With some delay ...

[uwe]

Wow I didn't know that Nikki designed the drawer pull......I mean Opti-grab....speaking of opti is it opti-onal because I don't see it at all. Still I wouldn't mind having one.

That's a good point - they forgot the optigrab on the pictured one!    And adding insult to injury, it's not even featured in the highlights. Of course, without it the bass is unplayable and you won't get that Nikki sound either. Bunch of cheats these Gibson people.***

Still a very nice bass, just played mine yesterday and adjusted the trussrod. As with many new Gibsons they develop quite a neck forward bow in the initial year before they settle down. Truss rod nut was hardly tightened at all.

However good looking, I don't think that its lifespan before deletion will be any longer than the initial Blackbird's. Maybe 2 years? Together with the original Blackbird and the Epi one I now have three Nikki Sixxnature basses (I don't have as many Mötley CDs!), maybe I should start a fan club?

***I think Gibson's official site work is nevertheless improving. Remember how they had the Continental V on their site for years yet never ever even built it? Now they start featuring the Sixxnature TBird about a year after its NAMM introduction and about half a year after having delivered the first ones. That's managing expectations. Be patient Mark. Don't let it, errrm, drag you down ...

[uwe]

One other thing: Did you notice how they have hiked the price of the SG RI on the official site to a stellar 2,419 bucks?  That's 600 bucks more than a reg TBird and even beats the Sixxnature by 20 bucks.

Ouch. Either it's a pricing mistake or sales of the SG RI are so strong that Gibson has an inclination to take the money and run. I love the SG RI and it's a great reissue even bettering on the original, but what makes it a two-and-a-half thousand Dollar bass, bitte? 

[EvilLordJuju]

Gibson has an inclination to take the money and run.
I love the SG RI and it's a great reissue even bettering on the original,
but what makes it a two-and-a-half thousand Dollar bass

I'm stunned that you think the SG betters an EB3 - It is a great reissue, and although it betters the original for volume consistancy it NO WAY betters it for sound.
To me it has a middle of the road sound; just lame compared to the original.

The new thunderbird does look interesting. I wonder how much impact maple wings have on sound and balance.
A heavier body can only be a good thing I guess. I'd certainly like to try that.
Shame about the crosses and mirrored scratchplate though, really don't like those.

[uwe]

The EB-3s and -0s of yore had a truly original but also very much acquired taste sound. For some type of music they were simply ill-fitted - imagine Chris Squire trying to sound like Chris Squire on an EB-3! If, otoh, the SG RI had been around back then, I think bass history would have looked different and we'd seen less of a prevalence of Fender basses. If need be, you could pull off "Roundabout" on an SG RI.

I think there is a reason why the really popular bass models show some versatility (or call it a less radical and determinitve sound) - P Bass, Jazz Bass, Stingray, Ric. The EB-3, for all its magic idiosyncracy, never achieved that place. The SG RI might have though. 

Calling it "lame" is mean!     MOR, yes, but isn't that exactly what would have put it on par with the other basses I named above? 

Uwe

[uwe]

"The new thunderbird does look interesting. I wonder how much impact maple wings have on sound and balance."

It defies expectations. It is neither heavier nor brighter than a modern all-maho TB, in fact, if anything, it sounds a little "thuddier". I've noticed that with my other TB that doesn't feature maho wings as well - the "Zebrabird": Those zebra wood wings do not sound as lively as maho wings would, a pure maho TBird has a brighter resonance. Neither the Sixxnature nor the Zebrabird sound bad by any means, quite a few people will probably prefer their more "closed" and focussed sound; a pure maho Bird just sounds a little more musical and responsive to me.

[Dave W]

Music123 and MF are still showing a list of $2067 and an actual price of $1429. That's up from the $1299 street price a year ago. The Gibson site is probably wrong.

[rockinrayduke]

"Optigrab"..........jeez. Brilliance! Sheer unadulterated brilliance! 

Bass looks cool though.