¢ The great sound and look of the classic Gibson Thunderbird
¢ Alder body with 20-fret, 34" maple neck and rosewood fingerboard
¢ 2-TB-Plus humbuckers, 2 volume, and 1 tone
The EE-EE-Epiphone-e-e Thunderbird IV Bass has a classic shape and a great sound. This streamlined design is based on Gibson's original model. 2 humbucking pickups. Volume and tone controls. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. Limited lifetime warranty.
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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This is my second review of these basses. I have purchased 2 more since. IF you look around you can find them cheap. As I said in my first review one of mine is the white one with the chrome pickups. They are standard guitar sized pickups so you can find chrome humbucker surrounds that really make it look great. I bought another Black and a Sunburst. The black one was a little beat up but got it for a song with the hardshell. I typically modify my guitars (see the Harley TB in my previous posting). I decided the Black one was a little 'bland' so since it was so cheap I decided I'd bling it a bit. As I said in my previous posting the pickups are different the black to chrome, both can sound great and with the same configuration of 2 Vol, 1 Tone you basically have a Jazz Bass with humbuckers so you have that same type of versatility of sound and remember your AMP has EQ too so you can dial in a ton of tones. They come from the factory with no tension on the neck so you always need to crank the truss rod a few turns which changes the action nicely and then adjust the bridge and all of mine you can breathe on the strings and there's no fret buzz. I have over 60 guitars/basses and I play these exclusively. I did want to add I bought the 3 point replacement bridge in gold for the sunburst one and changed the rest of the hardware to gold and used gold metallic tape to cover the pickups and it looks killer. I highly recommend these. They are lighter than the Gibson and sound 'close enough' for 1/4 the price of the Gibson. ALSO if you move the strap button to one of the neck bolts the neck dive diminishes alot, not completely, but wAY more liveable. I am very happy with all 5 of mine and have no plans of ever parting with them. The ONLY problem I have is deciding which 2 to take to a gig.Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
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(7 of 7
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Ive have my Tbird for 4 years now so i guess i can give an honest review at this point. I learned bass on a friends instrument and I bought the sunburst Tbird as my first bass. This bass is a great instrument for the price. It should be properly set up when you recieve it, I had the pickup height adjusted and put new strings on. this thing sings and i was very surprised how long this thing stays in tune. The weight is not too bad but after an extended ammount of time playing this while standing you might feel a bit worn out. I bought a heavy duty bass strap also sold at MF and it really helped even out the weight. Sometimes it takes a bit of knob turning to find a good tone depending on the amp but honestly every problem that people seem to find with this bass can be fixed with some common sense.The neck can feel a bit thick and slow which can take a bit of getting used to, but think of it as a labor of love, when u find out how to rip on this thing it will treat you right. When you play fingerstyle you can hear that famous Tbird growl, and when you play with a pick it thins out a little and gives you some great tones. I run this bass thorugh a VT bass distortion pedal and my Tbird could rival the legendary tones of the Ric's. Dont listen to the critics, buy this bass and fall in love!Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.I am very pleased with my purchas. It arrived right on time and in perfect condition. Intonation was set and everything. Right out the box tuned up started recording. Very good sounding bass. I feel like I got asteal on this one, I caught it on sale and it is well worth it. I needed this to lay bass tracks and they sound fantastic.
All you'll need, just a naked bass, very basic sounding. Exactly what I was looking for.
Excellent quality since I have several gibsons from acoustic to Les Pauls so I figured they have to make a good bass also and they do. The reviews don't lie. I read so many till I was tired so I said what the heck.
Can't be beat for the money.
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.I read many glowing reviews of this bass on the sites of MF and GC, so I decided to buy one. Huge disappointment. Maybe I got a stinker or maybe the writers of the reviews don't venture beyond the 7th fret...who knows. Mine looks and sounds GREAT. However, the fret finishing beyond the 12th fret is essentially non-existent. Frets 15 and 16 are completely dead unless you keep the action at factory height, which is just not practical. The old-school three-point bridge looks great, but it's time to retire this dinosaur, even at this price point. It would be functional if Gibson/EE-Epiphone-e would replace saddles 4 and 5 with additional 1 and 2 saddles for the E and A strings respectively (three-point bridge users will understand that lingo...). Even an inexpensive Gotoh bridge would improve the function immensely; a Hipshot would send it through the roof. I've played both professionally and casually here in Nashville since 1999, and have played bass for 30 years. I've owned some Gibson USA basses in my time (vintage G3 and Victory), and currently have two USA guitars (SG and LP). Gibson simply doesn't design basses for bassists who do anything more than play the root. I considered having the frets dressed by a service center, but have elected to simply return it to GC. Again, if you subscribe to the Dusty Hill Doctrine ("I promise to play the root, the whole root, and nothing but the root."), then this bass is fine. If you like to do ANYTHING more, then look elsewhere. I really wish Gibson would re-evaluate their approach to bass design, because I love to support local business. They're missing a huge market share by choosing to offer poorly designed and poorly executed instruments. Even a Babicz bridge can't correct a flawed blueprint...
