Thunderbird Club

[TBird1958]

I had an ‘86 Custom Shop Thunderbird years ago, but I sold it in ‘99 to buy my ‘77 Jazz Bass. I always kind of wanted another one, but couldn’t really justify the price. I’ve been looking at the Epiphone Vintage Pro model online, and really like the way they look. I read up on them and they seemed like pretty nice basses for the money. I retired last week, so I pulled the trigger as a gift to myself. I just got it unboxed and tuned up. It’s very cool! It sounds like a monster through my Ampeg rig! I’m looking forward to taking it to band practice this weekend and trying it out at volume. I hope an Epiphone will qualify here. On a side note... when I was in high school in ‘82, I could have bought a ‘64 Thunderbird IV. I’d just bought a Rickenbacker a couple of months earlier, and thought my parents would probably be upset if I spent another $400. D’oh!!!!!!!!!!
Here are pics of my ‘86 and the new one.

Shoulda kept that '86 - far fewer of those than '64s. Very rare Thunderbird, like 1 of 10.

The Vintage Pro is your gateway Bird, there will be more - I'm adding you to the list just above, please be welcome here with us bassgtrman, you'll be #818

 

[BklynKen]

I had an ‘86 Custom Shop Thunderbird years ago, but I sold it in ‘99 to buy my ‘77 Jazz Bass. I always kind of wanted another one, but couldn’t really justify the price. I’ve been looking at the Epiphone Vintage Pro model online, and really like the way they look. I read up on them and they seemed like pretty nice basses for the money. I retired last week, so I pulled the trigger as a gift to myself. I just got it unboxed and tuned up. It’s very cool! It sounds like a monster through my Ampeg rig! I’m looking forward to taking it to band practice this weekend and trying it out at volume. I hope an Epiphone will qualify here. On a side note... when I was in high school in ‘82, I could have bought a ‘64 Thunderbird IV. I’d just bought a Rickenbacker a couple of months earlier, and thought my parents would probably be upset if I spent another $400. D’oh!!!!!!!!!!
Here are pics of my ‘86 and the new one.

Congratulations on your retirement and the new Thunderbird! Was the '86 as-is from the factory or did you customize it further?

 

[bassgtarman]

Congratulations on your retirement and the new Thunderbird! Was the '86 as-is from the factory or did you customize it further?

It was used when I got it. Someone had added the black pick guard (but the original white one was in the case). I didn't do any mods to it.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Shoulda kept that '86 - far fewer of those than '64s. Very rare Thunderbird, like 1 of 10.

The Vintage Pro is your gateway Bird, there will be more - I'm adding you to the list just above, please be welcome here with us bassgtrman, you'll be #818

always learning something here...thanks V. don't even know if the Gibson bass book talks about these gorgeous basses.....70's Sidewinders? looks like no factory pickup/bridge covers as well..

 

[bassgtarman]

Shoulda kept that '86 - far fewer of those than '64s. Very rare Thunderbird, like 1 of 10.

The Vintage Pro is your gateway Bird, there will be more - I'm adding you to the list just above, please be welcome here with us bassgtrman, you'll be #818

Thank you for the add! Yeah... I know I should have kept the '86. I was just getting back into playing after having sold my gear in college. I bought it for $500 in '96, and sold it for $1100 in '99. I didn't use it as much as I used my other two basses. It wasn't particularly comfortable on me at the time, and I just didn't bring it out very often. The Jazz Bass I bought with the proceeds from the T-Bird has been my main and favorite bass ever since, but I've been lusting after T-Birds for a long time now. I wish I could have kept EVERY BASS I've ever owned! My biggest regrets as far as sold basses go are: My original '82 Azureglo Ric (in my profile pic... bought it brand new when I was 17... my first good bass), the white T-Bird (I had wanted to get one of the white Epiphones, but they were out of stock... and I don't really have many sunbursts of any kind in my collection), and a '74 Precision. Oh, and a late '90s or early '00s Turquoise 4003 that I didn't like at the time, but now wish I still had!

 

[TBird1958]

always learning something here...thanks V. don't even know if the Gibson bass book talks about these gorgeous basses.....70's Sidewinders? looks like no factory pickup/bridge covers as well..
View attachment 3854828

When I visited Uwe this was the first bass I wanted to see, it's an '86 Thunderbird II '70 pickups, leftover old stock.

