If I was Henry J, I'd regard these as a bit too close for comfort to Gibson's current TB IV.
It needs CHROME! ;D
Aren't most Epis made in China nowadays? Korea has become too expensive, so it's either Nam, Indonesia or China.
If I was Henry J, I'd regard these as a bit too close for comfort to Gibson's current TB IV. Same wood, same pups, same construction, same hardware, same fins. That is asking for cannibalizing sales, not everyone will pay three times as much for a Gibson trc as opposed to an Epi one if everything else is that close.
+1
Any pricing?
I sincerely doubt that the Epi mahogany is a genuine mahogany species.
They have to make money somewhere. If it sounds similar, then that is good enough for me. The active TBird Pros of a few years ago didn't sound bad with ther maple/walnut necks and the mock maho wings.
I sincerely doubt that the Epi mahogany is a genuine mahogany species.
Carlo and I had speculated before that Gibson might be using plantation-grown mahogany from the Pacific Rim, since they don't specify Honduras mahogany in their catalogs. Wouldn't surprise me. But plantation-grown mahogany is still a lot more expensive than mahogany substitutes.
Aren't most Epis made in China nowadays? Korea has become too expensive, so it's either Nam, Indonesia or China.
If I was Henry J, I'd regard these as a bit too close for comfort to Gibson's current TB IV. Same wood, same pups, same construction, same hardware, same fins. That is asking for cannibalizing sales, not everyone will pay three times as much for a Gibson trc as opposed to an Epi one if everything else is that close. My hunch is that these models will either disappear quickly (like the Elitist TBird did) or that Gibson will give its TBird a facelift in the near future.
Bunch of gay pimps you guys are. Gold hardware!!!
I know I'm new here etc. but I took a look at the Epiphone and Gibson website blurbs and pulled images down of both Thunderbirds and the basses are identical barring headstock tweaks to accommodate the Epiphone (or Gibson) trussrod cover. Don't believe me? Take a look. The little white dot on the lower horn, the identical reflections on the control knobs and the end of the headstock. This is soooo lazy!
(http://www.chevril.com/nancyjohnson/Images/thunderbirds.jpg)
...also the NAMM shot shows <shudder>chrome hardware</shudder>.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/dannster_bucket/542717_323169397736180_100001293688150_832582_1699351516_n.jpg)
P
Even though Gibson may not allot enough money to R&D, it's nice to see that they haven't cut their Photoshop budget.
While it'd be nice, I'm willing to bet there won't be any chrome on these when they hit the marketplace.
Gibson's bass department may finally be leaving the 80s. Oh wait, a separate bass department? What was I thinking?
:rimshot:
That's Epi and dates!.............
Gibson got that G-3 out PDQ. ;)
:rimshot:
The Sweetwater guys might be some of the best customer service reps I've ever dealt with. Bless their hearts for being able to put up with as much as I'm sure they do, and still being able to be nice to impatient jerks like me. :mrgreen:
:rimshot:
The Sweetwater guys might be some of the best customer service reps I've ever dealt with. Bless their hearts for being able to put up with as much as I'm sure they do, and still being able to be nice to impatient jerks like me. :mrgreen:
From what I've read, once you buy from Sweetwater, you get repeated calls or emails. They have their fans who love the personal attention, others seem to hate it with a passion. Just about everyone agrees that they deliver what they promise.
In my experience once you buy from any serious on line retailer you will receive regular email from them.
Any successful business knows the best source of new sales is from happy customers. Staying in touch and letting them know what's new can only help. It used to be relatively expensive in the old days of snail mail and printed flyers. It costs almost nothing today.
It needs CHROME! ;D
Just found this, why is the bridge moved so far forward?
Just found this, why is the bridge moved so far forward?
http://youtu.be/LGhepfRlfYg
...you get a good glimpse of the cutaway which is set almost two frets deeper into the lower part of the body. Deeper than on any previous Epi or Gibson Rev Bird. The deeper cutaway forces the pg to be moved back and everything else looks farther forward in relation...
It maketh sense IMHO. And I don't find it that intrusive for the overall look. There is really no good argument for designing a bass with 20 frets of which only the first 15 are decently playable. Ray Dietrich was an auto designer not a luthier, Detroit rest his soul.
