![]() Nickel-plated: Kluson tuners with metal buttons fully adjustable four-saddle bridge stop tailpiece bridge and pickup covers. Solidbody Bass Guitar with Mahogany Body, Mahogany Neck, Ebony Fingerboard, Hipshot Bridge, Hipshot Tuners, and 2 Humbucking Pickups - Ebony. Gold Gibson logo on black truss rod cover three-ply (w/b/w) pickguard with bevelled edge and Firebird emblem two metal cap/reflector knobs labelled Volume and Tone Gibson Gene Simmons G2 Thunderbird Bass Guitar - Ebony. 1964 Gibson Thunderbird IIĪsymmetrical reverse design tuners on bass side raised middle section black/ natural finish Presenting the classic reverse body and headstock design, the Gibson Thunderbird is a standout model First introduced in 1963 as Gibsons first neck-through. Exotic-sounding enough, but the regular, less expensive sunburst finish proved to be the most popular choice by far.Īlas, the Thunderbirds were not deemed popular enough to remain in production beyond the 60s, and with sales dropping off towards the end of the decade manufacturing ceased in 1969. Taking inspiration from Fender, the finishes included Ember Red, Frost Blue, Polaris White, Cardinal Red, Heather, Pelham Blue, Golden Mist, Kerry Green, Silver Mist and Inverness Green. Pictured at Guitars: The Museum in Umeå, Sweden, this custom colour 1967 Gibson Thunderbird II is of the later non-reverse variety. Designed by German auto engineer Ray Dietrich, and named after the giant bird of Native American folklore, Gibsons first 34 1/2 inch scale bass. As before, the II and IV were structurally identical – the main difference being pickups and electronics (the IV sported an extra volume knob as per its second pickup).įrom its inception back in ’63, one of the range’s main selling-points was Gibson’s all-new custom color chart, and these options extended into the latter half of the 60s. Regardless, the revamped Thunderbirds arrived that year featuring glued-in necks. It seems reasonable to presume that the Fullerton firm was distracted enough by its CBS takeover during 1965 not to interfere. Interestingly, however, the ‘non-reverse’ design that followed – a virtual mirror image of the reverse counterpart – appears much closer to the Fender offset with respect to body and headstock profile. The 2019 Firebird features a mahogany body with 9-ply mahogany/walnut neck, a bound rosewood fretboard, and Firebird Mini-Humbuckers. What better way to return to the drawing board than with a bona fide automotive designer? Well, that was the thinking when Gibson hired Raymond Dietrich Gibson USA Rex Brown Signature Thunderbird Bass Ebony Nut width: 1.5 / 38.1mm Fingerboard: Rosewood Scale length: 34 / 863.6mm Number of frets: 20 Nut. And with Fender claiming a patent infringement of its Jazzmaster body styling, Gibson was further prompted to overhaul the entire range. The reverse Thunderbirds, it seems, were doomed from the start. And while a laminated neck-through-body construction provides great stability and tone, reverse Thunderbirds are especially prone to headstock breaks (aka Firebird disease) – a problem exacerbated by the instruments’ heavy Kluson tuners. ![]() Indeed, Gibson still maintains the reverse ’Bird is one of the trickiest to produce. ![]()
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