NAMM update from Chris (Embassy and Tbird content)

[slinkp]

Funny. I'm sure someday the Classic IV will (again?) be regarded as highly desirable among the cognoscenti...

I'm old enough to remember people talking about how "bad" the Fender instruments of the era were (late 70s).  Now a beat-up 1979 P goes for $2k on reverb while a brand-new American Standard P is little more than half that. And it's not like seventies Fenders are rare. They just got old, and thus "vintage", and thus better. Wonder if that will apply to current Epiphone models someday.

[Highlander]

... until Epiphone starts making vintage pros with even cooler custom finishes like Inverness green, frost blue, heather mist and so on.

Inverness Green...

[clankenstein]

Inverness Green...

+1.

[Dave W]

Funny. I'm sure someday the Classic IV will (again?) be regarded as highly desirable among the cognoscenti...

I'm old enough to remember people talking about how "bad" the Fender instruments of the era were (late 70s).  Now a beat-up 1979 P goes for $2k on reverb while a brand-new American Standard P is little more than half that. And it's not like seventies Fenders are rare. They just got old, and thus "vintage", and thus better. Wonder if that will apply to current Epiphone models someday.

We're probably at least half a century away from any Chinese guitars being considered "vintage" valuable in that sense. American guitars and basses still have a cachet that isn't matched by other American-made goods.

You have to like these for what they are now. From the demos I've heard, they're a lot of bass for the money.

[Basvarken]

I think they will be up there with the JCS.
The demand must already be overwhelming, since they've postponed the release twice...

[lowend1]

I still feel that the Thunderbird's "niche" status does not warrant the coexistence of both the VP and the CIVP at virtually the same price point. Unlike iterations of SGs, Les Pauls and P or J basses, the VP is not simply a repurposing of the existing Thunderbird husk with upgraded hardware. It is, in fact, the "faithful" execution of the vintage TBird format and dimensions - headstock, cutaway and all - that a lot of us have been clamoring for - and we are the niche dwellers, after all. However, the Classic IVs that are already in the pipeline will need to be disseminated before going full tilt with production/distribution of the new model, IMHO. There has been no price drop on the CIVP as yet (that I've noticed) to send it the way of the dodo, so I would think that the flow of VPs will remain a trickle until all the holiday "need it now" gift shoppers have been cleared out by selling them the CVIP.
This is not to disparage the Classic IV Pro. It is an excellent instrument - mine will likely remain a "go to" for gigging even after my VP (finally) arrives.

[TBird1958]

Mine showed yesterday, got a little time in with it last night, pretty nice bass! 

[Chris P.]

Nice! I guess the case is an extra?

[TBird1958]

Nice! I guess the case is an extra?

   

Yes Chris, I' didn't order a case as I have quite a few, that's a spare Gibson Blackbird case. 

[lowend1]

   

Yes Chris, I' didn't order a case as I have quite a few, that's a spare Gibson Blackbird case.

It fit? I read somewhere that the VP was too long for the case that holds the "small" headstock basses. I know the Epi part number is different for the VP case.

[TBird1958]

It fit? I read somewhere that the VP was too long for the case that holds the "small" headstock basses. I know the Epi part number is different for the VP case.

No problem with it fitting that case, there's a little less distance between the tip of the head stock and the body is pretty snug in the cutout (which I think is a good thing).

[doombass]

I use a Blackbird case for my Bicentennial. It works really well and has the same snug body fit.

[slinkp]

Man. I really do not need another bass but ... that white one...   

[Granny Gremlin]

I know right!  /giddy teen

[Dave W]

Since when did need have anything to do with it?