The
Gibson Thunderbird is an electric
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
made by
GibsonThe Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer, Valley Arts, Tobias, Steinberger, and Kalamazoo. In addition to guitars, the company makes pianos through its...
.
The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the
Precision BassThe Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass guitar.Designed by Leo Fender and brought to market in 1951, the Precision Bass was the first bass guitar to earn widespread attention and use...
twelve years earlier.
The Thunderbird was designed by U.S. auto designer Raymond H. Dietrich (Chrysler, Lincoln, Checker) along with the
FirebirdThe Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
guitar, which it resembles in design, construction, and name.
The Thunderbird bass, like the Rickenbacker 4000 series, and like the Firebird guitar it was designed concurrently with, had neck-through construction, where the neck wood went through the entire length of the body, with the rest of the body being glued into place.
While previous Gibson bass guitars had a short scale of 30½", the Thunderbird had a 34" scale equal to that of the 34" scale of Fender's bass guitars.
There were originally two Thunderbird models, the Thunderbird II (one pickup) and Thunderbird IV (two pickups)
In 1966, Gibson changed the Thunderbird's design and construction.
The
Gibson Thunderbird is an electric
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
made by
GibsonThe Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer, Valley Arts, Tobias, Steinberger, and Kalamazoo. In addition to guitars, the company makes pianos through its...
.
Background and introduction
The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the
Precision BassThe Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass guitar.Designed by Leo Fender and brought to market in 1951, the Precision Bass was the first bass guitar to earn widespread attention and use...
twelve years earlier.
The Thunderbird was designed by U.S. auto designer Raymond H. Dietrich (Chrysler, Lincoln, Checker) along with the
FirebirdThe Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
guitar, which it resembles in design, construction, and name.
Design and construction
The Thunderbird bass, like the Rickenbacker 4000 series, and like the Firebird guitar it was designed concurrently with, had neck-through construction, where the neck wood went through the entire length of the body, with the rest of the body being glued into place.
While previous Gibson bass guitars had a short scale of 30½", the Thunderbird had a 34" scale equal to that of the 34" scale of Fender's bass guitars.
There were originally two Thunderbird models, the Thunderbird II (one pickup) and Thunderbird IV (two pickups)
Non-Reverse Thunderbirds
In 1966, Gibson changed the Thunderbird's design and construction. The original Thunderbirds (and Firebirds) had a "reverse" body, with the treble horn extended and the bass horn recessed. Due to a lawsuit brought by Fender because of the resemblance to the
Fender JazzmasterThe Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar that was first introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the Fender Stratocaster, which was originally to replace the Telecaster model...
, the body styles were modified, with the result being called the "non-reverse" body.. Also, the sturdy but expensive neck-through construction was replaced by traditional Gibson set-neck construction. The non-reverse Thunderbird was continued until 1969, when the Thunderbird was discontinued. Though fewer non-reverse Thunderbirds were shipped, the original reverse-body instruments retain a higher collector's value.
1976-79 Reissue
The Thunderbird IV was reissued in 1976 as a bicentennial edition. This reissue featured the original body shape and neck-through construction. After the bicentennial, the Thunderbird was continued as a regular production model until 1979, when it was discontinued again.
Current Thunderbird models
The Thunderbird IV was re-introduced to the Gibson line in 1987 and has been in production up to the present.
The current official Thunderbirds produced by Gibson Guitar Corporation are:
- Thunderbird IV
- Nikki Sixx Signature Thunderbird IV
All 6 models have two pickups and reverse-style bodies.
The current Gibson Thunderbird IV is made with a nine-ply mahogany/walnut through-neck with mahogany wings attached to form the body.
The Gibson Thunderbird Studio models (which were also available as five-string versions) have mahogany necks set into mahogany bodies. This model was discontinued in 2007.
The Epiphone Thunderbird IV, a budget alternative to the Gibson models, has a maple neck bolted onto an alder body.
The Epiphone Goth Thunderbird is similar to the Epiphone Thunderbird IV, however, it has a mahogany body, a 'flat black' finish and a
Celtic CrossA Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. The early Celtic stone high cross is generally in the form of a normal cross with a ring joining the arms for structural strength, often with an extended rectangular or cubic base that is mounted on the...
symbol on the pickguard.
The Epiphone Thunderbird IV Ltd Edition, a budget alternative to the Gibson models, has a maple neck bolted onto an alder body. Alpine White finish with black hardware and assembled at the Epiphone Custom Shop in Korea.
