Thunderbird Club

[MCF]

I've been considering doing this for a while now. I had a '65 II and an '86 II that made me a II fan for life. I'm to the point that I don't necessarily need every bass I have to be vintage or "correct." I think I may need to buy a used VP and get this done.

Put a Thunderbucker in it while you're at it. That wound be glorious.

 

[BklynKen]

That wound be glorious.

That typo is certainly true when @bylar13 goes nuts with his Babicz.

 

[MCF]

The gold knobs are something I don't care for, either. Since all the VPs have chrome hardware, they really should've had silver knobs. Imo.

Although, a black VP with gold hardware/knobs might've looked pretty good.

Easily remedied with replacement silver knobs. I like the gold on my Ebony VP.

 

[MCF]

That typo is certainly true when @bylar13 goes nuts with his Babicz.

Thanks. I'll just leave it as is then.

 

[Gaolee]

Do you know if they had him sign the original pick guard (a shame) or if they hay him sign a replacement keeping the original unmarred?

If it says in the ad, then I knew sometime or another. If it doesn't, then I don't. I am resisting the urge to pay it a visit, because it would probably choose me. Then what?

 

[TBird1958]

I have been avoiding looking at it for as long as it has been on Reverb. No shipping, of course. As much as I like Entwhistle's playing, the signature is a big minus to me. Other than that, it sure is lust-worthy.

The JAE Sig does nothing for me, it's actually a bit overpriced for it's (repaired condition), compared to a lot of the other similar Birds out there. I'm still dealing with King County over the Quit Claim deed for my house, ugh, once done I will go vintage Thunderbird shopping.

 

[Gaolee]

I Ike my Gibson nitro finishes. They look and feel real. The poly finishes on my Epis are all flawless. I understand poly is much easier to work with.

It depends on what you want it to look and feel like. Poly feels thicker and looks like glossy plastic. That is what it is, after all. It wears different from nitro. I personally prefer the more organic look and feel of nitro, flaws and all, over the more perfect look of poly. It is relative, though. I have plenty of examples of both. Poly isn't a deal breaker at all, since all things are never equal. Poly on a VP is fine, since that is how a VP is made. And you can scrub down the back of the neck to make it feel a whole lot better. If mine was white or burst, it would be less obvious that happened. That is fine, though. It makes me like it better.

 

[MCF]

I gotta say, my experiences have been the opposite. Both of my Gibson TBirds (‘02 and ‘14) were perfect in every way. Balance, set up, fit and finish. I bought one of the first Embassy Pros from Zzounds and it was comically bad. Tried another one at a Sam Ash that might’ve been even worse. The first VP ‘Bird I tried wasn’t that great either, though I’ve since tried others that were very nice. I still think my Gibsons play better, weigh less and have nicer finishes. Which isn’t to say I wouldn’t play a VP because they are a steal for the price. My Epi JC I had was as nice as anything I’ve ever played. The Epi Viola bass is surprisingly good, but I have a ‘67 Hofner, so...
I’ve heard quite a few horror stories about Gibson QC and I’m not discounting that, but I’ve owned a ton of Gibson guitars and basses and only one would I describe as less than top notch. I could just be lucky!

My Gibbons are absolutely superior to my Epis. They're worth every penny I paid for them. I love my four Epis too, great basses for the cost. My Pelham blue Custom Shop Limited Edition comes closest to the Gibson "feel", but no one will ever mistake it for a Gibson.

 

[MCF]

If it says in the ad, then I knew sometime or another. If it doesn't, then I don't. I am resisting the urge to pay it a visit, because it would probably choose me. Then what?

You sell a kidney and stop drinking.

 

[Gaolee]

The JAE Sig does nothing for me, it's actually a bit overpriced for it's (repaired condition), compared to a lot of the other similar Birds out there. I'm still dealing with King County over the Quit Claim deed for my house, ugh, once done I will go vintage Thunderbird shopping.

If I visited it, there is a high likelihood that I would consider negotiations with them. Thing is that they may not be open to negotiations. There are a few on Reverb that seem like they are priced better anyway. Still, nothing beats picking it up before plonking down that kind of cash. If I were going yo buy a vintage 'Bird from somewhere, there would probably be travel cost factored in to make sure it is what it should be. Trust but verify.

