Thunderbird IV Review

The Thunderbird bass with its distinctive reverse body style is a favorite for rock and heavy metal. Producing serious low end from its dual humbucking pickups, the Thunderbird blazes new tone trails on stages everyday.

Features:	8.5
Sound:	9.4
Action:	8.1
Reliability:	9.2
Impression:	9.6
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	8.2
Comments:	73

overall: 8

Featured review by: Secondhandloser, on october 21, 2005

Purchased from: Music123.com

Features: // 7

Sound: Very heavy, will seem muddy if not EQ'd properly. I use it for everything from pop punk to metal to playing at my church, and it has never left me short. Not super versatile, but it is like a P-Bass, it's is at home everywhere. Besides most versatility comes from your amp anyway. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Everything on this was above par for a $400 instrument- except balance. I've seen worse fretwork on my MIA Fender. Pickups were well set, finish was flawless. But I had to move the strap buttons to behind the neck and the other one up a tad to fix the neck dive. Other than that though, very comfortable bass. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This things a beast, I wouldn't worry about anything happening to it. Massive hardware and excellent construction. // 9

Impression: I love this bass, it shares the top spot with my ash-bodied MIA Jazz bass. Very deep and full sounding, gives a real old-school dark sound, but can be EQ's for that twangy pop-punk sound too. I chose this bass because it was the most well constructed bass I found. I compared it with basses up to $1200 dollars and I bought this and my Jazz. I tried high end Ibanezes, found them to be sterile, mid range Fenders were mediocre. Higher end Fenders, even, are hit-or-miss. I didn't like Spector, or Gretsch, or even the other Epis. This bass, though is beatiful. If they would just make it with the strap buttons moved, I could justify a nine. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 02, 2005

Price paid: $ 503.25

Features: Neck: 20 frets, beautiful wooden finish, extremely fast neck to play. Body: Big and bad. Beautiful finish, incredibly shiney, blinds audiences if you polish it. Pickups: 2 meaty humbuckers giving awesome low end. Knobs: 3 knobs; 2 volume (one for each pickup) and a tone which unlike on fenders actually does do something. // 10

Sound: // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This is where it falls flat on its face I'm afraid. When the bass arrived it was appaulingly set up. The neck was not straight to the point that the head was level with the underside of the bass and instead of sorting it out the bridge and pickups had been adjusted in line with the neck as opposed to the body meaning that the bridge pickup was much higher than the neck pickup and that the strings were miles too high. After being set up properly however the bass plays like a dream. The action is perfect with the strings nice and low giving a rich meaty sound and making this bass ideal for any style of play including slap and pop. It's just a shame it was set up so poorly in the first place. // 6

Reliability & Durability: The bass will withstand a hell of a beating playing live as I have myself discovered. My strap became worn without me noticing (this being before I fitted strap locks) and slipped off the strap buttons - the bass fell to the floor and despite smacking into a hard floor and crashing against the metal frame of our drummers kit the bass sustained minimal damage. There was a chip where it smacked against the drum kit and a slight crack in the finish from hitting the hard floor but it fared remarkably well. I have never bothered with a backup bass since buying this one because I know that nothing stort of an explosion is gonna stop this beauty. As mention before there is a design fault with the placement of one of the strap buttons meaning that the bass has a tendency to neck dive if you let go because of the weight of the neck. If you really are that bothered (and it's not something thats ever really worried me) then this can be solved by fitting another button where the neck meets the body and this will make the bass balance properly. // 10

Impression: I play every type of rock/punk/metal/emo/funk you can imagine in various bands and this bass suits the sound of all of them with the possible exception of punk pop style crap like Blink 182 for which you really need a whiney Fender or something to get that sound. Clean this bass gives an awesome roar for classic rock, through effects you can brilliantly mimick muse, a pick gives you any punk rock sound you want and it even slaps brilliantly. My other bass is a Warwick Fortress which I haven't picked up since and would sell if it wasn't for sentimental reasons because there really is no need for it. I love everything there is about this bass: it sounds awesome, it plays awesome and it looks awesome so what else is there that matters? If it were stolen then I'd join the other guy in his manhunt and shoot the bastard who nicked it. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on december 08, 2004

