Gibson Thunderbird Q & A's

[thebrig]

I am thinking of getting a Gibson Thunderbird because I think will be well suited to the new band I am in, we play mainly southern rock which includes many Skynyrd songs as you would expect.

But on researching the Thunderbird, I find that it gets a lot of negative reviews, particularly here on Basschat.

So can you BCer's who play, or have played one, answer a few questions I have please?

[b]1. How bad is the neck dive?[/b]

[b]2. I've read that because of the neck strap button being on the back of the bass, it tends to lean away from the body,[/b]
[b] can this be cured by hooking the strap at the bottom over the front of the body, so as to pull the bass back towards the body?[/b]

[b]3. Is it as one-dimensional sound wise, as many people say?[/b]

[b]4. Is it a very long stretch to the lower frets?[/b]

[b]5. What is the nut width?[/b]

Thanks

[tonyxtiger]

1. Not that bad. Depends how you position it. The hand you use for fretting can hold the neck at the same time.
2. Yes and yes. It's not purely t birds but all that nitro lacquer also makes them like trying to hold an eel when you're sweating all over it.
3. Not any more so than any jazz style bass. It's all the mahogany that makes it a little darker sounding. Bright strings will add a little top.
4. Yes if you have short arms no if you don't.
5. Very thin on the modern Gibson ones. Thinner than a jazz. Older ones are fatter. Epiphones are fatter too.

It's the kind of bass that can be off putting at first but you adapt and get used to it. I've played them for years and still do. Look at any notable T bird player and they can generally manage to play a full on sweaty rock show without having to stop mid song shouting "stop stop the necks diving and the body's leaning away from me"

Man up and get one!

[Hobbayne]

I have been playing an Epi T Bird regularly now for about 6 weeks. I dont like the strap buttons position but have got used to it.
It also has a lovely creamy bass sound which I cant get on my Fender Precision, and the nut is thinner too.

[skej21]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1421961461' post='2667255']
I am thinking of getting a Gibson Thunderbird because I think will be well suited to the new band I am in, we play mainly southern rock which includes many Skynyrd songs as you would expect.

But on researching the Thunderbird, I find that it gets a lot of negative reviews, particularly here on Basschat.

So can you BCer's who play, or have played one, answer a few questions I have please?

[b]1. How bad is the neck dive?[/b]

[b]2. I've read that because of the neck strap button being on the back of the bass, it tends to lean away from the body,[/b]
[b] can this be cured by hooking the strap at the bottom over the front of the body, so as to pull the bass back towards the body?[/b]

[b]3. Is it as one-dimensional sound wise, as many people say?[/b]

[b]4. Is it a very long stretch to the lower frets?[/b]

[b]5. What is the nut width?[/b]



Thanks
[/quote]

You might also want to check the price of the current 2015 Gibson thunderbird. It's gone up quite considerably since last year; 2014 model was £1199 and the 2015 model is £1899. Might want to grab a 2014 while they're still around if you're serious!

[thebrig]

[quote name='tonyxtiger' timestamp='1421963400' post='2667287']
1. Not that bad. Depends how you position it. The hand you use for fretting can hold the neck at the same time.
2. Yes and yes. It's not purely t birds but all that nitro lacquer also makes them like trying to hold an eel when you're sweating all over it.
3. Not any more so than any jazz style bass. It's all the mahogany that makes it a little darker sounding. Bright strings will add a little top.
4. Yes if you have short arms no if you don't.
5. Very thin on the modern Gibson ones. Thinner than a jazz. Older ones are fatter. Epiphones are fatter too.

It's the kind of bass that can be off putting at first but you adapt and get used to it. I've played them for years and still do. Look at any notable T bird player and they can generally manage to play a full on sweaty rock show without having to stop mid song shouting "stop stop the necks diving and the body's leaning away from me"

Man up and get one!
[/quote]I think I might have to now!

[thebrig]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1421964699' post='2667310']
You might also want to check the price of the current 2015 Gibson thunderbird. It's gone up quite considerably since last year; 2014 model was £1199 and the 2015 model is £1899. Might want to grab a 2014 while they're still around if you're serious!
[/quote]I will be looking for a second-hand one.

