Epiphone Thunderbird

korean made (what isn't) 20 frets, passive (hot) pick-ups...
you know if your looking at this bass the rest...i love this bridge!bolt on neck, but i got rid of a neck through for this so...

i'm 43 so classic rock it is. i use a fender bxr 300 watt amp and a
behringer bass v-amp...sweet! i've owned dozen of basses but i'm a tall guy at 6'6" and looks are important so....small bodies seem smaller, that is why i checked this out. this bass some how has the illusive bottom & the "geddy Lee" "thonk" that i want

you know i would like to complain, but everything was just about dead on. nothing loose finish fantastic!

i've owned all of them...ricks, gibsons, guilds, fenders.
now i can't afford the big boys anymore. i'm not comparing this to $1,500 basses on up, but i don't see a problem with anything!

lifetime warranty from epiphone.. guess that's pretty good

i've been playing bass & guitar for 30 years i've had it or owned it all! the looks, the feel, the sound, the action, i must admit i am impressed.

My non-reverse T-bird was made around 1995 (mailed Gibson for an ID/dating)in Korea. It has 20 frets, 2 volume controls and one tone control, and it came with a passive P&J configuration for the pickups. This one's vintage sunburst (looks great!). The rest is pretty much the same as in previous reviews. Very different, bit large, great looker (but either you love the looks or hate 'em) Very nicely spaced strings, I can play just about as fast as on my shortscale bass!It came without accesories, but I soon bought a wide Levy's strap, it's a disaster to play with "standard" straps (it's pretty heavy).

I mostly play '60's/'70's and some blues & country. Suits seventies best, though. Still, it's nice and clear on country walking bass. Not the one for blues and R 'n' R, because I think it lacks the grunt, both sound-wise and output-wise (I need to crank the amp up a lot.)Nice, "open" sound, but not to be recommended for the heavy stuff. I play it through a Peavey Combo 115, and not even a real rocker like that'll make it sound really heavy. Warm & clean sums it up.

Wow, this baby feels rock-solid!! None of the lightness of my unidentified shortscale object! Very nice high-gloss finish (I keep cleaning it: I can use for a mirror!) Action's a bit high, but it'll do fine, at least there are no fret-buzzes. It's beautifully intonated (could have been serviced before sale, I don't know). I found it quick-playing for a full-scale. Might do even better with flatwounds. Oh, and do lean on the armrest, as said before: it's VERY top-heavy! Otherwise delivered flawless.

This bass is as solid-state as they'll get, but it's a large axe! Be careful not to cause harm with it! Holds tune beautifully, and the finish has seen some minor pitting, but I think it'll last long enough for my grandchildren to enjoy. Straps on great, doesn't come loose at all. I play 2 basses to suit the style I need, and no real backup. Machine heads seem a bit cheap, but so far they proved ok.

The shop gave me a two-week satisfaction guarantee, but I've never used that... Shop was great (I even got coffee whil considereing the purchase). Only time I dealt with the manufacturer was for dating/ID, my mail was answered in a couple of hours. If that gives an idea of Epiphone customer service, it'll be great. Never had "something real" though, so I'm not going to give a grade on this one.

I've been playing bass for about 3 years now, and i've played the T-bird for about 9 months. I own an no-ID shortscale bass, and a Motion accoustic for doodling on when friends bring a guitar over, and this one's my number 2 bass. I like the finish and the different looks. Hate the tone control, it doesn't give real effect. Only other full-scale I played was a Boston Precision from a friend, but this one's so much slimmer! Rugged, plays easy, looker!! I've no regrets!

This is a 4 string Korean Thunderbird with passive P & J pick-ups. Colour Robins Egg Blue, the headstock is black and the neck rosewood on maple.
As far as shape it's reverse traditional and the neck is a freakin' log.
It came with a bridge cover and case. I traded a Squire Jazz (with a over used neck) and a Samick J style Bowling Ball coloured 24 fret (not bad) for it at a local music store. They wanted $495 (with case) so I couldn't loose. The stock pick-ups sounded so bad, I'm sure thats why it was traded in virtually new. The colour was it's most attractive feature.

First thing I did was change the P's to a set of work-boot aftermarket d'marzios and now this thing sounds good in any situation!
But it is physically just too long for small stage use and I rarely use it.
I've never played a Gibson original, but if they're this long, no thanks.
I use a Peavey head and 210 & 15.
It just sounds like a bass. Nothing sparkling just work-boot bass.

