The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: amimbari on June 26, 2009, 10:58:24 AM
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http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=40780315&albumId=2857802
maybe one of you all have seen one of these before and know which company it was made for??
the body looks identical to my Dillion with that crappy sharp body edge, and neck joint, but everything else is different. pups/knobs, and the lovely CHROME that tbird1958 loves so much...lol
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Headstock reminds me of a Greco, but I couldn't say for sure.
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ya it could have been repainted and they just sanded off the stickers....who knows?... ;D
I hope one of the folks here has seen that knob and chrome config before ( especially if they owned one ) ---
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I don't think it's a Greco, the TRC is wrong and the headstock shape. The pup rings and pups are wrong as well.
Chris P. has/had? a red 'Bird 'ho, perhaps my Internet fiance will chime in on this ;)
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haha Mark, and you with your chrome fetish never saw that config before?
shame shame :o :mrgreen:
it is for sale in Germany, and one of my fellow TB'ers asked about it.
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Not a Greco for sure. Unless it had a complete make-over.
The crest looks the same but other features are way different. The middle part of the body is higher than that on a Greco. Plus the Greco tapers into the body towards the neckjoint. Trussrod cover is different. Knob config is different. Body seems thicker. Bridge is different. Pickups are different.
Maybe a Brice?
I know a Thunderbird fanatic from the same hometown where this dude hails from.
I'll ask him if he knows what this thing is.
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I'd bet it's a Sessions. Those are the first non Ibanez bird copies I ever saw.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/gcarlston/Thunderbirds/SessionsThunderbird.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/gcarlston/Thunderbirds/SessionsThunderbirdbody.jpg)
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That looks like the one George. I forgot about that brand.
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I think that's what Chris P. has too. The PG and the body sure don't seem to like each other so much, of all of my 'Birds I still like the cut of Gibson's body the best esp. my 76's.
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Yep that must be it, George!
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Those pups look like minis!
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thanks a lot guys, I passed this thread on to him, and hope with that new info he buys it from that guy.
so Sessions was just another no-name 70's copy company like all the rest?
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That's a brand name I haven't heard before. Was it a brand belonging to a particular importer or music store chain, or an actual Japanese company?
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Here's a thought... Does anyone have a timeline for "copies" - curious as to where my potential "one-off" comes into the picture...
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I think it was a house/import name but it's been so long since that thread (2003 at the old place) that I can't really say for sure. The few I've seen for sale were all in Europe. I seem to remember them being described as being plywood bodies and not super high quality, but I've never seen one in person so I can't say for sure.
Ken, my Ibanez is a '75 according to catalog scans I've seen. Greco made them at least as early as 1977, which is the year mine was made. They also made them in the late 80's. Most of the major U.S. manufacturers made them as endorsement models in the late 80's and very early 90's, when L.A. glam/metal was all the rage. I never saw those available as regular production models though (and I did look).
Your bird is interesting in that Peter Cook used some 60's vintage style parts (bridge and tailpiece). Maybe you could date it by the original pickups. Have you seen them in any other UK built guitars or basses? You've had it quite a while, right? It'd be great if we could track down its provenance. Might this be the same people: http://petercooks.blogspot.com/ ? Maybe they could help you figure out the background on your bird.
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George... The pups (one died during a "mod" - the other is around, somewhere) were/are Peter Cook Customs, gold plated, like the rest of the hardware, and the only other time I have ever seen them were in John Entwistles basses made for him by Peter Cook, the one that sold for $30,000+, red/yellow vaguely jagged paddle shape, is one - it is on one site but can't get link at present, slow site... vaguely like chrome T'bird pups, but with 4 adjustable poles... I did not think that much of them, which was why they were outed...
That "was" his site, but his partner bought him out years ago - he has long since disappeared off the radar...
I've had her since the 70's and was told she was built around '72, but that may be wrong...?
I know he definitely made 2 6/12 double neck Firebirds but his instruments are so scarce, I have only ever seen one other live and never seen another bass, other than Entwistles...
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Yep, I've got a red Session. And of course googling 'Session' and 'Thunderbird' is impossible.
It's a nice set neck but cheap made T-bird with Firebird-kinda pick ups. I'm busy with this bass making it better. Or worse. I dunno yet;)
Maybe interesting: I have a set neck 400 euro Chinese Tokai at home. Epiphone woods (alder, maple, rosewood) but a set neck. I'm reviewing that one.