neepheid Posted June 27 Posted June 27 Well, technically it was NBD yesterday, but I drove to Inverness after work to get this bad boy and didn't get back home until late, so I couldn't be bothered filing the report until today. I have assembled a flock (?) of Thunderbirds - saw this guy up on FB marketplace for a most agreeable price and couldn't pass it up. It's even redder in person than these pics suggest - it's almost redburst rather than sunburst, and I really dig it. Here it is with its rather more outgoing sibling... Got a lot of extras with this one - Hipshot bridge (as you can see), the official hard case, strap locks (Schaller), a strap, a spare set of strings. And the bonus of all bonuses, the slightly longer Vintage Pro/60s/64 T-bird fits in the hard case - just! Happy, I am. Except that because the Hipshot bridge is chrome, I really want to replace the tuners with chrome ones to match... Jamais contente 15 Quote
HeadlessBassist Posted June 27 Posted June 27 Congrats Neepheid. Looks really nice. Is that the through neck/set neck model? 1 Quote
neepheid Posted June 27 Author Posted June 27 4 minutes ago, HeadlessBassist said: Congrats Neepheid. Looks really nice. Is that the through neck/set neck model? Through neck, Gibson USA TB+ pickups. 1 Quote
neepheid Posted June 27 Author Posted June 27 Just now, JJMotown said: What is the difference in sound between the two birds? Not had had a chance to do a comparison yet. Watch this space. At work the now, going to a gig tonight (as a punter), so probably won't have any answers until Saturday... 2 Quote
Skybone Posted June 27 Posted June 27 5 hours ago, neepheid said: Well, technically it was NBD yesterday, but I drove to Inverness after work to get this bad boy and didn't get back home until late, so I couldn't be bothered filing the report until today. I have assembled a flock (?) of Thunderbirds - saw this guy up on FB marketplace for a most agreeable price and couldn't pass it up. It's even redder in person than these pics suggest - it's almost redburst rather than sunburst, and I really dig it. Here it is with its rather more outgoing sibling... Got a lot of extras with this one - Hipshot bridge (as you can see), the official hard case, strap locks (Schaller), a strap, a spare set of strings. And the bonus of all bonuses, the slightly longer Vintage Pro/60s/64 T-bird fits in the hard case - just! Happy, I am. Except that because the Hipshot bridge is chrome, I really want to replace the tuners with chrome ones to match... Jamais contente Should have waved when you were in Snecky. 1 Quote
TbirdnTalman Posted June 27 Posted June 27 I have one of these, it's great. Managed to get the PUs out of the plastic covers and fit chrome covers 🙂 2 Quote
neepheid Posted June 27 Author Posted June 27 1 hour ago, Skybone said: Should have waved when you were in Snecky. If I'd known, I'd have invited myself round for a cup of tea 1 Quote
jd56hawk Posted June 27 Posted June 27 The new Thunderbirds are very good...not to mention they have more than two or three finish options...but I still think the Classic Pros are number one. Not to mention, I'm a big fan of the black hardware and pickups...had a Alpine White one years ago. (Yeah, one of those basses I should've never sold.) 3 Quote
TbirdnTalman Posted June 27 Posted June 27 yeah a white n black is on my wishlist, I like the black hardware too but at the time you couldn't get a chrome one and just wanted that look 🙂 1 Quote
TbirdnTalman Posted June 27 Posted June 27 7 minutes ago, TbirdnTalman said: yeah a white n black is on my wishlist, I like the black hardware too but at the time you couldn't get a chrome one and just wanted that look 🙂 1 Quote
neepheid Posted June 29 Author Posted June 29 On 27/06/2025 at 11:05, JJMotown said: What is the difference in sound between the two birds? This is just an initial take, in headphones, and it might be slightly unfair on the Classic Pro as I have not had a chance to change the strings yet (not doing that until I get chrome tuners). To my ears, the Classic Pro is darker sounding, much more prominent in the low mids, whereas the Vintage Pro has a somewhat fuller range of sound, a bit more top end and a more balanced (but still very aggressive) attack. The difference might close up a little when I fit fresh strings to the Classic Pro, so may revisit this question again. But it is broadly as I expected. The Gibson TB+ pickup, love it or hate it is a growly, mean sound, with that emphasis on the low mids, but retaining a full bottom end and a (possibly only perceived) lack of top end as a result. The Epiphone Probucker 760 is more balanced - it's hardly "hi-fi", but it's an honest-to-goodness passive humbucker which is a tad easier to work with as an all-rounder. It's all EQ-able of course - you can make the two sound like each other more or less by tweaking some EQ. I don't like one better than the other, I know both work great in a live setting (because I played them both last night) and that's all that chiefly concerns me - I don't tend to evaluate basses predicated upon how they sound on their own much, hence my lack of vocabulary for describing such things. But you asked, and that's the best I can tell you right now. 4 Quote