Purchased from: Cash Converters

Features: According to the barcode, this guitar was made in Kroea in 1995. It has 21 frets. The neck is beautifully made with a dark ebony finish. In case you're wondering why I mentioned that it has four strings, thats because (if you were a Gibson guitar enthusias, you'd know) Thunderbird V are suppose to have 5 strings, and Thunderbird IV are suppsoe to have 4 strongs, quite simple eh? It has three knobs, two for each pickup, and one for tone. The pickups are magnetic acrylic (or plastic). As the other Thunderbird review suggest, it is very shiny, I could use it as a mirror if I needed to. Very nice body, I have the non-reverse body (as opposed to all the Thunderbird IV which all have reverse body). It has a massive pick guard though, I hated it to begin with but I must admit, it is starting to grow on me, actually no, I lie, still hate it. // 8

Sound: // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Again, this guitar is second hand so I have no idea on how the guitar would sound fresh from the factory. I do know that Epiphone and Gibson no longer make Thunderbird V bodies anymore. The guitar is however top heavy, which is the same with all Thunderbirds. It has an extra large head which makes bass bag buying a real bitch. I'm still looking for a bass bag that'll actually fit this guitar, and I have found nothing that even comes close! (Except for a Ritter bad that cost more that a case, which is just useless for me). But aside from that (which has nothing to do with the fir or finish) do with, its in excellent condition for a 9 year old Epiphone. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The strap buttons could be made bigger because of the top heaviness of the guitar, but it hasn't fallen off the strap with me yet. Very reliable very hardy guitar. The body is absolutely solid, has a few little scratches here and there but nothing remarkably noticable. I would probably show up at a gig with no backup because this is the only guitar I have, which seems funny. // 8

Impression: If this guitar was stolen I'd hunt the cunt that stole it and beat the crap out of them, but if I couldn't find the thief, I probably would buy something similar to it. A Thunderbird IV most likely, since they don't make Thunderbird V bodies anymore, maybe I'll upgrade to an actual Gibson? // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 23, 2004

Price paid: $ 375.15

Purchased from: N/A

Features: 20 frets. Made in Korea. Laminated top which is very nice and shiny (I can see my face in it.) Standard thunderbird shape body. There are 3 knobs, 2 volume (one for each pickup) and one tone. Unlike some other cheap basses, the tone on this guitar actually does change the tone quite dramtically. 2 Gibson pickups (I think they are humbuckers but I'm not sure if you can get them on basses.) One at the bridge and one in the middle. // 8

Sound: // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I got this guitar second hand, but the previous owner basically hadn't touched it so it was as gd as new. Judging from this, there are practically no flaws at all (or that I can see). The only thing I would say is that the neck is quite heavy compared to the rest of the guitar, but I have tried out other Thunderbirds in the shops and they are all the same so I wouldn't really call it a flaw. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is rock solid. I have played with it live and it didn't go down on me, though I never gig without a backup guitar. The strap buttons could be a little thicker at the ends, it fell off once but that was because I was in an awkward playing position, not the guitars fault. As I have said before, the finish is very shiny and will last for a long time. // 10

Impression: I have been playing just over a year now and this guitar is the perfect step up from my crappy first guitar (don't even ask what it was, I don't know). It is quite a good match for my style, but I can't really define the style I play as I play alot of each genre. I own a Boss Me50b effects processor and the Epi is a good partner for it. If it were stolen I'm not sure if I would buy it again, I don't know if I could afford it, (I got it at an exceptional price from a friend). I love the shape of it, it looks so cool when playing in the mirror. The thing I marginally dislike about it is the heavy neck, but I have learnt to cope with it and don't really notice it anymore. The one thing I wish it had was a selector switch between the two pickups for quick tone change, but if I did have it I suppose I would only use it occasionally. // 8

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: Dustin_Ortiz850, on june 02, 2007

Purchased from: Musicians Friend

Features: It was made in China on May 1st 2007. It has 20 jumbo Frets. It has a solid mahogany body and neck. It has a beautiful Vintage sunburst finsh. It has a thunderbird/ Firebird body style. It has a badass 2 Bridge. A giant plus is the active Electronics. It has 2 Volume and one Tone knob. It has 2 Emg Bass Humbucker Pickups. The Tuners are just standard Non Locking Tuners. All that was included was a Truss rod Adjustment wrench and a cable. // 9

Sound: It suits my style Pretty well. I play mostly metal and classic rock. I use it with a Behringer BX300 30 Watt amp. The pickups are virtually noiseless. It has a Full, Dark, and Funk style tone. I can get a lot of differant tones out of this bass. I can play anything from Funky Slap style lines, to dark Gritty Bass Lines. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This Bass was set up almost perfect when it came except for the strings. The action is set really low so I was happy with it. I would suggest throwing some DR's or Elixers on it as soon as it comes to you. The pickups were set up at just the right hight and the bridge is routed perfect. It was flawless when it came to me. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I have yet to gig with this bass so I don't know how well it would stand up, but I do beleive it will be my main Bass for the future gigs. I always put strap locks on my basses and guitars so I wouldn't know how the stock strap bottons are. It is a very dependable bass, and I would use it without a backup if I had too. The finish is strong enough to not chip or ding when It was dropped so It will Last a long time. // 8

