# Epiphone Thunderbird - Good starter bass?



## EchoWD40 (Mar 16, 2007)

Well i am looking at buying one for my long time friend, he plays guitar but has always wanted a bass. 
I have 3 questions for this bass (i am a Guitar player so bare with me)
The specific model i am looking at is the Goth version. From what i have read, it has great pickups, and it is a meaty sounding bass. However, i am looking at a more "forward" sounding bass. Like a bass that can do sort of lead sections, that won't be drowned out by a guitar. So i am basically looking for good tone as well.

I have also heard that Gibson basses are limited in their sounds. Is this true? or have they become as versatile as say Fender P-types? 

And finally, i have heard that these basses have a neck dive problem, which poses a problem for me. If someone is learning, would this be an issue in their learning process? I have read fixes for it, and they seem pretty simple to fix (which would be a must because he will eventually want to sing and play at the same time) but for the time being, will this pose a problem for learning? 
Are there simpler fixes for this such as getting a fatter strap, or is it not possible? 
Thanks for any help.
edit.
if a no on the bass, what would be a GOOD bass for a beginner, ya know something you could play for a couple of years to when you get more experienced.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Check out the Godin line and the G&L line; my Tribute holds its own with just about any out there, including a few fancy brand names. (said by the fancy brand name owners who have played it, not just my opinion). The Tribute L2000 features active and passive electronics, single/double coil (or is it series/parallel?)voicing and a very broad tonal pallette.


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Oh, welcome TDeneka! Good advise from WB on the G&L's & Godin though they are a bit more $$ than an Epi T-Bird. (MusicStop was adv. white T-Birds for $389, and a white EB-3 for $417!)

Yes, they neck-dive and would be a problem standing, put a new strap button on the body and a wide strap on any bass is a good idea. The T-Bird's have a nice tone compared to an EB-type Gib/Epi. I've only fooled with a few in stores but I'm pretty sure erigod has one, I'm not sure if there is any diff in the Goth other than cosmetics.

Some low-priced basses are really horrible but there are a lot of decent ones. Epi's are good and so are Squiers. The Fender & Squier P-bass or Jazz are pretty standard when it comes to bass.

Hope this helps!


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

I've never played a Gibson but I've heard the T-birds neck dive like crazy, but obviously the look, feel & tone keeps people playing them so they've got to be good.

Like Michelle said, it's pretty hard to go wrong with a Jazz or Precision. I played everything but those for the first 20 or so years of my bass playing years, and have found now the tone I was looking for all those years. 

The G&L Tributes are fantastic as well. Very versatile with a nice meaty neck.

I've heard great things about the new Squire Vintage Modifieds. As well, it should be easy to find a decent MIM P or Jazz on the used market.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A million years ago I played a Thunderbird, and yeah, the neck liked gravity. The trick for me was to wear it lower with the neck higher (like Bill Wyman did) and support the body with the right forearm. I loved the dark tone with flatwounds but ultimately preferred the 70s Tele bass.

I've looked at the new Epiphone Thunderbirds and considered one for the teaching studio where I play seated more often.

YMMV

Peace, Mooh.


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## EchoWD40 (Mar 16, 2007)

Cool, thanks to all. I think i will be purchasing this for him, and im sure he will like it! 
I read somewhere that these basses sounded muddy so to speak, but those were the old T-Birds. 
i played on at the local store and it had a good tone to back a guitar player in a rock trio. 
Thanks to all.


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

TDeneka said:


> Cool, thanks to all...........


You're welcome TD. If you have a look at epiphone.com you can see there is a diff between the goth and std T-bird, notably, the goth is 1.5" at the nut where the stock T is 1.73", so that's like the diff between a J&P. The Goth had different pups, "ceramic TB Plus", <shrug>, while the std had HB's.

Either/or, they are exceptional value. :wave:


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

My friend got an Epiphone Thunderbird as a second bass, imo, it seems to be a fine bass, he can keep volume against guitars, but that could be his amp.