This is an '87 IIRC, different pickups (or at least covers, don't know what guts are in them Gibson was all over the place), black tuners and a big headstock.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I had an ‘86 Custom Shop Thunderbird years ago, but I sold it in ‘99 to buy my ‘77 Jazz Bass. I always kind of wanted another one, but couldn’t really justify the price. I’ve been looking at the Epiphone Vintage Pro model online, and really like the way they look. I read up on them and they seemed like pretty nice basses for the money. I retired last week, so I pulled the trigger as a gift to myself. I just got it unboxed and tuned up. It’s very cool! It sounds like a monster through my Ampeg rig! I’m looking forward to taking it to band practice this weekend and trying it out at volume. I hope an Epiphone will qualify here. On a side note... when I was in high school in ‘82, I could have bought a ‘64 Thunderbird IV. I’d just bought a Rickenbacker a couple of months earlier, and thought my parents would probably be upset if I spent another $400. D’oh!!!!!!!!!!
Here are pics of my ‘86 and the new one.

Awesome!

And heap plenty Epihones here.

 

[BklynKen]

It was used when I got it. Someone had added the black pick guard (but the original white one was in the case). I didn't do any mods to it.

Ah, so what was "custom shop" about it?

 

[bassgtarman]

Ah, so what was "custom shop" about it?

From what I remember reading at the time, it was made at a time when Gibson wasn't actually producing Thunderbirds. That might not be correct, but I read that online when I had it. It might have just been the color that was custom at the time. At any rate, it had the "Custom Shop" logo stamped on the back of the headstock, and in the case. It also had an ebony fretboard, but I don't know enough about T-Birds to know if that was standard or custom.

 

[BklynKen]

From what I remember reading at the time, it was made at a time when Gibson wasn't actually producing Thunderbirds. That might not be correct, but I read that online when I had it. It might have just been the color that was custom at the time. At any rate, it had the "Custom Shop" logo stamped on the back of the headstock, and in the case.

Ah, just looked it up and it looks like they started making them again in '87, so that's certainly custom!

 

[Fabian Bass]

my epi with a Hipshot bridge

 

[bassgtarman]

Ah, just looked it up and it looks like they started making them again in '87, so that's certainly custom!

Yeah, now that you mention that, that is the date I remember. None in the normal production from '76 to '87?

 

[bassgtarman]

When I visited Uwe this was the first bass I wanted to see, it's an '86 Thunderbird II '70 pickups, leftover old stock.

View attachment 3854855

This is an '87 IIRC, different pickups (or at least covers, don't know what guts are in them Gibson was all over the place), black tuners and a big headstock.

View attachment 3854856

That white one is really similar to the one I had, but mine had an ebony fingerboard and different (clover leaf) tuners. It had the '70s-style chrome pickup covers, instead of the later black ones. Mine had a black pickguard without the T-Bird logo, but the normal white one was in the case. I don't know if the black guard was part of the Custom Shop deal, or if the previous owner had it made. It looked really sharp, in either case.

 

[TBird1958]

Yeah, now that you mention that, that is the date I remember. None in the normal production from '76 to '87?

Correct, it was Henry J. that brought them back.

 

[TBird1958]

View attachment 3854859my epi with a Hipshot bridge

Very nice, I see that you've just joined Talkbass today, we have a club just for us Thunderbird folks here, I'm happy to add you to our list if you like.

 

[FlyingPigSound]

Epi tobacco burst VP (take 3), thanks Sweetwater for a perfect setup out of the box yet again

 

[Gaolee]

Complete coincidence and absolutely nothing intended with respect to the second song title, but Thunderbird sighting!

Looks like he did a Kat and removed the offending pickup.

 

[Gaolee]

I know I saw it by chance at the store and it I knew at that moment I needed it

Ah, it was the other way around. It saw you and knew right away that you needed to play it. And so the magic happens. It chose you. Who can say no to that?

 

[Gaolee]

not sure what the thunderbird club is all about but im thinking i can qualify for membership and would be honered to be a part of it .. especially if there are free stickerz

Stickerz are free, but you have to make 'em yourself. Your avatar makes it look like you are completely qualified.

 

[Gaolee]

KT Tunstall - nice bird

View attachment 3854327

Ooooh! Shiny! And a shiny bass, too.