Epiphone Thunderbird IV

Standard fare really, sunburst colour all pickups, neck etc in right place. quite new but bought second hand

This bass punched above its own weight by quite a distance. This was the best aspect of this bass. Quite a mellow sound initially, but turning up the vol does not mean decrease in sound quality.

Very easy to play, uncomfortable standing up though, as Epiphone seem to have little understanding of 'balance'. Using my fretting hand to stabilise the bass resulted in compromising my playing. I sold the bass for two reasons - the aforemetioned one, and i needed the money at the time.

The bass was solid though, and well made nontheless.

Yes, very dependable, not used for gigs, but it would have been ok, at a guess..

n/a

Apart from the weight distribution (neck Heavy), this was a well-made and reliable bass, well worth the price i sold it for!

I only tried out this bass because a local store was dumping their Epiphone inventory at just a little above cost. This was their response to Epiphone's questionable decision to limit their major outlets in the US. Their loss, my gain.

In the last 30 years I have owned a bunch of basses but having decided that I favor passive electronics, I became a Fender bigot. No longer.

This TBird IV is just a really good bass. Alder body w/ a beautiful finish, maple neck w/ rosewood fb. The two humbuckers with one tone control provide the ability to produce a really wide variety of tones. The bottom is thick and the highs are bright, not brittle. By varying the output of the middle and bridge humbucker you can coax some pretty nice mids out of this bass. It's not the edge that say a Pedulla might have, but it's dang close and I didn't have to sell any of my limbs or vital organs to buy it.

The construction is solid. the only complaint I had is that the strings are flabby on it but I think some DR High Beams or maybe just some good ol' Roto Sound Swing Bass strings will fix that.

I do agree with others that the bass is neck-heavy. I remedied this by buying a new strap retainer with a larger screw diameter and placing it in one of the holes that hold on the neck-plate. much better balance now.

I played this tonight through an SWR 750 and two 4x10 cabs, one SWR Goliath and one Hartke. The bottom was never muddy, even when cutting back on the bridge pickup and cutting the treble. It has good sustain. While I haven't tried it in a recording studio, I am pretty sure I am going to be using this on stage from now on. I wonder what real Gibson pickups would sound like on it?

Though the setup on it was low, only one string buzzed a bit. I raised it one turn (you can do this with one screw because of the tripod bridge) and all strings rang clearly.
The finish on the neck is beautiful and the frets are well-dressed. the body is finished like a fine piece of furniture. the neck has the same finish and I may strip it and put on a bunchof tung oil layers but it plays well.
the gotoh-style tuners are snug and seem to work well, time will tell and I may just get a new set of Gotohs anyway.
the controls knobs are not top-of-the-line and will probably be replaced but they are snug and work well as is.
The saddles could be improved by making each individually mobile instead of having to adjust the bridge angle. Not a big deal.

This bass is solidly built. I would have no problem using it as my primary instrument. I would take my '78 P bass along just in case. I have only had it for a week but haven't played another bass since I got it. It seems dependable but time will tell. Right now, I would have no trouble gigging without a backup.

None needed yet.

I've played bass for 38 years. I own two Fender basses, an SWR rig and a marshall JCM800 with an Ampeg brain (my favorite rig). I read a lot about this bass before I bought it. I just like this bass. My favorite "feature" is the sound. You can play notes softly and mellow or you can make them explode. This bass can cut through heavy-left=handed keyboards and screaming guitars. I would love to play one of the original Gibson versions of this bass wth the neck-through-body.

Ok...everyone seems to have talked a lot of tech talk. I don't know too much about that. But I can tell you it was the look of the thing that first attracted me. My first thought was 'oh my god how rock is that?' It's like having a supermodel girlfriend. You're not sure you can live up to it's image. As far as I know it was factory floor standard. I think I got the Reverse version - though no-one can tell me the difference other than the tuning pegs are different. I think they look better on the Reverse anyway. The strings that came with it are awsome, but I will have to replace them one day - I suppose D'Addario will cut the mustard. Someone said XL's are the way to go - I prefer the mediums myself.
About a week after I got this I saw the Bass Player from the Datsuns (New Zealand group currently on tour in Australia) playing the exact same model.
My 1st complaint is the weight and the balance of the Thunderbird. My other bass - a cheap 2nd hand Ibanez stays exactly where you leave it while wearing it on the strap. The Thunderbird drops head first to the floor like a lemming off a cliff. I've counterbalanced it a little, but this has only added to the weight even more. I can get used to this though!
My other is that I like to play all the frets on the bass. Not only is it short quite a few frets from my Ibanez - they're harder to get to. For the sake of the shape of the thing, they've cut off access to the upper end of the fret board. This means that to play certain songs now, I have to resort to swapping guitars on stage when I wanted to get away from relying on the crap second hand bass.