Anyway,Madam MimFräulein Rommel will receive a specimen and then enlighten us all with how deep her tender fingers can get into this bass' recessed underside. You can't beat experience coupled with a daring character.
The problem with Epi's change is they ended up with the bridge pickup hard against the bridge. Call me picky but you lose the growl and it sounds thin in that position.
I find it hard to believe that a pickup practically right on top of the bridge would be considered more modern. Putting it there just makes it thin-sounding, not modern.
I'm Epi's defense attorney here.
Jaco would probably disagree, but then who's he?! :mrgreen:
An EB-3 bridge pickup is about twice as close to the bridge as a Jazz-type bridge pickup. This Epi bridge pickup looks even closer. So if you're using Jaco's bridge pickup work as an example, it isn't a fair comparison.
Well that's not sexy AT ALL, is it? ;) Pretty bass...
You can't make me noodle up there! ;)
I'm not Ritchie Blackmore ;D
Mark, once the bass is here I expect you to play it "where the money stops" and where your Nasty co-Habitants don't allow you to play - i.e. up very high - and divulge your intrusive experience here in all gynecological detail! "I pulled her G string up high and she obliged effortlessly." Same applies to you, Xavier!!! No phony excuses.
That, young man, is a very good thing. Heaven starts from the 12th fret on up.
You can't make me noodle up there! ;)
As if Mark was hesitant with his noodle anywhere.
That looks pretty nice. Where are they making these now?
;D
I gotta keep using it or it will think I don't care anymore. ;)
Whats the list on these ?
MF has them for $269 with the $30 off coupon. (the EB-3)
You notice that parts of Ze Kölleckshün are now housed in Seattle where Japanese subs will pick them up one foggy night for dispatchment to Berlin.
I simply demand that you play high register notes on her, Mark!!!
A fair number of Lumber ships were sunk by Japanese subs off the coast of Washington and Oregon early on
"I did post this on TB and then forgot to here ..."
Talk about adding insult to injury, insult to injury, Mark, suitable punishment will have to be administered!
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz0670pEfe1qa70eyo1_500.jpg)
Alternatively, chromatic runs between the 17th and 20th fret might be a good start. Or playing this bass run for several hours on end ... :mrgreen: ... even without an Alembic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB00GTgyxMk
But since your report is so nicely comprehensive - even if only a belated rerun from that other, obviously more important to you forum :-\ -, we'll collectively forgive you. :mrgreen:
Seems like Epi are on to something with that model. I cannot help but see it cannibalize Gibson TBird sales though, so a revamping (read for most of this forum: backdating to chrome and other nonsense) is indeed called for.
Finally a Bird that can be fingered all over - can't wait in lecherous lust ... :P :P :P :P
(with dread) It's full of misinformed people I don't know. Besides Henry J never answered me either. I'm not going out anymore.
(with dread) It's full of people I don't know. Besides Henry J never answered me either. I'm not going out anymore.
...Best 13 seconds of the day ;)
Wow... that long...?
Usually 9 seconds, 13 is a good day ;)
Beside the G3 was a beautiful Ruby Red 4003. It had the standard jack as well as the Ric-O-Sound jack. I thought they had discontinued that?
They just discontinued the Rick-O-Sound box, which was just a splitter anyway.
Today I went to Sam Ash and saw two of the new IVs there. Both were bursts with the lighter shade almost an orange. I plugged one into a Fender Rumble 150 and the thing sounded great! I was really impressed by the EPI and at $499 seems like a really good deal.
They also had one of the new Grabber G3s, which was hung high enough on the wall I couldn't reach it. Beside the G3 was a beautiful Ruby Red 4003. It had the standard jack as well as the Ric-O-Sound jack. I thought they had discontinued that?
Go back, get a step stool and play that G-3!
Somebody here besides me has to see what a kickass bass it is!
I'm erect with anticipation. A Bird with free access down below is what my hands have been craving for. I'm all tactile, you know.
Look at the bridge placement. I think instead of recutting the body, they pulled the neck out a fret or two and the bridge had to be moved. I could be wrong, look forward to hearing what you think.
