The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Gibson Basses => Topic started by: Bionic-Joe on August 24, 2008, 10:30:49 AM

Title: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Bionic-Joe on August 24, 2008, 10:30:49 AM
Hey, I don't have the link but I went on Gbase a few weeks ago and saw a lefty Non-Reverse Thunderbird II in MINT condition.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Chris P. on August 24, 2008, 11:07:14 AM
Wow, I think I've never seen one ever!
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Dave W on August 24, 2008, 12:18:23 PM
Found it here: http://www.gbase.com/Stores/Gear/GearDetails.aspx?Item=1888615
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Chris P. on August 24, 2008, 12:48:20 PM
Wow, I would practice 20 hour a day on left hand playing to own that bass:)
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Dave W on August 24, 2008, 12:56:04 PM
Wow, I would practice 20 hour a day on left hand playing to own that bass:)

20 hours a day with your left hand? You'll go blind.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: clankenstein on August 24, 2008, 01:47:13 PM
this is why i need to win the lotterey
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: TBird1958 on August 24, 2008, 02:00:26 PM
 Just flip it and play it righty!  ;)


 20 hours a day with your left hand? You'll go blind. 

  :o  ;D   Nice Dave!
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Bionic-Joe on August 24, 2008, 02:20:01 PM
Wouldn't that be totally cool to play righty????? man!!!!
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: godofthunder on August 24, 2008, 04:00:50 PM
Uh all I can say is HOLY CRAP ! A must have for sure. got flips through his billfold then looks over at the missus............................................oh never mind
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Andrew on August 24, 2008, 07:33:27 PM
I was told years ago that only two Thunderbirds were made in the 60's, one reverse and one non-reverse.

This beauty is $15,000.  :o
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Rhythm N. Bliss on August 24, 2008, 07:57:49 PM
Hmmmm....maybe when my cabin sells....

Nah~ but if I could get the quarter million I was originally asking for it before real estate values dropped one third, then HELL YES!

Hey Andrew~Are those the only lefty Gibson T-birds ever made or were there others??
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Chris P. on August 25, 2008, 12:05:16 AM
If you really went blind because of certain actions involving your hands, I would walk with a guide dog now.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: uwe on August 25, 2008, 12:55:39 AM
It saps your spine before it gets to your eyes.  :mrgreen:

Why didn't they give that poor lefty a matching truss rod cover? He'll break his neck trying to read it upside down.

That bass is rare for sure and probably the only TBird worth that much.

Uwe
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Andrew on August 25, 2008, 07:52:01 AM
Hmmmm....maybe when my cabin sells....

Nah~ but if I could get the quarter million I was originally asking for it before real estate values dropped one third, then HELL YES!

Hey Andrew~Are those the only lefty Gibson T-birds ever made or were there others??

Hey T, other than a few odd "custom shop" pieces it's my understanding that the two are the only lefty Thunderbirds made, and certainly the only vintage ones. I believe the reverse T-Bird passed through Route 66  about 15-20 years back, and they were who I talked to about the pair of lefty T-Birds.
At the time they also had a really rare vintage lefty Les Paul that Gibson only made 3 of; the other two belonged to Paul McCartney and John MacEnroe.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Rhythm N. Bliss on August 25, 2008, 08:12:21 PM
Amazingly rare then, huh? ....& Uwe says it's a good deal.
Sure would love to GRAB it!!!!
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Andrew on August 25, 2008, 10:47:59 PM
Beyond amazingly rare, one of a kind.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Rhythm N. Bliss on August 26, 2008, 12:38:15 AM
Hey Andrew~ Does it bother you as much as it does me that this beauty is right here ready for some lucky bastid to SWOOP & it's not gonna be ME??!!??!!!! (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/LightSnake/aargh.gif)
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Andrew on August 26, 2008, 11:07:41 AM
 :mrgreen: Yes, it's tearing me up that you won't be the one to own this.  :P I think I'd put myself on the list of heartbreak over this before you though Terry.  :mrgreen:

It's a cool bass, but the rarity and cost would put me off playing it, and I need basses I can play. It'll be a great investment for someone though.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Barklessdog on August 26, 2008, 11:22:36 AM
You can have Dolan make you one for $2,000- $2,500
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Freuds_Cat on March 31, 2011, 11:43:50 PM
Found this thread after coming across the aforementionmed bass on gbase. No pics so for the sake of completeness here it is.