I play a lot of rock pop. It looks a little silly carting the Thunderbird out for light love ballads, but makes a great conversation point with all the other musicians I know. It has a well balanced sound. Awsome low end, great middle end and good high end - better than my other guitar.
I know the other guys keep telling me to turn it down but I've yet to run the bass on stage, but I know that's gonna lift the roof off the place.

The action was pretty good, other than the G string - which I have to get raised. When I start moving up the fret board it slightly mutes itself. Going to get that fixed soon.
No other faults to speak of.

At the moment it's too new for me to form an opinion. I'm too scared to even take it out of my case. I'll get used to it though. Already it's got a scratch from a bad fitting into it's case, but it's so minor you can hardly see it unless I point it out. The finish took a hell of a whack to get that mark into it though.
I don't really want to test it's durability. The ol' Ibanez I got was thrown across stage, bounced several times, had coffee spilled on it and even sat on - with only a few cracks in the finish and still stayed in tune! I don't think any of that's going to happen to the Thunderbird though. This one I'm going to look after.
The strap buttons are solid - though I need to get a better strap.
I'm pretty sure I can rely on it, but I will still take Ibanez as backup (which was why I got the Thunderbird in the first place). You never know...

Not had to deal with the company yet.
The warranty is for about a year.

I've only been playing for about 6 years, but have had a lot of gigs through 3 bands i've played with. I found bass guitar really easy to pick up from playing piano for 15 years.
Other gear I own is a IG bass by Ibanez...or at least the headstock is by Ibanez - it's a funny one and it cost me 300 bucks Australian second hand. I then had guys in guitar shops asking me if I paid $1000 for it. Weird. It's good, a little lacking in all ranges though but tough as nails.
I've got a small Peavey Rage practice amp and a 200 watt Sunn Concert Amp from the 70's with a 16 inch subwoofer box. It blows and thumps like you wouldn't believe. I've yet to run the Thunderbird through it, but based on how good a cheap Ibanez runs through it I know I'm gonna love the sound.
If it got stolen I would probably cry a lot. Then I would get another exactly like it.
I love the look of it and the sound it makes. But I now have to adjust my playing style a little to fit the weight and the balance of it. I'm such a weeny.
At the time I was shopping around for a bass when I saw it. I tried a lot of Fender Basses, the Precision, Jazz, the Squire range for the budget that I was looking at. The guy in the shop knocked it down from 900 to 700 for cash in hand. I'm sure it was just sales talk, but he was a bass player too and said he wanted to get this one.
The Thunderbird blows them all away. I'll probably get one of the above later for range (I have no brand loyalty). But for now I don't want anything else.

2003/04 Korean made. Passive elctronics, alder body, mahogany neck w/rosewood fretboard. Long scale bass with a slim, fast neck. Not sure who made the tuners but they keep it in tune very accurately. 3 controls; 2 volume, 1 tone. Beautiful dark natural wood finish with a high gloss like fine furniture. This bass looks like a very expensive instrument, looks identical to it's more expensive Gibson alter-ego. The only visible dfference is the bolt on neck vs the Gibson neck thru the body. A very solid bass for an excellent price.

If you are looking for HUGE bottom end thunder (hence the name), this bass delivers. The mids & highs are punchy and clear, reminiscent of a Rickenbacker. The bridge pickup can get you some twang if you want, and the 2 pickups together will give you real growl if you drive your amp harder. I run it through a Yorkville Bassmaster XM200T and the sound is clear and will definitely get you noticed during your solos. Great variation in tone.

