Thunderbird Club

[TBird1958]

Oh that’s interesting I wasn’t aware of that, can anybody that has or had both the Classic Pro and Vintage Pro confirm if the balance is roughly the same or worse on the VP? Hopefully I’ll get to try one out this weekend in the store and see for myself, I probably shouldn’t have rushed myself and placed the order for the standard IV while I’m still trying to decide...

Thomann where I normally order from is out of stock of both anyway for the next 3 weeks so nothing has been shipped yet and I’m free to swap or cancel until it actually ships. There seems to be a lot of love for the VP on this forum and every other review I’ve read.

Vintage Pro all the way, it's so close to the real deal at a fraction of the price. Just do it.

 

[Gaolee]

Hey guys, I’ve ordered an Epiphone Thunderbird IV (bolt on) as I played one in a store last week and quite liked it, it had a 1.5” nut and just felt higher quality than the older models I’ve played, it was a 2020 model.

Anyway it hasn’t shipped yet so I can still change my order and I’m wondering now if I should go for the Vintage Pro instead, my only issue with the Vintage Pro really is the huge headstock and the neck dive that I’d imagine comes with it also the unwieldy-ness of it as it’s even longer than an already long instrument. In my country the Vintage Pro is just about double the price of the standard model. Does anybody here like the standard model better or is it just unanimous that the Vintage Pro is the better buy? Thanks

They are different. A bolt-on looks the same to an average person, but it is a different beast. I have three Gibson Thunderbirds but still have a bolt on that I really like. It is an older Korean made version with a much bigger neck than the one you ordered. So the answer to your question is that there really is no answer. I have not seen a VP, let alone played one, so keep that in mind. And I kinda want one but keep spending my spare cash on drum stuff. The lobotomy was successful.

 

[GonePlaid]

At some point in this post we began receiving just a little more information than necessary.

There may(or may not)have been a touch of sarcasm there.

 

[GBassNorth]

Hey guys, I’ve ordered an Epiphone Thunderbird IV (bolt on) as I played one in a store last week and quite liked it, it had a 1.5” nut and just felt higher quality than the older models I’ve played, it was a 2020 model.

Anyway it hasn’t shipped yet so I can still change my order and I’m wondering now if I should go for the Vintage Pro instead, my only issue with the Vintage Pro really is the huge headstock and the neck dive that I’d imagine comes with it also the unwieldy-ness of it as it’s even longer than an already long instrument. In my country the Vintage Pro is just about double the price of the standard model. Does anybody here like the standard model better or is it just unanimous that the Vintage Pro is the better buy? Thanks

Generally speaking the VP is the better deal of the two. Both the VP and bolt on are excellent basses as is the CP but I'd imagine if all three were side by side in stock at a store nearly every player would select the VP on sound and maybe a toss up on playability between the VP and CP, the bolt on would win on lowest cost but the VP on best value.

I'd strongly suggest looking for a mint used VP in the $600 or under bracket and then if you still decide you want a CP get a used one of those as well. You'll have about the same money tied up in the two used basses as you would a new VP. That plan gives you the vintage thunderbird tone in the VP that so many love, as well as the modern TBird sound of the CP that is quite nice also.

As for neck dive, my VP doesn't dive any more or less than my other birds. Like nearly every modern thunderbird just use a nice non slippery leather bass strap and you'll be fine.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

It is the mistaken idea that anybody cares about your personal details except you. I do not care what you had for lunch, what your vacation looked like or whether you did an extended exercise routine yesterday. Your dog is not important. And fer chrissakes, I have never participated in a selfie and neither should anyone else. Nope, I am not a crank or opinionated. This is all just factual reporting. And nobody wants to look at your fetus' junk, either.

If this were true, social media (at least Facebook and Instagram) would have died long ago.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I’ve had the Classic Pro in the past and didn’t mind the slight dive on that but I’m imagining the Vintage Pro neck dive is a lot worse due to bigger headstock and heavier tuners or am I wrong?