The dealer told me it was traded by someone within the first month and you would have thought it was new except the person drilled a hole in the upper fron horn for a strap button relocation and it is just ugly. Other than crap pick-ups and a log sized neck (which I knew about) it was as good as it looked. Note: I cannot find this colour of blue to fix the hole.
The action I don't recall as first thing I did was take it all apart to replace the P's. I also left off the bridge cover.

I honestly belive this thing could bump around for the summer in the back of a truck and still play well. It's very robust. The finish through the screw hole looks thick and durable. I do find the tuners are a bit small and hard to get to if you like to tune down to B while you're wearing it, it's a long reach to the underside of the headstock.
The truss rod has never been adjusted in 6 years. The neck is a rock. It stays in tune.

I didn't deal with anyone for anthing after I got it from the non-dealer, but from the sound of it, I'm damn lucky I got the case (which has no brand name on it).

I'm givin' it a 8 for support as I could have got screwed on the case quite easily.

I've been playing for years and I play mostly a P Bass so the big neck isn't an issue, the LONG neck is! If you're gonna make it that long, throw a couple more frets on it. Rah-heally.
If I lost it I'd move on. It's a utility bass that looks good and sounds good but it's still a copy. If you've got big hands and long arms and you find one cheap (whatever that is to you) I'd buy it.
I haven't seen any others around here so it is different, but diffrent may not be enough.

Hey ... it's a Thunderbird - what else do you want? OK - bought brand new in 2002 ... has pickups & knobs - I'm a bass player - you want more? Huge problem is finding a case on line if the shop doesn't stock it. For the amount it weighes it sounds beautiful, but it is top heavy, so money on a suede backed strap will help you not dint it into the ground each time you drop the neck and adjust your microphone (I've played live with it - crowds don't appreciate the big guy on bass looking hard then crying as his bass nose dives the floor!).
No case, looks good, good scale but nose dives ... 8

Let's be frank - Thunderbird=Rock ... or Acoustic-Rock in this case. I still play a CSI Precission (minimum 15 years old - bought 2nd hand that long ago) which is still a beaut! But this comes with much more flavour - crank the pickups to max and it thrums quite nicely - turn the back down and leave the forward up and you have your metal drive ... mix and match between the two and you have your perfect sound - with the right amp a beautiful overdriven sound can come of cranking the gain full (control feedback with the volume) and dropping out the middle.
For those who play a pure Gibson - I wish I had your money! Epiphone does for me as it pure sounds great (I have a friend who plays a Gibson Les Paul, and yet his Washburn WP80 sounds better purely on feed back ...) so purist ... er .. sorry, lost it ... what was I saying? Oh yeah - sounds good!

Played a couple of times and at most a Hetfield style wrist band may be in order as with playing on a long strap you tend to crack you wrist (playing plectrum style) ...but then it's worth it as I love this instrument so much that I named it after my one true love ... Rowan Rhiannon Alice Ackford Schofield Schofield! - Rowan for short - as she feels the same - smooth, svelth and looks like a babe with enough deepth of personality you'll love her forever ( the original left me over my fetish for guitars ...doh!) Seriously - the guit's a beaut and if Rowan's still out there ...

The strap is at an amazing angle but still holds ... everything else needs play testing - I'll be back on this one ...

Can't get a case from the dealer, and where does get the correct case from on-line(please E-mail me with suggestions - not about Rowan - about the case!) Hunted many sights but the best showed a case with a head that rested to the left, not the right ...

I've been playing for 14 years in bands like Superstupid, BWSFI, Nadir, Kil Milhouse, Certain Hatred and Adagio/Gambler and played both base and rhythm guitar/lead vocals, and this is the first instrument that I've bought because I wanted it (fell in love in the shop). Find out if it comes with the correct case in stock (very important). It's a beaut - plain and simple - it looks good, and it sounds the nuts!

Mine is a rare left handed one, made in Korea 2001. Standard classic Thunderbird design and features, except the Epiphone is a bolt on maple neck rather than neck thru like the Gibsons. Body is either alder or maple as well, I believe, stained dark to look like mahogony. Two humbucker pickups, volume knob for each and 1 master tone knob.