Impression: I play lots of metal and classic rock sot this thing matches me perfectly. I have been playing bass for a litle over 6 years. I am happy with my decision and would buy another one if I could afford it. If it were stolen I would defintatly buy anther one of these basses. I love everything about this bass, and regret nothing. My favorite feature is the playabillity on this bass. I chose this one becouse I liked the look of it and had heard good reveiws on this bass. The only thing I wish it had was a pickup selector switch. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: UP-THE-IRONS, on june 22, 2006

Purchased from: Sam Ash

Features: At a first look some bassist might fall in love with the amazing look of this instrument. I saw this bass and and had to try it out. The bass is made with a alder and maple body, a mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard which is my favrite, 2 humbucking pickups, streamlined design, the tuning keys reversed for greater functionality, and obviously volume and tone controls. One thing thats my favrite is the bridge, it slides off, and you can slide your strings on instead of looping them through. The only downside is is that the bass is top heavy, which isnt too bad. // 9

Sound: Well, I play music that consist of metal, hardcore, black metal, and classic rock. If you are not sure of this music it consist bands rangeing from Children Of Bodom to Led Zeppelin. Anyway, The sound that comes from this bass is amazing. With the down you have a very low deep bass sound, with the tone on you get a little more punch to it. I like to have a huge "clank" so I lower my action. I have used many effects with this bass like chorus, flanger, overdrive, delay, reverb, phaser, and octivator and they all came out nicely. When pluged in the bass dose not make a sound at all, meaning that if your not playing anything there is no strange buzz. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got this bass I had to see if anything was wrong with the body, neck, ect. I could not see anything wrong with the controlls, bridge, tuning pegs, frets, body, neck, or anything, but later on I would find out that my nut was poorly cut. While playing at a gig with my band I was going what you would call crazy and my nut came undone and the chord poped right out. This was the only problem I have ever had with the Thunderbird. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This bass can stand up to a lot when it comes to realiablity. I have used this bass for all of my shows. The first time I used it at a show I had a Fender P-Bass for my backup, but only found out that I would not need a backup. The neck has not began to curve on me yet, and it has been 2 years. I have sweat a lot on this bass, and nothing has been changed with the finish. For me and probably most of you bass players this thing can really surprise you. // 10

Impression: I play music like Iron Maiden, Arch Enemy, and The Who. I can get a similliar tone to a lot of bands except Iron Maiden, and this is only because of Steve Harris' maximum output quater-pounders. If you wish to have a Steve harris tone you can lower your action just before you get a nasty fret buzz, and then turn the humbucker on closest to where you play. For a normal deep sounding bass all you would have to do is crank everything up. I use Fender amps and can find the right tone that I love. I have only been playing this for two years, but still amazed by how easily it can show me how great of a bass it really is. I would have to buy another one if this were taken from me, or lost. My favrite thing on this bass is the design. First off it looks amazing! But what I love about it is that where I place my figer-picking hand is a very comfortable spot. I never can say that this bass has given me a problem. I give the Thunderbird a 10. // 10

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: mandokiddo, on november 20, 2007

Purchased from: musicians friend

Features: The Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass has a classic shape and a great sound. This streamlined design is based on Gibson's original model. 2 humbucking pickups. Volume and tone controls. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. Limited lifetime warranty. // 6

Sound: I would consider the Thunderbird to be a one-trick pony. It's built to rock and rock it does. You can dial in on an extremely round sound with a very crisp attack very easily with the two volume blending knobs. I usually plug strait into my Fender Rumble 100 and get a wonderful sound. Sometimes I play through a Big Muff Pi Fuzz pedal but it sounds great either way. I use it in both grunge and classic rock settings. Best feature of this bass! // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Overall I was very pleased with the setup on this bass. I tweaked it but only surprisingly little considering it came in the mail. The action is set slightly high but it is well suited to pickstyle playing. The hardware is top notch with little or no flaws. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This bass is built like a tank! It is huge. I would not recomend playing this bass Live to anyone of small stature because it will eat you alive. I use a locking strap which is necessary because of the placement of the top strap button. The neck also is very heavy and tends to divebomb to the floor. Overall the bass is very trusty. If I could only bring one bass to a gig it would be this one but I wouldn't recomend ever doing that with any bass. // 6

