Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird - Why Does Gibson Hate Bassists? - LowEndLobster Review
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2022
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Kevin Johnson: / kpjohnson
Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird: www.gibson.com/en-US/Electric...
Hey Everyone! Today we are reviewing the Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird. Featuring a vintage inspired body shape, two meaty chrome humbuckers, and the ever loathsome 3-point bridge, you wouldn't be wrong for doulbe a triple take on the $2199 USD price tag (as of Sept 2022). Gibson has re-released a classic design with the Non-Reverse Thunderbird, but does this classic styled bass still hold up to modern times? Let's find out!
This bass and all my other basses with rounds are strung with SIT Foundation Nickel Plated Stainless Steel 45-105(125) unless otherwise noted. Check them out at sitstrings.com/
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Lobster, I'd like to echo those who laud your channel for the honest reviews. You're willing to call it as you see it, but you never give ultra-negative reviews just for the sake of being provocative (and getting clicks). The bass community, and music community generally, needs more straight shooters like you. So much of what's out there is empty PR. Your reviews are very useful in helping players make decisions on how to wisely spend their hard-earned money.
I think the kitty was trying to warn you by attempting to push the bass off the table. Smart cat!
I really respect that you don’t pull any punches with pros and cons in reviewing. My hat off to you 😊
Hey Lobster, I just wanted to say I really respect how you leave your naked playing out there in your demos. In a world where most of UA-camrs mime nowadays it’s refreshing to see raw bass demos and unbiased, unfiltered opinions like these. Keep up the good work!
Lobster - you validated in this review what I've always thought - I really don't like Gibson basses and I would never spend $2.2k on this bass when so many fantastic basses are available for much less, and when you do go into the $2k+ range, the basses in that price range blow this one away.
Idk it gives me Rick vibes in everything but tone.
This is why I'm subscribed to you bro. Brutally honest in your reviews.
I have one in red. I put the hipshot bridge on. Improves everything. Tension, intonation and helps the balance a little. I wish they had better quality control. My front pickup was crooked and the fretboard dried out looking. Other then that its pretty cool.
This one had a mega dried out fretboard. Noticed the finish issues after removing the strings and noticing how loose the tuners were. This one was rough lol
the dry necks are endemic to the new alt rosewood boards. my Tbird arrived perfect but I replaced the bridge for a Ric V2 bridge
That bass sounds good. That's about the only thing I like about it. I enjoy your honest reviews.
Can’t wait to see your review on the Fender American Vintage II Bass!
I ordered a 2021 Non Reverse Thunderbird in Faded Pelham Blue in October 2012 & finally received it 1 year later on October 6th 2022 ... the finish on mine is impeccable with no flaws, same with the craftsmanship, the fretboard looked & felt like it had been oiled before it was boxed & shipped ( I was surprised because I heard that many were arriving with a dry fretboard) the only issue with mine was that the string height was really high ( a quick fix though) & the neck is a bit thicker than the standard T Bird, I have ordered a Hipshot Supertone Bridge which I think will make a difference, this is also a great sounding bass, I think I got lucky with my T Bird non reverse
I didn't have any issues other than the bridge which I was expecting to swap out when I placed my order.
Luck of the draw I guess.😀
You ordered a 2021 in 2012? That’s a neat trick…
@@davidpeters44 it was ordered through Long McQuade in Vancouver Canada Gibson had a big back log of orders & most probably supply issues during Covid as did many manufacturers of everything from Furniture, car parts , appliances & musical instruments,
The wilder thing is the bass has a 2021 Serial number & the QC card that comes with the bass has a date of June 8, 2022 & the box that the bass cones in has a date of August 10th... it was shipped to Long McQuades Toronto warehouse & then out to Vancouver .. I noticed some of their stores across Canada also recently showed stock of the non reverse in Faded Pelham Blue & Sparkling Burnaby ... anyway it is what it is & I am glad to finally get it & didn't mind waiting.
Same with mine, but mine is the Sparkling Burgundy version. No issues at all construction wise. Sounds awesome and plays great. Expensive yes, but I wanted one and I'm glad I finally got mine after an eight month wait.
