Epiphone Thunderbird IV

I'm not gonna bore someone by repeating. See below about volume control for each PU etc.
Being a keyboarder I quarrel with my competence. Elseway I'd have given a 10. Dito for further ratings.

Contrary to my normal use of buying 2. hand only, I played and listened to all basses of this big store (Amptown, Hamburg, Germany)from 0 to 800 Euros. Ending up wih a Yamaha- a brand I prefer when it comes to synthesizers- for 798euros and this model for about half of it, I would have anticipated the long scale to react a little slower, the opponent to be more accented. But I found the thunderbird being capable of everything the Yamaha was PLUS a lower end PLUS looking way better.
Giving a 10 here is regarding the bang for buck factor, since everything above 800??? I didn't compare

Don't know if it was due to the shop or to the manufacturer: to me it was perfect. Didn't change anything- besides the belt pin- in 3 years. Being no real bassist giving no 10.

I'm not used to bass guitars, but I'd guess this ones a tank. Even if I had to play it live, I wouldn't care about a backup.

never dealt with

Born in I'm 1964 used to bass players accompanying their drummer instead of showing off themselves, so my idea of a bass sound may be a little old fashioned. Still a newbie after 3 years I only wish I'd have waited to buy used.
If it were stolen or lost, I would buy it again in BLACK. I got the natural version, which is great and classic but...it looks f***ing dangerous in black, black mechanics hardware anyway.
I WILL replace the pickguard by a transparent one.
I absolutely love it's deep end without loss of reaction- no drop d afforded. The overall sound is great and wide. If I was a real I might have given a 10.
I DID compare to about 15 basses up to 800 euros. This one sounded best for half the costs. Only wish I COULD have is a perfect fitting flight case included

-Sunburst finish
-closed gear tuners
-Gibson style bridge
-humbucker pickups in neck and bridge positions
-Controls: Volume, Volume, Tone.

Pretty standard.

I liked this bass alot for playing, blues, punk and reggae music although I found it still worked well for many other styles. I was very surprised by the versatility of this bass. I played it through a Yorkville XM200C and it sounded great. Despite other reviews of the slap sound of this bass I actually liked it alot. Probably a bit bass heavey for some but I really liked it.

I bought it used so I can't comment on factory setup but When I got it everything was fine. No problems with it flaw wise either. My only complaints were how heavey it was and the thin neck. Finish was also nice. It looks 100x better than the pictures on the Epiphone site.

I have gigged this without a backup numerous timesand it never let me down. This thing is a beast. everything is solid.

Never needed them.

This is pretty sweet bass. I loved mine and regret selling it. The only reasons I sold it were the thin neck, which I found to be really cramped in first position and the weight. It was like wearing a kitchen table around my neck :) Overall a great bass, starter or intermediate.

You have all read about the features, no need to repeat them. Good hardware, stunning body, good tuners, bridge, and plastic hardware. Bolt on is ok for a cheap (inexpensive) bass. Finish is great on the one I bought. Neck is medium sized...would be great for a beginner...

This is where the instrument shines through. This thing sounds incredible. The pickups, although passive, seem pretty hot, yet still retain a "warm" tone. I am mostly a six-string player, so right now I am just playing through a small ampeg amplifier. I have a Pod Multi-Effects pedal. This bass really swings through all the sounds a good bass should. The neck pickup is really full, which surprised me for the price. Running direct through the amp, the bass sounds fantastic...totally clean!

I bought this from MF. Generally when I buy a stringed instrument I wait until winter is over to mail order it, but I really wanted one of these because of the price, so I went ahead and bought it. I let it aclimate for a couple days before breaking it out of the packaging. I couldn't believe it, it was almost dead on in tune, with the action just a fraction off of where I like it. I am sure this is rare, but this thing didn't need much of a setup or anything for that matter. The frets were perfect. The hardware is black and perfect. The pickups sat a bit too close to the strings, but ...

Electronics are really quiet. I have read so much about the bass being top heavy, and I haven't found that to be the case...? I installed some Dunlop Straplocks.

