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Single-pickup Thunderbird II Custom Shop

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vates:
I am very glad to join this community and here is my first question.

I've seen here and there some pictures (like the one attached) of Thunderbird II basses that've been marked as later (80-s or something) Custom Shop production.
But I cannot find any info on these basses anywhere. Like years of production, numbers, prices, specs, availability, any user thoughts and so on.

Maybe you can help me?

Thanks,

Serge

mc2NY:
That one's mine....(and my favorite "go to" Tbird that I own.)

Gibson did a special small run of these in 1986 for key Gibson dealers in Japan, mostly in Polaris White color with ebony fingerboards. The ones from this run all have the Gibson Custom Shop decal on the back of the headstock.

I was told it was a run of only six but I ran across a post on the internet that states it may have been around 20.

Either way...they are VERY rare. I've seen three of them so far, including mine and the one Uwe owns,  all Polaris White.

...I wish I could find another! I'd actually passed on a second one about a week after I'd bought this one, not realizing how rare it was at the time....and haven't found another since in six or seven years. DUH!!

TBird1958:

 Hey Serge,

Welcome here to the real Gibson bass forum!
And thanks Jon for that cool pic of your bass, that's one 'Bird I still really GAS for  :)

OldManC:
The one I owned (Uwe has it now) didn't have the custom shop decal and didn't show any evidence of ever having been repaired. When I wrote Gibson about it the guy who responded said that they made a few after the Japan run as special orders. I've seen pictures of a black one and a beautiful burst one as well, but all the rest (including mine) were white (or cream now).







 

mc2NY:

--- Quote from: OldManC on November 24, 2010, 11:00:56 AM ---The one I owned (Uwe has it now) didn't have the custom shop decal and didn't show any evidence of ever having been repaired. When I wrote Gibson about it the guy who responded said that they made a few after the Japan run as special orders. I've seen pictures of a black one and a beautiful burst one as well, but all the rest (including mine) were white (or cream now).


--- End quote ---

Looks like a couple of those have rosewood fingerboards?

Mine and the other I could've bought both had ebony.

Hmmmm?

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