be entirely possible.

In looking at new production Taylors I can tell they're finishing EVERYTHING differently from when I was there.

Mandobirds aren't all that hard to find around Nashville, and not terribly expensive, either.

 

[ThaCoast]

I had 5 basses, a Les Paul and an acoustic at one point and it was too much. I mean, I'm only down one bass now, but still. Even if each player had an average of six guitars, that doesn't make a lot of sense. I got the impression that Gibson cranked out about 10 guitars and basses a day.

My collection isn't Gibson branded per say, but here's my gear list (i'll try to get pictures up to prove this post )

Guitars:
Epiphone Les paul LP-100 Cherry burst bolt-on
Epiphone Les paul Special black bolt-on
Gibson "epoch" baldwin les paul, black w/cream binding
Epiphone Acoustic DR-100 vintage burst
Epiphone Acoustic AJ-220S Vintage burst
Profile Stratocaster copy circa 1980's, white
DeArmond Starfire special III red 98'-99'

Basses:
Epiphone Thunderbird Goth series 09'
Eastwood Precision copy
Parts Precision bass
Ibanez GaxB short scale bass
Logical Rickenbacker Copy bass

Builds:
Gibson Grabber inspired by bass
B.C. Rich/spector Thunderbird inspired aka Tigerbird or MK II (build in process)

I've got 12 instruments + more being built over the next few years. Guitar domain, it's predominant by "gibson". Bass, not so much. Well until My Goth is rebuilt, the MK II is finished & my future build of a gibson ripper inspired by build starts that is

 

[GBassNorth]

My collection isn't Gibson branded per say, but here's my gear list (i'll try to get pictures up to prove this post )

Guitars:
Epiphone Les paul LP-100 Cherry burst bolt-on
Epiphone Les paul Special black bolt-on
Gibson "epoch" baldwin les paul, black w/cream binding
Epiphone Acoustic DR-100 vintage burst
Epiphone Acoustic AJ-220S Vintage burst
Profile Stratocaster copy circa 1980's, white
DeArmond Starfire special III red 98'-99'

Basses:
Epiphone Thunderbird Goth series 09'
Eastwood Precision copy
Parts Precision bass
Ibanez GaxB short scale bass
Logical Rickenbacker Copy bass

Builds:
Gibson Grabber inspired by bass
B.C. Rich/spector Thunderbird inspired aka Tigerbird or MK II (build in process)

I've got 12 instruments + more being built over the next few years. Guitar domain, it's predominant by "gibson". Bass, not so much. Well until My Goth is rebuilt, the MK II is finished & my future build of a gibson ripper inspired by build starts that is

I wanna see progress shots of the Tigerbird!

 

[Medic579]

Yea idk what they actually produce. My bass is in the 83xxx range so I know if what they said on their website is true that they at least made 83,000 and some change.
Divide that by 52 weeks and that's 1610 a week roughly. Who knows????

 

[Haji]

My inside guy says 600 a day.

 

[hillerup]

My inside guy says 600 a day.

That is a lot: 219.000 a year...

 

[Haji]

That's everything, though, not just the twenty gazillion Les Pauls they do. Gibson isn't a boutique builder. Their finish work proves that.

 

[TBird1958]

I'm at work right now so I can't check any S/N stamps on my Gibsons but if any can, just take a look at any bass that predates 2014 using the old code and you'll get a better idea of how many instruments are made on a daily basis.

Old code......
first digit is the number of the year
second, third and fourth digit are the days of the calendar year
fifth digit is the second number of the year
next three digits are that days production

 

[Count Bassie]

Just looked up me Epi: March of '09, China. Damn glad to have 'er, she's a fine piece of work.

Got 10 numbers, signified as follows:
YY; MM; FF (factory code); Last numbers are where it came in the series. Mine was #4186. Yes, sweet Baby Jesus that's a lot of production. It's weird to know that.

 

[ScorchedCortex]

Hello folks,

At the suggestion of another TB'er, I am posting my Tbird question here.

I have an Epiphone T Bird Classic IV Pro with the Gibson USA TB-Plus pickups. I have already upgraded the tuners with Gotohs, and I have upgraded the bridge to a Hipshot Supertone.

