Thunderbird vs Rickenbacker again..

[DaveParker39]

You gotta play a few. The Thunderbird and Ric are very different and play/feel very different, both from one another and from your Jazzes/P-Basses/Spectors/Yamahas/etc.

 

[BassBeginer64]

GET BOTH I DID

 

[jamro217]

Try out as many examples of both, until you find the particular specimen that is perfect for you. Once you do that, start trying out the other model to find the best one of those. Hope this helps.

 

[Rumble Thunder]

I own both the Ric and the Tbird. Both have a little different feel and the string spacing is a touch different so there might be a short adjustment period. The Ric has the bridge pup cover which is a bit different than a Fender. The Tbird has what seems like a really long neck which I love yet it's probably not everybody's cup of tea. They both are lookers and sound like a beast! I do get a few more requests for my white Thunderbird though. I think I might go for the Ric. It is really fun to play and sounds sick.

 

[BigThumps]

The Gibson Thunderbird that I owned did not have neck dive. The neck tapers like a Jazz neck and is fragile right around the headstock. It sounded like a Precision bass and I mostly played it because of how it looked. I modified mine by adding thunderbuckers. It was overall a well made bass and I sold it for a good price.

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I had a Rick 4003 that I ended up selling as well. I loved the neck but the body was large and thin with sharp edges and took some getting used to. To me, the tone was squishy and tough to dial in. I liked it though. The neck is thick and doesn't taper. It is very different from a Precision bass. I got a good price for it and want to get another one someday.

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Any chance you could share that amp mount hanger? TIA

 

[quilanthegreat]

I don't mean to derail but have you ever heard of a Fano JM4?? I hadn't heard of them until I recently acquired one - could really be up your alley!!

 

[higain617]

I own both and they sound and feel quite different. I also own a Gibson Victory, which feels like a midway point between the two. They're both awesome sounds.

 

[Paul Corrosion]

I played a Rick and loved the neck. I don't have access to tbird but everything I have read and researched online just seems like me all the way. I'm also a fairly tall guy and the size is cool.

I was where you are a couple of years ago. At the time, finances wouldn't quite stretch to a Ric, so I went with the TB. I have not regretted this choice once, as it's a joy to play and it sounds fantastic. Like you, I'm tall, so it fits me comfortably and I don't get neck dive, so I can happily play a 2-3 hour gig with it.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

Any chance you could share that amp mount hanger? TIA

It's a bass hanger.

 

[prowla]

I have to say a T-bird is too big for me to play.

 

[Iristone]

As an owner (and liker) of both, I'd say both are ergonomically different from a more "normal" bass. A Thunderbird would have a thinner, faster neck and longer neck extension, whereas the Rick will have a thick neck (that varies), and more like a short-scale.
Tone-wise, the Thunderbird will have more output and richer mids, whereas the Rick will be a bit brighter with tighter lows. Both sustain really well.
A plus of the Rick is the Ric-O-Sound, where you could run one clean and one overdriven amp - doesn't hurt that both basses take distortion really well.

 

[heatheroo1]

I had this exact debate with myself in 1979. Went with the T-bird. Its been my #1 ever since.

 

[prowla]

As an owner (and liker) of both, I'd say both are ergonomically different from a more "normal" bass. A Thunderbird would have a thinner, faster neck and longer neck extension, whereas the Rick will have a thick neck (that varies), and more like a short-scale.
Tone-wise, the Thunderbird will have more output and richer mids, whereas the Rick will be a bit brighter with tighter lows. Both sustain really well.
A plus of the Rick is the Ric-O-Sound, where you could run one clean and one overdriven amp - doesn't hurt that both basses take distortion really well.

Ah - the old Ric thin-neck/thick-neck thing; I've got 8 Rics and only one has a noticeably thicker neck than the others.
That said, T-birds have a very narrow neck.

 

[Koshchei]

Do NOT buy a Thunderbird without playing one first.

The ergonomics are "unique" to put it one way, and they feel very very different from a Ric / Fender shaped bass.

Yeah - they're definitely ...different. A bit like playing a door that wants to smash its headstock to smithereens against the floor.

 

[ctmullins]

Both very cool choices.

Both have narrow string spacing at the bridge, around 17mm versus the Fender standard 19mm. My right hand really likes this.

The Tbird tapers more towards the nut, whereas the Rick has less taper. My left hand likes the wider nut spacing on the Rick.

The Tbird ergonomics are not for everyone. They are manageable when slung low, so you can shift the body towards your right hip and pull the first frets closer to you. Some people hate that; I don't.

The Rick ergonomics are not for everyone. Many people are put off by the sharp binding edge. The S models are contoured, so factor that into your deliberations.

The Tbird has a somewhat fragile headstock. The Rick has its twin truss rod system that makes setup a bit more involved (but perhaps also a bit more stable).

Both have killer pickups and a fantastic aggressive tone!

 

[Ric5]

I made a bass that is the best of both a Rickenbacker and a Thunderbird.

I made a Fenderbird with pickups in the Rickenbacker positions and I also put in a 4 band Audere preamp so I can dial in any tone I want. The pickups are Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounders, they are slanted to eliminate the phase cancelation that can happen with pickups in the Rickenbacker positions. When I dial back the balance to favor the bridge pickup then this bass gets the Rickenbacker growl.

 

[stringthrough]

From 2nd hand reports I've read, the bird doesn't balance well and Rick necks need seasonal truss adjustments more so than "the average bass" (I had one and that was the case). Pick your poison or consider MM, G&L Ibby, etc.

 

[Koshchei]

From 2nd hand reports I've read, the bird doesn't balance well and Rick necks need seasonal truss adjustments more so than "the average bass" (I had one and that was the case). Pick your poison or consider MM, G&L Ibby, etc.

Tweaking a Ric isn't as bad or onerous as it sounds. New ones are a bit fiddly for a few years, and then they settle down and need far less adjustment. Can't speak for the new single truss rod instruments, because I don't know.

 

[bobyoung53]

The word is Thunderbird.

As great as my '73 4001 was, this is worlds better.

The bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word!

 

[REV]

I'd ask about what kind of amp and speaker you have and which bass would work best with your rig.