Epiphone Thunderbird Bass

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JDOD

JDOD

therecordingrebels.com
I tried one the other day, it felt pretty good. Anyone else tried one? Got any strong opinions about them?
 
I think Epiphone guitars have come a long way, but I'm not sure about the basses. I haven't played many myself, but I know a lot of bass players and they don't use them or have much good to say about them. But hey, they're bass players, if they had any sense they'd play something else. :D

My own thoughts on them is try before you buy, and I'm sure for direct recording into a sim an Epi T-Bird bass would be fine.
 
Greg_L said:
I think Epiphone guitars have come a long way, but I'm not sure about the basses. I haven't played many myself, but I know a lot of bass players and they don't use them or have much good to say about them. But hey, they're bass players, if they had any sense they'd play something else. :D

My own thoughts on them is try before you buy, and I'm sure for direct recording into a sim an Epi T-Bird bass would be fine.
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My own bass works fine(ish) but I know its shite. Doesn't seem possible to actually set it up properly how I like it - there's always a compromise between playability and accurate intonation.

EDIT: Just checked - eBay is awash with Thunderbird basses for under £200. Genuine Gibson Thunderbird, RDs and Rippers cost a fucking fortune.
 
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JDOD said:
My own bass works fine(ish) but I know its shite. Doesn't seem possible to actually set it up properly how I like it - there's always a compromise between playability and accurate intonation.

EDIT: Just checked - eBay is awash with Thunderbird basses for under £200. Genuine Gibson Thunderbird, RDs and Rippers cost a fucking fortune.
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Do you want a T-Bird bass specifically?
 
Greg_L said:
Do you want a T-Bird bass specifically?
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Not really - I just think they look quite cool - if I think they look cool I will enjoy playing it and practising more often instead of treating bass playing as a necessary evil.

Basically, its about time I got a bass that is slightly better than the absolute bare minimum beginner quality, happened to play on a Thunderbird in a shop over the weekend and I quite liked it.
 
JDOD said:
Not really - I just think they look quite cool - if I think they look cool I will enjoy playing it and practising more often instead of treating bass playing as a necessary evil.

Basically, its about time I got a bass that is slightly better than the absolute bare minimum beginner quality, happened to play on a Thunderbird in a shop over the weekend and I quite liked it.
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Okay, they do look awesome, but did you hear it? Those bass humbuckers are a special kind of animal.

What do you think of P-Basses? You could get a Fender P with the extra J bridge pickup and those things play great and cover a ton of tonal ground.
 
Greg_L said:
Okay, they do look awesome, but did you hear it? Those bass humbuckers are a special kind of animal.

What do you think of P-Basses? You could get a Fender P with the extra J bridge pickup and those things play great and cover a ton of tonal ground.
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Not sure I could afford a Fender P Pass, Squire maybe. You know the sort of thing I'm after, want something which has a bit of treble so won't just rumble in the background and will cut through. I know that I'll like it more if it looks cool though.

I didn't actually plug that T-Bird in - I just picked it up and played it as I spotted it as I was about to leave - I'd actually just spent loads of time playing on Strats made by a local Welsh luthier.
 
A Squier P+J bass would suit your needs and be cost effective. They're brighter and more versatile than a T-Bird. But they don't look as cool as a T-Bird. The P-body is a classic though. Your avatar pic is a P-Bass gettting smashed to smithereens. :D
 
Greg_L said:
A Squier P+J bass would suit your needs and be cost effective. They're brighter and more versatile than a T-Bird. But they don't look as cool as a T-Bird. The P-body is a classic though. Your avatar pic is a P-Bass gettting smashed to smithereens. :D
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Yeah, fair point - if I could get one with a black pick-guard I would still think it looks cool too.

Getting a more usable bass is probably something I should get on with ahead of getting a new amp and its only a couple of hundred quid tops. I don't need another guitar anymore - just learning to love the ones I have.

EDIT: Quite like this:
Fender Squire Vintage Modified Jazz Bass | eBay
There are millions of cheap basses around - think its the crowd that have learned to play to join theie mate's band and then its spent 10 years at the back of the wardrobe after they finished school.
 
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Just like with any epiphone, you need to play the bass to see if it feels right to you.

As greg mentioned, you need to make sure the sound of that bass is what you want, because it only does the one sound. It's pretty dark and has a good growl, but if you are looking for a brighter sound, this really won't do it.
 
My friend has a Squier J-bass. It looks amazing, plays great, but the pickups on it are terrible. Same with my Squier J-Bass 5-string. Love the look, love how it plays, but its never produced a tone that I like on a recording.

I guess if its cheap enough, you can get a better set of pickups and still come out ahead of a new one.

I absolutely love my MIM P-Bass though. That's all I've been using ever since I got it. It just suits me very well. I bought it used for $180, which was a steal. Had it restrung and set up and it's a mean machine now. Needs another setup though...
 
See, that sounds nice. I just want a bass I can enjoy playing!
 
I've got a Schecter which does the P+J thing - and it's a lacquered black - never liked wood grain on a bass. :eek:
 
Anyone want an Epi T-bird bass...?
I have no case for it...but I pack like a MoFo and ship via FedEx Express...usually overnight or 1-2 days, depending on the location.

It is pretty much mint and seen very little use.
Why...?...because I have two long-scale basses, and the other one is an Ibanez Blazer bass that I've had since the late-'70s, and it's strung with flatwounds, and I just prefer the sound I get with that bass, and I'm more use to its feel.

The T-bird is the tobacco sunburst flavor, and only thing that's not stock is the addition of a thumb rest, which comes in handy, or can be avoided if you prefer playing without using it.

Anyway...what I want is a short-scale bass eventually, so the T-birds is going to go sooner or later.

This is what mine looks like.

Epiphone Thunderbird IV Electric Bass, Vintage Sunburst

I would let it go for a good chunk less than that w/shipping. Shoot me a PM if anyone is interested and we can work it out.

Sorry...wasn't looking to turn this into a Classified Ads post...but I figure since the T-bird was being talked about. :)
 
I own a 1995 Epi Reverse Thunderbird 5 string. Seafoam green. Have never regretted getting it. Plays great. Low action. I own a Spector, Shecter, and an Ibenez. Its just as good as them. Its fun to play. Looks cool. Go for it.
 
Someone on this site has a T-Bird Goth IV I saw in a photo in either the Latest Purchase or Studio Build forums...Asked him about it at the time and if I remember right he was enthralled with the thing.
I've played a lot of different basses in the day. My favorite of all time I just saw on e-Bay for $5k (77 Alembic, same year and model I had). Nothing plays like a vintage Alembic. But realistically in today's world where I scrape to replace a $100 part in my computer, I'd be looking at Ibanez, SGR and Yamaha. They have reasonable lines up to top end and they all seem to play well. Just bought an SGR Stiletto Studio 5 in January for under $400. Plays nice, but not fond of the tone range. Does deep well, but not very versatile.
 
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