[RhysP]

You can always use the Pete Way method of controlling Thunderbird neck dive by playing most of your set laying on your back....

[NancyJohnson]

I've got three now and owned another two. I'm a little tired of these questions, so here's my headshakingly honest responses:

1 - Forget about neck dive. You play with two hands.
2 - Whaaaaaat? Are you a mental?
3 - No. It's as versatile as a Jazz in that it's got two pickups and VVT.
4 - Good grief. My teenage nephew can reach the nut. He's 13.
5 - Around 3.5cm. My Rickenbacker is a shade over 4.0cm. What sort of difference will that make?

As I've said dozens of times on these pages, the Thunderbird is like magic. I'm a pudgy guy in my late 40s. I put it on and I turn into a lithe rock god in my twenties. I'll say something else here, if anyone posts 'well I have an Epiphone', remember that it's effectively a copy of a Gibson. Fender/Squire. It's not a Gibson. It's a copy.
P

[thebrig]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1421964834' post='2667316']
I've got three now and owned another two. I'm a little tired of these questions, so here's my headshakingly honest responses:

1 - Forget about neck dive. You play with two hands.
2 - Whaaaaaat? Are you a mental?
3 - No. It's as versatile as a Jazz in that it's got two pickups and VVT.
4 - Good grief. My teenage nephew can reach the nut. He's 13.
5 - Around 3.5cm. My Rickenbacker is a shade over 4.0cm. What sort of difference will that make?

As I've said dozens of times on these pages, the Thunderbird is like magic. I'm a pudgy guy in my late 40s. I put it on and I turn into a lithe rock god in my twenties.
P
[/quote]I take your point Nancy, but the reason for the questions is that I do suffer from neck & back problems, and I'm not that tall, so a long stretch and having to hold up the neck, whilst trying to move my left hand to where it should be, could be a problem to me.
As for the nut width, I prefer a narrower neck, I have a jazz neck on my precision because I find it more comfortable.

I am asking for advice from TB players, because I have read so many negative things from all the Gibson haters on here.

[BigRedX]

Which Gibson Thunderbird are you interested in? There have been several quite major changes to the instrument since it first appeared in 1963, and the 2015 model has little in common with the original other than the body shape.

Some of the Epiphone models have far more in common with a Fender Jazz that the Gibson Thunderbird when you look at the construction and woods used...

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1421965608' post='2667329']
I take your point Nancy, but the reason for the questions is that I do suffer from neck & back problems, and I'm not that tall, so a long stretch and having to hold up the neck, whilst trying to move my left hand to where it should be, could be a problem to me.
As for the nut width, I prefer a narrower neck, I have a jazz neck on my precision because I find it more comfortable.

I am asking for advice from TB players, because I have read so many negative things from all the Gibson haters on here.
[/quote]

Look, they're lovely basses. Go try a few. If you were local I'd invite you round for an evening to ding mine. The necks are lovely...all of mine have been skinny and fast. They sound great (check my signature for audio). The only bugbear is that f*cking awful three point bridge, but at least you can put a Hipshot on it or (when they become available) a Babicz. Forget about neck dive, it's really not that much of a problem. Whatever you do, PLEASE don't buckle and buy an Epiphone because it looks like a Gibson or has Gibson pickups, because it's not a Gibson. Chalk and cheese.

[thebrig]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1421967198' post='2667361']
Look, they're lovely basses. Go try a few. If you were local I'd invite you round for an evening to ding mine. The necks are lovely...all of mine have been skinny and fast. They sound great (check my signature for audio). The only bugbear is that f*cking awful three point bridge, but at least you can put a Hipshot on it or (when they become available) a Babicz. Forget about neck dive, it's really not that much of a problem. Whatever you do, PLEASE don't buckle and buy an Epiphone because it looks like a Gibson or has Gibson pickups, because it's not a Gibson. Chalk and cheese.
[/quote]If I docide to go for one, I will buy the [i]real[/i] thing, that's for sure.

[thebrig]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421966277' post='2667342']
Which Gibson Thunderbird are you interested in? There have been several quite major changes to the instrument since it first appeared in 1963, and the 2015 model has little in common with the original other than the body shape.

