#Epiphone custom shop thunderbird bass pro#
#Epiphone custom shop thunderbird bass series#

Their winged design is not for everyone and, yet, its looks seem to get everyone’s attention.īut like everything else that doesn’t follow standards, the Thunderbird basses are both superb and unpopular. Part of the reason is how these bases are eccentric. THose places mostly belong to Fender and Squier. Interestingly, though, you don’t see many Gibson or Epiphone Thunderbird basses flying around rock stages, performing at music videos, or sitting quietly at home studios. However, you have probably never played one. I bet everyone who reads this has seen or heard about the Thunderbird bass. This baby is made for rock like no other. This is where the humbucker-fueled Thunderbird comes into play. Sometimes, though, you need a noiseless, powerful, punchy, and crunchy bass guitar with a body big enough to scare your audience. They are more than enough for most situations, which is why they are somehow silencing the Epiphone Thunderbird Reverse IV bass. If you’re lucky enough to own Fender or Squier basses, you’ll know how those are smooth, pristine, and timeless. It takes the best features of the original Gibson bass and translates it into an affordable instrument. The Epiphone Thunderbird Reverse IV Bass is amazing. Epiphone Thunderbird Reverse IV Electric Bass Guitar In-depth Review (4 and 5 strings) There’s something that has consistently improved over time, though: the pickups, the electronics, and the price. Vintage and modern Thunderbird basses have remained the same over the years: winged body, dual-coil humbucker pickups, and the Thunderbird insignia on the pickguard. You can only understand that once you try it, and that’s what musicians love (and dislike) so much about this bass. No other bass looks like it, and because of its body shape, no other bass feels like it. Its design hasn’t changed in a bit, and it still looks as unique and different as it did once before. Over 60 years later, it has stood the test of time. Gibson debuted the Thunderbird in the early ‘60s, and it looked like the bass of the future. The Epiphone Thunderbird is built to the highest Gibson standards.

#Epiphone custom shop thunderbird bass pro#

We’re reviewing the Reverse version because it’s the most available of the series, although there are more alternatives like the Pro version.Ĭan you already see how this is such a special bass? That brings us to the Epiphone Thunderbird Reverse bass, an affordable version of the Gibson Thunderbird built to the same specs, standards, electronics, and even pickups. The rest of the guitar’s features (like tonewoods, body shape, colors, finish, etc), are not going to affect the sound as much as the pickups itself. Their best models are mostly using Gibson pickups, hardware, and electronics. That means a budget Epiphone instrument can be just as good as a Gibson instrument.

#Epiphone custom shop thunderbird bass series#

That’s something I already discussed in my Squier Classic Vibe series review. More so, the quality gap between budget and high-end instruments is getting thinner by the moment. And because I said that, I can now name the two Gibson series that are so special they practically don’t need to sell anything else: the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar and the Gibson Thunderbird bass guitars.Įpiphone can be just as good as their parent company…I mean, if Gibson were to sell instruments for honest prices, Epiphone is what you would get. In fact, Gibson doesn’t build much variety in terms of musical gear…what they do build, they do it perfectly. And for the price it sells for, you can just imagine how much it would be a tone monster with a set of Thunderbird-shape Bartolini pickups in it.Ĭheck out the video below and let us know what you think of it.Gibson doesn’t have many models. The look of the bass is spot-on correct, so much so that it’s totally acceptable to see Epiphone instead of Gibson on the headstock. Has that also been addressed with the Epiphone? Again, that’s an unknown. One could always use a counterweight to combat neck dive, should any exist.Īlso, it should be mentioned that Gibson in recent years has addressed neck dive issues with certain models. HOWEVER (again)… even if it does have dive issues, it might be worth picking up anyway just to get one of these, considering it sells for around $299 US. HOWEVER… does it have neck dive issues? That’s an unknown, because the video does not show the player playing it standing up. There’s no question that the Gibson Thunderbird bass has one of the coolest body shapes, but how does that translate when put into an Epiphone version?Īs you’ll see from the video below, Epi’s version of the T-Bird IV has it where it counts.