gibson thunderbird

[Death Hands]

Yah, I played three at GC last Saturday, and none of them had any real issues with it.

[no-logic]

Yah, I played three at GC last Saturday, and none of them had any real issues with it.

I rest my case.

[Death Hands]

I rest my case.

 

They also weren't fat and creamy sounding.

 

If I left them alone and stood in place for a while, they'd drop, but not by much. I wear my basses at a medium height, and that helps quite a bit. Walked a little with one of the three, and that's when it dropped the most, but it wasn't all that bad. If I've got a bass on, I rarely take my hands off of it, so neck dive would be solved by my cradling. Free of charge, direct from God.

 

No REAL issue.

 

One thing I hated about the tbirds? They didn't do well while sitting. I hated that a lot.

[zesty brick]

i just played one and dam, i really liked it, but it did have some neck dive issues, i think i might look for a used one

[bassment zombie]

Thunderbird: ...sounds poor with pick...

[REMUS]

I rest my case.

 

 

ORLY?

 

P.S Don't become a lawyer!

[Thumper]

I played my Gibson T-bird for two sets last night.

It neck-dove like a mad bastage, and I have a sore shoulder from sportin' mahogany for two hours.

It sounded killer through the Traynor YBA 200/Avatar 1x15 & 2x10 rig.

I didn't need a pick.

A hottie came up to me and said 'Wow, your bass sounds awesome!'

Her boyfriend said 'F*ck yeah, man!'

My two cents.

[no-logic]

ORLY? P.S Don't become a lawyer!

Funny.:poke:

[REMUS]

 

Funny.:poke:

 

 

YA RLY?

[PrestiaRules]

my 2001 has no more neck dive than my Jazz Bass. Could be my belly holding it in place...

The strap button on mine is at the back of the body where the neck would 'join' if it wasn't neck-thru. I found with locks it happily stayed in place. When i wore it a bit higher it had a propensity to want to rest facing a bit forward.

When i first played a Gibson bird it took me a bit to figure out how to approac it....they play so differently than other basses (imo) from an attach approach. At first I thought it was too boomy and harsh but once I adjusted I found the warm round creamy goodness and the rumbley howyalivin!

[bassdudeguy]

is it worth the 1750 bucks, or should i get a spector?

 

 

not worth the money

[heartsndspades]

im not a big tb fan. but my gibson grabber neck dives, you get used to it. it weighs 7ish lbs, and sounds sick so i deal, i put a heavier strap on and that seemed to help alot.

[REMUS]

not worth the money

And pray tell, how do you come to that conclusion?

[Jamacuco]

I say: both PU's and tone at full, a pick and a pose and yer rockin' fo' sho'. Too bad the Gibsons are that expensive... There are better options at those prices.

[82Daion]

I've never played an Epi, but I got a chance to play an original '64 Thunderbird over the summer that was the best passive bass I've ever played-the tone was incredibly full and rich. Nothing else I played that day came close.

 

If the current Gibby is half as good, that's still one hell of a bass.

 

The Spector will give you more versatility and a much more modern tone. I'd definitely play both of these basses before buying either.

[gretschzildjian]

I say: both PU's and tone at full, a pick and a pose and yer rockin' fo' sho'.

Aw yeah!!!

[FreestyleIntruder]

[Rob Martinez]

Thunderbird bass are friggin' KILLER lookin!

If you know what to do you can dial in a killer tone, it is, after all a ROCK bass.

Why the hell would you want a jazz or slap tone out of that beast?

As far as not being able to reach the 17th fret, it's a BASS dammit! If you wanna play that high, get a friggin' guitar!!!

As far as having a limited DARK tone, listen to Tom Petersson's T-bird bass tone on Cheap Trick's first LP from 1977, it SIZZLES and POPS!!! I think he plays it through an Ampeg B15 or some such amp!!

[Death Hands]

Thunderbird bass are friggin' KILLER lookin! If you know what to do you can dial in a killer tone, it is, after all a ROCK bass. Why the hell would you want a jazz or slap tone out of that beast? As far as not being able to reach the 17th fret, it's a BASS dammit! If you wanna play that high, get a friggin' guitar!!! As far as having a limited DARK tone, listen to Tom Petersson's T-bird bass tone on Cheap Trick's first LP from 1977, it SIZZLES and POPS!!! I think he plays it through an Ampeg B15 or some such amp!!

 

"You're a rock bassist, not a musician. Limit your creativity."

 

That's what I read.

[Rob Martinez]

Well, maybe you need to learn to read. I said it's a BASS, play bass. If you are a good musician, you can be VERY creative without needing to go much beyond the 12th or 14th fret.

That's just me, though. I mean, I LIKE having parameters and then tackling the challenge of kicking ass within those limits. I play in a band, there are other musicians to work with and only so much sonic real estate there.

All I am saying is there are plenty of GREAT bassplayers who use T-birds and they don't let not being able to reach the 17th fret stop them. You shouldn't either. Or get a bass with 24 reachable frets and knock yourself out.

[T-40]

I had a Brice T-bird copy for awhile.
Not the same tone as a real T-bird by a long shot but the same body design and I really don't get this "neck dive" thing. I can't recall ever having issues with neck dive.

I do want to get an Epi Nikki Sixx at some point as well.

[Death Hands]

Well, maybe you need to learn to read. I said it's a BASS, play bass. If you are a good musician, you can be VERY creative without needing to go much beyond the 12th or 14th fret. That's just me, though. I mean, I LIKE having parameters and then tackling the challenge of kicking ass within those limits. I play in a band, there are other musicians to work with and only so much sonic real estate there. All I am saying is there are plenty of GREAT bassplayers who use T-birds and they don't let not being able to reach the 17th fret stop them. You shouldn't either. Or get a bass with 24 reachable frets and knock yourself out.

 

 

But... If I ever go out of first position/G/C/DMaj, I'm a guitarist...

[Rob Martinez]

As I said, knock yourself out dude!

I like playing bass. When I want to go up REAL high, I pick up my Fender guitar and jam!

I do pretty much stay around the third and fifth frets on bass. I occasionally go up to the 12th fret to let my presence be known up there, but not for a whole song.

I mean, some songs NEED that, like the Beatle's "Rain." That's COOL! But I don't do it just to do it. But that is just me.

[Death Hands]

As I said, knock yourself out dude! I like playing bass. When I want to go up REAL high, I pick up my Fender guitar and jam! I do pretty much stay around the third and fifth frets on bass. I occasionally go up to the 12th fret to let my presence be known up there, but not for a whole song. I mean, some songs NEED that, like the Beatle's "Rain." That's COOL! But I don't do it just to do it. But that is just me.

 

 

That, to me, is a problem. I don't enjoy playing guitar, and I doubt that I ever will. They're small, flimsy, and why would I do that when I can replicate the sound feel and even range with a bass, a couple of pedals and my hands? Not that guitars aren't needed, but if I'm mussin', I like to really get into it.

 

I hardly ever change position, my favourite key is Gmaj. I use lost of harmonics and artificial harmonics to keep from moving my fretting hand up, but there are a lot of things I can do on that seventeenth fret that just can't do below it.

[lowendnyc]

I know the T-bird gets pegged as rock bass, but I found with that big thick sound it was a pretty sweet dub/reggae tool as well.

 

As I may have mentioned, mine just got sold to finance some repairs and upgrades to my Precision. My only real beef with the T-bird is that in six years of trying I never could find a gig bag for it. I live in NYC, so hauling that case on the train was out of the question. It was always a problem.