Factory setup wasn't too bad, however I did have the E string raised a bit to avoid a hint of buzz. Pickups seem okay as they are. No flaws at all. A word of caution: this bass is neck heavy due to the large headstock, so respect gravity while you are playing it! It is not uncomfortable but will require some getting used to. (I play an Epi Viola bass during our sets as well so the transition from one to the other is like night & day). Give the T-Bird a chance is what I am saying.

I gig with it and see no problems. I use a backup in case I break a string but that's all. This is my 4th Epiphone product; I have a Hummingbird acoustic, 335 Dot archtop, Viola bass & now the T-Bird. Epi builds a very solid instrument.

Through 4 different guitars I have had no dealings with them at all.

I have been playing guitar for 35 yrs, bass for less than that. Our band plays 50's & 60's rock & roll. Beatles, CCR, Buddy Holly, etc. I love Epiphone products. Fantastic value for the beginner, semi-pro, or pro. These are inexpensive guitars, not cheap ones. The Thunderbird IV is one awesome bass!

Features well described above, almost same as the Gibson Thunderbird.

I have almost forgot how is to play a beast like this, I've spent too much time playing "nice" basses. This thing growls like hell. It is one of the best sounding basses I ever owned. Sounds very similar to a Rickenbacker 4003, very complex mids and biting highs, but with more bottom end. I didn't expect this kind of sound from a 350 bucks bass. Nice bass to play Rock, Punk, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Blues.

I didn't found any flaws on the bass. The only thing I did right away was change the strings adjust a little bit the truss rod tension and the action to fit my taste. The factory set up was ok, just a little of fret buzz on the first string.

This thing can stop a tank.

I neve had the necessity to deal with epiphone

Great bass, I have a bunch of high end basses and this thing is amazing. I have spent too much time playing domesticated pets, but play the thunderbird is like setting loose a fighting bull on a mirror shop, everything will go wild and crazy. I played last night on a club, there were about 4 bass players (also friends of mine) and they went nuts when they saw the bass, at first glance some of them though that it was a Gibson ( from certain distance (6 meters) you can't tell if its a epi or a gibson). As soon as we finnished the first set they were on me, asking me to show them the bass, when they realize that the bass was a epi they couldn't believe how good sounded the bitch. Bottom line: this thing rocks, sounds almost wicked. This was a great buy, I'm a pro, playing bass for 16 years , so this bass is not only for beginners but for all kinds of players if they don't mind the brand name. Bottom line: I had a 76 Gibson Thunderbird and this Epi sucker have nothing to envy from it.

2002 Model, Made in Korea.
It's a 4 string, 20 fret bass.
2 Passive Humbuckers - 2 Volume, 1 Tone Controls
Go to www.epiphone.com for more information.

I personally find this bass to sound pretty dull, and uninspired.
There also isn't much midrange. I hope a bunch of EMG's will fix this...

The factory setup was perfectly fine, action was a tad bit high at the end of the neck, but I play bass in the style of Geezer Butler/Scott Reeder, so I kind of liked it.
I also like to solo though, and my complaint there is that the headstock dives like crazy, and you just can't reach up the high frets easily.
The string tension, however, is very high compared to a Rickenbacker or a PBass, wich I really dislike about this bass.
The finish was perfect, no complaints there.

I don't like this bass that much.
It's a good bass, but it just isn't what I'm looking for.
The headstock tends to dive, wich is extremely annoying.
I have to give it one thing though, it's built like a TANK.
It's been thrown and tossed around my room, stage, the garden, street, and there's only a few dings. It's a damn TANK, I tell you.

Haven't had to deal with them yet, it's a tank.

If it were los or stolen, I'd get a Rickenbacker 4003.
But, it was my first bass, so it does have some sort of sentimental value.
I'm planning to replace the pickguard and the thrustrod cover with custom made wooden replacements, and throw in a pair of EMG Active's.
It should vastly improve it.
I'm also pondering to put a new, fretless, fretboard on it.

Very recent model, korean mass prdouced. Nothing extra included

This bass is o.k. But thats all it is. Basicly you get what you pay for, I paid #250. In an earlier reveiw i read it said this was an exellent mid-range bass........HOW THE HELL IS THIS MID-RANGE? My Musicman is mid-range, My fender J is mid range. This my friends is not. Saying that however this is a very good bass for the money, perfect for a beginer as the action was very low on mine.