Impression: This is definately one of my favorite basses that I own and I would definately buy it again given the choice. It is a perfect match for anyone playing rock or even metal styles and it can take an extreme beating. I would definately recomend this bass to any intermediate to advanced player. // 9

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: Carcinogenic, on july 19, 2008

Features: I bought this bass used from someone in San Francisco. It had minor blemishes when I bought it, but it came with the respectful case, so that helped my decision. I'm not quite sure what year it was made, but I know it was made in Korea. The neck of the Thunderbird has twenty frets and is a fast neck to play. The first five or so frets are spread out in a manner that takes getting used to, but apart from that, it's great. There isn't any unwanted buzzing of the sort on it. There are two volume knobs and one tone knob. The knobs on this bass, unlike most basses in its price range, do indeed adjust the sound from the bass. The tuners on the bass tend to be somewhat loose, and at times it will brush against something and I might have to retune it. Then again, the difference usually is hardly noticeable. // 9

Sound: I play alternative rock, and the Thunderbird fits my music style almost perfectly. It has this beautiful, heavy, earth-shattering sound that makes sure it'll get heard. The bass will sound great with or without effects, although high reverb gives it this amazing, Floyd-esque sound, and medium distortion is perfect for a bass solo. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: When I obtained the Thunderbird, the set-up was really poor. However, I'm not sure whether that was due to the factory set-up or the set-up of the previous owner. Anyways, after fixing it, it'll sound fine. The two pickups on the bass are great. However, my biggest issue with the Thunderbird is the balance. It is quite top-heavy, and it will do a neck dive unless you are holding the neck. This problem can probably be solved by adjusting the strap buttons, but I haven't gotten around to doing that yet. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The Thunderbird is a tank, and it can take a beating. On one occasion, I was practicing in my room when the upper strap button came loose and the bass fell to the floor. Amazingly, it barely even got scratch and still sounded perfect. This is the only bass I have, and I don't ever worry about borrowing a bass for backup. // 10

Impression: If I lost this bass, or it was stolen from me, I would make damn sure to get it back. The look of the guitar is amazing, and the sound that comes out of this monster is just absoulutely astonishing. The only real thing I wish it had would be a six-stringed version for helping play lead parts. Overall, I love this bass, and I'm pretty sure I'll be holding onto it for a long time. // 10

overall: 8.4

Reviewed by: Tip_The_Scales, on january 21, 2009

Price paid: A$ 700

Purchased from: Rock Shop

Features: Features included free cables and a perfect fit epiphone hardcase. As for the actual guitar itself, two humbuckers create amazing lows, the bridge allows for easy action change, just three screws to turn. Mahogany Body which makes it a bit heavy but it's a beast, I've dropped it, banged it, even used it to hit the cymbals while doing a show and it didn't even scratch it. Deffinantly built to last. // 8

Sound: The sound is amazing, goes great for alternative-metal, to soft rock, then back to hardcore/ heavy metal. great bass, great sound. can't go wrong. I run it through a Fender Rumble 60 and it's great, I use quite a few effects with it, distortion, wah, phaser, tremolo, reverb, and it moulds into the effect giving a great sound. I love using it with both distortion and wah at the same time, such an amazing sound. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: It was a shame that when I got it the action was so low that it caused fret buzz, had slight chips in the neck and the strap button fell out (thankfully only at paractise). but after all that was fixed, she played like a beaut, one of the nicest basses I have played. // 6

Reliability & Durability: As I said before the body is mahogany so it is heavy but strong, the length of the neck combined with the weight of the headstock 'causes it to kneck dive. No matter what guitar I had I would always have a back-up. You just never know what could go wrong. the strap buttons were loose and one fell out when I first got it but I replaced them with strap locks and glued them in with woodworking pva and the've been completely reliable ever since, even after high energy shows. // 9

Impression: My overall impression of it was amazing, I love this bass from the amazing shape to the tobacco sunburst colour. Has an amazing feel just having strapped around your shoulders. A great bass for the bassist who wants to be noticed. And at such a great price. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: the_guy, on december 27, 2006

Purchased from: Guitar Amp Keyboard, Brighton

Features: 20 frets, Korean made, 34" scale (huge behemoth of a thing), alder body, fast but heavy mahogany neck, rosewood fret board, reverse body style (beautiful), gorgeous shiny finish, a lot darker than in the pictures, passive electronics, dot inlays, 2 volume controls (1 for each pickup), 1 tone control, 2 hum bucking pickups (an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG 85 in the neck I think, not too sure). // 10

