Thunderbird Club

[Bassmike62]

Looks like a fun time will be had by all!

Testing the P right out of box, eh

 

[dagrev]

Yes!
View attachment 4285000

True enough, but we only have about three acknowledged members and likely would be banned if we sought official standing beyond ourselves. People think we are not right.

But it does make me smile like that to shake that cobalt dust off my fingers too. Whew! That feels good!

 

[GBassNorth]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...

 

[dagrev]

These are on my local Craigslist. I don't need them and would have no place for to store them, but feckin jaysus can you imagine?
View attachment 4285055

My rep at Sweetwater uses one, or did the last time we talked about it. They seem ideal in that they should cover a lot of frequencies well.

 

[dagrev]

Hi. Just passing by. I was looking at this video and thought the bass had that perfectly iconic Thunderbird tone, the kind that makes you want the bass.
It's great music, too. Enjoy.

That's a Thunderbird alright! Great tone. Looked to be playing through Ashdown heads in a rack. Thanks for posting.

 

[MCF]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...
View attachment 4286080
View attachment 4286081

So does this mean you'll sell me the II?

 

[tyohars]

Probably a bit too radical for the times. Ergonomics issues might have been a factor. Finally, Gibson's marketing has always been s crapshoot. And FB and TB weren't huge successes compared to most Gibson guitars.

But people seems to like FB and TB more than Explorer (at least at my part of the world). Even until now, I consider FB and TB got more love than Explorer.

 

[dagrev]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...
View attachment 4286080
View attachment 4286081

Looks mighty fine! Congratulations on bringing another bird home!

The Boomers will mellow and fatten up a bit with some playing. Depending on amp, cab and settings, they can be too aggressive at first for some given those variables. Still may not be the tone you're seeking, however.

 

[GBassNorth]

So does this mean you'll sell me the II?

LOL - anything is possible, not very probable, but certainly possible.

Looks mighty fine! Congratulations on bringing another bird home!
The Boomers will mellow and fatten up a bit with some playing. Depending on amp, cab and settings, they can be too aggressive at first for some given those variables. Still may not be the tone you're seeking, however.

I really like the A and E strings but the G and D strings are a bit thin sounding with the tone knob turned down but fine with it up over 50%. I might need to tinker with pup heights a bit still.

As a side note, I've been playing Flats nearly exclusively for almost a year now and the Rounds really do remind one to focus on left hand technique. It was kind of an eye (more like ear) opener to run fresh Rounds on an agressive bass with the tone knob cranked up. Yes, there's a good reason I'm a member of the crappy bassists with good gear club.

It's amazing how sloppy one can get in a very short period of time when your gear is compensating for your short comings, and that pretty much applies to everything in life.

Still, I'm loving the potential of the new Greco and exploring the wonderful things that each string brings to the mix. Not giving up on the boomers, they have tremendous potential, I just need to pick up my game before they back off on the top end.

 

[MCF]

Accurate

View attachment 4285693


And Slade shirt for @godofthunder59

I had a pair of tennis shorts like that in 1978.

 

[BklynKen]

I had a pair of tennis shorts like that in 1978.

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[MCF]

Pics or it didn't happen.

I wouldn't want you to have PTSD.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Testing the P right out of box, eh

and the Bird comes out on top....again..

 

[dukeorock]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...
View attachment 4286080
View attachment 4286081

That's a beautiful bass and looks new in the pictures! Congrats!

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

What model is that? And what's the problem?

112LC, meant for guitar, early adoption of ss for guitar that never really caught on...

 

[Miles_ONeal]

But people seems to like FB and TB more than Explorer (at least at my part of the world). Even until now, I consider FB and TB got more love than Explorer.

I agree. But they sold very few FBs compared to Les Pauls or SGs, for instance. They never sold a ton of basses, period.

 

[TBird1958]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...
View attachment 4286080
View attachment 4286081

That's the best looking white/black hardware one I've ever seen, super nice!

The Pups are hot, open them up and work your amp some, string noise is overrated, it's lost in the mix with a band.

 

[Border]

NBD (New Bird Day) report...

Got the white Greco IV a couple of days ago and finally had the time to do an inspection and setup. The serial number is 0 79XX. As best I can tell this is probably a 1980 model. According the the Greco dating site they switched their numbering system in 1980, so if the first number is a "0" then it's either a 1980 or 1990. The site goes on to say that Greco got a cease and desist order from Gibson when Gibby hooked up with Orville in 1985 to produce offshoots in Japan. If that's the case, then this would be a 1980 and nearly in mint condition considering how badly their hardware parts normally age.

Weight is a tad higher than the 1977 Greco II I have, at 9 pounds even vs 8pounds 12oz for the II. The only significant difference in the body is the IV has a slightly different shaped neck heel which makes it a bit more obvious that it's a set neck, the 1977 has a set neck also but it's much harder to tell. As noted earlier the hardware is all in great shape, Black and no visible oxidation or corrosion.

I put a fresh set of GHS Bass Boomers on it and like the clarity and punch but that's unfortunately made it impossible to accurately A/B with my Greco II which is currently wearing ancient TI Jazz Flats. What I can say is I'm having to completely change the way I normally set my bass for playing. Normally I'm a neck pup guy with little to no bridge pup and tone at 50% or less. With this bass it sounds the way I want it to with the neck pup at 50%, the bridge pup at 25% and the tone at 50% or more. Might be a function of the strings IDK, but I'll probably try a set of Cobalt Flats on it next and that should be a bit closer to my older Greco sound. I do think it has noticeably more tonal range than my II, due largely to having two pups.

So she's a keeper, any thoughts I might have had in the back of my head to pull the bridge pup and install it in my BaCH are on hold. The Greco IV sounds darn good as is, a little less P bass than my II but every bit as raucous.

Obligatory Photos...
View attachment 4286080
View attachment 4286081

Congratulations on your gorgeous new Bird! Play it good health!

 

[GBassNorth]

That's the best looking white/black hardware one I've ever seen, super nice!

The Pups are hot, open them up and work your amp some, string noise is overrated, it's lost in the mix with a band.

Thx, other than some very minor player wear and a missing truss cover this thing is pristine. The fretboard had been expertly cared for and there isn't a screw on it that looks like it's been touched by a driver more than once. The trussrod is a bit tight and looks like it's barely ever been adjusted, but that's ok, the action is ridiculously low and there's no fret buzz. Very happy with the overall condition.

Great point on the hot pups. IIRC I had the bass plugged into the standard amp input vs the active input. I'll have to try the other jack tomorrow to see how that works.

I will say, I'm not a fan of the black knurled knobs at all, can't tell what setting anything is on. I might drill a 1/8" dimple into each knob head and put in a drop of white paint for indicators. Also looks like I'll have to fab my own truss cover and hopefully find a gold vinyl or foil Greco logo sticker to put on it. Heck, what is it with white birds and projects, I'm starting to sound like @KaraQ (I wish I had her handy fix it skills).

 

[GBassNorth]

That's a beautiful bass and looks new in the pictures! Congrats!

Thx. Just wish it had a truss cover. I'm not having any luck finding one. Looking right now like I'll have to fab one and apply a Greco wordmark to it. Good news is that my 1977 Greco TBird II has the original truss cover so I can use that one as a template if it comes down to it. If I go the custom fab route I'll try to make a couple of extras for you and @Chucky Stiletti.