Gibson Thunderbird Bass - Now a rarity in the UK?!?

[1Poser1]

Hi all, first post here, I was looking to off load some of my basses and noticed there are very few (If Any) for sale in the UK and the price is in excess of £1200!! anyone know why these have rocketed in price and are more rare?  pic of mine attached.

[Eldon Tyrell]

Here is a nice looking second hand 2022 Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird for £1249.

Not my bass and no affiliation with the shop. I just hope someone buys it before I get too tempted myself 😉 

https://richtonemusic.co.uk/gibson-gene-simmons-g2-thunderbird-ebony-hard-case-2nd-hand/ 

[Eldon Tyrell]

2 hours ago, Eldon Tyrell said:

Here is a nice looking second hand 2022 Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird for £1249.

Not my bass and no affiliation with the shop. I just hope someone buys it before I get too tempted myself 😉 

https://richtonemusic.co.uk/gibson-gene-simmons-g2-thunderbird-ebony-hard-case-2nd-hand/ 

Gone. Thanks 🙏

[BigRedX]

Maybe because the current Gibson versions are massively over-priced and the more affordable Epiphone version is better looking and closer in spec to the original 1960s Thunderbird?

[Rayman]

3 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Maybe because the current Gibson versions are massively over-priced and the more affordable Epiphone version is better looking and closer in spec to the original 1960s Thunderbird?

I have to agree. The Gibsons I’ve looked at recently have been poorly finished and very overpriced. Sound wise I prefer my Tokai too. 
 

I would love to own a Gibson TB, it’s been on my list a long time, but so far I haven’t been overly excited about the ones I’ve tried. Maybe the vintage ones are better?

 

I mean why make (an expensive) Rex Brown signature model, that doesn’t have his preferred pickups in it? 
 

Gibson are a conundrum for sure.

[Paul S]

13 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Maybe because the current Gibson versions are massively over-priced and the more affordable Epiphone version is better looking and closer in spec to the original 1960s Thunderbird?

 

Spot on.  I had a Gibson in the past.  Sold it, missed it, bought the Epiphone Classic IV Pro and - hand on heart - it was a better bass.  Roughly £800-£1K cheaper secondhand.  

[neepheid]

26 minutes ago, Rayman said:

Gibson are a conundrum for sure.

 

That's a creative way around the swear filter!

 

[Agent 00Soul]

A Czech company called Bach made some reasonably priced non reverse T-birds a while back.  I thought their pick ups were closer to the original sound than Gibson's current ones.  Not sure if they are still being made though.

[bassbiscuits]

I wanted a T bird for many years - the coolest looking bass ever. 
Imagine my horror when I tried one and found it was the most uncomfortable playing position ever for me. Im just completely the wrong shape for it. 
Absolutely gutted. 

Still think they look cool tho. 

[Rayman]

This is a Tokai….it cost me £150 (originally). Original pickups but I added a James’ Home Of Tone EQ, Gotoh tuners and bridge. The build diary is on here somewhere. It plays and sounds absolutely amazing. The band love it.
 

I have never found a better example made by anyone else. I couldn’t justify a Gibson at all. 
 

 

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I took delivery of a faded Pelham Blue non-reverse thunderbird today.

 

It was secondhand but the inspection tag indicates it left the factory just under a year ago and the plastic film is still on the pickguard. It needed a bit of a trussrod tweak, and the case candy multitool was still in its sealed bag.

 

I won't be able to compare it properly to my epiphone vintage pros until I've popped on a set a cobalt flats, but initial impressions with the stock rounds are very favourable; it sounds huge through my little roland microcube rx practice amp.

[neepheid]

26 minutes ago, Rayman said:

This is a Tokai….it cost me £150 (originally). Original pickups but I added a James’ Home Of Tone EQ, Gotoh tuners and bridge. The build diary is on here somewhere. It plays and sounds absolutely amazing. The band love it.
 

I have never found a better example made by anyone else. I couldn’t justify a Gibson at all. 
 

 

 

Funny (maybe) story - I bought a Tokai Thunderbird because the guitarist in the band I was in at the time said I should be playing a Fender Precision...

 

[Pinball]

Interesting, I recently picked up a Gibson Studio which I'm not allowed to play until Christmas. I have tested it though and I think it may be broken as it plays and sounds great, the bridge seems solid, it doesn't have neck dive or any flaws other than the usual signs of a used bass.