@@robertsands5837 The Sparkling Burgundy was my second choice it's a breath taking color, I have continued to do subtle tweaks on the stock bridge, it's actually a good playing & sounding bass 😀👍
Mike Lull makes (used to?) the best thunderbirds.
every gibson bass that comes out has to fight the (in my opinion) all mighty "Epiphone Vintage Pro thnuderbird". It has everything. better bridge, better price and an similar enough tone. so why even spend that extra money...
Looking to check one of those out
The cheesy blue/green paint and the ugly look of the non reverse thunderbird made me think it was a $500 Epiphone in my head
Hipshot makes a replacement bridge for this design, which is a much better and more solid bridge. I put one on an SG short scale bass. Frankly it's the best part of the instrument. They are using Hipshot tuners to lighten up a bass prone to neck dive, why not use the superior hipshot designed bridge, especially at this price point. The only redeeming feature this bass has is the tone, that is very good. I think you're being kind in your rating. I appreciate your reviews and attempts to find the positive aspects of every bass you review. Keep up the good work and always remember, your favorite bass is the next one!😁
I immediately put a Hipshot Supertone on my EB-3 after purchasing it.
The difference is like night & day in every conceivable way😁👍
I've used these on a couple of Epiphone's and yes they're much better.But having to upgrade a 2 grand bass is ludicrous.
I've seen old photos on Instagram of the late John Entwhistle playing one. Unmistakable gibson tone. I actually never liked the shape but late in my years I've been beginning to get use to it.
Hey Lobster, great review as always! Really appreciate your honesty here especially with bass models that only seem to be able to justify the high price because they have the vintage look and give back the nostalgic feel. I wonder if you could manage to get your hands on one of the Fender Mustang JMJs and make a review about it? I get the feeling that these models in particular are being praised as one of the best Mustangs out there, but I'm not sure if this model is just another signature bass that Fender can sell for more money because it's dedicated to a certain artist 🤔
Keep up the great work!
Love the thunderbird sound, but avoided getting one because the design/balance issues. I own both a 4 and 5 string schecter ultra with tone pros and string through bridges respectfully. The neck on the 4 is identical to the corsair. Both were purchased second hand for a fraction of the a new retail model. Would love a side by side comparison between Ultra and thunderbird if you can get your hands on one. I know Bully trashes the thunderbird in just about every way.
Thanks again keeping us informed and entertained!
Hey Lobster - Thanks for the honest review. Love the sound of the soloed neck pickup and over all look of the non-reverse t-bird, however I took you r review to heart and did a little bit of research before making a purchase. As much as I love the looks and tone of Gibson's T-bird, I ended up buying a used Fano Alt De Facto PX4 instead. The body of the Fano PX4 is a direct lift from the Gibson non-reverse t-bird, however there is no neck dive or having to reach for the first fret as the Fano has a 32" scale neck. I love the tone of Fano's t-bird pickups and though the PX4 did come with a light relic finish, there were no other finish flaws aside from those intentionally placed into the bass. I also find the "feel" to be very comfortable/broken in and I have no worries about putting a ding in the finish. Another thing I find more appealing about the Fano is the 1.5" nut, which is similar to the original t-birds. I grew up playing a jazz bass, so this neck profile really feels like home. Last but not least is Fano's bent plate bridge which I much prefer over the three post Gibson bridge.
You're totally right with the bridge, Hipshot and Babicz sell great replacement bridges, wich give a whole new sonic abilities to the bass. It's pretty much like an old Fender bridge compared to a himass.
I put the Babicz bridge on mine and it’s a massive improvement over the stock bridge.
I just can't get down with Gibson basses and I have tried so many times. Don't comprehend how such a premiere guitar builder never got their bass engineering together. Thanks for the video, Lobster.
I always felt like people who played them were paid pretty big time to play them (which is probably true 😂)
I always felt like people who played them were paid pretty big time to play them (which is probably true 😂)
I agree with the paint around the tuners.. I replaced mine with American Hipshots and drop D tuner. (I used the stock non american ones on another bass). The paint flaked off when I took off the old tuners, NOT when I installed the new ones. It was not an overtightening! That said... I have had this bass for two years. I love this bass. It was difficult to get used to the long reach (the horn sits at the 17th fret instead of 12th like Fender). I don't mind it at all now. I prefer playing a lot of music on it actually over my Pbass. This also sounds amazing in drop D.
