Thunderbird Club

[Miles_ONeal]

Bah, we are going to dig up our lawn. Grass is not a cash crop.

We don’t have a lawn. We have a yard.

 

[RedVee]

Of course not.

But this is just made for shredding!
View attachment 3800018

It’s got the @JIO weight reduction thing going on

 

[JIO]

It’s got the @JIO weight reduction thing going on

Say cheeeese

 

[godofthunder59]

Ahhh the question was asked and there was no answer. We are just going to have to build our own NRs.

Who has a “blueprint”?

This was done about 12 years ago. At the direction of Rob Van den Broek Bach in the Chezch Republic built three batches of Nonreverse Thunderbirds. I have also built my own. This bass had some impact on the development of both the Bach and Cataldo NRs.

 

[godofthunder59]

He was cagy. He could not say "no" meaning that the answer is definitely yes. It is all just a matter of late this year, next model year, or maybe 2022. And the whole "exciting things for bass players" can only mean NR Thunderbird.

He didn't say no or yes, time will tell. He did have the look of " not this fng question again " they have the pickups and the bridge with the advent of the Vintage Pro, from a production standpoint NRs are about as simple a bass to build as there is.

 

[PillO]

He didn't say no or yes, time will tell. He did have the look of " not this fng question again " they have the pickups and the bridge with the advent of the Vintage Pro, from a production standpoint NRs are about as simple a bass to build as there is.

Yeah, my honest impression is that this is something that keeps coming up. I wonder is there is debate in the board room around whether this would be incremental sales or cannibalize existing VP sales. I wonder how tight the margins on the VP are - that may play into the decision process. There may be a tug of war going on between the branding side (build on the T-Bird brand to drive sales and differentiation over the medium term) and the finance side (what does it do to the revenue and cost lines).

It could also be dynamics with Head Office playing into the decision process. Does Gibson need to be seen as more innovative than Epiphone? Is there competition for working capital or other resources?

 

[GonePlaid]

He didn't say no or yes, time will tell. He did have the look of " not this fng question again " they have the pickups and the bridge with the advent of the Vintage Pro, from a production standpoint NRs are about as simple a bass to build as there is.

Well, then, in the words of Larry, "git 'er done!"

 

[godofthunder59]

Yeah, my honest impression is that this is something that keeps coming up. I wonder is there is debate in the board room around whether this would be incremental sales or cannibalize existing VP sales. I wonder how tight the margins on the VP are - that may play into the decision process. There may be a tug of war going on between the branding side (build on the T-Bird brand to drive sales and differentiation over the medium term) and the finance side (what does it do to the revenue and cost lines).

It could also be dynamics with Head Office playing into the decision process. Does Gibson need to be seen as more innovative than Epiphone? Is there competition for working capital or other resources?

I highly doubt Gibson will build it, if they build a 60's bird it will be a reverse. Resurrecting unsuccessful oddballs is part of Epiphone's business model, case in point the Jack Casady bass. I am guessing that the discussion is something along the lines that the reverse VP Thunderbird was a bit of a no brainer, a NR is far more niche oriented. They need to see numbers for demand to make it happen, that or a celebrity bassist wants one for his signature model.

 

[GonePlaid]

I highly doubt Gibson will build it, if they build a 60's bird it will be a reverse. Resurrecting unsuccessful oddballs is part of Epiphone's business model, case in point the Jack Casady bass. I am guessing that the discussion is something along the lines that the reverse VP Thunderbird was a bit of a no brainer, a NR is far more niche oriented. They need to see numbers for demand to make it happen, that or a celebrity bassist wants one for his signature model.

You?(w/ factory applied "BadBirds", of course)

 

[godofthunder59]

You?(w/ factory applied "BadBirds", of course)

As great as that would be, the bridge on the Vintage Pro is fine just the way it is. The Badbird solves problems with 60's Thunderbirds and Embassys, nothing more.

 

[dagrev]

Those work well with the basses gestalt - they look 'right'.

You know, I hadn't thought of it like that from a technical way of perception, but I fully agree. I never wanted to but "the correct" knobs on it. I've always liked these better. The correct knobs were too simplistic and looked like they were from a transistor radio.

 

[dagrev]

Of course now that I think of it, that Embassy was probably V/V/T

Correct!

