NBD — Gibson Non Reverse Thunderbird

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Gibson really do seem to offer basses as a bit of an afterthought. They did a short scale thunderbird about a dozen years ago but only made 400 — all in black. If I had a spare £800 back then I'd have snapped one up. Surely there's a market for a run of short scale gibson basses now that aren't SGs.

[jd56hawk]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

Well, duh, it's because Gibson hates bassists in general.  And if you think they're going to demean themselves by talking to a filthy bassist such as yourself, you're dreaming!

 

 

They never forgave me for selling my Thunderbirds and switching to the Thundergun.

I'm guessing they didn't really care what I played, but they definitely didn't like me saying it was the better bass on Geddy Lee's new TV docuseries.🤔

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, jd56hawk said:

They never forgave me for selling my Thunderbirds and switching to the Thundergun.

I'm guessing they didn't really care what I played, but they definitely didn't like me saying it was the better bass on Geddy Lee's new TV docuseries.🤔

 

[BigRedX]

On 25/11/2023 at 16:39, Gwilym said:

What exactly has not been reversed? Its definitely the reverse of a regular Thunderbird 😁

 

When this body shape was originally released for the Thunderbird and Firebird, Gibson were threatened with legal action by Fender due to it being slightly similar to the Jazzmaster. Therefore the body shape was modified and renamed "Non-Reverse" - the original shape being "reversed" from how a guitar would be traditionally shaped. Yes, it's complicated and non-intuitive.

[grenadillabama]

On 25/11/2023 at 08:31, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The pickups are available as a spare part: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PUTBRCC2--gibson-accessories-thunderbird-bass-reissue-pickup-chrome

 

I wouldn’t put one in any of my mustangs though.

Once I put a large Dimarzio (like an EBO )pickup near the bridge on a 'Stang I used to have. This was backwards from everyone else. I used the tone pot for a volume  - 2 volumes    . It had a Fender tone with some raunchy highs added. A punk musician later bought it.

[bigthumb]

Well GAK had one in the sales and I pulled the trigger. It was less than some used ones I've seen advertised so I thought what the hell! 

 

I'll have to make do with the bridge for now until my credit card is in a more healthy condition but the Babicz will be on my shopping list. However I do have a bass with the Gibson 3 point and despite its limitations I've managed to set it up pretty well with a reasonably low and noise free action. 

 

A couple of months ago I finally scratched my Tbird itch with this Japanese Orville, a bass I never knew existed but after some research it seems that they're quite well regarded so I took the plunge. It doesn't disappoint.  Although I've never played one I have to say that I don't really like the current Thunderbirds. I much prefer the chrome pups and the vintage reverse tuners on the Orville. I've only tried an Epiphone TB and it was not good at all so my experience with these is very limited. I've only played it at home through a tiny MarkBass combo but it sounds so good. I will be hoping to use the incoming bass with the band should it ever pull it's finger out and start playing again. 

 

Really looking forward to it's arrival and here's a pic of the Orville 

 

 

 

[AndyTravis]

Just spotted one of these in local PMT as “ex display” £1299.

 

my wallet went all sweaty. 
 

looked amazing.

[spyder]

Looks like it's out of stock. ☹️

 

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/gibson-non-reverse-thunderbird-bass-inverness-green

[AndyTravis]

15 minutes ago, spyder said:

Looks like it's out of stock. ☹️

 

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/gibson-non-reverse-thunderbird-bass-inverness-green

Deffo one in Salford/Manchester

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

It looks like these will be discontinued once stock runs out — The pelham blue is already showing as discontinued.

 

[neepheid]

Hi, we're Gibson.  Are you a bassist?  Just kidding, we don't care.

 

 

[AndyTravis]

27 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Hi, we're Gibson.  Are you a bassist?  Just kidding, we don't care.

 

 

It is mad though, the call for a “reissue” Thunderbird was rife on the forums a few years ago…

 

They listen…

 

Poor sales/discontinued quickly 

 

both fender and Gibson are drowning in debt with shareholders to keep happy.

 

”we’re not richer yet, what are you doing to fix it?”

”well, here’s the all new heritage pure retro range - even more accurate to the inconsistent ones we made in the golden era of 1950-1965!”

”good, you can keep your jobs for now…”

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

When Gibson can sell Greeny Les Pauls with a Kirk Hammett meet & greet for $50k, and the non-meet & greet version for £20k, why would they bend over backwards to cater for bass players? There are a lot more dentists and lawyers guitarists than bass players who would spend that kind of money on an instrument.

[AndyTravis]

1 minute ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

When Gibson can sell Greeny Les Pauls with a Kirk Hammett meet & greet for $50k, and the non-meet & greet version for £20k, why would they bend over backwards to cater for bass players? There are a lot more dentists and lawyers guitarists than bass players who would spend that kind of money on an instrument.

I just think they need a bit of a think…backwards as it sounds

 

Imagine a Gibson Les Paul Signature bass reissue (basically a posh Jack Casady) - they’d sell a good few of those, even if they were touching £2000 (they’d probably end up £4000 🙄)

 

A Gibson version of the reissued “reverse” Thunderbird - like the Epiphone 

 

Grabber/Ripper/G3 1 but actually like the old ones; not the feeble “nearly” versions of 2009/10.

 

The EB4 mosrite looking thing was a lovely bass, but they changed after a year, then turned into a pseudo Tobias looking thing and then gone…

 

just a mad company.

 

 

[NancyJohnson]

3 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

just a mad company.

 

 

 

This in a nutshell.

 

The only reason they reissued the NR Thunderbird about ten years ago was they were likely all over the bass forums and saw that the Bach models were gaining traction and saw there was money to be made.  Gibson really don't care about the bass side of their business; it's a great pity that Agnesi and Co don't sit down with [us] and say why they're uninterested.