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## erigod23 (May 20, 2007)

OK, I have one and this is what I think of it. I bought it as a 2nd bass to get different sounds than my 1st, which is a 1981 G&L L-1000 (killer bass btw). 
Sound-wise, it sounds great. It has a nice woody growl, and it's unmistakable on my recordings. However, it is limited. It does 1 great sound and thats it. You have separate volumes for the 2 pickups and a tone knob that doesn't seem to do too much, so I play it with everything maxed. The neck dive is a big problem for some. I've learned to live with it, but nowhere is it more annoying than when you're tuning--one hand striking the string and the other turning the peg, while the neck is diving for the floor.
As a starter bass, I wouldn't highly recommend it. As a 2nd bass, jump right in!
That being said, there's no reason why your friend wouldn't love it as we're all different.


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## bluecoyote (May 18, 2007)

Any bass that you like to play is the right bass! 

I have tried them out through Ampeg SVT gear earlier today and they sound great for the price. Very warm and like others have said a bit of "growl". Look kind of cool especially the black goth version. 

The only reservation I have is that Gibson and Epiphone are not know for their basses. In my mind they have always been a disappointment. There are a lot better basses for the price and that includes Yamahas (not a dog in their line-up), Peaveys, Mexican Fenders, Schecters and many others.

But again the Thunderbird sounds good and looks real good. Rent one from Long & McQuade for a while and see if it is a keeper.


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## CobaltBlue72 (Jun 3, 2007)

I personally really like the epiphone Thunderbird's.. I was already pretty sure I was going to get one because, A) decent price and B) the best bass I've ever played to date was a T-bird. At long and Mquade the other day i tryed one out, sounded great, had enough rock sound and just enough funk to get me by.. I'm planning on getting it in a few paychecks.


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## slayerb (May 8, 2007)

*epiphone thunderbird bass!!*

i rec'd my monthly L+M e-mail to find the above bass dropped in price from $519 to $389 and decided to run down to L&M friday evening. i came home with a Fender "Squire Jazz bass instead,for $299 it had a great neck,beautiful three piece natural stain and awesome sound("duncan designed pick-ups".even tho the epiphone was a beautiful arctic white/black hardware the fretboard was slightly wider than i was interested in,i tried two others(another of the same model and the next step up from that for $430,fretboards even wider and surprisingly both necks considerably warped.i too thought they had a decent sound but not worth the effort repairing that much warping to either of the necks.shop around for the good bass i was willing to spend up to $500-600 that night and just by checking a few extra basses got a way better deal for my buck!this only the 2nd fender i've owned (last one was a 75 fretless Pre -brand new)but traded it for a 4001 rick(birdseye maple finish) still kick myself for it but got my 82 BCRICH Eagle for it and i still have that.good luck in your search. the slayer


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## Doomed (Apr 17, 2011)

The Epiphone Thunderbird has a lot going for it, my gripes:

I need a 35" scale. I want a 'B' string and although I like the thunderous tone I want the longer scale for the tighter 'B'. For the kind of music I like it is important that I can play notes without much slack.

Mahogany. I need this tone wood. The Goth has it but it is 4-string. The regular non-pro model isn't

I would prefer passive pickups.

All in all I wish I could custom build this myself since the bass I want doesn't seem to be in production basically.

What I really love about it is the size. It has a very large body to it I think it compliments bass as an instrument I get the impression it has better resonance than a lot of other cheaper bases you could get. I know why people like them I get it


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## Dr.StephanHeimer (May 1, 2006)

For the price I really like the Epi Thunderbirds, you can usually find a used one for under $300. If your looking for a starter my suggestion would be to get a Squier Vintage modified or Vintage Vibe P-Bass or J-Bass. Not that the body shape would really make it easier to learn on but it would give you a good reference point. And the Squier's can be upgraded afterwards, there are a lot of options for new pickups and hardware.


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