 

[Gaolee]

You sell a kidney and stop drinking.

I like how you think.

 

[GBassNorth]

Do you know if they had him sign the original pick guard (a shame) or if they hay him sign a replacement keeping the original unmarred?

Does anyone even know for a fact that the signature is authentic? Been a long time since I visited that sale so I don’t recall if there’s any provenance with the bass. If not, it’s nothing special vs any other bird from that era. If so, maybe add a bit of premium and then remove and tuck that guard away in safe storage. That said, I still like the vintage bird on Reverb that’s being sold from Oz.

 

[TBird1958]

You sell a kidney and stop drinking.

Ummmm.....No. That'd be a No. As in hard pass.


Obviously I enjoy Imgur's Meme generator a little too much, don't take me too seriously.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

little clip from yesterday…

 

[godofthunder59]

Little help? Now that I dug my '77 out of the case for more than pictures I want to get a Mod Bar for it. I've searched and searched and I can't find them. Can anyone find a ebay link or other source?

 

[Instagator]

You're thinking "Did he whack the wall six times or only five?" Now, to tell you the truth, I've forgotten myself in all this excitement. But being this is a Thunderbird, the most powerful bass guitar in the world and the headstock will blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: “Do I feel lucky?”

Awesome.

 

[dagrev]

Mine is most definitely heavier than the Gibsons, but I don't notice once it's strapped on. It also has a bit of neck dive that the Gibsons don't have. I didn't like the way the back of the neck felt. That's solved. I sanded the finish with fine sandpaper. Now it's a matte finish that feels a whole lot more like nitro and a whole lot less like a plastic bag. That bass is completely mine now, I guess. Although the previous owner managed to corrode all of the metal parts just enough for it to have a patina, and the knobs are black replacement knobs instead of the vintage gold ones. On a bass that's black and silver and white, gold knobs would have been one color too many anyway.

It's odd that the poly finish on the burst VP doesn't feel like poly. The white does, but is still not sticky like some or I'd have to do something about that. My (former) Ric always felt weird after about 4 songs, whatever finish it was. The '76 Thunderbird hangs on to something from the skin and gets dirty in a way I don't notice with anything else. Odd.

 

[dagrev]

The gold knobs are something I don't care for, either. Since all the VPs have chrome hardware, they really should've had silver knobs. Imo.

Although, a black VP with gold hardware/knobs might've looked pretty good.

 

[dagrev]

I gotta say, my experiences have been the opposite. Both of my Gibson TBirds (‘02 and ‘14) were perfect in every way. Balance, set up, fit and finish. I bought one of the first Embassy Pros from Zzounds and it was comically bad. Tried another one at a Sam Ash that might’ve been even worse. The first VP ‘Bird I tried wasn’t that great either, though I’ve since tried others that were very nice. I still think my Gibsons play better, weigh less and have nicer finishes. Which isn’t to say I wouldn’t play a VP because they are a steal for the price. My Epi JC I had was as nice as anything I’ve ever played. The Epi Viola bass is surprisingly good, but I have a ‘67 Hofner, so...
I’ve heard quite a few horror stories about Gibson QC and I’m not discounting that, but I’ve owned a ton of Gibson guitars and basses and only one would I describe as less than top notch. I could just be lucky!

I think the Epi Embassy (China) and VP (Indonesia) are worlds a part from my experience. As I've mentioned before, even my wife could tell the difference. After simply handing me a VP and taking an Embassy in a store she said, "This one (VP) is better." Both of my VPs are fantastic. Can't find a flaw on either one really other than some hardware and PU screws with rough heads on one. I was actually concerned when considering a modern Gibson from some of what I was reading. Once I got it was amazed how wonderful it was. I love it and can't find a thing wrong with it, other than I'm not crazy about the modern Gibson PUs, having owned and hearing a '64 for decades.

 

[Engle]

I Ike my Gibson nitro finishes. They look and feel real. The poly finishes on my Epis are all flawless. I understand poly is much easier to work with.

I’ve sprayed nitro, but never poly on an instrument. Usually in finishing, it’s the prep work that makes the difference.
I just don’t remember seeing any un-filled pores or other finish flaws (other than wear) on older Gibsons that I have owned or picked up.
I won’t let it stop me if a used Gibson Tbird comes along at the right price.