Custom 2014 Gibson Thunderbird - Modded (w/OHSC) - Out of Production

The title says it all. Who knows when Gibson will make another American-made Thunderbird bass, and the ones from the last few years have been nothing like the T-birds of the past. 

This is the best Gibson Thunderbird you'll find outside of a 1960's in mint condition. I spent months and hundreds of dollars turning this 2014 Gibson Thunderbird into the best of vintage and modern models.

Why's it so great?

- All hardware has been replaced with nickel parts (including truss rod cover and pickguard screws), like the originals.
- The tuners are Hipshot Ultralite cloverleaf tuners that improve stability and eliminate neck dive. The tuning keys can bump against each other slightly given the modern tuner spacing, but it's not an issue.
- The strap buttons have been replaced with Schaller strap locks for added security.
- The bridge is a Babicz Full-Contact direct replacement for the Gibson, so no drilling or irreversible mods. The bridge adds sustain and intonation adjustment, along with string height adjustment.
- The black tophat knobs are now Gibson gold, like the originals.
- The frets were leveled and dressed at Third Coast Guitars in Chicago, IL.

Most importantly, the stock modern ceramic pickups have been replaced with Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Thunderbird pickups wound by Maricela "MJ" Juarez (the lady who winds pickups for Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Slash, James Taylor, and many others) handwound to 60's specs. These sound better than the Bicentennial 70's pickups and are on par with every 60's Thunderbird pickup I've heard. Clear but assertive, grunty and warm, like Jazz pickups with a kick in the ass. With a pick, they're heaven. With fingers, they're warm and soulful. The best I've ever heard. I'll even include the original box with paperwork (original stock pickups that came on the bass have already been sold and are not available). And, to get the best tone out of these pickups, the bass is strung with Rotosound Swing Bass 66 steel strings, just like Entwhistle used to play.

So, why am I selling? We've got a baby on the way and the herd needs to be thinned. Will ship in original hardshell case. Save thousands of dollars on finding a vintage piece that will be refinished, have a headstock repair, and likely need a fret level or full neck reset.

This thing is a player and deserves a great home.

No returns/No trades