Some of the Epiphone models have far more in common with a Fender Jazz that the Gibson Thunderbird when you look at the construction and woods used...
[/quote]I have a budget of around £800, so it will be probably around 7 or 8 years old I guess.

[neepheid]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421966277' post='2667342']
Which Gibson Thunderbird are you interested in? There have been several quite major changes to the instrument since it first appeared in 1963, and the 2015 model has little in common with the original other than the body shape.
[/quote]

I get the feeling you always say that like it's a bad thing.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1421969544' post='2667395']
I get the feeling you always say that like it's a bad thing.
[/quote]

Not at all. I'm just saying that the various iterations don't have that much in common beyond the name on the headstock and the body shape.

[JPJ]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1421961461' post='2667255']
I am thinking of getting a Gibson Thunderbird because I think will be well suited to the new band I am in, we play mainly southern rock which includes many Skynyrd songs as you would expect.

[/quote]

Remember that Leon Wilkeson is as often pictured using a Fender Jazz as he is with a Thunderbird, and he is a famous user of the Fenderbird which he allegedly got from John Entwistle. In the later years (post plane crash) he mainly used the Jazz, or a Pedulla and only really used the Thunderbird on Freebird. I've not owned a Thunderbird so I can't answer your specific questions but I have owned a Spector Rex and found the neck dive and forward flip too annoying. BTW, my main gig is a southern rock band covering a lot of Skynyrd stuff. Having said all that, I've spent today scaling up a full scale plan for my own Fenderbird project :-)

[neepheid]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1421973866' post='2667426']
Not at all. I'm just saying that the various iterations don't have that much in common beyond the name on the headstock and the body shape.
[/quote]


Well, it's evolution I guess.

I can't really help the OP much. I have a 2012 Non-reverse Thunderbird and I suspect you're only talking about Reverse bodied Thunderbirds here. Therefore I'm out for questions 1 and 2.

3. I don't find it one dimensional - it's a two pickup bass. Solo one or the other you're going to get different tones. Furthermore, I have had three basses with TB+ pickups in them and what I have found is that more often than not they have been plug in and play basses in the live context, very little fussing with EQ other than a bit of mid emphasis (sad face graphic) to get a usable tone you can hear along with the rest of the band.

4. They do seem a bit "long" to me. I don't have an issue with that. That's because the bridge isn't near the bottom of the body, so everything's a bit to the left as you hold it. The NR is probably worse for this than the Reverse. Whether or not it's a problem for you, only you can tell when you try to play one.

5. Today's Reverse Thunderbird nut width is 1.5" (38mm) - Jazz bass territory. NR neck is thicker - 1.6" (40.6mm).

[neepheid]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1421965100' post='2667323']
I'm a little tired of these questions[/quote]

I'm bloody glad they were asked. Better that than someone blindly accepting the negative factpinions which get paraded as received wisdom around here when it comes to Thunderbirds and Gibson basses in general.

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1422008768' post='2667633']
I'm bloody glad they were asked. Better that than someone blindly accepting the negative factpinions which get paraded as received wisdom around here when it comes to Thunderbirds and Gibson basses in general.
[/quote]

Isn't it always the same questions though? And time and time again. Neckdive, strap lug position, scale length blah blah blah. It's like looking at hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, no one focuses or reads the positive comments. Christ Neeph, you and me have fought for the positive side Gibson basses for years, both here and on LBO, so you know how it is.

Yes, I admit, there is an element of neck dive, but (to me) it's not an issue in the slightest. If it bothers anyone, buy a wider strap or a Fender. I had a degree of diving with the old Lakland DJ5 I used to own, but no one ever goes. 'Ooh, those Laklands, man they're terrible at keeping horizontal.'
P

Edited January 23, 2015 by NancyJohnson

[Norris]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1421961461' post='2667255']
So can you BCer's who play, or have played one, answer a few questions I have please?