Let me first say that I bought this bass primarily for the Thunderbird look and purely for show at live performances, and Gibson doesn't make left handed Thunderbirds (and Epiphone barely does). I wasn't expecting any great sounds out of this thing, as nearly every Epiphone piece of gear I've ever tried was god awful, and especially after reading negative reviews about it from Gibson purists on various Gibson chat lists who claim it sounds nothing like the Gibsons. So what? It's a fraction of the cost of the Gibsons and it by no means sounds bad. In fact, it sounds damn good, and I would even argue that it's more versatile sounding than the Gibson. It comes somewhat close to the classic dark gritty Gibson growl if you dig in with a pick and adjust the EQ on your bass head, but even better, it can come close to copping Fender tones like the back pickup of a Jazz (Jaco tone) when the back pickup is on only. And for me, that's fine, because I'm primarily a Fender J man. The tone is even and the sustain is excellent, due to the scale of this bass. Overall impressed.

The fit and finish on mine are immaculate, and this bass looks very close to the Gibosn version, complete with the Thunderbird logo on the pickguard and the huge headstock. This bass has absolutely no fret buzz or fret noise when I play, unlike my Rickenbacker which requires moreprecise fretting to avoid unwanted noise. Unfortunately, the very problems inherent in the Gibsons can be found in this lower cost model, so either add a point to my score for Epiphone's attempt at authenticity or deduct another point for perpetuating Gibson's poor design to begin with. Like the Gibsons, it is neck heavy and will nose dive quickly if you're not holding it up. Luckily, I find this problem is more or less eliminated when I rest my plucking arm across the back heel of the bass. But the other thing that causes fatigue over time is the long neck, further compounded by the fact that the bass has no extended horn to allow the strap to naturally hang away from your body instead of right down the middle of it. (Note: on some Epiphones and Gibosns, the strap button appeared on the neck heel, which I've heard caused worse inbalance problems. On mine, it's on the upper horn). The first fret seems miles away, and to compensate for arm tiredness that sets in soon enough I have to play with my elbow postion jutting out slightly. It's even harder playing in the upper frets.

This bass appears to be solidly built, but I have no doubt that the angled headstock would crack should this bass accidently fall over. (another lovely carry over from the Gibosn model).

I've never tried to contact Epiphone about this bass, but I did contact them for info about their lefty Thunderbirds in general as well as the Jack Cassidy bass. They got back to within a week and told me that they only made lefty models for a very limited time and had discontinued them.

I've been playing for close to 20 years, and I have collected over 15 left handed basses. Some are purely for collecting, and some are for playing. This one will be a collector, since they just didn't make too many lefties. It's also a fun bass to play and people immediately comment on how good it looks (and sounds). It is not my main bass, and I don't think it ever will be, because it's playability is simply a bit too awkward for me, so my Jazz or Sterling gets the first call. But it does have a great driving punchy, dark tone playing with a pickthat myother basses don'thave, so it's worth having it in my arsenal. I would buy it again, if I could find another one.

this is a 2000 edition ThunderBird 'Reverse' bass.
which I got for #335 which is abou $ 399 so it was a bit expensive all though I got a lead with iT !!!!
It has 20 frets but its a Huge NECK. 4 strings, In a nice vintage sunburst (in a coffee table way). I has 2 very nice humbucker type bass pickups. 1 volume for each pickup and an over all tone knob. the electronics a passive but I think u get a choice of what u want. The bridge is a funny thing really its got 3 kind of supporters that screw up and down and I don't really understand it (I dont like it)
the tuners are locking. pretty basic but fun to have!!

The sound is very versitile!!! you can make it really bouncey and trebley!! (which I use!!) and U can make it a 'marylin manson' muddy
sound which is really cool. Its good to pop and slap on it as it has a long neck. It is good on stage for show for the amazing body shape and sound. Note: If the 2 volume knobs arn't on the same number the can be a bit of buzzing!!! Ill give it 9 but I would of given it 10 if it wasnt for the buzzin!!!

The action is extremly high!!!! and when i got it the pickups were put out at there highest point but I' ve got used to it!!!
The BAD thing about this bass is that u allways have to hold the neck up because of the poorly positioning of the front strap button so i would use strap locks NOTE: ( the gibson model has the front strap button raound the back!!) but it has a nice finnish on it even though I would of liked a Black or white one!!!. but only get this bass if you have got strong left arm because of holding the neck up. which can leed to alot of effort. A 5!! Because of the strap button

This bass Is HARD !!!! Im sure U could kill the Northan part of florida single handedly with this AXE!!. The strap buttons are awful because of the position.
I left It in is case In the car once and It Condensated and the bridges screws rusted so dont leave it in the HEAT!!!!! It could warp
I would have a back up just in case anythin would happen to it!!! but this guitar is BITCHIN!!! and as solid as a Ducks arse
An 8 for its Solidness but because of that piss anoyin strap button it cant really go any higher

Dont know epiphone atall but my guitar to about 2 weeks to come which is Pretty cool!!!

