Epiphone Thunderbird IV

[Shylock]

[b]Brand:[/b]
Epiphone
[b]Model:[/b]
Thunderbird IV

[b]Features: 9[/b]

I bought this bass second hand in August 2011 and it is a 2006 Korean model made in the Unsung factory. Mine is the standard vintage sunburst which I think looks good. There is very little colour option. The back of the neck is also stained the same colour as the body but is does not quite match, probably because it is a differant wood. I have got used to it but on balance I prefer the clear maple finish of a Fender.

Not sure what the wood is as there appears to contflicting information available here. The current (made in China) specification states alder, some older specs say mahogony with a mahogany top, I think it is more likely Basswood with a Mahogany top, as per a 2006 brochure I found on the web, but I could be wrong. Not too heavy and comparable weight to my Fender MIM Precision.

You will see many references to the weird Gibson floating bridge and recomendations to replace it with a Hipshot Supertone. It is a strange bridge as whilst you can lengthen or shorten the string very easily you cannot adjust the height of each string individualy. There are three screws, with one at the front which heightens and slants the bridge upwards and one at each side which heightens the lower E side or upper G side. Personally it is not a big issue for me and I have the E side higher than the G. I am tempted to puchase a Hipshot replacement, but it is costly compared to the price of the bass, and quite frankly I doubt I will hear that much improvement. The guitar does have a very good sustain, however, despite the bridge which does not have full contact with the body.

There is another issue with the bridge in so far as the space between where you anchor the ball end and the actual bridge is small and some silk round strings, such as Rotosounds, can end up with the silk lying over the actual bridge which may effect intonation. The cure is to buy unsilked strings, although I have found Elites Stadiums do not have as much silk at the ball end, or you could thread an old ball end from a bass string to lenghten the silk end back a bit. I have come across a manufactured ‘spacer’ from USA on ebay.
[b] [attachment=100150:Bridge - silked.jpg][/b]

[attachment=100151:Bridge - unsilked.jpg]

[b]Action, Fit, & Finish: 9[/b]

I can find no guide as to what the neck relief should be and I have set mine at 14thou’ which seems to work. Action is set quite low with no buzzes and comparable, if not lower, than my Fender MIM Precision. The neck is narrower than my Precision but does seem to have a fuller C shape. Overall I find it quite fast although access to to the very top of the neck is hard.

The soldering of the electrics is good and all wires are neat. However the jack socket does work loose and being up against wood I can see it wearing through and being an issue in the future. The finish of the frets is first class with no rough edges The intonatation is perfect on every note and its stays in tune better than my Fender P’Bass on stage and in its case.

The finish or stain is first class although it does seem to attract slight surface scratches that can be seen when you hold it to the light, although this is common with all finishes and it does shine up well. I like its looks and the differant, distinctive retro shape.

[b]Sound Quality: 10[/b]
This what I love about this bass. It has a good dark sound yet can cut through the band’s mix. I play a mixture of fingers and plectrum, depending on the number, and it suits both styles. Whilst it does not have the full deep tone of the Fender Precision I prefer the tone with more attack, higher mids and without a boomy bass sound that can take away the clarity of the note. But I respect that tone is personal and it may not suit everybody. However I definately find that this T’Bird can cut through the band mix better than my MIM P’Bass, especially on the top two strings.

[b]Reliability/Durability: 9[/b]

Very reliable, but a passive bass so little to go wrong. I think the aforementioned jack socket could become an issue.

[b]Ease of Use: 7[/b]

It is an awkward shape and cuts into you stomach but you do get used to it. The Fender P’Bass is far more comfortable as it is contoured; the T’Bird is not and is like a slab of wood. You have to get the height right on the strap to be comfortable.

The neckdive is bad. However it is easily cured by moving the strap button to the neck as has been shown before in various reviews. I cannot understand why it is not there in the first place. The neck, lengthways, does tend to tip slightly forward away from you and you do have hold the bass to counter this effect so you can see the frets clearly.

