The Thunderbird IV was first introduced in 1963 and instantly became one of rock's most recognizable bass guitar designs. For almost five decades, the Thunderbird has powered artists as varied as Nikki Sixx, The Who, Kings of Leon, Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan and The Silversun Pickups. Turn on your radio and you'll hear a Thunderbird bass. Now, EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e takes all the vintage mojo of the original Thunderbird IV and sends it flying into the future with Gibson TB Plus humbuckers with ceramic magnets and all the 'Bird's original styling and features intact.
The Thunderbird IV was one of the most radical designs to come out of the Gibson and EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Kalamazoo factory in the early '60s, thanks to legendary automotive designer Ray Dietrich, who was asked to put a new twist on solidbody guitars and basses. The sound of the Thunderbird IV was as cutting edge as its design and now the Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO returns with all of EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e's first-class quality and a lifetime guarantee, but without the hassles of owning (or hiding) a vintage instrument. Case sold separately.
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SPECIFICATIONSThunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar
Scale Length: 34"Nut Width: 1.50"
Fingerboard Radius: 12"
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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Factory setup leaves a bit to be desired but adjustment is always a personal item. Well balanced (i.e. no often mentioned neck dive issues). My main bass since 1978 is a RIC 4001 and I still love it best but this EE-Epiphone-e has been a delightful surprise for playing. Buy a case specifically for it because nothing "standard" will fit. Larger neck position markers would help but then I am used to and comparing to the RIC. Neck through constrution & USA made pickups make it an above average homage to the Gibson and a great price for a second bass or a first "pro" instrument. And gosh darn it...even if you don't play very well you will, at the very least, look good playing it! ;)Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.I know that this thing seemed a bit like it was never going to come out, but after months of waiting, it showed up at my door yesterday! I have owned many thunderbird basses including 3 Gibson's and 2 EE-Epiphone-e's over the years. Let me just say that Epi absolutely nailed it this time. I'm not sure if they are trying to squash their daddy Gibson but I definitely see this thing taking over the T bird game. It is basically a carbon copy of a Gibson with USA pickups, but made in Indonesia and has a poly finish.. I played it at a gig last night and it absolutely killed it! Sure, it's an epiphone and its not super expensive, but this thing is worth so much more than what you pay for it. I am a professional and this thing can absolutely hang with the big guns. Only thing that I'm not the biggest fan is the finish, you can just tell many of these are being made at once. But overall this is one the greatest basses in this price range. Just buy it if you're on the fence! You won't be disappointed.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.When I purchased this bass, I was looking at getting a Gibson at 3 times the price. I saw this one in Arctic White though and scrapped that plan entirely. Visually, this bass blew them all away.
Though, I've never owned one, almost every Tbird felt good to me in the store, so I wasn't too worried about playability. Before I had checked the specs, I was preparing to buy the bass and simply scrap the pickups and electronics. At that pricepoint I figured it would need a few upgrades. Then I read that it had Gibson TB+ humbuckers and thought that might not be necessary. IT'S NOT - the pickups are staying. I still may throw an active EQ in there, but that's just a personal preference - the tone is good as it is.
Setup from the factory was good. The action was a little high, but better-than-acceptable. There were no buzzes whatsoever. I played it as it was for about 3 weeks until I changed the strings out and finalized the setup - lowering the action, readjusting the truss-rod slightly for new tensions and re-intonating everything. This is when I decided that I don't like Gibson's 3 point bridge. I'll be upgrading it with a Hipshot SuperTone soon. This will give me independent string-height adjustment, the ability to lower the action a bit more and a better bridge/body connection.
The one minor problem I had with the bass setup was the alignment of the tuning machines. The E & A tuning knobs interfered with each other, and there was some slight play in the seating of the E machine. I also noticed this issue on another EE-Epiphone-e bass in the store. It was an easy fix though. I glued a toothpick in the oversized hole of the set screw, which was enough to put the tuner in the correct alignment and remove the play. I had to knock it down a star for that. As for the machines themselves, they're OK. Maybe not great, but certainly in line with the price point.
Back to the looks, I've played three shows with this bass, and it gets a lot of attention from the crowd and other bass-players. One guy wanted to make sure he knew exactly which model it was so he could get one, and one women grabbed me on the floor after our set to tell me how sexy it was (not me, mind you - the bass). Lots and lots of positive comments though.
Seriously, this is an amazing bass for the money. It gave me exactly what I wanted and saved me a grand over a comparable Gibson model. Downside: The truss-rod cover says EE-Epiphone-e instead of Gibson - Oh the tragedy. :)
Buy a case.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.I traded the bold neck Thunderbird for this version. The bolt neck was nice, but lacked the one most important feature of a Thunderbird-the neck through body construction. This one has that and upgraded Gibson pickups. The Pro also has a narrower neck width (1.5" at the nut), so it feels more like a jazz bass. Very easy to play. Very nice tone with lots of punch and sustain.
The sunburst finish is beautiful-some really nice looking wood on display on my example. The neck and body has the same 9 ply laminate as the Gibson version.