 

[JJR58]

Ok, I have to say this at the beginning. We are not pushing for a watermelon shaped VP, NR or otherwise. We're just not.

Although. Watermelons do provide for some interesting custom colors.

 

[BklynKen]

Yeah, my honest impression is that this is something that keeps coming up. I wonder is there is debate in the board room around whether this would be incremental sales or cannibalize existing VP sales. I wonder how tight the margins on the VP are - that may play into the decision process. There may be a tug of war going on between the branding side (build on the T-Bird brand to drive sales and differentiation over the medium term) and the finance side (what does it do to the revenue and cost lines).

It could also be dynamics with Head Office playing into the decision process. Does Gibson need to be seen as more innovative than Epiphone? Is there competition for working capital or other resources?

I wonder which they'd sell fewer of, VP NR or left-handed VP (reverse).

 

[PillO]

I highly doubt Gibson will build it, if they build a 60's bird it will be a reverse. Resurrecting unsuccessful oddballs is part of Epiphone's business model, case in point the Jack Casady bass. I am guessing that the discussion is something along the lines that the reverse VP Thunderbird was a bit of a no brainer, a NR is far more niche oriented. They need to see numbers for demand to make it happen, that or a celebrity bassist wants one for his signature model.

I wonder which they'd sell fewer of, VP NR or left-handed VP (reverse).

None of us here (unless someone isn't telling us something) are privy to the internal discussions of Gibson and Epiphone. All we can do is look at past actions and try to decipher what it means about future direction. As the Mutual Funds say, past performance is not an indicator of future returns.

I think that all the theories put forward have merit. My gut tells me that the Gibson turn-around has reached the point of looking at the retained subsidiaries, especially Epiphone, to craft an overall plan to reach the strategic goals that have been formulated. Or put another way, they have decided what Gibson and Epiphone will be now they are figuring out a path to get there. And all the while continuing to operate the businesses profitably with their financial backers taking a day a month to review with management where they are in the plan and what milestones will be met in the 91 days.

Turn-arounds are stressful and we shouldn't be surprised that the communication out to the customers is sparse. The last thing they need is another set of back-seat drivers reminding them of what they promised.

 

[PillO]

You know, I hadn't thought of it like that from a technical way of perception, but I fully agree. I never wanted to but "the correct" knobs on it. I've always liked these better. The correct knobs were too simplistic and looked like they were from a transistor radio.

That is exactly the thought I always had and why I don't like them.

edit - actually from a cheap transistor radio...

 

[Thumper]

I highly doubt Gibson will build it, if they build a 60's bird it will be a reverse. Resurrecting unsuccessful oddballs is part of Epiphone's business model, case in point the Jack Casady bass. I am guessing that the discussion is something along the lines that the reverse VP Thunderbird was a bit of a no brainer, a NR is far more niche oriented. They need to see numbers for demand to make it happen, that or a celebrity bassist wants one for his signature model.

Maybe we should do a poll here? At least of: "I would buy," "I wouldn't buy," "Don't want another bass," etc.

 

[BklynKen]

None of us here (unless someone isn't telling us something) are privy to the internal discussions of Gibson and Epiphone. All we can do is look at past actions and try to decipher what it means about future direction. As the Mutual Funds say, past performance is not an indicator of future returns.

I think that all the theories put forward have merit. My gut tells me that the Gibson turn-around has reached the point of looking at the retained subsidiaries, especially Epiphone, to craft an overall plan to reach the strategic goals that have been formulated. Or put another way, they have decided what Gibson and Epiphone will be now they are figuring out a path to get there. And all the while continuing to operate the businesses profitably with their financial backers taking a day a month to review with management where they are in the plan and what milestones will be met in the 91 days.

Turn-arounds are stressful and we shouldn't be surprised that the communication out to the customers is sparse. The last thing they need is another set of back-seat drivers reminding them of what they promised.

I can't even find any numbers for Gibson NRs and left-handed reverses for the 2013 model year. I'm really curious about that.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

never seen this one....

 

[MCF]

Maybe we should do a poll here? At least of: "I would buy," "I wouldn't buy," "Don't want another bass," etc.

I would buy two. A burst one and a painted one. Doesn’t matter what color at this point.