The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson and Epiphone.
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 Bass twelve years earlier.
The Thunderbird was designed by U.S. auto designer Raymond H. Dietrich (Chrysler, Lincoln, Checker) along with the Firebird guitar, which it resembles in design, construction, and name.
Design and construction
The Thunderbird bass, like the Rickenbacker 4000 series and the Firebird guitar designed concurrently, has neck-through construction: the neck wood runs the entire length of the body, with the rest of the body glued into place. Some cheaper Epiphone models feature a more conventional bolt-on neck construction.
The Thunderbird was Gibson's first model built in the 34-inch scale, which had been made popular by Fender. Previous models use the short scale of 30½ inches.
There were originally two Thunderbird models: the Thunderbird II, with only one pickup, and the Thunderbird IV, with two pickups. The Thunderbird usually features bass humbuckers, colloquially referred to as "soapbars" due to their appearance.
Non-reverse Thunderbirds
In 1966, Gibson changed the Thunderbird's design and construction. The original Thunderbirds (and Firebirds) have 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 Jazzmaster, the body styles were modified, with the result being called the "non-reverse" body. Also, the expensive neck-through construction was replaced by traditional Gibson set-neck construction. The non-reverse Thunderbird was continued until 1969. Though fewer non-reverse Thunderbirds were shipped, the original reverse-body instruments retain a higher collectors' value. Gibson started producing the non-reverse Thunderbirds again for the public in late 2012.
1976–1979 reissue
The Thunderbird IV was reissued in 1976 as a bicentennial edition. This reissue featured the original body shape and neck-through construction but unlike the previous issues, the bicentennial edition included the new "three-point" bridge and a red, white, and blue Thunderbird logo. The bass was offered in tobacco burst, ebony, white, or natural finish. After the bicentennial, the Thunderbird was continued as a regular production model until 1979, when it was discontinued once again.
Current and recent models
The Thunderbird IV was re-introduced to the Gibson line in 1987 and was in regular production until 2015.
The most recent official Thunderbirds produced by Gibson Guitar Corporation: Gibson USA Thunderbird IV Gibson USA Nikki Sixx Thunderbird Bass Epiphone Thunderbird IV Epiphone Nikki Sixx Blackbird Epiphone Goth Thunderbird IV Epiphone Special Run Thunderbird IV limited edition silverburst Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV Pro Gibson Thunderbird non-reverse bass Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro
Features of current and recent models
The standard Gibson Thunderbird IV has a nine-ply mahogany-walnut neck-through with mahogany wings attached to form the body, and was offered in vintage sunburst or walnut finishes.
The Nikki Sixx Thunderbird bass has a mahogany-walnut neck-through with flame maple wings attached to form the body, finished in transparent black cherry. The fretboard is inlaid with red acrylic Xs at the third, fifth, seventh and twelfth frets.
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 Gibson Thunderbird IV zebra wood bass, 2007, limited run of 400 (Gibson guitar of the week, week 11)."ZebraBird"
Thunderbird short scale bass, 30.5 inch scale, 2011, limited run of 400. "Short Scale Thunderbird"
The Epiphone Thunderbird IV, a budget alternative to the Gibson models, has a maple bolt-on construction onto a mahogany body, and is finished in vintage sunburst or ebony. It was produced from 1999 through 2021. This reappeared as the Thunderbird E1 in 2023.
The Epiphone Goth Thunderbird is similar to the Epiphone Thunderbird IV. However, it has a mahogany body, a Celtic cross symbol on the pickguard, and is finished in a "pitch black" flat finish.
