John Birch Fretless Thunderbird/£800

[NancyJohnson]

I'm not going to post links, just search on Gumtree.  Hounslow.

[Happy Jack]

The usual lack of any helpful information about the bass. I'd only consider buying it if I could spend 15 mins with it first.

[NancyJohnson]

28 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

The usual lack of any helpful information about the bass. I'd only consider buying it if I could spend 15 mins with it first.

 

The seller has had some really nice stuff previously, some very tasty Hamers, vintage Yamaha and Ibanez.

[Happy Jack]

Sounds a bit pointy to me. 😆

[Hellzero]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/1970s-john-birch-fretless-thunderbird-bass-handmade-in-the-uk/1484717386

[Bassassin]

Terrible blurry, dingy photos, cursory 19-word description & zero evidence that it's a JB (not saying it's not, but the pics show a poorly photographed TBird copy with no clear identifying details) doesn't fill me with confidence or a desire to part with £800, to be honest.

[3below]

1 hour ago, Bassassin said:

Terrible blurry, dingy photos, cursory 19-word description & zero evidence that it's a JB (not saying it's not, but the pics show a poorly photographed TBird copy with no clear identifying details) doesn't fill me with confidence or a desire to part with £800, to be honest.

Having once owned a JB EB3 type bass, the bridge is certainly JB.  The neck joint appears similar to the bass I owned, neck through.  Beyond that who knows,the headstock on mine was inlayed John Birch. I am surprised the bass has lost the JB hyperflux pickups.

[BigRedX]

The bridge is definitely a John Birch. The rest? Who knows? 
 

No name on the headstock, no apparent custom switching options and non-original pickups. Just no.

[ash]

I’ve owned quite a few early John Birch basses and the biggest selling point to collectors are the pickups and unusual switching options. Later models after - John Carling took over - were much simpler in design. Possibly one of those? The ones I’ve owned have had a back scratchplate and a very comfortable neck to body design. I believe that in the early days John Birch was most interested in circuitry design and the main luthier was John Diggins.