Sound: I play rock, nothing fancy, and this bass suits that perfectly. I use it with a Ibanez PD7 OD and a Hartke A100 amp. The hum bucking pickups give a fat loud punchy tone, and block out crackling noises even with the tone turned up. This bass can rattle walls; the growl is unbelievable, and very similar to Gibson. It suits the distortion pedal very well and can produce gut-wrenching tones. It’s very rich and full sounding, especially on a high tone setting. This bass isn't just for rock or metal, despite popular belief; this is a good slap bass too, with a good funky tone, although it's not primarily meant for that sort of music. For the price it's excellent; this is probably the most under priced bass on the market. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up quite well at the factory, the neck was straight and true and the tone/volume knobs were firmly on. The bridge was properly routed, tuning pegs were tight, great quality wood. There were a couple of issues; the action was quite high, and the bridge pickup was close to the strings on the right side than the left. No problem though, I just lowered the action, and adjusted the pickup height, and the bass sounds beautiful. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This bass is a monster, it's massive and solid. This guitar is so solid it would survive a nuclear war. The strap does come off very occasionally but that's because my strap isn't great. I would use this at a gig without a backup, but I would use another bass like a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass or a Music Man for funkier stuff. The natural finish is beautiful, can't fault that, there is so much varnish on the body that it blinds you. Everyone criticises this bass by saying that it's too heavy and too neck heavy. I've never found the neck dive to be a problem, and the weight isn't either. A good strap can help. // 10

Impression: I play rock, and the Thunderbird is a perfect match, it goes great with my current setup. If it were stolen or lost, I would buy this again definitely. I love the value for money, the huge low end sound, the versatility, the looks and the sheer presence. I’m quite tall for my age so it suits me well; it suits the bigger sort of person. It looks so much cooler than a P-Bass. I don't dislike this bass but I wish the strings were closer to the fret board when I got the bass, and the neck could be thinner. I compared it to the Fender Standard Jazz Bass (weak, uninspiring) and the Fender Standard Precision Bass (nice but more costly and less powerful than the T-Bird). Overall this bass rocks and my friends are so jealous of it. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 18, 2007

Features: It's a really gorgeous bass, with a slightly glazed top layer, brilliantly smooth and shiny. The materials have been said before, I believe so I'm not gonna waste my time. The finish is a gorgeous sunburst colour, quite dark, but on looking at the bass is really gorgeous and toned looking. There are 3 controls, 2 volume knobs and a tone knob. The tone knob makes a good difference to the sound. The pickups are as standard with all Thunderbirds, the Epi make. Nothing much came with the bass however, which is why I've lowered the score from 10. Only and Allen key and a cheap cable. But the bass more than makes up for it. // 9

Sound: My musical style varies hugely. I play classic rock (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin) with my band, but at home I tend to play along to anything from The Feeling to Slipknot. I'm playing it through a Laney amp, not sure of the make, it's quite old, but the guitar makes a really good, deep and woody sound through it. The sound is very. Very rich, and averagely bright. The only gripe is there is not much variety in sound on the bass, unless you play with pickup levels and tones a lot. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I got the bass new from the factory, and contrary to most people's gripes about bad setup, the setup was incredible. Absolutely incredible. The action is quite low, but there is no fret buzz at all, it is perfect, I will not need to adjust it. All of the knobs are well stuck, the tuning knobs and the volume and tone knobs are excellent too. The best guitar I have ever bought, out of about 15, this is the only one which has come from the factory perfect. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will easily withstand Live playing. There is a slight neck dive, but with a rough strap, the friction will keep it in place. The hardware is incredible, really well made, and will last a long time. The strap buttons are very, very solid too. I would quite happily gig with this without a backup. // 10

Impression: This is simply a phenomenal guitar, easily as good as the Gibson version which I have also played. I would happily buy a knew one if I stole it, after hunting down and torturing the thief by pushing the headstock slowly up their nose. On a slightly less disturbing note, I love it. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: stuntakebenson, on october 16, 2007

Purchased from: imusco

Features: Thunderbird VI is a distinctive shape known as the reverse-body, looks amazing. 20 frets on a maple neck. Reverse body as I said before. Passive electronics. Black hardware. Limited Edition Alpine White finish. No accessories included, the hard-case for this bass is a bit expensive at £120 but I'm soon getting it as I want to take care of my Thunderbird at all costs. // 9