Note: According to the internet they all have those faults but it seems to me that the "Studio" solved a lot of those. Just as well I don't believe everything I read!

My colour too!

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Pinball

[ped]

On 15/11/2023 at 17:08, 1Poser1 said:

Hi all, first post here, I was looking to off load some of my basses and noticed there are very few (If Any) for sale in the UK and the price is in excess of £1200!! anyone know why these have rocketed in price and are more rare?  pic of mine attached.

If you want to sell it, pay for an advert. You’ve already been warned once 🙄

[Rayman]

32 minutes ago, Pinball said:

Interesting, I recently picked up a Gibson Studio which I'm not allowed to play until Christmas. I have tested it though and I think it may be broken as it plays and sounds great, the bridge seems solid, it doesn't have neck dive or any flaws other than the usual signs of a used bass.

Note: According to the internet they all have those faults but it seems to me that the "Studio" solved a lot of those. Just as well I don't believe everything I read!

My colour too!

 

Stunning bass

[basshead56]

I've still got my ebony Thunderbird Studio IV. Had a matching Studio V too at one point but not a 5 string player so .

It definitely keeps the Tbird GAS at bay. Though I do find myself lusting after an Epi Vintage Pro in white.

Fortunately, my new new Squier Rascal is the best Tbird ever!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

26 minutes ago, basshead56 said:

...I do find myself lusting after an Epi Vintage Pro in white.

It looks like the white one is discontinued now and there don't seem to be a lot of them about, so I'm glad I managed to snap one up when they were available, however I'm not sure how much playing time it or its sunburst sibling will get now I have the non-reverse Gibson.

[shoulderpet]

On 15/11/2023 at 17:08, 1Poser1 said:

Hi all, first post here, I was looking to off load some of my basses and noticed there are very few (If Any) for sale in the UK and the price is in excess of £1200!! anyone know why these have rocketed in price and are more rare?  pic of mine attached.

The price doesn't surprise me, look at the cost of Fenders nowadays, there MIM Player series which is there cheapest most basic line is £750 and up, some Squirts are selling your £400+ , prices are crazy and everything is overpriced now.

[jd56hawk]

Never had any desire for a Gibson after I played the Epiphone 60s Thunderbird...might just be the perfect T-bird.

Even so, when it came right down to it, I had to let it go. It was either Thunderbird or Thundergun and the Reverend was just a little bit better.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by jd56hawk

[Pinball]

7 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

It looks like the white one is discontinued now and there don't seem to be a lot of them about, so I'm glad I managed to snap one up when they were available, however I'm not sure how much playing time it or its sunburst sibling will get now I have the non-reverse Gibson.

Aha the non-reverse! It was playing one of those which made me think "must get a Thunderbird". I really liked the one that I played but the new prices were out of my budget.

[Pinball]

I did have a Epi Pro V? The active one whatever it was called, from Ebay. It seemed solid but had all the usual neck dive etc. but the killer was that the B string was much quieter than the rest. It meant that I couldn't really use it in the band. Inexcusable! 

[NancyJohnson]

Not particularly rare.  No real correlation between price Vs rarity either, just selling for what equates to current market value. 

 

It's like estate agents going, 'I sold one just like this last month for ££, but reckon you could get £££ for this.'. (Don't get me started on estate agents, that's a whole other thing.). When I had my Thunderbird fire sale, most went for £800-900 a pop; pretty much what I bought them for.

 

Luckily(?) for the used market, as Gibson frankly don't care about their bass range at all, since the 90s relaunch finishes are pretty much limited to black, sunburst or ivory; there will be a handful of special editions (the Nikki Sixx models, Rex Brown, Simmons, plus the Gothic/Yamano ones).  You should be able to find any of these easily enough.

[skidder652003]

anyone tried one of these?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_tb_70_sbk_deluxe_series.htm

[Skybone]

Always had a hankering for a T'bird, but never scratched that itch, though that itch has been surpassed by one for the Dingwall D-Roc. Owned a Tokai T'bird briefly.

 

Does anyone else find it a bit odd that the OP hasn't replied as yet? 🤔

Edited November 18, 2023 by Skybone

[neepheid]

5 minutes ago, Skybone said:

Does anyone else find it a bit odd that the OP hasn't replied as yet? 🤔

 

Why would they?  Got their knuckles rapped for implying that their bass is for sale...