I have a friend that plays in a well known rock band. He plays one of these Epiphone Thunderbirds, and gigs with it night after night, show after show, etc. He took it to Australia with him on tour this fall. He plays with two basses. He can afford ANY bass he wants. This was a band which was popular in the 80's which was HUGE. He could get an endorsement deal from anyone, guaranteed, but he chooses to play the Ephiphone rather than the Gibson, when he is on tour. The reason I brought this up is because of the durability of this bass. I would absolutely gig with this bass, but never without a backup, just for reasons like strings, etc. He bought his bass and other than the first setup, has not made ANY modifications. I would depend on this beast.

Lifetime warranty. Have dealt with Epiphone before (Gibson) on a Les Paul issue. Great company. A bit slow, but entirely helpful and it doesn't take a great deal of time to speak with a human, at least after the computer generated menus...lol.

I have been playing 25 years. I own mostly six-strings...two Washburn Face Erasers, Washburn NC-70 Custom Shop, ESP KH-2, Kramer Focus 3000, Fender American Big Apple Strat, MIM Fender Sunburst Strat, Washburn Nick Catanese Import, ESP LTD Jeff Hanneman, Garrison G25-CE, Lapatrie Concert, Washburn Bass. I have a few amplifiers, Marshall ZW Micro Stack, Fender G-Dec, Peavey Envoy 110, Fender Acousisonic Jr., Line 6 Spider II, and a Mesa Dual Rectifier 3 Channel head and Mesa slant 4 x 12.

I was fairly informed before I purchased this bass, so I don't think I would have asked anything more. If it were stolen, I would certainly buy another. I love the bass, plain and simple. There is nothing at all I hate about it. My favorite feature is the classic styling and overall looks of this guitar. I have played many, many, many basses before buying this one and could have bought the Gibson or a much more expensive neck through of some sort, but because I play guitar mostly, I figured I would save some cash and go with the Epiphone and I am glad I did. The only thing I wish it had was a good case, which I WILL find... I think this is the BEST value on a bass around right now, dollar for dollar. In this price range for a good bass, there isn't a whole lot of quality intruments out there. But this bass is just that a QUALITY instrument, comparable to much higher priced guitars.

Big long and heavy....2 volume and 1 tone...sunburst finish.

Sound is great up High and down low...almost two low...Seems to get a little muddy on the lower end of the E-string. could be my amp cant handle it! But no matter what volume I am playing at...seems a little muddy down low. I play through an bass overdrive petal, but basically use it as a pre-amp. Overall the sound is crisp and clear.

This thing came out of the box set and ready to play. I don't know what kind of strings were on it, but I quickly swithed to some slinkys and got a much better punchier sound. I am thinking of lowering the action a bit...hope I don't screw the whole thing up. The finish is emmaculate. Gets many compliments. Vintage sunburst Looks very rich and exquisite. No flaws...Perfect. The only complaint I have is the string height over the body. I play with my fingers and took some getting used to.

My kid knocked it over face down on the concrete basement floor...still in tune and not a scratch on it. Built solid. I gig very little, but it is my main bass and I play a pld hamer cruisebass as a backup for more twangy sounds.

I have been playing off and on for 20 years. I knew the neck dive would be a bit of a problem, but was willing to risk it after reading other reviews of the sound and finish put together with the price. They were all right. You get used to the dive pretty quick and the sound is awsome. Chinese quality is top notch.

There is one problem with it...transportation....I have no desire to spend 100 bucks on a case for a guitar that only cost me $275 I currently carry it in my Hamer case, which it barely fits.

Made in China for 2007. I've compared the Korean models to this my brand new Chinese and the new Chinese factory is making nearly a pro line bass. I love the neck plate which is forged and proudly proclaims "Made in China for Epiphone Co., Nashvlle, Tennessee" complete with stamped serial number. The EMG pickups are excellent, the bridge is fine contrary to many reiewers and the neck dive for me is barely noticable. Because evrything is satisfactory to me at this point I plan on doing no mods-everything matches- all hardware is black! Rockin'!Maybe because I am 6'3" and 220lbs. After reading so many reviews abouts its neck dive I had already planned on moving the upper strap connector centered on the neck where it meets the body. I have no plans on doing that now. Suggestion: If you are a small person with small hands this bass is not for you anyway! Neck dive indeed...