Sound: I play heavy, grindcore styles of music and it seems to fit it perfectly when I tried it, sounds amazing, really low and bassy with a slight hint of grunt in it. I used a Trace Elliot 200W Amp when I tried it at SoundControl and it sounded soo good, it was astonishing. Not much variety on sound but it's un-needed as the sound it normally produces was astonishing. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Easy to play bass and fun to play. Pickups were adjucted nicely and sounded good. No flaws of any sort and all sounded like it should of done. The wood is perfectly made and plays soo nicely and the only slight flaw is that there were finger marks on the body but that's because it was displayed in a music store. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Really light bass so you can swing it around on stage with ease and have good fun with it. Looks all perfect hardware and has a long use without degrading. Very dependable bass, never die down on you, really sound bass and no-technical errors should be occured. The finish looks perfect, the Alpine White looks sharp and smart and really attractive. // 10

Impression: As I said, I play heavy music and it fits in well, looking perfect. I've only tried it out but I was blown away by how good it was, I own a Warwick 60W Blue Cab which will sound amazing with it I know. I want to try it out before buying it but I know I will love it all over again lol. If it were stolen, I would definately buy it again because in my opinion, it's the best bass out there at this time. I love the Alpine White finish on the body, the only small thing I don't like is the white outline on the head of the bass, still, I will love it due time. I would maybe compare it to the Dean Z-Tour bass just because those are the two basses I've been looking at and because the shape is almost similar. I wish I had it now! // 10

Comments

[Nerdo-sez-bo]

beeboshain :
worst and most ugly bass ive ever seen, so horrible to play aswell

You think that because you are socially retarded good sir.

[Ashdownlover]

heard some thunderbirds and loved em. are the worth the investment and maybe an active mod?

[Welsh Guitar]

yeah thinderbirds sound great! i hear one for the first time yesterday in a small pub gig, without effects and everything, its one of the best sounding basses ive ever heard, apart from £1000+ instruments like stingrays and things! im gonna get one of these!

[timberwulf]

looks like the bass is really worth buying... lets have a trial...^^

[the_guy]

yeh it sounds lovely, especially on a high tone setting, but the low E string is way too quiet, which is a bit of a problem if you play metal or stuff where you neeed to be heard.

[metalbassist12]

This bass is amazing. I have the goth version and it kicks @$$ in both sound and looks. Kinda wish they made a 5 string version

[cusic]

I tried this bass out when a friend of mine was looking around for a new bass, and even i found it great to play :P

[loeuf]

I have this bass in alpine white and juste loooove it!!! There are only 2 things I don't like about this bass : the difficult access to the upper frets and the weight of it! but I can live with those 2 defaults:P Anyway I just love it (and the color too!!!)

[solitudes stevo]

picked up mine the other day "arctic white limited edition epiphone thunderbird IV" the recept read... *sigh* so freakin kool! the first time i saw one i knew i had to have one and now i do lol $1000 bux nz and worth every cent. only downside, like evryones said, is the strap pins being put in the typical guitar place and throwing it off balance. i guess that comes with the shape.. besides that great bass

[Mr_Jubby_Jubs]

They don't make it in alpine white or black anymore but I'm getting one for christmas .

[mmanson]

i want to get a goth t-bird -- Im saving up for one

[thunderbass15]

i have a goth t-bird and it puts out an amazing sound.
this is the best bass i have ever owned.
i play rock/metal and this has the best tone for both

[hexagram244]

great bass, shame about its balance all the weight is at the arm & headstock, but bar that; super low end sound & awesome look...

[beeboshain]

beeboshain wrote:

worst and most ugly bass ive ever seen, so horrible to play aswell

have to agree, played it twice to see if i could prove myself wrong but it sounds horride and plays worse, i went for warwick and im happy with that now i look at it again its ugly

[beeboshain]

haha^

[thrashing4god]

such a beautiful bass

[Hart_Attack]

so that makes three people against the thunder bird... guess it has to do with preference

[cusic]

lol, maybe, but I think the Thunderbird is a great bass, I not a bassist as such, but I'm not crap on one, I played my friends and it feels great to play, it sounds good and If I were to get a bass it would be that

Checked/Deleted.

[sbass12]

i want one of these, but stuck between an Ibanez BTB200 or this epiphone thunderbird. which is better??

[Stage_Fiend111]

When I play my thunderbird, I feel as if it wraps around me. There is one thing i dont like about it. Access to the upper most frets (17 to 20). It really bugs me.