I was searching for a second bass for stage, and I always wanted to have a Thunderbird. I bought it new in 2003. I think it was made (handcrafted) in Korea.
It has a typical lang scale neck. (It seems to be longer than other Basses, but thats because of the bodyshape)
It has two Soapbar Pickup, which use to rock. I was very suprised about the Pickups. First I thought to buy me the real Thunderbird-Pickups very soon, but after I tested the Axe on stage I am absolut flashed.
The Pickups sound that loud, and that fat.
The finish is vintige sunburst. I looks great, like a typical old "coofietable". The hardware is OK. All parts are black.
The wood I think isnt tghe very best, its very light (some would like that). I used to buy me a BC-Rich - Gigbag for it, because I couldnt find a fitting case.

I mostly play some sort of Stonerrock and Punk on this Axe.
I use an old Ampeg V4 Amplifier, and an 2x15 Enclosure. With the Amp the Thunderbird sounds perfect fat !
Esspecially because I play in a trio, I have to have Bass that can be heard. The Thunderbird sounds roaring, has a very high Output, and a very high sustain.

Nothing bad to say. I looks fucking good on stage, the Handling is optimal (I think it is nothuing for a beginner, because of the length of the whole Instrument).

I think the whole Instrument is built very solid. The only real Problemn is to find a fitting Stand.

If you are looking for a fat Rocksound, a good look, and a low price, this Bass is my Number 1 !

2003 korean made thunderbird IV body alder and maple body, mahogoney neck w/ rosewood fretboard,vintage sunburst finish(absolutely amazing!!)

Just running through my practice amp (cheap fender BXR 25 watt) this thing blew me away! i couldnt believe the tone! A friend of mine from a very well known band(name withheld)was amazed as well, On my main rig (Ampeg BSE-115 & 4x10's, w/ B2R head) it blows my stinkin mind! Mine has tons of variety, i get very warm tones as well as that growly sound, plus i can even play some slap on it and it freakin rocks!

I don't know about anyone else but mine came perfect to my specs! perfect action, heck the dang thing was almost in perfect tuning(just a half step low) pickups were perfect height action was just perfect, finish is amazing and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the craftsmenship. I will definetly buy more epiphone products if they are this great of quality!

Perfect Realiability! I have another other basses that cost 5 or 6 times more and this is definetly at the top of my list!Enough said

I would recommend this bass to anyone who is from beginner level to pro! This is a very cool looking and sounding bass! For the price you pay this thing kicks and keeps on givin! Ive played several diffrent Gibson Thunderbirds(including an original model,blackbird,and the epiphone elite) and I have to say not only does this one look better, but I think it sounds better as well! If you want the ultimate rock bass this is it!

Two volume, one tone. Came in a cardboard box! No gig bag. All in impressed. Does what it says on the box - it just IS a BASS. In a big way!

Had a 74 precission once, thought it was a good bass. The Epiphone TBird could stop a charging Rhino at 100 metres. Rich, Warm, Deep rounded with a slight rumble. It realy SOUNDS like a bass. Interesting phase effect when varying the two pickups. Play Brit rock, but this bass could be used for any style.Some folks buy it for the looks, but I realy cant say enough about the tone. Sounds like a bass of twice its price.

Expected to have to spend ages setting up intonation etc. Came with action set a little high but sorted it. There are only three screws to adjust action though on the bridge. Finnish realy good - looks a lot more expensive than it is. Replaced Strap buttons with schaller strap locks - advisable.

Built (and sounds) like a tank battalion. (I mean that in a nice way). Benefits from addition of Straplocks due to tendency to nosedive when you let the head go!

Played for ten years, starting up again after a break of three years. Wish Id checked availability of gig bags/ cases - its WAY too long for mine. Would definately replace if stolen. It is VERY neck heavy but it sounds SOOOO good, and it looks the part. Have owned a variety of Fenders( including a '74 precission), Squires, a Vox and a Washburn XS4. Have had the pleasure of trying Ibanez, Rickenbackers, a violin bass, musicman and even a vintage Burns belonging to various friends over the years, and this is THE best sounding instrument I have played. A lorra lorra bass for the price of a mediocre Fender copy!