Cosmo Valdemar

100% this. Often people trying them in a shop will be plugged into the nearest Markbass or TC Electronic combo, and they don't really mix well IMHO. Probably why a lot of people aren't impressed when they try them out.

My Thunderbird is having the new machine heads and tug bar fitted as we speak! I'm missing it, but it will be worth it.

I've owned several Thunderbirds over the years including Gibsons, Epiphones and Grecos (and a Cataldo Fenderbird). In my humble opinion, the finest of them all is the current Epiphone vintage Pro. There are a couple of minor signs giving away it's relatively low cost, but in terms of playability and tone, it's marvellous. And the build quality is excellent. I don't see it as 'just a copy', but if it is, I'm happy to play the hell out of it and proudly say I play an Epiphone. Just as you are with your Mike Lull copy 😉 Putting a Gibson truss rod cover on my Epiphone would be doing it a disservice. Bear in mind that I've never really got on with the Thunderbird Gibson put out from the 80s onward. It was always too dark and rumbly for me. And what happened to all that glorious chrome? Of course, to many people that model is the definitive Thunderbird so it's all swings and roundabouts.

Ah, Druid. Unlucky timing. The singer reminded me of a scouse Dennis DeYoung. Beautiful. I love early Renaissance - Jon Camp is a great example or pure Rick tone - in mono I believe. Midas Man is my favourite of his basslines, it's still one I always play when testing out new gear!

Me too!

Dan Maine changed the pickups in his to Rickenbacker humbuckers as found in the 4004. He seems to like them, but they are much darker and woolier than you would expect from a Rick. I don't like them much 😁

Yeah... not really sure what Fender were playing at. Still, it stands out on stage! Well, a dark corner of a pub. Ok. My living room.

Call that yellow? THIS is yellow!

No.

I wanted to go but couldn't face standing in a field for hours in that heat 😣

Oh mate... I feel your pain. I had a bass turn up once, body cracked clean in half. Luckily the shop were spot on and refunded me. Hartnoll's, I think it was. That said, mine was only an impulse buy and didn't have any of the emotional investment I've seen in this thread.

I haven't bought Bass Player for years. I used to subscribe but there were a few major changes in quick succession - a drastic drop in pages, loads more adverts, and it even changed shape! It didn't help that most of the players it featured didn't mean much to me. But, it did have decent transcriptions, something BGM lacked. BGM, for all it's faults, always strived to be fun and enthusiastic.

Head or combo?

Strengths - accounts Weaknesses - eczema

I was going to post something, but I can't possibly top this!

I don't have any to hand but a quick google of fireglo Ricks will show some better examples. The one in your link looks like it was applied by a beginner with a spray gun.

I got my tug bar from him. Scott Dasson. He knows his Thunderbirds.

A 2nd hand bargain does not negate the fact that Ricks are hideously expensive these days. And that example has one of the worst burst finishes I'vd ever seen.