Kudos....you are the only honest person doing these reviews and it is truly appreciated.
Good review, maybe the neck profile is why John Entwistle made the Fenderbird? both pick ups together sound great but only one tone control? one bass video I'd like to see is the Rickenbacker stereo bass with the stereo separation used throughout, as I haven't found one
Yes, he must’ve had bigger hands because he preferred the Gibson neck.
I slapped a hipshot Dtuner on mine and just roll with it, i can see other brands offering better quality control for the same price but i just love this bass its sound hence its my number 1 :)
Your cat and your t shirt was just perfect bravo buddy .this bass is not too bad slap or not all the rest is more or less okay
Nice honest review. You nailed the issues with this bass.
I've been playing bass since around 1981. To this day I've never tried a Gibson I like. The only one that kind of clicked for me was the early 80s Victory series and it was a flop. Gibson is a guitar company and any bass seems to be an after thought at best.
I love the look of the T-Bird but I've the same complaints you and EVERYONE else does! It's maddening that Gibson refuses to listen.And at 2 grand! WTF?
Good job Lob!
It has a great tone for Rock. It is a shame that the overall execution of this bass was not better.
Sounds good and I like the green
I saw this bass and was really excited for it! Went to the guitar center near my house, mind you this was during the pandemic, and saw three available. I picked one up and just couldn’t like it. It was a bass, it felt ok, but it seemed to only have one tone. I’m not a stickler for a lot of variation but the weird growl my humbuckers on it was just not appeasing. I hated the bridge too because I was wondering if it needed to be intonated and set up better and I couldn’t figure it out. I passed on it and bought a squier jazz contemporary. Which in retrospect I could have waited for a better bass altogether but I had a bug to buy something and the squier in my opinion sounded much much better and had a better feeling for me. I’m not a fender fanboy, I just like what I like lol
2800 in canada. might as well buy a dingwall import
Cool T-shirt!
My Yamaha 5 string bass was nearly unplayable, then I ripped the frets out. It plays like a dream now, the frets were just getting in the way.
I had a similar experience with a Gibson EB-5. I bought it during a few years ago, and I really, really wanted to like it. The neck was Soundgear-ish, the pickups were tappable Thunderbird pickups and the bass was really light. It even had a fantastic Babicz bridge and somewhat decent Grover tuners. However, the finish was poorly done and the truss rod nut wasn't even on the truss rod. My guitar tech had to take a dremel to the neck and didn't really go into too much detail as, in his words, "did they forget to finish this bass? Are you sure this isn't a B-stock?" The electronics were also insanely noisy and the frets were nice and sharp. Add 19mm spacing on a 5-string (I have small hands >
QA has long been Gibson's Achilles heal. Although, the Schecter Corsair has a very similar bridge and you didn't call that out.
Harley Benton has a Thunderbird...ish version for $159 (TB70-VS) active. Maybe consider that for one bas in your next Thomann multi-bass purchase. I would like to see how that example stacks up??
As gorgeous as that bass is, the cat was stealing the show for me hahaha. I just wanna pet it!
The Epiphone Vintage Pro is $800, neck through, with the same tone, 2 point bridge, better ergonomics and chrome covers that don't look like that
Coming from someone who owns a "real" Gibson Tbird
If you like the way a thunderbird sounds, get a fender and put Tbird pickups in it
Have watched several reviews on this bass and nobody has mentioned severe head stock finish problems as you showed. Yes you could buy this bass and then change the bridge. But why?? At $2200 you would think gibson could do it! Would like to see an epiphone review and comparison for the same items. Also, everyone demo's with a hard plastic guitar pick. Does anyone use a felt pick any more? If there is yet a different tone withe the felt, maybe we could hear that also. Thanks!
I have an older Epiphone T-bird, thankfully I didn't have to pay more than 200 usd in 2007 or so. There was some serious damage and of course it was related to the claw bridge; had to glue the two big posts into place. The bird must've been dropped or used a murder weapon - maybe both given the chunk of missing paint and lacquer from the rear. Even fixed, I can confirm the 3 legged dog bridge is terribly annoying - after seeing other users with new bridges installed I'm considering a high mass bridge or really anything that can fit the four string variant.