Wouldn't that make neckdiving worse? Mark already said that this 'bird is flying high! :DYou're right, I just looked at mine, bridge is ALMOST in the same place. Kudos to Epi!(http://i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae241/cata1d0/1977%20Thunderbird/P1050802.jpg)
Also it seems to me that the part of the body where it meets the neck is different.
Circumcision is only skin-deep. Ouch. I never heard that it was done for better access though.
It's one part of my childhood I'm glad I don't recall...... :o
...
Circumcision didn't become popular among gentiles in the USA until after WWII, basically another way for doctors to increase their earnings.
They actually charge a fee to do it? The way I heard it, they only work on tips. :rimshot:
Tell me guys, are all your horrid losses mass-buried in a kind of foreskin Arlington or Pet Sematary?
All-inclusive (= still there) regards
Uwe
I think they get made into some kind of Fast Food product............ I'm not saying which tho!
Cheesy Bits?
I think they get made into some kind of Fast Food product............ I'm not saying which tho!
Well I got the .02 from the GF she likes cut...................Me too :)
Tell me guys, are all your horrid losses mass-buried in a kind of foreskin Arlington or Pet Sematary?
All-inclusive (= still there) regards
Uwe
Something wholesome I believe, is there much difference between the species?
[img width= height=]http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae301/EarlyMemphis/Smileys/SmokingSmileys.gif[/img]
I have no idea, I'm horrible at stuff like that, shiny silver ones? :mrgreen: I told my luthier to upgrade unless the ones in there are good quality already which I doubt.
... and the high register access it enables is really neat, elegant solution!
Compared to my newish Gibbies, it does sound more vintage though, the presence frequencies, while there, are mellower, hazier, as if covered by a thin veil. Are those Gibson TB Plus pups really the newest generation TB Plus? I have my doubts, but maybe it's the pots which I will have replaced.
I don't need anymore cases, Himmel!!!
Keine Lebensraum, Ich weise! ;)
I think the TB Pro is an excellent platform for al sorts of pimping. As was/is the Epi Explorer Bass which with Gibson pups (and upgraded hardware) sounds better than last year's Gibson Explorer Bass (which was by no means a bad release, but that Epi mock-korina has a unique sound the Gibson's maho can't match)
Interesting. I've become very disinterested in my Explorer. Planning to put it up for sale when they disappear from Musicians Friend. It's just "blah" sounding, and the neck sits in a different position than I'm used to. By that I mean, where my muscle memory tells me I'm at the 7th fret, I'm actually at the 9th, etc.
Interesting. I've become very disinterested in my Explorer. Planning to put it up for sale when they disappear from Musicians Friend. It's just "blah" sounding, and the neck sits in a different position than I'm used to. By that I mean, where my muscle memory tells me I'm at the 7th fret, I'm actually at the 9th, etc.
I'm having visions of one of these basses converted to a single pickup T-bird II with a new paint job and chrome. Wonder what spot the neck pickup is in, 60's or modern? Think filling in the bridge pickup route would ruin the sound?
I had some free time before work the other day, so I decided to see if I could try one of these out. I went to both the GC's I can get to and neither of them had one, or even knew they were available. One of them had a used "gothic" one, (not a Nikki Sixx one) but didn't seem to know anything about the one we're talking about here. Are these things that rare, or is it that I need to go to a bigger city?
They'd sell more if they weren't called "Epiphone".
Honestly, I find the name "Epiphone" lame and not a rock-n-roll guitar brand for me at all. Vain I guess, but why do so many swap the truss covers?
If Gibson was going to give 80% of the Thunderbird recipe to Epiphone, they should have just made a less expensive Gibby T-bird and fired out the different finishes on those. I'd also be kinda pissed if I bought a new Tbird for 1600 in October only to see them clear them at 970 for the sake of the 12th fret marker. I just don't grasp their logic.
Honestly, I find the name "Epiphone" lame and not a rock-n-roll guitar brand for me at all.
I'll agree that Epiphone isn't a rock-sounding name. OTOH the TRC swapping is all about making it look like a more expensive guitar or bass, not because the name sounds lame.