This is where the bass shines. I am not a metal player, actually I play free improvisational jazz and noise electronics- and the dark growls which eminate from this beast are a joy to the ear. Note: I have this tuned DGCF- that's right , one whole step lower than "normal", and this was the best idea that someone from the bass forum page suggested indirectly. I use Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Heavy guage strings- .050,.075,.085,.110, which results in a crushing low D. No need for a 5 stringer here! Again the EMGs along with V/V/T for controls are perfect! RRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!!

The action came out of the box almost perfect, just a tad high which I adjusted to medium in about 3 minutes. Frets are well dressed, control knobs are appropriately tight and the tuning pegs look to me like black Gotoh. The finish on the bass is extremely shiny and well done. After sweating through a set, I've made sure to clean it so no oxidation occurs.

I can't gig with this bass without a back up due to its special tuning with heavy guage bass strings. My other bass is an 'A' bass Jazz Jade, custom made in Waltham, MA, which rocks as a jazz bass should. On par with Mike Lull and Sadowsky, but that's anopther review. This bass, in all aspects, seems like a instrument that I will be using for the long haul, and that makes me very happy. I paid $278 incl. S+H from MF- one of my best buys ever!

My list of gear that I own would throw off most bass players as I am into electronics and synths as much as bass. I now own 5 basses, all of them, except for the 'A' bass, on the inexpensive side, like my 62J SX, which deserves a 10. I've owned everything from Alembic to Zon and I can honestly say that there is stuff coming out of China that makes a lot of "pro" gear look less than pro. I love this bass- if you are strong, don't mind (or perhaps you love?) the legnth of the neck, realize that all these "neck divers" are a bunch of wieners, then I strongly encourage you to be a man and get this bass! A man's bass! Period!

the features are all known. I have the sunburst finish on mine.

the bass sounds great for the price. I paid a little over $300 at guitar center. I wanted a bass that was geared towards hard rock, and this fit the bill. I was originally going to get a Fender Jazz bass but awesome body styling of the T-bird and sound stole me.

the factory set-up was completely screwed up. I played a T-Bird with another finish, which was set-up decently. nothing great, but playable.

I preferred the sunburst finish, so they found me one in the back. the set-up was buzzing everywhere. the strings were on the frets for the first 5, and WAY too high everywhere else. a complete mess.

I fixed it with some bridge and truss rod adjustments. it's much better now. but "out of the box", it was completely terrible.

I've only owned it a few months. it's always tough to project an instruments longevity. the hardware is a little concerning. it just doesn't seem to be built to last the long run.

but on the other hand, if you take proper care of your gear, you usually don't have many issues with it.

I owned multiple Epiphone guitars and this is my first bass from them. but I've never had a need to deal with them.

I can't give this bass a great overall rating. it's a good bass, but nothing that will blow you away. it's a one-trick pony. it was built to rock, and it never claimed to do anything else. slap can't really be played on it. but it will give you a deep, heavy tone.

but something about his bass just doesn't sell me completely. if I could give it a 7.9, I would. but it isn't quite an 8.

passive pickups, great finish in sunburst, nice neck not to wide not to thin 2 volume controls anda tone control bought it in sept 06 has grooves ontop of the pickups so u can rest your thumb while using fingers instead of pick

great sound i play it through a HIWATT which sounds amazing, has great range of tones i play with a pick and can get some nice top end tones aswell as thumping bass notes. volume controlls dont alter the sound that much but the tone controll is usesfull to wack up the treble wen using fingers instead of pick.

the bass was setup well from the factory the action was a little high but that was easily adjusted using the 3 bridge screws. only bad thing is it does neck dive a fair bit but that dosnt bother me much as i drink beer with my right hand and hold the neck with my left.