It does sound really good with a pick and as I move to fingers I still think it's worth it to track down an old one for the curious. It's definitely a look and not for everyone - mine is a back-breaker. However, it sounds really massive with both humbuckers engaged and some chorus and verb - to taste.
It's like I just rewatched Glenn Fricker slaughter Gibsons Mustain V again. All the same issues.
I have the burgundy. No issues like this one yet. My rear pu ring is chrome and the tone and output jack was switched. The finish looks beautiful, but upon close inspection is a little sloppy. Just a little. Mine is even lighter than this one. The only thing I wish it had, and this might sound strange, but I also have a '17 Epi Embassy Pro. Those Bass Pro-Buckers sound so much better and livelier than the stock ones. Unfortunately, you can't buy 'em separately.
I should add that I got mine right when they debuted. I think it was the summer of hate, 2020.
Wait until Glenn fricker hears about these Gibson finish issues
hipshot bridge is a must
Lets goooooo lobster man
Hi! How beefy is the neck? How would you compare It to a modern Pbass? I mean, not the nut width, but the overall feeling
I couldn’t agree more on the price+playability+QC issues with this bass. I tried one at a store and have never been more frustrated. The bridge is certainly forgivable but the paint is inexcusable and the strange playability makes those good sounding pickups even more frustrating.
Glen over at @SpectreSoundStudios bemoans the modern Gibson paint QC as well.
Love the sound of those pickups but I'm increasingly disappointed by the QC issues present in premium instruments these days. I think if I were to spend that much money on a "Tbird" style bass I'd go for a Maruszcyk
I always enjoy your videos. Thanks for being such a prolific content creator.
I have played five of these basses and four of them had pretty serious finish flaws. I can buy a $400 Epiphone with a perfect finish but I'm supposed to consider a delicate and poorly sprayed nitro finish a feature not a defect on a $2k bass. Come on Gibson it's time to look at ither options. I want to feel good about spending my money or it's a hard pass for me.
I happen to think the bass sounds very good. It's a Thunderbird and it sounds like one. Specifically it sounds more like 60's birds than recent production. It doesn't nail the 60's T-Bird tone but it gets you much of the way there. It's a tone that works for rock. Slapping on it is just a wasted effort because that's not what buyers of these basses will do with it. I'm not a fan of the neck. It's meatier than it should be for a T-Bird.
Gibson needs to put their inventory of three point bridges in the trash and come up with a better solution. A Hipdhot D style bridge with a more traditional Gibson claw tailpiece would be a perfect option. I love Thunderbirds but evey time I pick up a new one I feel like almost like Gibson is mocking me. That's not a recipe for continued sucess as a brand.
For my money I would just get the Epi embassy and then upgrade the pickups. The Embassy has vastly superior ergonomics and is a mere fraction of the cost.
Everything I get the desire for an SG or Tbird bass I go play a new one and am reminded why I don't own one already. I have a 2020 USA les paul guitar and it's honestly great. They really must hate basses at gibson.
Best looking basses i know
I love your channel Lobster, The Bass Channel is one of my other favorite channels. Their opinion is basically American made basses are better for reasons that can't be put into words. But I know that's baloney and I'm glad you did this review.
How is that our opinion? 😂 that’s not MY opinion I can tell you that.
I have an Epiphone non-reverse thunderbird. Same shape, but with a jazz and a reverse P pickup. It sounds AMAZING and the neck is really good, but the balance is awful. It's also very long, and since the strap attachment is not on a horn like most instruments, the bass sits to the left of your body, which makes the first fret and the tuners unreachable when standing up. It still love that instrument, but it's not for everyone.
Thanks for this review. I’ve been looking at these for awhile, but I think I will pass now.
i honestly don’t understand why gibson stuck with that bridge design. i have the 95 epiphone non-reverse with the backward PJ pickups. it has a fender-like gotoh high mass bridge fitted (possibly not from stock) but it intonates and tunes way better than my standard thunderbird.
Many folks on the talkbass forum think the Epiphone Embassy addresses the neck dive issues of the T-bird, Gibson or Epiphone, while retaining the sound. You might check one of those out.
