Production Fenderbirds

[Mossiebass]

So I've been seriously GASing for a Fenderbird recently, and came across the Bach version, but they don't seem to make them any more.
Due to my inexperience with woodworking, I'd rather not go the DIY route.
Does anyone actually produce a Fenderbird style bass?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Cataldo. I've got one, it's superb.

[Grahambythesea]

Check out JOW dirty bird. Loads on this forum about them, well thought of.

[NancyJohnson]

I thought of Cataldo immediately. They're not, however, a (regular) Thunderbird body with a Fender neck... they're more in the John Entwistle style.

I read somewhere (TB/LBO) that as a moneysaving exercise, the Cataldo headstock design came about as he was using bought-in Mighty Mite necks and reshaped the headstock.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1499152612' post='3329474']
I thought of Cataldo immediately. They're not, however, a (regular) Thunderbird body with a Fender neck... they're more in the John Entwistle style.


[/quote]

I always considered the Entwistle style as the original Fenderbird, as he christened it so.
The original Cataldos used Fender licensed necks but I think Carlo has to alter the headstock these days.

[BigRedX]

What is more important in a Fenderbird?

The fact that it has a "Fender-style" neck (in which case which one because there are at least 2 different ones) or that fact that's a bolt-on neck as opposed to the through neck of the Thunderbird?

[Mossiebass]

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1499120681' post='3329415']
Cataldo. I've got one, it's superb.
[/quote]

I've seen them and they do look great. I'm worried about paying duty on then though 😢

[Mossiebass]

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1499123380' post='3329432']
Check out JOW dirty bird. Loads on this forum about them, well thought of.
[/quote]

I've never seen them before, that's a great price! Do you know if they offer any other colours/fingerboards?

[Mossiebass]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1499175183' post='3329691']
What is more important in a Fenderbird?

The fact that it has a "Fender-style" neck (in which case which one because there are at least 2 different ones) or that fact that's a bolt-on neck as opposed to the through neck of the Thunderbird?
[/quote]

A fender style neck for me, particularly maple. It's all about the aesthetics 😉

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 24, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Mossiebass' timestamp='1499176195' post='3329702']
A fender style neck for me, particularly maple. It's all about the aesthetics
[/quote]

But then which one? A P-neck or J-neck? or is it all about the headstock shape in which case copyright would most likely mean that there are no production Fenderbirds.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 1, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[howdenspur]

Looks like some B&CH (Bach) stock here (not affiliated)
[url="http://www.instrumentsonline.nl/Webwinkel-Category-1131110/Thunderbird-Fenderbird.html"]http://www.instrumentsonline.nl/Webwinkel-Category-1131110/Thunderbird-Fenderbird.html[/url]

[Cosmo Valdemar]

My Cataldo (the sticker was the contribution of my then-4yo daughter).

[URL=http://s903.photobucket.com/user/ben_merrick/media/20150809_1118061.jpg.html][IMG]http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac238/ben_merrick/20150809_1118061.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Jus Lukin]

-

Edited February 24, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[dannybuoy]

Lull and Maruszczyk both make Fender style instruments with T-Bird style pickups. Then there's the Sandberg Forty Eight. Also the Dingwall D-Bird looks interesting!

[Tweedledum]

Hotwire in Germany makes one: [url]http://www.hotwire-bass.com/461.html[/url]

Edited July 7, 2017 by Tweedledum

[Grahambythesea]

[quote name='Mossiebass' timestamp='1499176148' post='3329701']


I've never seen them before, that's a great price! Do you know if they offer any other colours/fingerboards?
[/quote]i think his stock is the sunburst, but there was discussion here with "JOW" about other colours. He was offering to get a run if there were sufficient buyers wanting a particular colour. Why not email them and see, nothing ventured nothing gained!

[Grahambythesea]

In addition to the site for Bach's that Howdenspur found, I bought a discontinued EB2 style bass from Bach. It may be worth an email to them to see if they have an remainder stock. (They stopped selling semis because of threats from Gibson the same may be the case with their birds).

Edited July 7, 2017 by Grahambythesea

[Shaggy]

[quote name='Mossiebass' timestamp='1499119459' post='3329409']
So I've been seriously GASing for a Fenderbird recently, and came across the Bach version, but they don't seem to make them any more.
Due to my inexperience with woodworking, I'd rather not go the DIY route.
Does anyone actually produce a Fenderbird style bass?
[/quote]

Easy to go the DIY route with no woodworking skills - Warmoth (and probably others) do a very nice T-bird body in a range of woods with a Fender neck pocket you can directly bolt a Fender neck on, with choice of either T-bird or P/J pickup routes.
See - http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173719-fenderwarmoth-fenderbird-price-drop-l500/page__p__1656844__hl__warmoth__fromsearch__1#entry1656844 - that one mine, now fitted with nickel '66 Thunderbucker p/ups, '60's Gibson type T-bird bridge and tailpipe and Epi T-bird neck, but about to be restored to a Fenderbird as I've a very nice flamed maple P bass neck for it

Dead easy to do, and gives far more scope for personal preference - TBH none of the production Fenderbirds do much for me
But hope you find a nice one!

[Wolverinebass]

[quote name='Shaggy' timestamp='1499501884' post='3331876']


Easy to go the DIY route with no woodworking skills - Warmoth (and probably others) do a very nice T-bird body in a range of woods with a Fender neck pocket you can directly bolt a Fender neck on, with choice of either T-bird or P/J pickup routes.
See - http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173719-fenderwarmoth-fenderbird-price-drop-l500/page__p__1656844__hl__warmoth__fromsearch__1#entry1656844 - that one mine, now fitted with nickel '66 Thunderbucker p/ups, '60's Gibson type T-bird bridge and tailpipe and Epi T-bird neck, but about to be restored to a Fenderbird as I've a very nice flamed maple P bass neck for it

Dead easy to do, and gives far more scope for personal preference - TBH none of the production Fenderbirds do much for me
But hope you find a nice one!
[/quote]

Nice bass. Sadly, Warmoth don't do Thunderbird, explorer, sg or les paul bass bodies anymore. I believe Gibson hit them with a cease and desist about 3 years ago.

[Shaggy]

[quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1499509616' post='3331926']


Nice bass. Sadly, Warmoth don't do Thunderbird, explorer, sg or les paul bass bodies anymore. I believe Gibson hit them with a cease and desist about 3 years ago.
[/quote]

Damn shame!
Kind of ironic that Fender took issue with the original Thunderbirds as being too "Fender-y"

Edited July 8, 2017 by Shaggy

[James Nada]

I never understood why Fender would think the Thunderbird infringed on their designs.

Edited July 9, 2017 by James Nada

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='James Nada' timestamp='1499628086' post='3332606']
I never understood why Fender would think the Thunderbird infringed on their designs.
[/quote]
The argument I heard was that the "non-reverse" model looked suspiciously similar to a Fender Jaguar. But then I'm fairly sure the more common "reverse" model was released first, which of course looks nothing like a Jaguar...so I'm not sure I quite understand it either, unless Fender only piped up after the NR model was released.

[dannybuoy]

Check these out:

http://www.jowbass.com/en-gb