this bass is very durable it seems like it will last forever i have knocked it a few times and finish has no blemishes, replaced the strap buttons with strap locks straight away but i do this with all my guitars. i would feel confident to gig theis without a backup, but u never know wen u are going to snap a string with any instrument so i usualy take a backup

never delt with them

been playing for about 6 years now and this one of the best basses i have owned, i also have a fender std p bass and an sg bass both are good but i prefer the thunderbird. iff it were stolen i would buy this again or maybee upgrade to a gibson thunderbird or maybee an american p bass.

This bass has a nice deep solid tone that just rocks you can really see why its the thunderbird and not the brightbird it has that badass body shapeand the neck does dive but unless your spinning around like a crazy person yuoull be fine the vvt potes are the same as my jazz basss so I dont know why people complain about lack of tones use your amp thats what its there for!

As I said it just rocks it will shake walls and sounds great through an ampeg actually put the two of theme together and bame you have a kick ass rock sound that cuts through any mix.

The one I played at the music store had a nice thick vintage dark sunburst coolor and the bridge had tons of sustain and it stayed in tune the whole hour I fiddled with it and the EMGs rocked and were totally silent.

This thing is built like a tank but once I get it I will still use my P-bass as a backup not because the thunderbirds unreliable but just to get that brighter p-bass sound.

Has a lifetime warranty.

Thisd bass is kickass and I played a righty upside down! I cant wait to order a lefty. So if you like rock music and are thinking of buying this bass just buy it you wont be dissapointed

Alder body, rosewood neck (bolt on), 2 thunderbird humbucking pick-ups (passive), 2 volume knobs, 1 tone knob, 34" scale, 1.73" nut width.

Now this is why i love this bass. I had been eyeing them for a long time and finally one day i tried one out in a shop. This is the only way to go people. Don't buy stuff through mail order. No two guitars are alike. You need to get your hands, eyes and ears on the exact guitar you wish to buy and inspect it thouroughly. If it doesn't feel right in one shop, try the same model out in another shop.

That said, i plugged this baby in and it boomed. I love the fat neck. This is one solid mutha. I play rock in the style of The Who, Led Zep, Kings of Leon and this guitar helps me thump out the basslines. It's rich, full, woody, deep, punchy and warm. Don't expect ultra bright high-end though. However, i'm perfectly happy with the tone i get sliding up to the 12th fret postion, as it's relative to the rest of the guitar's tone.

I pretty much stick to both pick-ups on and don't touch the tone knob - effectively everything on full! I really don't need to get other sounds out of this bass. Others might find it less versatile sonicly, but frankly, have a second bass if you need a different tone. I've given it a 9, because i reckon the Gibson version has to be the 10 if anything. I plan to buy a Gibby one day.

Action is subjective, but when i played it in the shop it was pretty much just what i liked. Not too high, not too low and no buzz.

The finish is very good. No paint/finish defects at all. This, you really have to look at in the store, once you've decided you like the sound and how it plays. Give it a good once over and if it's good, you know you're getting a fine guitar.

It gets an 8 for the strap button placement. Yes, there is a bit of neckdive, but again how bad it is, is subjective. I can put up with it no problem. I can recommend however, getting a decent, wide, padded comfy strap.

It's very solid indeed. I would keep an eye on the headstock though as it's a very long bass. Be careful turning around on stage (mind your singer) and watch out in low ceiling rooms.

Haven't needed this.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years now. This bass looks, feels and plays like something more expensive than it is. It is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those that it is, you ought to feel very pleased indeed.
If it were stolen i would buy one again instantly. Infact i'd probably get the Gibson version.

A 10 for value.