[Doug-twinn]

I cant really fault the bass itself, although i have only had the bass for 2 days i have to say i am nothing but impressed by it. I love the whole feel of the bass and the sound impress's me everytime that i hear it. But what annoys me is the strap and the weight of the bass. Great bass though no doubt about it.

[SlashIsGod091]

im thinking about getting one of these, or i might get the epiphone nikki sixx thunderbird for $20 more at musiciansfriend. i havent decided yet

[GallienThunder]

My epiphone thunderbird looks amazing and plays brilliantly =]

[Marilyn Reznor]

I really do like Thunderbirds, and almost bought one.

But the more I play it, the more I just really don't like how it feels. It sounds pretty good, but I just can't get the feel for it.

So, I think every bass player should consider getting one, but make sure you spend some time with it first.

[olithebass]

georgous lookin bass.
dont think it was designed very well though. Id buy one If I won alot of money on something. having said that Id probably buy the gibson as apparently there is a big gibson. until then Ill stick with the fender and my 4 other guitars lol

[Trivium1391]

best bass out there

[Cobalt Blue]

I've always liked T-birds, the Gibson i had played at the store i work at years back was great... I played this in long & McQuade couple weeks ago. I loved it. in the next few paychecks i'm probably going to get them to order me one... they only had it in white and i want it in sunburst.

[Horus195ED]

great bass, but the neck dive is a real bitch, epi should really change the strap buttons

[bassbizzle]

most epiphones suck, ibanez kicks the shit out of this thing

[bassbizzle]

Trivium1391 wrote:

best bass out there

absolutely not

[Shredder Guitar]

bassbizzle wrote:

Trivium1391 wrote:

best bass out there


absolutely not

lmao that was good - owned

[VALISICUS]

This bass is not at all versitile. You can't pop, slap, or play anything stylisticaly diverse. Sure it looks nice and has a decent tone, but my Peavey is louder and i can get almost any sound i want unlike this one.

[VALISICUS]

bassbizzle wrote:

most epiphones suck, ibanez kicks the shit out of this thing

most ibanezs suck. there's better basses out there.
what do you fellas think of traben?? www.trabenbass.com
email me back [e-mail]

[maguire]

I played this at a store and it's kickass - I'm thinking of getting it and switching the strings to BEAD. Would it work?

[metaldude99]

would this bass fit in a normal hardcase

[minertbassist]

i havent found a case it will fit in and the neck dives, but i love mine and wouldnt trade it for anything.

[Izdigger]

VALISICUS wrote:

This bass is not at all versitile. You can't pop, slap, or play anything stylisticaly diverse. Sure it looks nice and has a decent tone, but my Peavey is louder and i can get almost any sound i want unlike this one.

Well, no serious metal bassist would ever wanna "slap" or "pop".

[SOAD316]

eh it sounds lovely, especially on a high tone setting, but the low E string is way too quiet, which is a bit of a problem if you play metal or stuff where you neeed to be heard.

True. it needs more growl

[SOAD316]

minertbassist
i havent found a case it will fit in and the neck dives, but i love mine and wouldnt trade it for anything.

the case is 90 bucks and is like a door. i hear they have gig bags though.

[jamesdjharrod]

Sorry, Secondhandloser, but I think you'll find that most versatility comes from the player not the amp or the bass.

[killyoutonight]

bassbizzle wrote:

most epiphones suck, ibanez kicks the shit out of this thing

I like ibanez, i want an ibanez iceman bass... i have an epiphone goth tbird though and it is pretty cool. I have some ibanez basses but i dont really like them...starter basses.

[Andy2k64]

minertbassist wrote:

i havent found a case it will fit in and the neck dives, but i love mine and wouldnt trade it for anything.

Yeah gettin a hardcase is a bitch. i just got a really good gig bag. I went to a music store and they said they could either get me one from epiphone for £100 or they could make me one...im not made of money!!!!!

[luke-bassist]

great bass!! Been playing for about 1 year and had this beast about 6 months. Plays great but slightly unbalanced, due to the heavy neck. if u hate that sort of thing, go for a p-bass. :P

[vik rythums]

if you buy one, get a Ashdown!!! It will sound like a god farted. sooooo bassey its unbelievable through a 300 watt mag. ahh yeh.

[vik rythums]

if you want a case get a official epiphone one they're only £70 from cash converters when they order one.

[luke-bassist]

i play through a marshall 4210 series (400 watt max.) and i couldn't get a better tone out of it. one of the best basses ever.