I also needed to put a strap lock on the body end as the strap kept slipping off, due the angle of the strap to the body.

[b]Customer Support: 7[/b]

I did email Gibson to ask what size allen key it takes and got a respones a few days later which was good. However there is not much support regarding set up, wiring, etc., comparable to what is available on the Fender website and it really is quite poor. Could be much improved, unless I am missing the main site?

[b]Overall Rating: 9[/b]

[b]Pros[/b]

Relatively cheap – especially if second hand and overall very good value and holds it own with basses costing a lot more
Recognised as a quality bass and used professionally, I believe by Pete Way of UFO.
Perfect intonation
Cuts through the mix with a live band
Good ‘rock’ tone
Keeps in tune
Excellent finish
Fast neck

[b] [size=4]Cons[/size][/b]

Uncomfortable to play
Long neck (will only fit certain bags/cases)
Tone will not be to everybody’s taste especially if you prefer a smooth ‘bassier’ sound
Neck dive
Bridge will not permit individual strings to be heightened or lowered

Edited May 17, 2013 by Shylock

[Nibody]

I'd go along with all of this, having owned one from new since around 2007 and passed it on to another Basschatter recently. The only issue I found is the Pickups always seemed VERY quiet, nowhere near the output of my Precisions or Jazz. Found I had to crank the gain up a few notches to get a comparable "sound level". Maybe it was just mine? I do regrett selling it on, but I'm glad it's going to get used.

[Lozz196]

Seems a bit strange, I had two Epi Tbirds, and they were very loud output basses indeed.

[Nibody]

Maybe it was my perception. I know when running through the my amp, and also Amp sims (Guitar Rig 4 and Amplitube 3) it seemed to have less output than my precisions and my Jazz which was the opposite of what I expected the case to be (had the T Bird first). I'm quite regretting letting it go now as a band has come up that covers a few UFO tracks! They are nice bass guitars (Neck Dive and difficulties getting a bag/case to fit them aside).

[Delberthot]

My black one is nowhere near original but the two best things you can do to improve the balance are to get a Hipshot bridge and move the front strap button to the front of the body heel under the neck. Its amazing how comfortable it becomes when you do these two things. Its all I've gigged with for the past 18 months for weddings, rock gigs and even the Beatles tribute band I am in.

I think this one has always been alder, the Goth & NIkki Sixx being the only two I am aware of that are mahogany.

Never had a problem with the jack but I rewired it with decent pots and stuff when I changed the pickups. If you're looking to rewire then its done exactly the same as a Jazz bass.

Edited February 18, 2012 by Delberthot

[Billy Apple]

Might the pick-up/volume issues have anything to do with the hight of the Pup from the strings? My Gibbo T is mellow, but I have the Pup's away from the strings, my P is bitier than a bitey thing but the pups are quite high. Also the circuit (apparently) is a bit odd, when both vols are full one humbucker feeds into the other, making it quieter. I set mine 10 on the neck and 8 on the bridge, and that is louder than 10/10

[Delberthot]

Yeah. Same as a Jazz. If both pups are on full then its quieter.For fingerstyle I have bridge on 10 and neck on 8. Using a plectrum I have it the other way around

If the pickups are too high they can either be really gnarly or overdrive the preamp. Too low and you can lose a lot of definition

Edited February 18, 2012 by Delberthot

[Nibody]

Didnt seem to be a lot of manouver for adjusting the Pup height on the T Bird. Had the action fairly low anyway. Pity because I loved the sound. Maybe when finances are better I'll get another Bird.

[White Cloud]

Thanks for this review; very helpful indeed.

Recently picked up my first Epiphone Thunderbird IV from fellow basschatter Nancy Johnson, and really loving the experience. This really is a great bass for the cash! The only issue for me is the bridge...I would love to ask the person who developed it..... WHY? A high tension bridge that floats, barely makes contact with the body and is extremely nonadjustable....INSANE!