He already has lmao, personally I disagree with those folks, not a fan of the embassy at all but it has its crowd.
@@sjeffy5137 Right, I somehow forgot that, but I’ll leave the comment up.
@@sjeffy5137 The only knock I can think on the Embassy is it doesn't look groovy as hell like a Non-Reverse Tbird. But it's pretty much superior in every way. A fraction of the cost, better bridge, less neck dive, smaller reach to the nut. Throw some better pickups in there and you are g2g.
@@57precision I played one in guitar center and I honestly didn’t like it at all, felt extremely cheap to me, especially the pots, (wasn’t helped by the action being the guitar center classic of stratospheric) neck felt a little fat and I found the tone to be muted and dull. This is my opinion, but I’m sure some folks will love it.
What is the orange bass to the left of the rick ?
Please just bring back the Ripper for Christ's sake!!!
Too busy making crap like the Rex Brown signature, even though Rex never played a Tbird in Pantera.
My Epiphone Embassy cost 1/3 the price of the TB, didn't have finish bubbling, sounds very similar and doesn't have the horrendous bridge
The epi embassy IMO is one of the best budget basses for the 'gibson' tone and feel experience. $499 USD vs $2200 USD.
How would you compare the playability and comfort to something like a Pbass? I really want a thunderbird sound but in a different body and the embassy looks much better. Im considering it or something like a Warmoth custom
@@AnnoyingOrange420 Get the Embassy, maybe put nicer Tbird pickups in it. The Embassy doesn't have perfect ergos but it is vastly superior to any kind of Thunderbird. A big dealbreaker on the non-reverse is how far forward the bridge is, which means the reach to the first fret is overly long. I'll accept a long reach to the nut as a design compromise to get 24 frets, but this one only has 20.
So... Still better than Hard Luck Kings, right?!
They need to bring back the EB2s
Can't you get the same tones out of an Epiphone Embassy bass?
That's a shame. I wish they'd get a good bass together.
Cure the dive on the EB3 and I'd buy it.
GET EM!!
Great tone despite the low value.
The Epi comparison is a great idea. My cheap, basket case Embassy Pro sounds so much better.
I like the tone of the Gibson. I don’t understand the whole glued neck construction. What does that mean long term? Minimal adjustment, hard to repair, etc. Damn, that’s expensive….
I really think it works much better on guitars. I've got one neck-through bass and no glued-in necks. The idea was that it imparted greater stiffness and stability and greater sustain, but I think that that's more myth than reality.
PRS seems to have realized that its incapable of making a noteworthy bass, why can't Gibson? It's really disappointing to see a lack of attention to detail to this degree in the supposedly new era of quality with Gibson. It's also possible to get a small builder to construct a bass for you at the same price point or a bit less. Regardless, there are better builders out there at a comparable or lower price point. Kiesel is a brand that comes to mind. Sandberg also makes some Thunderbird-style instruments that are generally thought to be pretty superb, though I've not played one..
PRS made fine basses. Jeff Beck's touring bassist used one for years
@@ileutur6863 They don't make them any more and really haven't for years. There's one high-priced signature model in production and there are a few Kestrel imports floating around.
The reach to the first fret is a total dealbreaker for me. Usually when you have a long reach you're compensated with 24 frets (like a Spector) but not on this bass. Archaic design propped up solely on Gibson's reputation as a classic brand.
I tried one recently. The only problem was the neck dimension particularly at the body. The epi reverse t bird vintage is however more budget friendly with a great neck. I can't believe you borrowed a bass and let your cat almost push it over. I wouldn't be lending you a thing
Funny , I started in 1983 with a 1971 Jazzbass , and later bought a new one .
In 2011 I bought a SG reisue in HC , a shortscale .
I can't remember playing Fenders before ......
Fast action , no dead spots , real deep lowdown basses .
The so called neckdive is solved by using a 3 inch broad shouldercovering strap , that also distributes the weight perfectly .
Fender is good , but Gibson won for me by a streetlength . 🤭
The body looks so strange, even compared to the normal Tbird. Is is really proven that it is just a backwards Tbird, or have they made adjustments?