The Thunderbird bass has a very high output pickups, which despite being passive produce a stronger signal than many active basses such as the Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass. Gibson does not sell replacement pickups for the Thunderbird, as they are said to be indestructible.
Criticisms of the Thunderbird bass
Some players have found several disadvantages:
- Poor weight distribution. The irregular, unbalanced body shape, placement of the strap button, and the original heavy Kluson tuning machines gave a neck-heavy weight distribution, causing the neck to "dive" down if the fretting hand does not hold it. This makes it awkward for new bassists, and one has to get used to holding it constantly (unless sitting). The dive can be corrected by moving the strap buttons and using an appropriate strap. The Thunderbird Studio four-string model has a narrower headstock, similar to the Gibson Victory basses of the Eighties, and is thus less prone to neck dive.
- Limited tonal variety: The passive humbucking pickups give a deep, rich tone, which is very heavy on the mid range frequencies. While this tone is suited to rock music, it is not typically desired for most other musicial styles. The electronics thus cause the Thunderbird to lack some versatility.
- Poor Fret Access: The Thunderbird's body shape makes it difficult for players to reach the upper frets.
- Easily destructable: John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for the rock band The Who...
of The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
said that if one dropped a Thunderbird, the neck would break at the nut (causing the headstock to fall off, too). Entwistle's own experience with this was in July 1971, when he leaned a Thunderbird against his amp. A fully adrenalised Keith MoonKeith John Moon was an English drummer of the rock group The Who. He gained notoriety for exuberant drumming and his destructive lifestyle that earned him the nickname, "Moon the Loon." Moon joined The Who in 1964...
knocked the Thunderbird over, causing an enraged Entwistle to smash it to smithereens.
- Narrow necks: Entwistle also found the Thunderbird neck to be too narrow (especially at the nut), and added Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass guitar.Designed by Leo Fender and brought to market in 1951, the Precision Bass was the first bass guitar to earn widespread attention and use...
necks (which were much wider), thus creating the Fenderbird (see next section).
Fenderbird
The Who's John Entwistle switched to Thunderbird IV basses from 1971-1974, but was dissatisfied with the neck. He bought several Thunderbird basses after the model was discontinued and gutted them. He then had several bodies cut to the original shape, attached Fender P-bass necks to them, and installed the salvaged hardware.
Gibson Blackbird
The
Gibson Blackbird was a custom Thunderbird model made to specifications requested by
Mötley CrüeMötley Crüe is a American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The band was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
bassist
Nikki SixxNikki Sixx is an American bassist, author, photographer, and the main songwriter for the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe...
. Originally to be named the "Sixxbird", the Blackbird was manufactured from 2000 to 2003. It differed from the Thunderbird IV in the following details:
- The fingerboard
The fingerboard is a part of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of wood that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument and above which the strings run...
was made from ebonyEbony is a general name for very dense black wood. In the strict sense it is yielded by several species in the genus Diospyros, but other heavy, black woods are sometimes also called ebony...
and had iron crossThe Iron Cross was a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813 in Breslau...
inlaysInlay on guitars or similar fretted instruments are decorative materials set into the wooden surface of the instrument using standard inlay techniques. Although inlay can be done on any part of a guitar, it is most commonly found on the fretboard, headstock —typically the manufacturer's logo— and...
.
- An "opti grab" handle was added to the normal Thunderbird bridge
A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a stringed instrument and transmitting the vibration of those strings to some other structural component of the instrument in order to transfer the sound to the surrounding air.- Explanation :...
,
- The only electronic control was a single on/off switch for the two humbucker
A conventional humbucker is a type of electric guitar pickup, first patented by Seth Lover and the Gibson company, that uses two coils, both generating string signal. Humbuckers have high output since both coils are in series and the magnetic circuit is low loss...
pickups.
- The pickguard
A pickguard is a piece of plastic or other laminated material that is placed under the strings on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument...
was designed specifically for the Blackbird
- All hardware on the Blackbird were finished in black chrome.
- The Blackbird had a flat-black finish.
- The pickups were renamed as 'Deep Sixx' pickups.
External links
- Gibson Thunderbird– Information, sound clips, catalogue appearance and pictures of the Gibson Thunderbird.
- Gibson Blackbird– Information, and pictures of the Gibson Blackbird.