[winterburn69]

I bought a used one in February, I'm thinking of posting a review soon, I wanted to have it for awhile to get used to it, it's my first 34" scale bass, actually, I'm going to post a review tomorrow, but this thing is so awesome.

[Jamton!?]

bassbizzle wrote:

most epiphones suck, ibanez kicks the shit out of this thing.

so...who gives a shit, its a great bass ive owned mine 4 about 2yrs (except its a customshop one with black finish), with a hardcase with it.
the only problem with it was the action (or whateva) was way too high, its great 4 slap, metal, rock or just ****in around with :P

[myst_ivo]

i've got a epiphone thunderbird gothic and i love it so ****ing much!! I couldn't life without it.

[mab0009081]

I'm Stuck between this and the Epiphone Viola Bass. Both the same price, but the Viola is rated higher on this website.
Help!!!

[bigmac2244]

what is the difference between the gothic thunderbird and the normal one? (besides from the aesthetic stuff)

[rejected1]

How I wish they make it with 24 frets instead of just 20! How the hell I would play metal on this bass. Arguable, but I always liked to scroll all the way up the fretboard.

Only drawback I realised from it. I think it sounded pretty versatile. Just the way how you interpret it. I've seen on youtubes some sound sample from it.

[scootlaundry]

u cant pop or slap on this? wtf?

[bradh2414]

is the nikki sixx balckbird bass any different really? is it even good?

[Anjohl]

rejected1, you can't really play past the 12-14th fret as is, so adding 4 more frets will be completley pointless.

bradh2414, the Blackbird is basically a re-fretted version of the Goth Tbird with better pickups. The downside is that you don't get any tone or volume controls, and the pickup switch on it only turns the pickups on or off entirely, IE, turn them off for bassless parts.

The guitarworld review pretty much sums it up, unless you need the deep six pickups and the iron cross inlays, the epi goth/tbird is a better buy.

[Im King Jackson]

Anyone know how much this thing weighs, like pound wise?

[Randaman]

scootlaundry wrote:

u cant pop or slap on this? wtf?

DW, I have one and you can pretty easily slap n pop on it.

[suggitt]

i bought one of these second hand and it's amazing its got a great sound and is easy to play i find it easy to slap and pop on i got it for £150.00 and i don't regret it

[roundwoundsound]

bassbizzle is a fag. anyone that primarily relies on ibanez and praises them like gods is a ****ing tool.

[roundwoundsound]

oh yeah and this bass is a rock/metal bass.so stfu all you slappers.go get a fender or something

[slann101]

Its £194.00 on GAK Atm! coming new year...im replacing my rusty, ten year old bashed around uncared for bc rich.

twas cheap.dont judge me.

[David12390]

I wasn't impressed when I tried it out at my local guitar shop :l.

[Ironpriest]

bradh2414 :
is the nikki sixx balckbird bass any different really? is it even good?

Yeah I'm a guitar player and thinking of playing some bass for fun, maybe in a few bands. since I worship motley crue I have my eye on the nikki sixx one, it's not even expensive!

[roundwoundsound]

David12390 wrote:

I wasn't impressed when I tried it out at my local guitar shop :l.

then maybe the bass just isnt you.but no one really cares whether you were impressed or not.

[Ibanez8822]

what kind of pickups does this have because I've heard Gibson and emg

[Carcinogenic]

Ibanez8822 wrote:

what kind of pickups does this have because I've heard Gibson and emg

They're passive humbuckers.
But they sound great.

[David12390]

roundwoundsound wrote:

David12390 wrote:

I wasn't impressed when I tried it out at my local guitar shop :l.

then maybe the bass just isnt you.but no one really cares whether you were impressed or not.

In the comments section, we post comments on what we think of the instrument in question. If you don't care to read or understand what a comments section is, then should I really care if you don't care if it didn't impress me?

[ttbird]

I love mine great tone and plenty of punch

[crimson_X]

which one is better the regular Epiphone thunderbird lv bass or Epiphone Goth Thunderbird IV Bass

[ttbird]

The regular thunder bird is better then again I have a Custom shop.

[bentot147]

I'm planning to buy this bass, would I or not?..
and what is the best bass effects w/ this bass?..
also what bass strings would i use a roundwound, flatwound or groundwound?..

I'm in a progressive metal/rock band..

please give me some info.. tnx..

[Razgriz_101]

such a great bass to play,Rammstein sounds rather badass on this.Does hold its own with a few songs like She-Green Day really loves to thump that line xD my guitarist was peed cause i was just edging him out in most of the song.