I'm probably wrong about this, but could the bubbling be due to the finish being Nitrocellulose instead of the more modern Polyurethane/Polyester finishes? A lot of aftermarket parts have "nitro safe" in their descriptions since nitro is way more reactive and for lack of a better word fragile than poly finishes.
Edit: just so we're clear, I am not excusing poor craftsmanship or blaming the material used. I just want to know if it is a possible cause.
Yes, but I suspect they didn't let it cure enough before attaching the hardware.
Other companies have been using nitro for 70 or more years. While it could be the root of what were seeing...its just plain bad qc and craftsmanship. Sadly Gibson seems more interested in suing people and pushing the "play the heritage" theme than paying attention to what they are building these days.
This is a place where Gibson should be aware of the problem and find a solution instead of letting ruined finishes out the door on a $2k+ instrument. Hardware interfering with finishes is one thing on a self-build instrument and another thing entirely on an instrument that costs almost as much as a Stingray. (And we all know what EBMM is letting out the door.)
Oh wow is this the first one claw review?
Hardly haha, but they're pretty rare.
Sounds good to me
Fully expected the cat to knock that base off of the stand.
Bibi approves !. Now she just needs to work on proper claw technique !. I see why that bridge is dumb, bass has a cool tone. I think Gibson Les Paul jr sounds better.1900$, no thanks. I never realized exactly how much tonal variety there was with basses until I started watching your videos. I never had the time to play all the basses at GC, but I did spent hours there. Sounds good, thanks Lobster for the review.
Thanks, this review saved me from spending $2000+ .
The feeling is mutual.
I really like the tone but those build flaws and price tag would really put me off. For that money you could buy a Ric.
I can get that bass for £1300 which is very descent price… what to do???!! ;)
I love Gibson basses; though I’d still pass on this model. I’ve seen a lot more interest in Gibson basses lately, so I’m hoping next year they will put some more effort into their bass line.
The Gene Simmons and Rex Brown sigs are they best they have to offer and I wouldn't use one for free.
What the fuck is that bridge
... but it's authentic, man!
Love the bass but for that price i prefer a boutique bass.
Two words, melted butter.
Y'know alot of these things are things I'd call nitpicking, were it not for the pricepoint, if I'm paying that much I'd want some attention to detail.
Sounds nice sure but Epiphone makes an embassy bass with the same pickup style at a lower price.
I like thunderbirds but they’ve never been made well. This is a true reissue. Get a D-Roc
It actually sounded great... but I'm not at all a fan of the non-reverse Thunderbird look. And with all the other problems, no thanks. I'd like to have those pickups in a decent bass. A double cutaway Les Paul would be cool with that pickup config.
Nice aesthetics aside...for almost 2k, there are far better options out there that are of much better quality.
Gibson has been dealing with a lot of issues over the recent past. New ownership made big promises to improve QC and all, but I've not seen it... on the bass side anyway-- perhaps the guitar side of the house has improved? Regarding price, whichever the first US company to offer their core models over $2k (Music-Man?) the others (Fender, Gibson...Rick's a different story altogether) decided to follow suit. Granted, the economy is crap and getting worse-- burdensome government obstacles, etc., it's no surprise prices have jumped as they have. Thanks for keeping it real Lobster!
I’m not sure what it will take for them to make cool basses again. 70s style thunderbirds, Flying V basses, but they probably never will again
Probably a little over a decade ago, I played two different SG (I guess EB-3?) basses at Guitar Center. They were brand new in, straight from the factory. One had the bridge pickup raised so high that it prevented the E string from functioning and the other had fret ends so sharp that after one slide down the neck, I was bleeding. Those, combined with the awful headstock joint thing that always snaps, I'll never buy a Gibson. There is just no way.
I’m disappointed that you didn’t shake your claw at Gibson!!!
Buying a new bass? Wonder why the brand Gibson is never thought about :-)
I swear I remember playing one of these in like 2017 in a Sam Ash. Am I out of my head or am I out of my mind? I also remember it being absolutely terrible lel.
They made these in the 60s too for sure but I’m not sure when else
The bridge can be replaced and those finish flaws are covered by hardware.
Wow....the Giggle factor really misled me on your opinion at the end.
I love when people thought Gibson's notorious QC issues would be magically fixed just because some new people took over.