The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: dadagoboi on June 13, 2013, 08:10:00 AM
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=161045065107&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123
Anyone else think the side strap button location is off?
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Nice looker! I wouldn't know about the strap button, price is crazy high though.
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Strap button is way off. If original, it's nice to see Gibson is consistent in it's inconsistency.
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White Thunderbird = Drop dead Sexy!
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If you scroll down there's a pic of the back of the bass with an additional strap button on the neck heel too. It was also marked as a factory second for some reason.
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The picture of the inside of the control cavity - unusual marking that looks like a large "knot" to the lower left...?
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Anybody else think that "finish crack" is a harbinger of things to come?
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That bass is refined with the strap button hole filled! Nice crack in the headstock. Correct me if I am wrong but shouldn't the raised section on the headstock be black? A true '76 would have a decal serial #. Silly, silly money I wouldn't touch it.
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That bass is refined with the strap button hole filled! Nice crack in the headstock. Correct me if I am wrong but shouldn't the raised section on the headstock be black? A true '76 would have a decal serial #. Silly, silly money I wouldn't touch it.
The headstock is correct for a '77, no white ones were shipped in '76. Mine also has a stamped serial number. Doesn't say "second". Nut is not original on that one. There's a lot of paint on the white ones. The raised part of the headstock is black plastic so it took quite a bit to cover it, it's definitely possible the crack is just in the poly. You can see how much paint has chipped off mine. The original owner did quite a bit of touch up on it.
As far as the price, it's high. But that's the first white one I've seen on EBay. Only 136 were made. If I didn't own one I'd be seriously considering making an offer. I'd been looking for 5 years before Dave happened across an unbroken one.
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/1977%20Thunderbird/P1050791.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/1977%20Thunderbird/P1050791.jpg.html)
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Carlo I was hoping you would post the headstock of yours. Thanks! There sure is a lot of paint on those ,looks pretty thick by the headstock crack.
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Carlo I was hoping you would post the headstock of yours. Thanks! There sure is a lot of paint on those ,looks pretty thick by the headstock crack.
It's very thick on the entire bass, I might give the headstock the benefit of the doubt pending a close inspection. But the strap button has to have been moved. I remember mine pulled out more than once.
What color is the Bicentennial serial number decal? If it's white that might be why they stamped the white ones. I can't remember if my original '77 was stamped or decalled but that was 36 years ago;D
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The decal was a clear oval with gold lettering.
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The decal was a clear oval with gold lettering.
Thanks! Here's mine
(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/1977%20Thunderbird/P1040323_zps3f78f917.jpg) (http://s976.photobucket.com/user/cata1d0/media/1977%20Thunderbird/P1040323_zps3f78f917.jpg.html)
Gibson didn't use clearcoat over white so a decal probably wouldn't have been a good idea.
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That serial number looks to be in the traditional Thunderbird location but the one in the auction has it on the end of the headstock like a EB. and the numbers are so crooked.
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The s/n location on Carlo's is different than my '77, (like the auction) weren't some produced in Nashville and most in Kalamazoo?
Not that they haven't always been all over the place QC, but wasn't this about the worst time?
My others are a '76, the green one which *had* a decal and the purple one which likely was a '76 too since it also had a decal, tho I thought I'd heard some '77s had them as well.
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It's getting close to time to sell my 76 bird. that's close to stupid money for that bass.
other than the bicent collector's attraction it's just an ok bass.
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Stickers were used (but again, not always) in 75-77. I've never seen a 76 with a stamp but I have seen stamped '77s and I almost bought a stamped '78 (which don't exist according to most estimates that list 76-77 and 79 model years). That went to someone at the old place but I can't remember who. I just remember I had so many Thunderbirds at the time I just couldn't justify buying another one. Those were the days!
- From 1975-1977 the number is typically found on a decal on the back of the headstock. This should be an 8 digit number that can be dated by the 1st and 2nd digits as follows:
99 = 1975
00= 1976
06 = 1977
The stamped birds I saw followed the typical numbering scheme, even when stickered '77s didn't.
- In 1977, Gibson introduced the serialization method that we primarily use to this day at Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, and the Gibson Custom facility in Memphis, TN.
The serial number will be an 8 digit number impressed into the back of the headstock with "MADE IN USA" below.
The pattern is as follows:
YDDDYRRR
YY is the production year
DDD is the day of the year
RRR is the factory ranking/plant designation number.
Prior to 1984 when the Kalamazoo, MI factory was closed, the numbers 001-499 indicated Kalamazoo production. Ranking numbers 500-999 continued to indicate Nashville production through 1989.
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Support/SerialNumberSearch/Default.aspx
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I'm pretty sure my purple one is a decaled '77, for some reason I recall an 06 s/n. Of course most smart folks write the bass' s/n down and keep it in a safe place *before* they send it off for a refin.......... :sad:
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My '76 00-number has the gold lettering on an oval decal.
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That serial number looks to be in the traditional Thunderbird location but the one in the auction has it on the end of the headstock like a EB. and the numbers are so crooked.
I had a '79 with the serial number at the tip of the headstock like the one in the auction, no "second" stamp though.
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Headstock crack...not worth it..He's another knucklehead.
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He's probably only selling it so he can afford to buy that $6K T-bird Studio 5er. ;)
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One of mine is a '77 and has a sticker:
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/splatbass/Instruments/thunderbirdserial_zps150149aa.jpg)
The other is a '76 also with a sticker. The '77 Has a big, deep (through the finish) stamp at the neck heel that says BGN, which apparently was for factory seconds and stood for "bargain". At this point in time 36 years later it is impossible to tell what was wrong with it, since there are lots of dings, etc.