A little more but not really much. If I have a slippery strap on a smooth shirt, the headstock will mosey toward the floor if I let go completely. That's about it. A grippy strap, or a less smooth shirt, or run the bridge end of the strap across the face of the bass, and you're fine.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Generally speaking the VP is the better deal of the two. Both the VP and bolt on are excellent basses as is the CP but I'd imagine if all three were side by side in stock at a store nearly every player would select the VP on sound and maybe a toss up on playability between the VP and CP, the bolt on would win on lowest cost but the VP on best value.

I'd strongly suggest looking for a mint used VP in the $600 or under bracket and then if you still decide you want a CP get a used one of those as well. You'll have about the same money tied up in the two used basses as you would a new VP. That plan gives you the vintage thunderbird tone in the VP that so many love, as well as the modern TBird sound of the CP that is quite nice also.

As for neck dive, my VP doesn't dive any more or less than my other birds. Like nearly every modern thunderbird just use a nice non slippery leather bass strap and you'll be fine.

The biggest difference in the CP and VP is tone. The VP sounds like the early birds ("angry piano"). The CP sounds like modern birds, somewhat darker. But they are both fantastic. I love them both but find myself playing the CP somewhat more than the VP.

 

[MasterBrianD]

The biggest difference in the CP and VP is tone. The VP sounds like the early birds ("angry piano"). The CP sounds like modern birds, somewhat darker. But they are both fantastic. I love them both but find myself playing the CP somewhat more than the VP.

That’s the thing I prefer the modern Thunderbird tone over the vintage tone in general, I loved the classic pro but had to sell it as I was moving abroad, its next to impossible trying to source down another Classic Pro now that they’re discontinued so I figured the bolt on is cheap enough that it would satisfy the thunderbird craving until I can grab a used CP or even a used Gibson sometime down the line in the future. The bolt on model I played in the store was a Chinese model made in the Epiphone Qingdao factory and as I said earlier it had a 1.5” nut width as opposed to the usual 1.73” nut width. I think they may have switched to 1.5” a few years ago (or maybe it depends what factory it comes from) as most videos online I’ve seen from about 2016 onwards seem to look like they have thinner necks.

 

[KaraQ]

In the beginning, there was a shortage of holes...

Then came The Drill

...after which, came The Screw-Starter....

...after which, the screws were able to begin populating!

After the successes experienced by the screws, the Rings were emboldened to join them

This alliance led to the arrival of The First Pickup!

...fin...

 

[MCF]

Someone here might be interested in this posted by Willy. Not my cuppa, but it is cool.
For Sale/Trade - Schecter Nikki Sixx pinstripe with HSC

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

just terrible.
You guys are trying to out do us on natural disasters. Stay safe all.

just a note that the animals will be doing it tough as well. Info out a few days ago showed that in the (6?) areas surveyed approx 70% of the Koala populations were killed in our last big fires. They estimate that represented about a third of all wild Koalas.
The RFS have started hazard reduction burns around here. The theory is to burn safely now and reduce the fuel in bush fire season.

hard to "like" that...the Koala part that is..

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Reminds me of an acid trip I once took.

 

[Engle]

Actually it's probably from eastern Washington, there are fires currently and the air mass is moving (unusually) to the west. We have some haze here in Seattle along with some smaller local fires.

Yeah just saw a map. Apparently we’re getting more smoke today.

 

[Border]

Good morning Thunderbird loving sisters and brothers. Drove to the Portland area last night, and the smoke is heavy. Watched the local news and it was entirely about fires and evacuations. Originally imagined a trip to the beach at Lincoln City, but I understand that area is being evacuated. It is a surreal image looking out the window this morning, between the smoke and ash. Thoughts and prayers for all who have lost their homes or otherwise been displaced by fires, all up and down the west coast.