I can tell that it is severely compromising the instruments tone, I am already saving for a Hipshot supertone. That apart its all good.

At this price point I almost expected a bass that was of a low quality, but its been a big surprise. Easily on a par, if not better than Squiers....and a tone beast.

Edited May 6, 2013 by White Cloud

[Shylock]

It certainly is and I liked it so much I bought a Gibson version, which is now my main bass. I keep meaning to do a review of the Gibson,as a comparison to the Epi, but have never got round to it.

Briefly the Gibson tone is clearer, not so muddy, but still a dark growl. It is lighter and the neck a lot thinner. I did have a problem with the bridge pins lifting but a local luthier glued them for me for 20 notes. Still an issue with the 3 point bridge and adjusting the string height and I do find the D string quieter because of this lack of adjustment. Not sure abut a hipshot bridge mainly because you have to import it for a good price.

Now bearing in mind that a new Gibson is about five times as expensive as Epiphone is it five times as good? Quite frankly no. I much prefer the Gibson and I can certainly tell the difference in tone, quality and the ease of playing it, but when I took the Epi instead of the Gibson to band practice (when the bridge pins were being fixed) no one noticed!! Doh!!

Edited May 17, 2013 by Shylock

[White Cloud]

[quote name='Shylock' timestamp='1368316748' post='2075707']
It certainly is and I liked it so much I bough a Gibson version, which is now my main bass. I keep meaning to do a review of the Gibson,as a comparison to the Epi, but have never got round to it.

Briefly the Gibson tone is clearer, not so muddy, but still a dark growl. It is lighter and the neck a lot thinner. I did have a problem with the bridge pins lifting but a local luthier glued them for me for 20 notes. Still an issue with the 3 point bridge and adjusting the string height and I do find the D string quieter because of this lack of adjustment. Not sure abut a hipshot bridge mainly because you have to import it for a good price.

Now bearing in mind that a new Gibson is about five times as expensive as Epiphone is it five times as good? Quite frankly no. I much prefer the Gibson and I can certainly tell the difference in tone, quality and the ease of playing it, but when I took the Epi instead of the Gibson to band practice (when the bridge pins were being fixed) no one noticed!! Doh!!
[/quote]
Well from one player to another thank you for taking the time to write this review as it gave me a point of reference, and helped me make an informed choice.

I am totally in love with the Epi T bird and am already planning an upgrade to the Gibson. I would love a comparison between both, so if you get the time then I would love to hear your opinions!

[NancyJohnson]

As a Thunderbird user and the guy who sorted out White Cloud with the Epiphone, I suppose I have some qualification as I had both basses in my possession for a while.

Let's start out by saying I'm running three Gibson reverse models along with two other derivatives (a new NR reissue and a Hamer FBIV) and all of these are fitted with Hipshot Supertone bridges. I am, as past posts will support, no fan of the Gibson three-point bridge. All the Gibsons are from different years and even these differ from each other. By way of comparison, the bolt-on Epiphone has a similar look (headstock is slightly different); the neck is a close facsimile of the Gibson (slightly fatter profile), it hangs pretty much the same, feels pretty much the same and with a decent set up will play nicely enough. Tonally though, all my Gibsons are a country mile ahead of the Epiphones, but this is simply a personal preference, what I think sounds great may not be what someone else thinks is nice.

I concur with Shylock to a degree, although a decent Gibson can probably be picked up for about 800 notes, if you can afford it, go for it. As I've posted previously, Gibson TBs are like magic. I'm a slightly overweight guy closing in my 40s. Strap on this baby and I turn into a lithe guy in my early 20s. It just makes you feel different about yourself and your playing!
P

[White Cloud]

Thanks for interjecting P, nice one.