Only two minor issues. First, this is a long bass. Longer than almost anything else out there. You will have to buy the Thunderbird case, as nothing else will fit. Don't think you can keep the older case for the bolt neck T'bird, either, as this version won't fit the older case. The size may also be a consideration if you play a lot of tight club stages. Second, mine came with a badly fitted nut. The action was good, but the string spacing was too tight and the strings weren't centered on the fretboard. I solved this by making a new bone nut. This bass is a keeper now.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.I needed a bass for recording and ordered this based on my research in trying to decide between this and a p-bass. This bass sounds great for recording if you are looking for a full and deep bass sound. I am recording straight into Logic and the pickups have a great low-end sound to them that takes very little tweaking. The bass itself took very little setup upon arrival. There is a little bit of neck-dive inherent to this model, but it's very minimal. Great value for the money and even looks good hanging on the wall.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.EE-Epiphone-e has really hit it out of the park with this bass. The body is nice and getting the Gibson pickups is an incredible value. Sound is excellent (a lot more full with the Gibson pickups than my American Fender P-Bass).
That being said, mine has a small spot on the neck/edge of the fingerboard where the clearcoat didn't quite 'melt' together. Unfortunately, the small dot is right where the fret marker would be, but it is at the 4th fret, so it has been a bit of an issue with my peripheral vision sometimes thinking it is the 5th fret marker. Luck of the draw I guess.
I would have bought it in person, but for some reason this instrument won't be available in Canada until MARCH. So I bought it here...
I guess overall this instrument is excellent, but beware of the attention to detail. It is no Gibson.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.Wow... where do I start???? This bass is incredible. There is seriously no distinctive difference between this and the WAY more expensive Gibson.
But let's get into what you will be getting from this bass. Actual Gibson TB+ Pickups, beautiful neck-through design (which enables sustain that lasts a lifetime), a beautiful rosewood finger board with no sharp frets, fret buzz, or dead spots; superior design and a beautiful finish. The tone of this bass is phenomenal. Maximal tonal options with a simple set up as well! My favorite part of this bass is the pickups I mentioned above. They put out very powerful output, but by still keeping excellent clarity and crispness. So in short.. it sounds GREAT!
So I would highly recommend this bass for any amount. Let alone the fact it only comes in at the price listed above..... Buy it! Don't get me wrong, I love Gibson basses, but Gibson has some serious competition here. This bass holds it's own with it's more expensive counterpart. I would prefer this bass over the Gibson even if they were the same price. Don't believe me? Go play it for yourself. BUY IT!
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.I had been thinking of buying a gibson thunderbird for some time before I went with the classic pro. If money wasn't an option, I'd have gone with the gibson. Short of the gibson, the quality, craftsmanship, and sound of this bass make it the only other bass I would choose. This is nothing like the bolt on epiphone thunderbird. NOTHING! To address a common complaint, no neck dive while using the cheapest nylon strap. If you want a thunderbird but are intimidated by the price of the gibson, this is your bass. Do not hesitate. You will not be let down by this bass. Also, buy the epiphone case. It is also well worth the price.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.This is hands down one of the finest instruments I have ever owned or played in 30 plus years of playing professionally. I wanted a Gibson T bird to add to my Bass arsenal along side a custom shop P bass, Kubicki X-Factor, G&L J2 and a couple others, I played the new Gibson T bird at a local shop and just wasn't thrilled, I kept seeing these great reviews for the Epi T-Bird Classic IV and thought for the money id give it a shot. Out of the box (Case is coming separately but is a must)I was taken aback by the beautiful finish, the vintage sunburst is stunning, in hand unplugged you could feel the sustain and excellent set up quality, did not have to do a thing, frets dressed perfect, not a flaw in finish, im thinking is this really how epiphone is building their instruments? Have I been wasting money being a brand snob? plugged it in and could not find a favorite tone, on bridge pickup warm vintage sweet tone, on neck pick up a bright growl, blended just pure power and that's before I started playing with tone and wow what a difference I have not yet figured out what my go to tone is as its so versatile but plenty to choose from. If you are thinking of buying a Gibson T bird you will be tossing money out the window, heck buy a Gibson Truss Rod Cover the only one who would know difference is you.. This is a winner hands down.. If buying from MF I would highly recommend calling Kevin Crouch in Sales his ext is 3173 he is awesome to deal with and wont steer you wrong, makes a huge difference when buying online to have someone so knowledgeable and helpful I will always go back to him, just a better personal touch than most salespeople. Love this Bass and built like a tank will last forever.
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
.What an incredible bass guitar! If you play Rock music then you need to add this Thunderbird to your collection. I own a Rickenbacker 4003, Reverend Rumblefish, Wasburn AB20 and a G & L ASAT Tom Hamilton signature model. Three important salient features. First, the playability is exceptional. Great feel on the neckand the body has a natural place for your thumb in addition to the pick ups and strings. It is way lighter than it looks so there's no strain on the back. Second, the sound is SWEET. My personal favorite is the neck pick up dailed all the way up while the bridge pup is down and the tone knob is on 7-10. To add more punch and growl, just dial the bridge pup in to suit your taste. You can get a warmer ballad sound by turning the tone knob down low or zero even. Btw, I love the top hat knobs. Lastly, this bass is a looker! The Alpine White is off the hook!!! You will look good playing this beast, just make sure you have a very long strap. The bass warrants the longest strap you can get. I forgot to mention the Gibson TB-2 pups that power the bass. It sounds like a Gibson but at a third of the price. For the money, this guitar is unbeatable. You must have one! I would get the Epi case as well, because it is nice and this is a long bass. The T-Bird came ready to rock right out of the box! I am profoundly pleased with this Thunderbird--you gotta get one!
Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO Electric Bass Guitar Alpine White
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