Looking forward to getting back home to these bad girls soon. Finally got most of the interior back in, and have taken her for a couple of short cruises north of Spokane. Happy Thursday everyone.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Good morning Thunderbird loving sisters and brothers. Drove to the Portland area last night, and the smoke is heavy. Watched the local news and it was entirely about fires and evacuations. Originally imagined a trip to the beach at Lincoln City, but I understand that area is being evacuated. It is a surreal image looking out the window this morning, between the smoke and ash. Thoughts and prayers for all who have lost their homes or otherwise been displaced by fires, all up and down the west coast.

Looking forward to getting back home to these bad girls soon. Finally got most of the interior back in, and have taken her for a couple of short cruises north of Spokane. Happy Thursday everyone.

AWESOME! Stay safe and Happy TT..

 

[Gaolee]

If this were true, social media (at least Facebook and Instagram) would have died long ago.

My social media is here. That's it. As soon as you reveal the gender of your own personal fetus, it will be a medical miracle. But I'll still be out!

 

[Gaolee]

That’s the thing I prefer the modern Thunderbird tone over the vintage tone in general, I loved the classic pro but had to sell it as I was moving abroad, its next to impossible trying to source down another Classic Pro now that they’re discontinued so I figured the bolt on is cheap enough that it would satisfy the thunderbird craving until I can grab a used CP or even a used Gibson sometime down the line in the future. The bolt on model I played in the store was a Chinese model made in the Epiphone Qingdao factory and as I said earlier it had a 1.5” nut width as opposed to the usual 1.73” nut width. I think they may have switched to 1.5” a few years ago (or maybe it depends what factory it comes from) as most videos online I’ve seen from about 2016 onwards seem to look like they have thinner necks.

I don't know when they started using the narrower neck on bolt-ons. I got an earlier one specifically for the baseball bat neck. It's radically different from a Gibson or any other Epiphone. Maybe start looking for a used CP that can get shipped to you. A used one with a case might end up about the same price as a new bolt-on. But, I gotta say, a bolt-on with DR Black Beauties or uncoated DR nickel rounds has a warm, round, room filling sound that's it's own thing. It doesn't sound like a modern Gibson or a Fender or anything else. It's got it's own unique goodness. Or at least the 2008 Korean made one I have does. You won't get the electric blue fringes or the teal sounds out of a bolt-on like you do with a modern Gibson, but you will get a big, thick chocolate sound.

 

[JIO]

I don't know when they started using the narrower neck on bolt-ons. I got an earlier one specifically for the baseball bat neck. It's radically different from a Gibson or any other Epiphone. Maybe start looking for a used CP that can get shipped to you. A used one with a case might end up about the same price as a new bolt-on. But, I gotta say, a bolt-on with DR Black Beauties or uncoated DR nickel rounds has a warm, round, room filling sound that's it's own thing. It doesn't sound like a modern Gibson or a Fender or anything else. It's got it's own unique goodness. Or at least the 2008 Korean made one I have does. You won't get the electric blue fringes or the teal sounds out of a bolt-on like you do with a modern Gibson, but you will get a big, thick chocolate sound.

I've used a few Epi necks (standard, Goth and ECS) on builds and they vary widely. I have one of the baseball-bat versions that I really like, but I also like shallower profile version. The bevel on the hs varies also. I'm imagining them being produced in different factories over the years and being made a little differently because of that. None of the bevels are like my '64 II.

This Goth has the base-ball bat profile and wide sharp bevel ending at 'peaks'

This Goth has a shallower profile neck - note where bevel stops at the curves

This ECS (Epiphone Custom Shop) example has a thinner, more rounded edge bevel & overlapped peaks

And this Standard has a sort of a mix of bevel width and end peaks - all 4 different

 

[Nocturnal]

Someone here might be interested in this posted by Willy. Not my cuppa, but it is cool.
For Sale/Trade - Schecter Nikki Sixx pinstripe with HSC

I have the Pelham Blue version minus the pinstriping. It is a well made bass but honestly is more RD than Thunderbird IMO. Especially the weight.

 

[dagrev]

Disclaimer: Please, if this post goes against the forum rules feel free to delete it.

Does anyone around here in the USA have a Gibby for trade by any chance?

Keep in mind that shipping could be close to $200.