BillyBass Posted June 29 Posted June 29 2 hours ago, neepheid said: The Epiphone Probucker 760 is more balanced - it's hardly "hi-fi", but it's an honest-to-goodness passive humbucker which is a tad easier to work with as an all-rounder. But surely, when you buy a T Bird, you aren't looking for an all rounder are you. I've been gas free for over 6 months, but I would love one of these. Quote
neepheid Posted June 29 Author Posted June 29 7 minutes ago, BillyBass said: But surely, when you buy a T Bird, you aren't looking for an all rounder are you. I've been gas free for over 6 months, but I would love one of these. Not at all - bought purely for looks, I'm not ashamed to admit it. But the Epiphone Probucker 760s are easier to make work in contexts other than rock music, according to my ears anyway - just a bit more open/even sounding. It's all in the EQ though. With enough knob twiddling you can make most basses bend to your will, which is why I don't really care what bass I play, as long as it makes me feel happy and distracts punters from my bag of spanners face... 1 Quote
Jackroadkill Posted June 29 Posted June 29 28 minutes ago, neepheid said: my bag of spanners face... Could be worse; mine's like a welder's bench. It's so bad I use a Precision to make me look good. 1 1 Quote
Jonesy Posted June 29 Posted June 29 Congrats on the new bass! I loved my classic pro and it's the only bass I regret selling. Those pups are just the epitome of a Gibson bass tone - mean and massive with a dark growl that'll put hair on your ball sack. Love em. That purple vintage pro is gorgeous too, what a fine flock you have there! 1 1 Quote
CherryLine Posted June 30 Posted June 30 (edited) On 27/06/2025 at 16:51, neepheid said: Well, technically it was NBD yesterday, but I drove to Inverness after work to get this bad boy and didn't get back home until late, so I couldn't be bothered filing the report until today. I have assembled a flock (?) of Thunderbirds - saw this guy up on FB marketplace for a most agreeable price and couldn't pass it up. It's even redder in person than these pics suggest - it's almost redburst rather than sunburst, and I really dig it. Here it is with its rather more outgoing sibling... Got a lot of extras with this one - Hipshot bridge (as you can see), the official hard case, strap locks (Schaller), a strap, a spare set of strings. And the bonus of all bonuses, the slightly longer Vintage Pro/60s/64 T-bird fits in the hard case - just! Happy, I am. Except that because the Hipshot bridge is chrome, I really want to replace the tuners with chrome ones to match... Jamais contente Nice one! The Thunderbird Classic IV Pro is a solid choice. Great tone and feel. If you're into building your own, The Guitar Fabrik offers DIY kits. It's a fun way to get exactly what you want (especially for the finishing) and learn a lot along the way. Here is the link to their Bass Firebird model: https://guitarkitfabric.co.uk/products/bass-guitar-kit-tb-ebony.html Edited June 30 by CherryLine 2 Quote
neepheid Posted Friday at 10:59 Author Posted Friday at 10:59 Told you I wasn't digging the black tuners... So, that's it all in matching chrome RE: hardware. Took the opportunity to give the fretboard a drink of lemon oil and restrung with a fresh set of D'addario XL nickel rounds. Think I'm done here. 2 Quote
TbirdnTalman Posted Friday at 11:47 Posted Friday at 11:47 looks good! which ones? direct replacement? Thanks 🙂 Quote
neepheid Posted Friday at 14:24 Author Posted Friday at 14:24 2 hours ago, TbirdnTalman said: looks good! which ones? direct replacement? Thanks 🙂 Wilkinson WJB750, and no, not a straight swap - had to fill and redrill the screwholes. Quote
pst62 Posted Friday at 14:40 Posted Friday at 14:40 2 hours ago, TbirdnTalman said: looks good! which ones? direct replacement? Thanks 🙂 Here's mine. Though I've since gone back to Black hardware, The machine heads are Gotoh 707's Which are a direct, no hassle replacements. I still have them, if you're looking to buy some. 1 Quote
snorkie635 Posted Friday at 16:09 Posted Friday at 16:09 As ever, late to this party, but thought I'd drop a line to say 'Rock On Neeps! Looking good'. 1 Quote
neepheid Posted Friday at 16:12 Author Posted Friday at 16:12 (edited) That's the thing I don't get - those Wilkinsons were a straight swap for the tuners in my Epiphone Les Paul Standard which were a straight swap for the tuners which replaced the Gotoh GB7 in my Burny (serious downgrade - dunno what the previous person was thinking). 1mm is enough to cause you bother. Perhaps the tuners vary from year to year. TL:DR - drop in replacement is never guaranteed. Have or learn the skills to recover the situation. Edited Friday at 18:28 by neepheid Quote
TbirdnTalman Posted Friday at 16:39 Posted Friday at 16:39 Thanks both, yes I had some fun fitting a drop tuner which was supposed to be a drop in on my P bass.... I sorted it all out but a bit of a pain @pst62 - I'll let you know soon - got to pay a builder /decorator first! Quote
pst62 Posted Friday at 20:38 Posted Friday at 20:38 3 hours ago, TbirdnTalman said: @pst62 - I'll let you know soon - got to pay a builder /decorator first! 👍🏻 Quote
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