This guitar is cool very cool. But I recomend U might save up for the Gibson??? if u want but I didn't so u dont have too...........
apart from the strap button which u can just re-locate by drilling a hole in the back and put there!! (like the gibson model) But I know u can get this bass for less DOSH like $ 250 .I got i got it with a warranty though! but over all this guitar is duribale and good looking and an amazing sound!!!! BUY IT!!!!!!!


ANYWAY the bassist out of System Of A Down has a thunderbird!! so it must be good!!! ahhahahahahhahahahahhaha!!!!!

This is a nice bass but it is rather large. It has a nice sound that comes from two soapbar pickups. One at the bridge position and one at the neck position. The bridge pu give the bass a nice punchy sound and the neck pu give the bass a nice lowend full sound. I have found that with my amp (a crate practice amp) that a blend of the the bridge pu on full and the neck on half give the bass a great sound. The controls are one tone and two volume, one for each pu. The electronics on this 4 sting bass are passive, but work well. I did have a problem with the imput jack being loose soon after I bought it but I has it relplaced with a new one for about $10. The finish on this bass is not the best but it is good. It is a stained finish of some sort and there are a couple of dark spots on the back on the body and neck, other than that it is nice. The bridge is held on by the sting tension and I do not like that feature cause when I change strings the bridge and saddles always fall off and I have to put them back on and that sucks. The neck is fat and I love it. I like jazz necks but I prefer a fat neck to grab on to. It came with a hard shell case that is falling apart due to lots of use over 2 years. OVer all this is your average low to mid priced bass. There may not be a lot of features on this bass, but what it does have works quite well. When I bought the bass I also purchased the case two, that was included in the price I paid for it.

This bass suits my music style fine, but most basses do. I due like this one a lot though cause of the ability to get a punchy sound and still have good low end responce. The pu's are amazingly quite, when I plug in this bass there is no buzz at all. The sound as I said is punch with lowend, but you can taylor it to be warm, or bright and trebley as well.

When I got the bass the action was to high, but I set it lower and now it plays great. The pu's were fine when I got the bass and I have not made any changes to them at all. The finish had a couple of dark spots in the stain but nothing to bas cause they were both on the back. I think as long as the bass sounds good who care what it looks like.

I feel that this is a very sturdy bass when the strings are on, when there are off the bridge comes loose, but other than that it is heavey and I love it. The thing feels like a tank. The hardware is brass and was painted black, however that black paint is coming off, but the hardware itself is very good and seems to be holding up well. This bass has seen lots of use in the last 3 years or so and the finish is showing no wear other than the sratches I have put in it. The strap buttons were ok, but I replaced them with strap locks when I strung the bass left handed, I recomend every one do this (put on strap locks). Overall this bass is dependable. The neck and truss rod have only been adjusted twice when I switched string gauges. Other than that the neck and action have been fine. I would never play a gig without a backup bass, but that is because I hate to change strings while playing a show, so I always bring along my Ibanez. But I rarely use it. That is just my personal preferance though.

I have never had to call upon customer support cause if it breaks I fix it, but it never breaks so it isn't a problem.

I have been playing for about 3 years and this was my starter bass and it has always been my favorite. The more I lear about high end basses the more I realize that this was a good deal. This bass, to me, has a great sound and feels good to play to. It also looks good to. I also own and Ibanez SR300DX. I prefer that thunderbird casue the Ibanez sounds like crap. I have plans on replacing the pickups and electronics in it soon. If this bass was stolen or lost I would replace it asap. I think that this is a great bass but it is not for every one. I love it though.

This the Epifone Thunderrbird. It is very good. I think made in Japan, which is good (better than Korean or Mesican). It has nobs to make volume bigger and also tone. I don't like to change tone but I like to play volume LOUD. I play with a twin Marshall Stack with much power so it plays very LOUD, which is good. It has nobs to tune strings on the neck to make guitar in tune. Humbucker pick ups and it is brown with yellow on the front like FIRE. I bought because I like Jimmy Hendrix make song about fire and even though he play a Strat I like the Epifone more better.

