Jonesy Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 So, hot on the heels of the Gene Simmons T'bird, Gibson release.....another signature T'bird! OK, so it's not a Grabber/Ripper reissue that I'd love to see, but this one makes a lot more sense to me though. I mean look at it. PHWOAR! https://www.peachguitars.com/gibson-rex-brown-thunderbird.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I watched the video of him miming on this bass to songs recorded on a different bass over 30 years ago. Rex hasn't been entirely relevant to anything in about 20 years. I'm not sure getting this made with a thinner neck, yet still no volute, is the best idea ever. The signature-model fetish of this era, in the absence of any real innovation, is getting very boring. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 It took them two and a half years to come up with that? Don't get me wrong: replacing the bridge, tuners and pickups/EQ is no bad thing, but what were they doing for the other 900 days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 It costs a lot and might not be anything that new......but look at it! It's very easy on the eye. I guess either way you look at it, it's mostly aimed at collectors rather than players, but they've addressed quite a few niggles with the bridge and eq options with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Well, it has gold hardware instead of the usual chrome or black, it has Hipshot tuners and bridge, instead of the often criticized 3 point bridge, it has newly developed active pickups that can be put into passive mode (via push/pull switch), it has a drop D tuner and a slimmer neck. What else would you have liked to see in a new T-bird? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Well, I thought it was expensive till I found out a boggo T-Bird is £2044, suddenly an extra £350 for the (entirely sensible) upgrades doesn't seem too much. All the upgrades are something I've done to my Shukerbird (OK, the neck's not reprofiled, it was replaced, and I've put an East EQ in it, but that was just for me), so yeah, it ticks a lot of boxes (tho I don't like gold hardware (again, just me)), but a Non-Signature Thunderbird 2 (no, not in a Gerry Anderson style) with similar upgrades but more colour options would be nice to see. Oh, and having fitted both, I much prefer the Babicz replacement bridge for these... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 3 minutes ago, Muzz said: Well, I thought it was expensive till I found out a boggo T-Bird is £2044, suddenly an extra £350 for the (entirely sensible) upgrades doesn't seem too much. They're whaaaaaaat? I thought they we're in the £1.5k-ish territory - just looked and must have been thinking about the non reverse models. £300 extra for all of the upgrades def doesn't seem too bad then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 PMT website, they have both...yeah, the non-reverse are £1499, but the reverse ones are soooo much more...the non-reverse are a slab body, tho, so that might go some way to explaining it... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmywinks Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Gibson must be pumping some serious $$$ into questionable endorsements. Like the Dave Mustaine V they just released I don't think anybody associates Rex with Gibson. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 1 hour ago, Eldon Tyrell said: What else would you have liked to see in a new T-bird? A return to the original (1963) spec with a slightly wider two-part bridge/tailpiece. Every "update" IMO makes them less desirable. If Gibson wanted to be really radical then a 5-string version based on the above. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 I’d bet if someone at gibson seriously put their mind to it they’d be able to make a bass that looks feels and sounds as good as the epiphone vintage pro thunderbirds 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted July 13, 2022 Author Share Posted July 13, 2022 And the classic pro before them, that's the only bass I genuinely regret selling. They're dirt cheap, feel great and sound monsterous!! I tried a classic pro and the full fat Gibson at the time and thought the Epiphone sounded much bigger. Little things like the machine heads were better on the Gibson, but the Epi ones were still decent 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd56hawk Posted July 13, 2022 Share Posted July 13, 2022 Hey, people can simply buy one of the Gene Simmons basses, instead...even though there's really nothing special about them...no active electronics, no upgraded pickups, but Gene 𝘸𝘢𝘴 known for playing T-birds, so... 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 (edited) Ahhh, now it makes sense... "The surviving member of Pantera, vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, will tour as Pantera in 2023. It is unknown who would play on guitar and drums to replace Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Dimebag was murdered onstage with Damageplan in 2004 and Paul died in 2018. They have signed with Artist Group International to book their North American dates. Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo will be the responsible agents. “We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans,” said Pappalardo." Shamtera? Edited July 14, 2022 by Doctor J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 15 hours ago, jd56hawk said: Hey, people can simply buy one of the Gene Simmons basses, instead...even though there's really nothing special about them...no active electronics, no upgraded pickups, but Gene 𝘸𝘢𝘴 known for playing T-birds, so... Let's see what Gibson releases for the 60th anniversary of the T'bird next year. Hope it is better than what they came up with for the 50th though 😞 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 4 hours ago, Doctor J said: Ahhh, now it makes sense... "The surviving member of Pantera, vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, will tour as Pantera in 2023. It is unknown who would play on guitar and drums to replace Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Dimebag was murdered onstage with Damageplan in 2004 and Paul died in 2018. They have signed with Artist Group International to book their North American dates. Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo will be the responsible agents. “We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans,” said Pappalardo." Shamtera? Man, I am a huge Pantera fanboy but Pantera without Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul? Don't think so. Maybe they join as holographic virtual avatars, like the Abbatars in ABBA Voyage. As Rex and Phil are still with us, it could be a hybrid or semi-holographic tour. That could be interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante are the names I've seen mentioned. Charlie, I can accept, but I swore I'd never intentionally be in the same room as Zakk Wylde ever again after seeing Zakk Sabbath a couple of years ago. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd56hawk Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 2 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said: Let's see what Gibson releases for the 60th anniversary of the T'bird next year. Hope it is better than what they came up with for the 50th though 😞 Is there anything particularly wrong with the 50th anniversary T-bird? I tried one once, maybe four years ago, and it was nice enough to buy. Didn't have the money for it, though, even though the price was right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, jd56hawk said: Is there anything particularly wrong with the 50th anniversary T-bird? Other than having a similar body and headstock outline it has very little in common with the original 1963 Thunderbird bass. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, jd56hawk said: Is there anything particularly wrong with the 50th anniversary T-bird? I tried one once, maybe four years ago, and it was nice enough to buy. Didn't have the money for it, though, even though the price was right. Probably nothing wrong with it but nothing special about it either (apart from the gold finish, which I am not a big fan of). The RB has some cool features and I hope to get to try one out some day. I hope the 60th anniversary model comes with some cool features (maybe a Tbird II model, maybe short scale, maybe active/passive pickup(s) like the RB?) and in white (appropriate colour for celebrating a 60th anniversary anyway). I just want to see something special and not just a different finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 4 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said: Let's see what Gibson releases for the 60th anniversary of the T'bird next year. Hope it is better than what they came up with for the 50th though 😞 Considering Gibson are so obsessive about year-specific reissues of Les Pauls etc. it does break my heart that they refrain from re-issuing a 60s spec TBII or TBIV. Not that I'd be in the market for one, that ship sailed a few years back and I have a Euro-X coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldon Tyrell Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said: Not that I'd be in the market for one, that ship sailed a few years back and I have a Euro-X coming. one of the Bass Direct ones coming in 2023? They look tasty indeed, especially the ultra violet one. Definitely on my watch list 😍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 On 13/07/2022 at 12:16, Muzz said: It took them two and a half years to come up with that? Don't get me wrong: replacing the bridge, tuners and pickups/EQ is no bad thing, but what were they doing for the other 900 days? My thoughts entirely. I love Rex and Pantera/Down, but this is a massive 'meh' from me. Pretty shocking that we don't even get to hear it in the video. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted July 14, 2022 Share Posted July 14, 2022 15 hours ago, Doctor J said: Shamtera? Brownselmo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 15, 2022 Share Posted July 15, 2022 (edited) On 14/07/2022 at 07:57, Doctor J said: Ahhh, now it makes sense... "The surviving member of Pantera, vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, will tour as Pantera in 2023. It is unknown who would play on guitar and drums to replace Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Dimebag was murdered onstage with Damageplan in 2004 and Paul died in 2018. They have signed with Artist Group International to book their North American dates. Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo will be the responsible agents. “We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans,” said Pappalardo." Shamtera? There was a short debate about this on Planet Rock, yesterday. My first thought were that Queen and The Who still continue under their original band name, despite only having 2 members from the classic line up. I’m not saying it’s right, just that there is precedent. BTW, Shamtera - 👏👏👏 Edited July 15, 2022 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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