Thanks
[/quote]

Responses relate to my "modern" 2009 Gibson Thunderbird. This has the later black plastic covered pickups & the three-point bridge (that I don't have any issues with personally )

[b]1. How bad is the neck dive?[/b]
Negligible on a modern one. I always use a Comfort Strapp though, which has a large, thick neoprene base layer that avoids any slipping

[b]2. I've read that because of the neck strap button being on the back of the bass, it tends to lean away from the body,[/b]
[b] can this be cured by hooking the strap at the bottom over the front of the body, so as to pull the bass back towards the body?[/b]
Yes, it does lean a bit but it's something you get used to. I've never felt the need to anchor it though, and it all becomes part of the "T-bird stance"

[b]3. Is it as one-dimensional sound wise, as many people say?[/b]
Not at all! It's not easy to get a really clean sound like a P (selecting a single pickup helps, but still has a bit of growl even then), but it has a lot more tonal variety than most people give it credit for.

[b]4. Is it a very long stretch to the lower frets?[/b]
Yes. The strap button positions mean that the whole bass sits further to the left (or right for left-handers) than most basses that have a conventional top horn do. It's therefore a longer stretch to the bottom of the fretboard, and if you try to play with your strap too long you run the risk of tendinitis. However it all adds to the sheer coolness of the bass ("T-bird stance" and all that)

[b]5. What is the nut width?[/b]
Thin! The neck is like a matchstick. I have lent mine to a friend for a few weeks (he has an Epiphone and wanted to see how different a "real" one was), but could measure it once it's back in the fold if you want

BTW, I bought mine from BC when it was about 12 months old, 2 previous owners that didn't get on with it, and it cost me around £850 - which is pretty close to your budget. It's a keeper now.

Regards,
Norris

[thebrig]

Sorry! I didn't mean to go over the same "old ground" with the "same old questions", I'm just trying to get to the bottom of why there are so many negative opinions on the Thunderbird, and whether they are justified or not, I thought this is what forums are for.
I will try one soon for myself, but an hour or so in a shop playing one doesn't always tell you the whole picture, which is why I was seeking advice from those who has, or still does play one.

Thanks for the the comments and advice so far, they are all much appreciated.

[neepheid]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1422018399' post='2667790']
Isn't it always the same questions though? And time and time again. Neckdive, strap lug position, scale length blah blah blah. It's like looking at hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, no one focuses or reads the positive comments. Christ Neeph, you and me have fought for the positive side Gibson basses for years, both here and on LBO, so you know how it is.

Yes, I admit, there is an element of neck dive, but (to me) it's not an issue in the slightest. If it bothers anyone, buy a wider strap or a Fender. I had a degree of diving with the old Lakland DJ5 I used to own, but no one ever goes. 'Ooh, those Laklands, man they're terrible at keeping horizontal.'
P
[/quote]

Hey man, as I said already I'd much rather people asked rather than making assumptions based upon hearsay.

[neepheid]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1422026244' post='2667928']
Sorry! I didn't mean to go over the same "old ground" with the "same old questions", I'm just trying to get to the bottom of why there are so many negative opinions on the Thunderbird, and whether they are justified or not, I thought this is what forums are for.
I will try one soon for myself, but an hour or so in a shop playing one doesn't always tell you the whole picture, which is why I was seeking advice from those who has, or still does play one.

Thanks for the the comments and advice so far, they are all much appreciated.
[/quote]

Can no-one help you out on here? Surely it's possible that a friendly BCer will be playing a gig near you with a Gibson Thunderbird who would be willing to give you a shottie of one? I've done that before for people interested in the same gear as I have.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1422026244' post='2667928']
I'm just trying to get to the bottom of why there are so many negative opinions on the Thunderbird, and whether they are justified or not, I thought this is what forums are for.
[/quote]

Think the problem with the Thunderbird is the same one that the Rickenbacker basses have. People like the looks but can't get on with the fact that they don't really sound or feel like a Fender P or J.

[Shaggy]

Not much I can add to the info above, except to say that it took me around 25 years to come around to Thunderbirds, and wish I'd done it 25 years earlier - so don't leave it too long to at least try!

I'm lucky enough to own a '65 IV, and it's hands-down got the best passive tone I've ever heard, and is the second-best ergonomically to play of all I've tried - the best being the Gibson Explorer, bizarrely enough

The new ones seem pretty decent mind, and cheap enough second hand - for those new prices quoted, reckon I'd go for a Lull over a Gibson