(http://liveassets.rationalpathinc.netdna-cdn.com/usercontent/gear/1888615/p1_u35xbwe3c_so.jpg)

(http://liveassets.rationalpathinc.netdna-cdn.com/usercontent/gear/1888615/p2_u01j4byox_so.jpg)

I wonder how much it went for?
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: godofthunder on April 01, 2011, 04:35:32 AM
+1 for Dolan. All I can proudly  say is that the lefty NR now sports a Dasson Badbird  ;) Check out Badbird on facebook :)
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: uwe on April 01, 2011, 04:44:00 AM
Would make  a nice righty except for the knobs.   :popcorn: Lower cutaway could be expanded by one of our resident craftsmen here, small thing really. If he saw(ed) it that way too that is.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: godofthunder on April 01, 2011, 11:37:15 AM
Would make  a nice righty except for the knobs.   :popcorn: Lower cutaway could be expanded by one of our resident craftsmen here, small thing really. If he saw(ed) it that way too that is.
Who would do such a thing ????
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: uwe on April 01, 2011, 12:12:26 PM
Seriously, Scott, I have no idea.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: godofthunder on April 01, 2011, 12:26:13 PM
 Birds of a feather all wearing Badbirds  8) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/3NRstom.jpg)
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Dave W on April 01, 2011, 12:34:19 PM
Who would do such a thing ????

Seriously, Scott, I have no idea.


The late Marv Heemeyer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlZh9-NQEyI
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Bionic-Joe on April 04, 2011, 05:46:58 PM
Oh my GOSH!!!! Those are Tom Petersson's, right??? I painted and restored both the white one and the kerry green one!!! The white one was kick ass but the kerry green one...that had the tone!!!
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: kebo on April 07, 2011, 09:56:58 AM
I know that bass well.  If im not mistaken, that one was prior from the Petersson vault.. - See my column in Premier Guitar in an issue or 2.  I interviewed Tom and this bass was discussed..
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Bionic-Joe on April 07, 2011, 06:29:25 PM
Kev, I think you told me how Tom had strung it righty and had an amazing tone!!! The Kerry Green one was thee first bass I ever fully restored my self!!! (17 coats of PPG Lacquer!!! Sheesh!!) That bass had an incredible tone. Dave Schrader drove up from St. Louis and begged me for it! Then a short while later, he traded it to you, who in turn traded it to Tom P. Small world. I also beleive that white one in the pic was mine as well, as it was one of the best restorations I ever did.
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Freuds_Cat on April 07, 2011, 07:00:37 PM
(17 coats of PPG Lacquer!!! Sheesh!!) That bass had an incredible tone.

So Baz, can I ask you..........  Does fin affect tone?  ;D :mrgreen:                     :popcorn:

Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Bionic-Joe on April 08, 2011, 02:12:41 AM
I'm beginning to think it does not. I think the individual construction and the wood itself has everything to do with it. Like the Kerry Green one: It literally had 1/8th of wood sanded from every inch of it, top, bottom, back of neck headstock front and back...But I put 17 coats of PPG lacquer (mainly because I was new and forgot about grain filler!!!) and even though this bass was thin, it played like a dream!!!!
As for the white one...I had the neck reset, painted it with old school Dupont Polaris White lacquer Lucite. boyt 6-7 coats. It sounds killer...but not like the Kerry green one.
   Now, as some of you may know, I only own 2 Thunderbirds, 2 1965 Thunderbird II's. One is refin Pelham Blue and the other original.
The difference I have found in both of these is...The original sunburst one is somewhat thinner in the neck, not as beefy as th blue one. It has a Great tone...But the refin Pelhem Blue one has a slightly beefier neck and sounds like a P Bass on Steroids!!!! It makes no sense.
  As for pickups differences...In both the Kerry Green Non-Reverse and the Refin Pelham Blue reverse II, I've tried several pickups.....Non really making a difference...It's the individual bass for sure...the wood...where it was grown...humidity factors....tolerances in construction...who constructed the individual bass at Gibson..etc....
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: uwe on April 08, 2011, 04:11:20 AM
I was holding my breath for that finish discussion to trespass forbidden territiry!!! Thankfully not.  :-X
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: OldManC on April 08, 2011, 12:34:09 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=froc88pd-ig
Title: Re: Lefty Non Reverse Thunderbird II
Post by: Dave W on April 08, 2011, 07:57:05 PM
 :mrgreen: