Gibson Thunderbird II

When I was in High School in 1983, you literally couldn't give a non reverse Thunderbird away. I remember seeing one in a local paper for $150 for weeks! Well, that was a lifetime ago...

My third and probably final Thunderbird in this category is a Polaris White 1968 Non Reverse II. They're referred to as non reverse only because the original ones are described as "reverse" 'birds. Reverse refers to the fact that the original (and current) Thunderbird and Firebird body shape is (basically) a reverse image of the top of the line Fenders of the early 60's, which were actually the Jazzmaster guitars. When sales didn't justify all the extra expense that went into creating the original neck thru models, which were extremely exotic for their day, Gibson decided on a more traditional approach, which was introduced in mid 1965 and made in dwindling numbers until 1969. The sales were even lower for the non reverse models, so the line was finally discontinued.

The electronics, hardware, and neck profile are the same as the earlier models, but the neck is set into the body instead of being neck thru. The pickguard covers a larger part of the body and the bird inlay was moved to the upper horn. Because of the pickguard, there is no pickup ring used. (The two pickup IV model uses one ring over the added bridge pickup.) Instead of the composite of mahogany and walnut found on reverse models, the non reverse is solid mahogany.

The body style seems to inspire a love/hate reaction in everyone who sees it. In my opinion, it does look a little dated or retro as compared to the reverse 'birds. The quality isn't as immediately apparent either, but that's because it *was* a lower cost incarnation of the venerable Thunderbird. That certainly doesn't mean that it's 'cheap' by any means, but maybe just a little less flashy. For that reason, it gets a nine.

I've heard it said that the non reverse 'birds are the best sounding 'bird when it comes to recording. I haven't recorded with mine yet, but I can see where that belief might come from. The sound, though unmistakably Thunderbird, is a bit lighter and brighter. I think that difference would lend itself to recording very well. I'll bet I end up doing a lot less eq and tweaking to make the bass sit well in the mix.

This bass was a refin. It looks almost brand new. The hardware is also bright and clean. The headstock on this one's virgin, and the serial number is intact. Once again, the tune-o-matic bridge intonates perfectly. All in all, it's perfect. Pretty nice for a 36 year old bass!

BTW, these basses look fantastic refinished is solid colors. Polaris White and Cardinal Red are look especially cool.

This will definitely be in the rotation when I play out again. It'll get straplocks and a newer case before I do, but that's about it for changes it would need. The headstock is still huge, and it's even more neck heavy than my reverse 'birds, (I think it's because the body is lighter) but that's easily adressed with a good strap.

See my other reviews. No change.

I'm really glad to finally have a non reverse 'bird to finish out my collection. I would like a two pickup IV model, but only because I like how they look even more than the IIs. The IVs are quite a bit more expensive though, so it'll probably be a while if I ever do get one. I recommend these to anyone who loves their Thunderbird. This really adds another dimension to my Thunderbird palette.

You'll probably notice that three of the reviews on this page are all written by the same person. That would be me. I have been a Thunderbird fan since my early teens (Let's just say the first brand new Thunderbird I ever saw hanging in a store was a '77 model...) I was so happy with the special ordered '86 that I got that it made me want to complete my Thunderbird collection with one from every era.

All Thunderbird IIs have one pickup, one volume, and one tone pot. This one, being a '65 model, has 250k pots. Other than that, the (reverse) II models are no different than the IV models. The neck thru body is made up of 9 pieces of wood, four thin walnut layers and five thicker mahogany ones. The wings that are glued to the body are also mahogany. On the edge that's glued, the wings have a V shape that fit into a corresponding area on the body. One interesting thing I found is that, like the newer 'birds, the wings taper into the body toward the neck, so that the lip between the body and the wings disappears. This isn't seen on the 76-79 models. Or if it is, it's not nearly as evident.

This Thunderbird, like most, is tobacco sunburst. It has a cover that fits over the pickup, and one that fits mostly over mutes that are screwed into the tune-o-matic bridge. The foam that came on the mutes is long gone, but the mutes, which are a copper color (or maybe tarnished brass) are still there.

The pickguard looks like it was originally white. It's slightly yellowed with age, and has a thumbrest which sits just forward of and below the pickup.

The pickup and pickup ring are nickel or nickel plated, and are not quite as bright as the later chrome plated ones. The pickup ring also has a black gasket that might have been soft rubber at one point, but is now rather hard. The volume and tone knobs are the gold top hat type with lettering.

The trussrod cover, like the '87 and up reissues, has gold lettering. (The 76-79s, along with my 86 and a limited edition '96 'bird I have, all have white "Gibson" lettering on the trussrod cover.)

Typical, wonderful Thunderbird neck. The fret markers are dots and look like either MOP or abalone. Very colorful.

Once again, I give this a ten for having all the features it needs.

This bass sounds incredible. It's full and piano like. I'm biased of course, but to me a Thunderbird has more character than most. I do think it sounds a little different than any of the later reissues. I'd say it sounds a little more mellow. That might just be from age, but there is a difference. It's not noisy, but it's not dead quiet either. It sounds REALLY good through a fliptop Ampeg...

My bank account actually does have a limit, so this 'bird came with the ever famous headstock repair. I was pleased however, to find that the serial number was intact, and that the finish over the repair wasn't so thick that I couldn't see it under the proper lighting. Other than that repair, this bass is in surprisingly good condition for a bass that's as old as I am! Almost no checking or excessive wear.

Let me say, I LOVE the bridge and tailpiece setup of the older Thunderbirds. Though some say that the bridges have too little adjustment room, I haven't had any intonation problems at all. In fact, I've tracked down a few old bridge/tailpiece assemblies and plan on retrofitting at least one of my 76 birds with this great looking alternative.

This was a big investment, so I plan on being very careful about where I take this thing, but when I do play out with it, I will do so with great faith in its abilities. It won't be leaving the house in its original case however. Those cases are horrendous at protecting fragile headstocks! All my 'birds get a nice, new hardshell case. (I hear the brown ones are discontinued, so I guess it'll be a black case for my next 'birdie...

No warranty here! I've always registered my 'birds at the Gibson site though. Each time, I've gotten the standard "Your warranty has been registered" email reply, but I know better than to try and use it. Gibson's always been good at responding to my emailed questions though.

I have around 12 Thunderbirds (I guess I need to count 'em again). I've been playing since I was 14. I'm not in a band situation at the moment, but with all these Thunderbirds, I probably should be!

If this were stolen I'd hunt the thief down and beat him with my P Bass. With the way prices are going, I don't know that I could replace it.

The only Thunderbirds I don't have now are either of the 60's IV (two pickups)models. They are even more rare and more expensive than the II models. Maybe some day, but I don't think I'm missing anything soundwise with this one.

I discovered this bass on eBay in mid 2003. It was obviously something out of the ordinary but there wasn't much information in the auction, so I wrote Gibson Customer Service and got a quick reply with some great information that convinced me to bid on it.

It seems that in 1985 Gibson made a very small run of T'bird II basses. (They also had a similar run around 1974.) They hadn't had any Thunderbirds available since 1979, and the redesigned model wasn't released until 1987. The serial number on this one definitely id'd this as an '86, so it had to be a special order.

The body and headstock are vintage sized, (Not smaller, like the newer ones.) and the single pickup is identical to the ones you'll find on the 76-79 models. The color was originally white, with the black headstock. The pickguard is blank, (no bird) which makes sense if it was a one off, because they wouldn't have had any in stock. The newer pickguards have a slightly different hole pattern. The red white and blue '76 guards have the same pattern, but are about 1/8" too big on top. I bought one and might shave it down to make it fit. I hate to mess with a $100 pickguard, but I might anyway because it needs a proper pickguard!

As far as specs go, it's exactly the same as a 76-79, except it's got only one pickup, placed where the neck pickup is on the IV models.

It gets a 10 because though it doesn't have a lot of features, it's got exactly what it needs. Anyone who loves Thunderbirds knows that they can't be beat for what they are.

This bass is the epitome of perfection in design, form, and function. It's equally at home playing any type of music that requires a solid bottom end. Its sound is unique but beautiful. It stands out, but isn't obtrusive. I wouldn't recommend any Thunderbird to the funk-meisters out there, but other than that, a T 'bird is a great addition to anyone's auditory arsenal. Whether I'm playing through a balls out SVT or a high end, clean sounding modern rig, this sounds great through 'em all. And it ALWAYS sounds like a T 'bird.

I'm a big fan of the nickel/chrome hardware of the older 'birds. This one is no exception. The pickup(s) on the 76-86 'birds are based on a Bill Lawrence design,. They're like a stacked humbucker turned on its side, with a blade polepiece running through both coils. There's a little gap between the coils where the single bar magnet sits on top of the rail. These aren't like the '60s Thunderbird pickups at all. I've heard that the newer ('87 and up) pickups are an updated version of the '60s model, but I don't know if that's true. I do know that these are unique and have a great sound all their own.

I'd describe it as rich and slightly dark. Unlike some, I think it suits either pick or finger styles equally well. Being a II, it doesn't have quite the variety of sounds that you can get out of the IV, but that's why I have those as well! For those that say the Thunderbird is a one trick pony, I'd recommend actually using your volume and tone controls. You'll be surprised at what a difference even the slightest adjustments will make. I was always the kind of guy who kept everything on 10, but lately I've learned that those volume and tone pots really do have a purpose! And it's opened up a whole new world of possibilities in what I can get out of my basses.

Like I said, I bought this used, but it was in very good shape. I took it to a guy who knows his setups, and he made it even better. I always thought the three point bridge was the one weak link with Thunderbirds. I now know that was only because I never found anyone who knew how to set one up properly. Between that and setting the neck with the right relief, this thing plays effortlessly, has wonderful intonation, and sounds great all over the neck. Don't be fooled by its simple looking design, with the Thunderbird, Gibson had a quality, world class instrument.

There are no buzzes or noise problems at all. The pots are useful and appear to be stock.

The paint has faded to that cream color that most white guitars end up having after a few years. I like the feel and look of Nitro finished guitars. There isn't a lot of checking, but the finish has worn a bit around the playing edges, which almost looks like dirt in pictures, but just adds character, really. There are a few funky looking blue spots on it, but I have no idea how they got there...

This bass is 18 years old and counting. I don't think it'll have any problem outlasting me.

I always play with a backup. Usually another Thunderbird!

The only direct dealings I've had with Gibson have been contacting Customer Support with various questions on different guitars I've been looking at. They've always responded in a timely manner and their answers have been very helpful.

I've been banging on various basses and guitars for 25 years. At one point it was full time. It's not now, but I still enjoy it just the same.

The past few years I've sort of been collecting everything I either wished I'd had or sold along the way to get something else. My favorites have always been Thunderbirds. If this one was stolen I don't know that I even could replace it. I've only ever seen one like it on the website of a band in Japan. That one was its black doppelganger, and I'd buy it in a second if I could.

All I can add is any bass player who loves playing any type of rock and laying down a SOLID foundation could never go wrong with an old Thunderbird.