I was in my local guitar guitar a few days ago and was eyeballing the Gibson TB & the Epi classic pro version (7 piece thru neck, Gibson pups etc). The Gibson fingerboard was a much nicer piece of rosewood...but otherwise it was hard to discern any other visual difference. Ideally I would have loved to have played and contrasted between them but I was burning daylight and time was limited.

Obviously the Gibson is going to be better...but then again will it be 5 times better for 5 times the price?

Edited May 18, 2013 by White Cloud

[NancyJohnson]

Hi John
You can argue this until the cows come home. Sometimes it's not about tone, coolness, the name on your headstock etc. it's about, 'Hey, you muthafunker, look at me, I've got a Gibson and it sounds amaaaaazing.'

I know in these politically correct days, where everybody has to win a prize (even if you're the fat kid who comes in last - and believe me, I've come last a few times), a world where it's frowned upon to brag about what you have or where it comes from, but just this once, just this once, I want to give these people the finger and shout, 'Look at me. I've saved damn hard to buy this and it sounds better than great, it sounds awesome, and hey, look it's a Gibson, a real one, not a copy with a Gibson truss rod cover.', rather than standing in the shadows afraid to say anything in case you upset the guy from the support band who is playing an Affinity Precision bass.

Is a Gibson five times better for five times the price? No, of course it's not. It's infinitely better for five times the price!
P

[White Cloud]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1368899804' post='2082858']
Hi John
You can argue this until the cows come home. Sometimes it's not about tone, coolness, the name on your headstock etc. it's about, 'Hey, you muthafunker, look at me, I've got a Gibson and it sounds amaaaaazing.'

I know in these politically correct days, where everybody has to win a prize (even if you're the fat kid who comes in last - and believe me, I've come last a few times), a world where it's frowned upon to brag about what you have or where it comes from, but just this once, just this once, I want to give these people the finger and shout, 'Look at me. I've saved damn hard to buy this and it sounds better than great, it sounds awesome, and hey, look it's a Gibson, a real one, not a copy with a Gibson truss rod cover.', rather than standing in the shadows afraid to say anything in case you upset the guy from the support band who is playing an Affinity Precision bass.

Is a Gibson five times better for five times the price? No, of course it's not. It's infinitely better for five times the price!
P
[/quote]
Lol. You have convinced me Paul! Gimme a Gibson Thunderbird....RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!

[Shylock]

I agree totally with Nancy Johnson it is sooooo much better than the Epiphone and rereading my post I guess what I wanted to say was that to a non bassist there is a not a lot of difference but to a bassist you can instantly feel the quality and hear a great tone improvement. I guess the improvement could be same as between a Squier Jazz and Fender US Jazz; but there again I would not know.

[White Cloud]

[quote name='Shylock' timestamp='1369596584' post='2090739']
I agree totally with Nancy Johnson it is sooooo much better than the Epiphone and rereading my post I guess what I wanted to say was that to a non bassist there is a not a lot of difference but to a bassist you can instantly feel the quality and hear a great tone improvement. I guess the improvement could be same as between a Squier Jazz and Fender US Jazz; but there again I would not know.
[/quote]
That is a good analogy. I am impressed with the Epiphone classic pro, but for me you can feel the difference as soon as you play the Gibson. As a wood fan it is apparent immediately the Gibson is constructed from a nicer selection of tonewoods. Ah well, time to start saving!

[dmccombe7]

I've just picked up an Epi T'bird for £100. Has a few knocks but feels and plays pretty good.
Moved the strap button to the neck heel as suggested and what a differance.

I quite fancy trying the Gibson out now.

I guess as people have pointed out its nice having the genuine article and yes its a bit of bass snobbery but then again isnt that we are all about.
People buy Fenders rather than Squiers because they want people to know they have a Fender and not a copy so whats the big deal.
Vanity plays a big part in being a bass player so enjoy it and go for what makes you happy.

Now where's my wife's purse to see if i can borrow some money for a Gibson T'bird. Mmmmm

Dave

[afterimage]

Nice comments