stonevibe Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Not exactly cheap... Epiphone Rex Brown Thunderbird Bass. Though quite nice-looking https://guitarbomb.com/2024/01/16/epiphone-rex-brown-thunderbird-bass-smoke-on-this/ 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Yeah saw that….. expensive….. but everything is at the moment. It’s weird that the full fat Gibson version (which is very expensive) doesn’t even have the pickups Rex likes in it…. very odd. It’ll be interesting to see how the Epi version measures up… I haven’t read the spec yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I mentioned in another thread - the Gibson version I saw looked horribly put together when I saw one. Paint runs, bad sanding/finishing. Horrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Who's going to pay this much for an Epiphone? This is as bonkers as some SBMM pricing... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Far beyond budget 2 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) 1 hour ago, neepheid said: Who's going to pay this much for an Epiphone? This is as bonkers as some SBMM pricing... Seems to be the way Gibson are going with the brand. The recent Epiphone Korina Flying Vee and Explorer models were only a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the equivalent Gibson models. There's been a few Epiphone models over the last year or so at 1k plus. I reckon the Epiphone brand is being repositioned into the upper mid range price bracket while US Gibsons are undergoing corresponding dramatic price increases. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the more budget end of the range, whether they keep the Epiphone branding across the range or introduce something new to seperate the cheaper models from the 1k+ models. Edited January 16 by Cato 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Sterling by Gibson? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) In this scenario I presume they're just going to jack (pardon the pun) up the price of the Jack Casady, seeing as it's their flagship product. This sucks. Just playing into the hands of the likes of Sire, who will occupy the vacant hole in the price range left by moves this. EBMM/SBMM have already done goofed and the Sire Z3/Z7 is coming along soon to occupy the Ray and Ray-a-like space between HB and the likes and SBMM. Epiphone will vacate next and if a Sire "T-bird-a-like" doesn't appear soon after I'll be very surprised. Edited January 16 by neepheid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Ok, I'm going to try to be objective about this. On the plus side (versus a regular 60's/Vintage Pro Thunderbird): It comes with a hard case. It has a Babicz bridge (although the picture on Thomann's site has a classic three pointer on it) It has a brass nut. It's got a famous person's scribbles on it. Is that enough to justify the uplift? Maybe. The amount you'd need to spend to get a regular 60's/Vintage Pro up to this spec wouldn't be too far off. OK, I'll shut the hell up now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 No, no, no.....! FFS... Noone wants an overpriced Epi Rex bird! If you're a Rex fan you know his sound is Spector. That's where your money goes. Why doesn't Gibson just reintroduce the Grabber, Ripper and G3, with cheaper high quality Epiphone versions (under £1k). THAT'S what the market is asking for! 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyJ Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 10 minutes ago, cetera said: No, no, no.....! FFS... Noone wants an overpriced Epi Rex bird! If you're a Rex fan you know his sound is Spector. That's where your money goes. Why doesn't Gibson just reintroduce the Grabber, Ripper and G3, with cheaper high quality Epiphone versions (under £1k). THAT'S what the market is asking for! This! So much this! An Epi Grabber is coming though. But without the sliding pickup 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 8 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: This! So much this! An Epi Grabber is coming though. But without the sliding pickup See, they can't even get the BASICS right! Who the hell is in charge of project development at Gibson?!? And they wonder why people buy Chibsons etc.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 15 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: This! So much this! An Epi Grabber is coming though. But without the sliding pickup 15 minutes ago, LeftyJ said: This! So much this! An Epi Grabber is coming though. But without the sliding pickup ooh? Really? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolverinebass Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Quite frankly the Epiphone executives appear to have the same supplier in Colombia now that the Ernie Ball execs have. £1300 for this? Really?!! It's laughable. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I wonder does X mark the spot where the headstock snaps off? 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr4stringz Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 14 hours ago, neepheid said: It comes with a hard case. It has a Babicz bridge (although the picture on Thomann's site has a classic three pointer on it) It has a brass nut. It's got a famous person's scribbles on it. Is that enough to justify the uplift? Maybe. The amount you'd need to spend to get a regular 60's/Vintage Pro up to this spec wouldn't be too far off. OK, I'll shut the hell up now. I honestly applaud you trying your best be objective there! 🤣 But nah, those ‘extras’ ain’t even slightly justifying that price tag for me. I was fortunate to pick up what looked to be a barely used 60s/Vintage Pro T-Bird a few months back, with a hard case for less then a third of the price of this, and they’re SUCH good basses. Totally get the inflation stuff, it’s obvious everywhere, but the pricing of this is just dumb, irrespective of that side of things and particularly given how good the 60s/Vintage Pro basses are at a fraction of the cost. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Who is Rex Brown anyway! (I know, I looked him up he’s with Pantera, but I thought that was a sandwich shop in California). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer.b Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Surprised epiphone are going for a pantera sig! TBF I don't know if rex is still in the band? Great band though, huge groove for a metal band IMO I don't wear my t shirts anymore though https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/26/pantera-shows-cancelled-after-frontmans-nazi-salute-prompts-fan-backlash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christhammer666 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 i am in the gear abstinence list please remove this post at once lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cetera Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 4 minutes ago, christhammer666 said: i am in the gear abstinence list please remove this post at once lol Isn't the ridiculous price enough to save you from purchase? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christhammer666 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 minute ago, cetera said: Isn't the ridiculous price enough to save you from purchase? yeah i just investigated further and as the dragons say "im out" i saw rex brown epiphone and instantly got the dreaded GAS 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Gold hardware, but not the pickup cover and knobs. Do they think we're blind? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 8 minutes ago, BigRedX said: Gold hardware, but not the pickup cover and knobs. Do they think we're blind? We soon will be... my eyes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Brown Thunderbird bass? That instrument is obviously black. Clear contravention of the Trades Descriptions Act. Shocking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 On 16/01/2024 at 20:50, Cato said: Seems to be the way Gibson are going with the brand. The recent Epiphone Korina Flying Vee and Explorer models were only a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the equivalent Gibson models. There's been a few Epiphone models over the last year or so at 1k plus. I reckon the Epiphone brand is being repositioned into the upper mid range price bracket while US Gibsons are undergoing corresponding dramatic price increases. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the more budget end of the range, whether they keep the Epiphone branding across the range or introduce something new to seperate the cheaper models from the 1k+ models. People are paying the money for them though although it does seem to be sigs and short runs mostly. A mate of mine is currently looking for a single pickup Firebird and made an £800 offer on a Joe Bonermaster sig he saw on eBay, it eventually sold for £1.1k. Another mate has his LP sig which now goes for a couple of hundred more than he paid new for it, I've played it and it's no better than a Korean LP Epi you can pick up any day of the week. It's weird and I don't like it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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