Just joined, and wanted to say hello...with a flock of '79 T-Birds

[Kingface66]

I just found your forum, and had to join. Finding fellow-Gibson bass players, alone, is certainly worth it.
I began playing bass back in the mid-80s, when I purchased a '76 ebony Thunderbird (for $400!) and fell in love with it. But, sadly, not enough to keep it, and it went the way of selling and buying, and buying and selling, basses, which continued for the following decades.
Then, about 4 or 5 years ago, I happened upon an ebony '79 Thunderbird. It was in fantastic shape (no headstock crack) and was reminded why I loved these basses so much. So, I bought it. During this time, I began reading the (possibly apocryphal?) claim that Gibson shipped only 7 ebony Thunderbirds in 1979...at least according to the Fly Guitars website http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/Thunderbird_1976.php which quoted Larry Meiners' book "Gibson Shipment Totals 1937-1979". Almost exactly a year later, I saw that another was up for bidding on eBay. So, I bought it.
Flash forward to today, and I'm now looking at this ridiculous collection. All ebony. All from 1979. All sound amazing.
(By the way, The Guitar Dater Project webpage was very helpful in determining on what days the basses were produced at the Kalamazoo plant)

cheers!
Andy

[uwe]

Willkommen, what took you so long?!

[Kingface66]

I've got no excuse whatsoever!
(hanging head in severe shame)

[Granny Gremlin]

very nice murder you have there.

[uwe]

Aren't they all rather much the same shape and color?  You know, there is a rüle here: Thöü shält nicht köllekt für fins oder Jahre der Produktion!!!

Lovely herd of Bicents!

[Granny Gremlin]

You know noffin, Uwe; tis no herd of lumbering bovine, but a group of elegant and alternately disgregarded or feared bird.  An omnivore and not a strict herbivore.  Adaptable to any situation.

[uwe]

Until she got shot with that arrow or crossbow, I thought she was kind of hot with her underbite, fur 'n' all. That Night's Watch chastity oath sure is overrated.

[wellREDman]

I thought she was kind of hot with her underbite, fur 'n' all.

didn't we all

[Kingface66]

didn't we all

(Raising hand) Yup

[clankenstein]

Wow , very nice! What does the engraving on the bridge cover of the top 'bird say?

[Kingface66]

Wow , very nice! What does the engraving on the bridge cover of the top 'bird say?

Good eye, man!
That bridge cover was on the most recent one I picked up. It's got the word (name, presumably) "STRIKER" engraved above the ...what else?....Wiccan Rede:
"An it harm none Do what thou wilt"

[uwe]

Ah, you're an Aleister Crowley disciple!



Gentlemen, we have a satanist among us!



About time too.

[uwe]

Andy, be truthful, do you by any chance like Led Zeppelin too? Sure enough, a most innocent query ...

[TBird1958]

I just found your forum, and had to join. Finding fellow-Gibson bass players, alone, is certainly worth it.
I began playing bass back in the mid-80s, when I purchased a '76 ebony Thunderbird (for $400!) and fell in love with it. But, sadly, not enough to keep it, and it went the way of selling and buying, and buying and selling, basses, which continued for the following decades.
Then, about 4 or 5 years ago, I happened upon an ebony '79 Thunderbird. It was in fantastic shape (no headstock crack) and was reminded why I loved these basses so much. So, I bought it. During this time, I began reading the (possibly apocryphal?) claim that Gibson shipped only 7 ebony Thunderbirds in 1979...at least according to the Fly Guitars website http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/Thunderbird_1976.php which quoted Larry Meiners' book "Gibson Shipment Totals 1937-1979". Almost exactly a year later, I saw that another was up for bidding on eBay. So, I bought it.
Flash forward to today, and I'm now looking at this ridiculous collection. All ebony. All from 1979. All sound amazing.
(By the way, The Guitar Dater Project webpage was very helpful in determining on what days the basses were produced at the Kalamazoo plant)

cheers!
Andy

Lovely group!

Nice to have you aboard, I collect for fins too, used have a black '77.

[Kingface66]

Andy, be truthful, do you by any chance like Led Zeppelin too? Sure enough, a most innocent query ...

Ha!! The engraving was there when I bought the bass! I swear...(on Satan?)

Truthfully, I was kinda bummed at first, but it's such a badass quote, i gotta love it.