Would upgrading or changing the stock 500K pots and to higher quality pots (CTS) add any tonal improvement to this bass? Do I just have "upgrade fever"? The stock electronics seem to work fine.

Any owners of this bass have any other mod/tweak suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[PWV]

Checking in with a question for the Lull T4 owners - has anyone dropped the Lollar pickups in your Lull yet? I've been pretty happy with the stock pup's in my T4, but since I'm a big Lollar single-coil fanboy I'm wondering if his humbuckers are as awesome.

My perception is the Lollars might have a little more output, maybe more growl? I'm trying to get closer to a Mott The Hoople tone and feel like right now I'm sitting closer to a Jazz bass tone with the stocks pup's.

Any experience from the "I stuck a Lollar in my Lull" folks is much-appreciated.

@TBird1958 - Mark, do you have any insight?

Thanks for the help!

 

[TBird1958]

Hi Dave!

You know I'm working in Tacoma, not far from you!
I haven't tried any other pups in my Lull as I really like it stock - Some of the guys have used Thunderbuckers as they offer some variations based on various years of Gibson production. Hopefully we'll have a Seattle GTG soon!
Link Removed

 

[Shishard]

Got back into playing last year and found an Epi TBird at a local pawn shop. Great shape and I got it by trading a cheap BMX for it. Always wanted one when I was young and now it is my favorite bass I own.

 

[Bent77]

Hello folks,

At the suggestion of another TB'er, I am posting my Tbird question here.

I have an Epiphone T Bird Classic IV Pro with the Gibson USA TB-Plus pickups. I have already upgraded the tuners with Gotohs, and I have upgraded the bridge to a Hipshot Supertone.

Would upgrading or changing the stock 500K pots and to higher quality pots (CTS) add any tonal improvement to this bass? Do I just have "upgrade fever"? The stock electronics seem to work fine.

Any owners of this bass have any other mod/tweak suggestions?

Thanks!

You might have upgrade fever!
On all the instruments I've cannibalized new pots into, I really only noticed the difference down the road as they don't seem to be Rice Krispy like as easy. Less snap crackle and pop.

As a result of this, I change pots when they make noises or die

 

[PWV]

You know I'm working in Tacoma, not far from you!

Are you near downtown? Lollar just moved his shop over by the T-Dome, maybe we can hit him up for some demos during lunch? I'll be free the week between 3/14-3/19.....

I like the stock T4 alot, just always itching for a new tone - are there Lull's out there with Thunderbuckers? Those look pretty cool too.

 

[Medic579]

Who makes the Gibson branded pots?

 

[TBird1958]

Are you near downtown? Lollar just moved his shop over by the T-Dome, maybe we can hit him up for some demos during lunch? I'll be free the week between 3/14-3/19.....

I like the stock T4 alot, just always itching for a new tone - are there Lull's out there with Thunderbuckers? Those look pretty cool too.

I'm a bit south of downtown Dave, on Tacoma Mall Blvd between 56th and 72nd - near Hooters roflmao: ). Scott GodofThunder59 or Carlo can probably explain the Thunderbuckers best, they both look in here often or you can PM them here or at LBO.

 

[gaffster787]

Hello folks,

At the suggestion of another TB'er, I am posting my Tbird question here.

I have an Epiphone T Bird Classic IV Pro with the Gibson USA TB-Plus pickups. I have already upgraded the tuners with Gotohs, and I have upgraded the bridge to a Hipshot Supertone.

Would upgrading or changing the stock 500K pots and to higher quality pots (CTS) add any tonal improvement to this bass? Do I just have "upgrade fever"? The stock electronics seem to work fine.

Any owners of this bass have any other mod/tweak suggestions?

Thanks!

Pots aren't worth messin with IMHO unless they are crackling. One thing I have noticed is that the gibson 'buckers' give a bass processor a lot to work with. I was getting classic jazz bass tone and killer wha wha and tremelo bass from one of those cheap 50 buck zoom processors. Even has a looper, tuner, headphones, and pass thru. Just a lot of fun.....

 

[ThaCoast]

I wanna see progress shots of the Tigerbird!

You might have to wait a while longer since i can't really build during the winter (no actual shop that's heated for power tools where i am :/ ) but there will be progress on my Goth bird which should be complete & set up by the end of february which is just in time for me to start tigerbird & my other wood working projects