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.I own 3 of these. 2 of them have the black pickups and the other is the white one with the chrome pickups. As a side note they are standard humbucker size so I got chrome surrounds for mine which really made it look great. There is a significant difference between the 2 pickups. The black ones aren't as loud and are more round and warm. The chrome ones have more punch and seem more defined. They do sound quite different yet they both sound excellent. I like the chrome ones a little better for my taste. Moving the strap button to the neck plate really fixes the head dive. Not completely but makes it liveable. I am a guitarist as well and have played Gibson Firebirds since the 70's and go back and forth so I have a large collection of guitars and basses but I found my first Tbird for $100 kinda beat up and fell in love with it and bought a sunburst and a white one. I am totally happy with them and you can get ALOT of different tones from them between the knobs on the guitar and eq on your amp. It's a versatile bass it you know how to work your eq.
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
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(4 of 6
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I have received many compliments on the tone and sound of this bass. Even as good as the G&L Tribute bass I used to have. It has a warm, well rounded low end, but still cuts through the mix and isn't muddy. It's got some growl to it, if you want that in your mix. I was only expecting 1 or 2 tones from this bass, but there's some more in it. All depending on your tone setting(s) and which pickup(s) you're using. The bridge pickup has more low end than I expected from it. Most bridge pickups on the basses I've had seem to be too weak. I like the output of both pickups on my T-bird. The look of this thing is just plain awesome. Not too radical, but different enough to make you stand out. It's not as heavy as I was expecting it to be. It's lighter than my Les Paul bass, in my opinion. If/when my T-bird wears out, I'd go buy another one! It's now my main bass. I love it and would recommend it to anyone. At least try to find one in a music store & check it out for yourself. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, but I would strongly suggest you give a T-bird a shot. Get the T-bird case or a coffin case. I think they're the best 2 fits for the different shape of the body.Likes: The curved edges of the pickups are a great place for my thumb to rest . The neck is a little wider than my Les Paul bass, but for me I liked it once I got used to it. Shape of the body is cool looking, but also allows a little easier access to the higher frets. I just think the headstock is really cool too, yeah, it makes it neck heavy, but I can deal with that. It's not that big of a deal to me. If I used a different strap, it probably wouldn't be an issue at all.
Dislikes: Not a big fan of the 3 point bridge, BUT the tone of this bass makes up for that. I just think the bridges are harder to adjust on these than what comes on the T-Bird Pro & Les Paul Special basses. The tuner keys are a little too close together, in my opinion. Would like to have them spaced out a little more, but then I guess the headstock would really be huge then! I can live with it though. Fairly minor dislikes overall when considering the bass all around. I always would like to have more finish/color options available, but what EE-Epiphone-e has right now is OK.
I got my T-Bird used so I cannot speak of initial quality. It seems to be put together pretty well. Mine has a nick here and a ding there, but that's to be expected after some time and use. I do happen to like the sound of the stock pickups. I don't plan on changing them out. The tuners on mine seem to hold tune pretty well. I go with standard EADG.
I think for the price of these guitars, they are a great value. I have a Dean Hillsboro jazz bass that's the same price as the T-birds. I think the T-Bird is a better value, and I prefer it over the Dean.
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.this basss is best bass ive ever played and nicest ive ever seen i think EVERY BASS PLAYER NEEDS ONE theres nothng i dont love about this bass
i can never put it down and stop looking at it
this bass is amazing sound looks and plas great i love it i saw nikki sixx uses them and went out and played one and loved thre sound EVERY bass player needs one
this bass is made well it looks great
this bass is amazing for the price its a chesp price and an amazing bass its for sure worth the money
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
. I bought this EE-Epiphone-e T-Bird from the original owner. It was stamped 2nd due to a factory issue with the nut (which was quickly remedied), so I was able to pick it up for a song. Mine is in a glossy cherryburst finish. The previous owner installed straplocks and relocated the upper bout strap button to the neckplate area, so there were no neckdive issues. My original intent was to customize the T-Bird with different color knobs and hardware, but seeing it in person gave me second thoughts. The fit and finish defies the fact that this bass is a factory second. I brought it home and plugged it into my Crate B50 practice amp and was blown away by the output. This bass really thumps! I own four other basses: a '70s-era Japanese Ripper copy, an Eastwood Classic 4 semi-hollowbody, a '60s era Greco hollowbody and a no-name P-bass copy, and the T-Bird blows them all away. People mention how heavy the T-Bird is, but my Ripper copy weighs a ton in comparison. The sustain on the T-Bird rivals that of my Ripper as well. As far as comfort goes, the T-Bird is as comfortable to play as my P-bass and my Greco. When we practice, I usually have to keep cranking up my volume in order not to be drowned out by our guitarist as he goes through his pedals. I have yet to play it with my band, but I think I'll finally be able to hear myself play...without the help of a boost pedal! Next up, a hard case for it.
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.It's hard to believe one can purchase this level of quality at this price. The neck and fretwork are amazing for this level. I did have to do a full setup, but that is normal for any new instrument. The finish is beautiful. The tone is as expected, a little grindy, which I love. I thiught it would be more top-heavy but it is nicely balanced. I would recommend it highly.
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
.I have been playing bass guitar for 45 years and I have always owned high quality instruments. My most recent bass was a Ric 4001 which I played for 25 years. It got stolen. I was devastated and broke, but I had to find another bass. So I drove to the music store and I reluctantly auditioned all the cheap basses. (Like I said, I was broke.) After 3 or 4 disappointments I tried the EE-Epiphone-e Thunderbird. I was completely blown away. I couldn't believe it. Of course it caught my eye with it's sexy body style, but it also played just as good, and sounded just as good as my beloved Ric. I bought it immediately and I love it. Sure, I miss my Ric. But my new Thunderbird and I are doing just fine!
Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass Vintage Sunburst
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