Made in 2005.
* Alpine white finish
* Slim-taper neck
* Rosewood fingerboard
* 20 frets
* Premium die-cast machine heads
* 2 volume controls
* 1 tone control
* 2 Thunderbird Bass humbucking pickups
* Limited lifetime warranty

I love the sound. If you like that nirvana sound, this is the bass you should get. It really is a rock bass. I always play on the bridge pickup and the sound is awesom, it has a col growl.
If you play on the neck pickup...
REAALY DEEP! It's so dynamic. It's an awesome sound, I mean it!

* Pros

The neck setup is awesome! I'm absolutely sure they've checked it really accurate. The electronics are also very good, never had a problem with it. The strings from the factory are also very good, fits the tone of a Thunderbird.


* Cons

The finishing is not that good. The back of the T-bird contains some finishing flaws. Little bubbles and some dust between the laquer and the wood. Also around the neck pickup the hole is cut absolutely horrible. It's like they just ripped the piece of wood out of it. To bad, cause it really is a beautiful bass. I guess if you want a T-bird that has a 10/10 finish, you should get a Gibson instead of a Epiphone.

Never had a problem with it. Solid as a rock.
Would go to a gig with just this bass. It never fails. The laquer will last for more than 3 decades. No doubt about that.
The bridge is also solid and very depending.

The fretboard hasn't got a single mistake, no buzzing frets or whatever.

never dealt with them

You should buy this if you like that White finish and the thunderbird sound. It's really a superb bass.

Only regret is the finishing, It's gorgeous, shiny and smooth but there are some flaws in it.

Would definatly buy it again. I paid 500? (520$) for it last year and for that little money I got a hard case, a beautiful bass and an agressive tone.

made around 02/03 in korea. 21 frets 4 strings.
fine for a standard bass.

gives a cool deep bassey sound but thats it, no diversity. playing it through a laney. better in studio.

the bass was fine when recieved and hasn't needed ne work.

i don't find playin the bass easy to play live as it's so heavy to carry round stage so i normally favour a p-bass or jazz bass on stage. stayed together for a couple of years without ne problems.

Not one of the best basses i've played, i fell in love with it when i first played it. but then i found the problems. i prefere a 24 fret bass without the weight and bulkyness of the tbird

I've currently been drooling over my brand-new, Alpine White Ltd. Ed. Epiphone Thunderbird IV (whew!), and I can safely say it is one of the coolest basses I've ever seen. It's apparently part of Epi's Guitar Of The Month thing they're doing this year. It's a 2005 model (duh) and it's made in Korea just like the older models. 20 frets, twin Tbird pickups, two volume pots, one tone. The body is alder, and the neck is rosewood on maple. Finish is a gorgeous sparkling white with matching neck and headstock (if you haven't seen the pics, look them up!). Thin neck compared to my Squier P (har) but I can work with it.

Sound is great for metal or hard rock, but I'm a punk player and I'm trying to tweak the sound as best I can to suit my band. I play through two SWR LA10's with a preamped Pignose for gain. The sound is growly yet articulate; it's all about how you set up the controls.
Overall, the only real gripe I had was the screwball bridge; it basically exploded when I changed the strings and I had a hell of a time getting it back together. The pickups are also a little odd, they don't adjust very well, so I put some extra foam underneath the mid one and it's fine. Also, the rumors about the neckdive are true; it heads straight for the floor if at any point you let go of the neck. Highly aggravating.

It shipped with the action all screwed, but this is expected and easily fixed. I fixed the pickups as described, but the rest of the bass was virtually flawless. the paint beneath the end of the fretboard was actually still wet!

This thing would hold up great in a gig. I've yet to try this (I got it three days ago, and spent two of those three dissecting and examining it), but i plan to soon. The strap buttons are horribly placed, so I'm gonna move one to the back of the neck. The neck, surprisingly, was perfectly straight, and I would definately gig without a backup. I trust this thing with my life.

Never needed it.

I've been playing for almost four years, and I consider myself a pretty competent player. My only other axe is a Squier P that sounds like a pissed off cat in a tin can. This suits me perfectly. I dont care much for effects, so all I've got is my Pignose for distortion.

I've waited WAY too long for this thing to ship for me not to buy it again. I love it's magnificent looks, but the sound is a bit too...well...good for me. I like the garbagey plunk of my cheapo P more. If all else fails, I'll find a way to stick a P pickup in it :)
If anything, I wish it sounded more like my P. This is just me, though. If you dig metal, or anything heavy, then this is the bass for you.

Same as all the other reviews, nothing more to add. Not a huge amount of features, but, you can use each pick-up independently, or both together.

This is the main bit. Huge sound. Bought it cos I played a gig with a band who`se bassist was using one of these. Our bassist (Im was guitarist at the time)was using a Musicman, ?1200, their bassist was using the Thunderbird,?250, n all I could think was "wish our bassist sounded like that" Well, switched to bass, bought the Thunderbird. Did a gig a week ago, with a band whose bassist was using an ESP bass. People kept asking me "why was your bass so much louder n bigger sounding when you were using the same amp?" The answer, my dears, is The Thunderbird! Its not named that without reason.

Set up ok, had to adjust the intonation a bit. No flaws at all, great look and finish. Action higher than I`m used to, but, with a noticeably thinner neck than I`m used to (previously a Precision-man) this doesn`t cause any problems.

Played two gigs with it. Hardly ever have to tune it. Never ever play without strap-locks, so comments on the strap buttons aren`t really applicable. Have had to change to drinking my on-stage beer with my right hand, as the bass nosedives if u let go of the neck. I`ve only got this bass so have to gig without backup. Main thing for me is the tuning bit. Hate it when u see people fannying around tuning between each song - buy a T-bird for f**k sake

Never had to contact them

Been playing for 25 years. Use it with a Hartke HA4000, Kartke 2 x 10 XL cab, and a Hughe & Kettner 1 x 15. I Play in a rock band and this is the bass for me. Would get another in a shot if mine were damaged/stolen. Only bad thing is finding a case (?90 as oppose to ?40 for an ordinary one)

Bought in 2000. Always one of my favorite instrument shapes. Saw it, played for 2 minutes and rushed home to get my Ovation acoustic bass to trade in. I kinda screwed up on my amp selection (Fender 25 watt, sounds crappy at high volume, the only kind of volume that matters) but I love playing this bass. I play only to amuse myself, no bands, and have never owned another bass so I have to give it a high rating. Had to wait awhile for the case to arrive, but no worry, I got a free stand from the shop for my patience (thank you Ian, Lakeshore music, now Long and McQuade, Burlington Ontario Canada) Tried painting the pickgurad black to match the hardware but never got it to look nice and glossy to match the finish, so I just took it off entirely. Looks cool. Same with the trussrod cover, I left it off one day and the whole bass looks simpler and better. simple things amuse simple minds. :) And moving the neck end strap holder to one of the neck joint screws is more than necessary. I don't play as well when the headstock is aiming at the floor.

Nice bottom end/midrange sound, my amp isn't the greatest at high volume, but I've played on other bigger amps and it sounds awesome, especially since upgrading from light strings to medium (Ernie Ball slinkys) and finger plucking now more than using a pick. I only play on the neck pickup, the bridge sounds a little thin to me, and I don't care for the sound of both together. Volume on 10, tone on 10, rock and f***in' roll

The action and setup always seemed good to me from the beginning, never having played another bass regularly I can't compare it. I've learned how to set the action, intonation and adjust the trussrod, and it's helped, especially when changing from light to medium string guage. I do think the A string saddle on mine was in fact a D string saddle. The A string sat REALLY high when I first switched, but a litte scraping and sanding fixed that. Past the warranty, not gonna complain.

Never dropped it, never abused it, and never will. It's been babied I will admit, but I'd bet good money on it's long-term durability over my car any day! Only complaints: part of the nut broke off just over the E string the first time I changed strings (heavier guage) Got it fixed, no problemo. and the tone control went all crackly one day from out of nowhere. Cleaned it with spray tuner cleaner and again, no problemo.

Couldn't say. Never had to contact them.