I like to play LOUD. I play much kinds of music. Traditional rock and roll like Black Sabbath and Ozzy Ozboarne and Fleetwoodmac and KORN!!! I have long hair like Ted Nugent. I use guitar with lots of petals like BOSS CS1, BOSS CS2, and BOSS CS3, Voodoo Labs Superfuzz, BOSS OD1, BOSS OD2, Tube King. The sound is very dirty and muddy and thick. With all the compressors on it sounds like a mud train stuck in the tracks. If turn amp to 11 you can "cum on feel the NOISE!!!"

I rock and roll HARD to things like Ted Nugent Cat Scratch Fever and KORN!!! Sometimes I pretend to smash guitar but not really hard because I don't want to break or make crack and have to go back to Guitar Center because I have not much more money to spend $290 to fix. But when I pretend to smash, guitar is very solid and good. 10!

I never tried call Epifone. They probably good if you call.

I been playing LOUD rock and roll for almost 3 months. Before that I played in band in school but not guitar (trumpet and flugalhorn) so I know how to read music which has helped me play rock better. I wish I had noticed small nick on neck which man said could be crack before bought guitar, but lucky nice man at Guitar Center help me and only charge $290 to fix and another $25 to polish. He said normally charge $30 to polish but gave me deal. It is worth it to ask for deal. Guitar looks great now!

I have the 1994 made in Korea model, which looks like Gibson Thunderbirds did back in the 60's, kind of a Jazz Bass like shape, minus the horns. P/J pickups, two volumes, one tone knob. It has a reverse painted headstock that looks cool but can be kind of annoying sometimes. I don't know what kind of body woood it has, maybe Ash? I wish it came with a heavier duty bridge, all it's got is a standard Fender style bridge, not string thru. The finish is very nice and tough, kind of a dark cherry sunburst. I've thrown it around quite a bit over the years and there are virtualy no scratches. This bass is a beast, people with short arms and small hands should look elsewhere; overall, it's the longest bass i have ever played (i think Gibson RD's are also quite long). I just wish it had a set neck and bigger bridge.

This bass can do just fine in most muscial styles. I've played mostly rock, jazz, blues, and funk, and it copes with most situations well. Wise use of the volume and tone controls can give you almost any sound you want. Use a pick, you fingers, or slap, it's all good. But in my opinion, this bass shines in rock situations. Get yourslef a heavy pick, a loud amp, and rock it out. This is definitely a rock bass. Right now i am using an Ampeg SVT350 with an Ampoeg 210 and a Mesa 115 and it sounds excellent. Not too much high end, so you'll have to improvise that with your amp (a 210 or 410 helps). Lows and mids are good, stay around the middle of the fretboard and it sounds clear and crisp, get down low and it has a P-bass like tone, it rings like a piano. I use medium or med-light strings, depending on how fat of an E string i feel like.

Superb. No flaws. I bought it on a closeout deal and it was set up at the shop before i brought it home. That was over 6 years ago, and it's only seen slight adjustments since (bridge saddle height to make up for fatter or skinnier strings).

Would withstand practically anything. I'm in a punk band, and since i don't sing, i am free of a mic stand and i can jump around and get nuts. I slam into things, slam the bass into things, and generally beat the shyte of it. It doesn't flinch. If it had active electronics or a weak neck, it woundnt last. Thankfully Epiphone had some insight to make it tough.

No idea.

9- wish it had a set neck and heavier duty bridge, BadAss or something. If it got stolen, i'd probably look into a Gibson RD or Ripper bass. I also wish the darn thing had a custom fitted case. The store i bought it from had NO CASES to fit it, it was too long for standard SKB bass cases and wouldnt fit any Fender cases. So i went to a sporting goods store and bought an extra-huge rifle case, cut out the shape of the bass in the foam, and voila, instant hard shell case. I also wouln't mind if the pickups had a little more output and sensitivity, but for $350, this bass rules. I've had it for a good 6 years, been playing bass about 8. Too bad Epiphone now makes a Thunderbird that is basically a cheaper version of the Gibson, at least the older one had some personality. I have yet to see anyone with this bass. My other bass is a beat up '76 Musicmaster, a completely different animal altogether.