 

I'm just flicking through Rob's Gibson Bass Book.  I'd be happy to see a few period correct reissues; EB-2, Thunderbird II, either of the Grabbers, The Ripper, 20/20 or the EB-650.

[neepheid]

7 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

it's a great pity that Agnesi and Co don't sit down with [us] and say why they're uninterested.

 

Isn't it obvious?  Most bassists don't have a good word to say about Gibson.  They are by and large considered a joke.  Even when they were trying (and releasing some fine and interesting basses), not many people were taking them seriously.  Any rose-tintedness we employ now because Dirnt and Novoselic used 'em is because when Dirnt and Novoselic were using them it's because they were the bass equivalent of the clearance bin CD and they were able to pick them up for relative peanuts, not because they had a great affinity with the brand.

 

The jig was up the moment they released the retconned EB-1 back in 1953 (I mean look at it versus the '51 Precision) and have been considered to not quite "get it" ever since.

 

Honestly, I'd rather Gibson stopped this token gesture BS and just leave Epiphone to it when it comes to bass.

[spyder]

2 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

It looks like these will be discontinued once stock runs out — The pelham blue is already showing as discontinued.

 

Oh, that's crap.

I'm trying to find one at a good price.

Will keep looking.

[pst62]

On 28/12/2023 at 10:57, bigthumb said:

Well GAK had one in the sales and I pulled the trigger. It was less than some used ones I've seen advertised so I thought what the hell! 

 

I'll have to make do with the bridge for now until my credit card is in a more healthy condition but the Babicz will be on my shopping list. However I do have a bass with the Gibson 3 point and despite its limitations I've managed to set it up pretty well with a reasonably low and noise free action. 

 

A couple of months ago I finally scratched my Tbird itch with this Japanese Orville, a bass I never knew existed but after some research it seems that they're quite well regarded so I took the plunge. It doesn't disappoint.  Although I've never played one I have to say that I don't really like the current Thunderbirds. I much prefer the chrome pups and the vintage reverse tuners on the Orville. I've only tried an Epiphone TB and it was not good at all so my experience with these is very limited. I've only played it at home through a tiny MarkBass combo but it sounds so good. I will be hoping to use the incoming bass with the band should it ever pull it's finger out and start playing again. 

 

Really looking forward to it's arrival and here's a pic of the Orville 

 

 

 

That's a Gibson mate. Orville was the name they traded under in Japan back then!

[bigthumb]

Nice surprise text off DPD informing my that mine will be delivered today. Pretty darn quick considering the time of year, nice one GAK! 

 

 

Used one here - https://reverb.com/uk/item/70514505-gibson-non-reverse-thunderbird-faded-pelham-blue-demo

[Grahambythesea]

On 29/12/2023 at 11:16, AndyTravis said:

I just think they need a bit of a think…backwards as it sounds

 

Imagine a Gibson Les Paul Signature bass reissue (basically a posh Jack Casady) - they’d sell a good few of those, even if they were touching £2000 (they’d probably end up £4000 🙄)

 

A Gibson version of the reissued “reverse” Thunderbird - like the Epiphone 

 

Grabber/Ripper/G3 1 but actually like the old ones; not the feeble “nearly” versions of 2009/10.

 

The EB4 mosrite looking thing was a lovely bass, but they changed after a year, then turned into a pseudo Tobias looking thing and then gone…

 

just a mad company.

 

 

The EB you call “Mosrite looking” which I don’t disagree with, was described by the designer as being based on the EB3, doesn’t look much like it to me, but it is a good bass. The next issue, the pointy one is very similar to the Bunny Brunel model they made for a short while before he shifted allegiance to Carvin. Kyle Eastwood still plays them. 
They just don’t seem to have anything around for long.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Grahambythesea
Correction

[AndyTravis]

4 minutes ago, Grahambythesea said:

The EB you call “Mosrite looking” which I don’t disagree with, was described by the designer as being based on the EB3, doesn’t look much like it to me, but it is a good bass. The next issue, the pointy one is very similar Ro the Bunny Brunel model they made for a short while before he shifted allegiance to Carvin. Kyle Eastwood still plays them. 
They just don’t seem to have anything around for long.

Yeah - another thread (think it was on FB) on the mk2 EB being like the Bunny Brunel model led to me being “corrected” by about 10 people who told me about Bunny Brunel playing Carvin and ESP signature models.

 

When I showed pictures of @Basvarken’s book and Kyle Eastwood playing a Gibson BB - there was no “ah, I stand corrected” or anything…I suspect it’s what life on that American Bass forum is like 😂

[6feet7]

I've just bought a 'secondhand' one like yours in red. Having it converted to a 5 stringer at the moment (it'll be about 14mm string spacing, but as my Rickenbacker 4004L 5 string conversion is 14.5mm I'm used to that and actually hate anything over 16mm anyway). Also, I had an old Epi T'bird scratch plate in faded white lying around that I'm having cut out for the truss rod cover so that the Thunderbird is on the headstock as well. Photos posted when I've got it back from it's 'conversion'.

[Grahambythesea]

That sounds an interesting project, @6feet7. Are your having to put new pickups in or do the “no poles” type on the thunderbird cope? It’s said the EB has thunderbird pickups but it does have massive visible poles.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Original Thunderbird pickups and modern reproduction versions have bars rather than individual poles like an upscaled version of the firebird pickup.

 

[6feet7]

2 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

That sounds an interesting project, @6feet7. Are your having to put new pickups in or do the “no poles” type on the thunderbird cope? It’s said the EB has thunderbird pickups but it does have massive visible poles.

Don’t need new pickups. Even if they were separate pole pieces (which apparently they arnt - thanks JLP) the string spacing is close enough to not make any difference (thankfully).