I've been playing rock guitar and bass for about 10 years. Also own an Epiphone ES335 (the Dot) guitar which has been as great to play as my T-bird. Love these things, don't shy away from "cheap" instruments as they can be as good to a player as the "real" thing. I'd sooner buy another Epiphone than a Gibson. high price doesn't always mean higher quality.

Beutiful pickups, Nice body, Perfect neck. The finish is great dark and devilish with the inlay on the 12th fret and the pickguard with its celtic symbol.. I have no complaints in this department

Once again this beast amazed me.. I was looking for a nice deep dark sound. And this gave out the perfect sound. I love the TB Plus Humbuckers. there's plenty of control over the pickups so once again no complaints here.

Well I'll tell you. When buying this bass i expected to have to fix the strap bolt. The rumors are true, this bass is neck heavy! It was no big deal. All i had to do was move the front bolt to the back of the bass above the "epiphone" emblem near the neck, and it was balanced out nicely.

The hardware seems fine. As for the mahogany body, its built strong. by the looks of it, it should be lasting me a long time. everything is put together nicely and as I would trust it going to a gig without a backup. I'll always still carry one.

didn't have to talk to them

This Bass is incredible, It blows away my and many other expensive basses. If it was lost or stolen I'd deffinatly buy this bass again no doubt about it. The TB plus Humbuckers are amazing pickups and do wonders for such a great value. Those looking for a good replica of the Gibson model buy this. It has the same great playability and sound capability as the real thing. If you ask me I'd save that $1,500 and spend a fraction of it on this wonder of a bass!

Bought it used so not sure how old it is. Made in Korea. You know the spec's, it's a T-Bird. Bolt on neck as opposed to a neck-thru on the Gibson & Epiphone Elite. Two Humbuckers, volume control for each, plus one tone control.

What can I say, it sounds good! It has that deep rock bass tone that I love. I run it through a GK Rb 700 into an Ampeg 4x10HLF. The GK allows me a wide verity of tones and the T-Bird never lets me down. Rich Full tone, unbelievable sustain.

The guys I bought it from had just had it set-up so no problems there. The pots are a little crackly, but I just haven't gotten around to cleaning them yet. My only complaint is, like everyone else, the placement of the strap buttons. Can you say Neck Heavy! I actually moved the front one to the back, just above the neck plate. It is so much better now, but I hated to drill into the instrument plus leave a hole where the button used to be.

This bass toured with it's previous owner, as a back up, so I would say it is well built. Everything still looks and sounds great, with the exception of the crackling pots. I would use it without a back up, with no worries at all.

Couldn't say.

I have been playing for over 20 years and have had many basses. I had been wanting the Gibson, but just couldn't come up with the cash. As that the Epiphone saved me over $1000 I thought it was worth a shot. I am not dissapointed at all, this is a great bass. If I lost or stolen I would definitely buy another one.

Made in 2004, basicaly a set-neck offshore made version of the classic Gibson tunderbird (for those of you who dont know, epiphone is a sister company of gibson, and makes less-expensive (but generaly very nice) clones of "real" gibsons, plus thier own models. Two humbuckers, basic controls (I like passive, simple basses). Nice flawless sunburst finish. If you are one of those "I must have 456,907 different tones" active electronics people dont buy this bass.

Sounds mutch like a Gibson Tunderbird, low booming but not muddy. It has I think a bit more growl, maybe due to set-neck vs neck through on the gibson. I play metal and meat-and-potatoes hard rock. Suits me fine. I am a Rickenbacker man, so I dont play it as my main bass. Have used it on stage and studio as a secondary bass, and sounds great. Good for most styles I would say

Here is the funny part, I wanted a "real" Gibson thunderbird, cost: about $1,600 US. I have heard of some quality conrol problems with the Gibson, YES its true, the two I looked at had ragged fret edges, sub-par finishes and where a real disapointment and crummy for the high price. The Epihone was 100% better than the Gibson verson, cleanly constructed with a nice finish. Yes, its a set-neck and it does not say Gibson on the headstock but I'm willing to forget that due to the fact I have esentialy the same bass for about $1000 less, hell, thats almost a new Rickenbacker!

In terms of set-up was fine, I always tweek things and so far does everything I want it to in the adjustment department.

Will last as long as you need. Like is Gibson big brother is neck heavy but I got used to that. I have played it onstage enough to say I would not gig without a back-up, but I'm cautious. For all intents and purposes, quality is fine

no dealings, cant comment

Playing for 8 years. Own 2 Rickenbacker 4003s, Fender US P-bass, and this one plus ampeg 8x10 with SVT head. I would replace it if stolen for sure. Again, if you can afford a real Gibson T-bird, and find one that does not have finish issues, great. But if want basicaly the same bass, made basicaly by Gibson and save a grand, I would recomend this honey.

This Bass features two humbuckers rickenbacker sound deep and powerfull, alder body maple neck rosewood fretboard quite a nice feel almost like the gibson version only diffrence is the bolt on neck. vintage sunburst finish which looks fantastic looks ten times better than the pictures on the epiphone website Gotoh tuners passive pickups. two volume and one tone it was made in korea in 2004 this bass is awesome.

the musical style of this bass is bassically anything rock i wouldnt recommend it for jazz or funk this bass is for metal heads. the deep sound is Reminiscent to that of a rickenbacker powerful deep sound overpowers any other bass ive played on that is under five hundred pounds a dark and full sound i always have both humbuckers on for full out rock sound fantastic epiphone have done it again.

i Received my bass set up from Guitar Tek the action was perfect pickups were fine where they were no flaws on my bass everything was perfect.

this bass is perfect there is only on major flaw the heavy neck the physics of this bass are unbalanced causing the neck to dive if you let go of the neck so your always holding the neck with your freting hand which can become tiring the bass also cannot fit into any case ive tried you can only purchase the hard case which costs around one hundred pounds which is quite dissapointing.

i havent ever dealt with the company.

I have been playing for around two years. if this bass was lost or stolen i would want another one. this bass is fantastic i wouldnt recommend it to beginners though they may have trouble adapting to the basses size and weight all in all this is a fantastic sounding bass and one of the coolest loking ones availble and the price is great.

Vintage sunburst finish, 2 pick-ups, passive electronics bolt on neck (don't you already know?) I think the strings sucks, i will change them very soon

This bass is VERY heavy, and as you already know, also neck-heavy, i resolved this, using a large strap, that just stick on my shoulder

The Sound of this bass is powerfull, it has a very deep and punchy tone, compared to my Ibanex Gsr200

There were a lot of strings buzzing against the frets... I raised the action and now it's very better, I anyway think, that the buzzing may be due to shitty strings...

the bridge pick-up is very high! it's normal?

As I read from another review, just know that:
"THIS THING CAN STOP A TANK"

never dealt with it, the warranty is 2 years.

This Bass is great! and the price is very little... BUY IT! but first, you should try it, i think this is a LOVE-HATE bass... i love it!
I'm playing as autodidact by 3 years now, i own also a Ibanez gsr200
If it were stolen or lost... Id' CRY A LOT... i haven't got money to buy another one!

A fantastic looking bass with a rock attitude. Standard pickups, althogh I cant tell the difrence between thunderbird iv and vs but hey, its the best ive ever owned. Its the standard Epiphoe thunderbird vs and a slightly darker sunburst than most, it has a certain amount of uniquity to it.

I use this bass with distortion and through a 60 year old 100 watt amp with cabinet, and even though turining up the volume doesnt necessarily mean a loss in sound, this could be a result of having a clarion cab older than me!

The action on this bass caters for pick orientated mutes as well as slapping, It has no balance although I knew I was in for that when i sacriiced balance for fret availability (ie easy to get to the high frets)

a case fr ths bass was hard to find and expensive, but apart from that it has tremendous sturdyness, and ive never seen any other 16year old bands's bassists with one!

N/A

A fantastic bass in all respects, great for slides, and is a very indie rock bass.

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.