New Epiphone Thunderbird video

[TBird1958]

Our Aussie Kat 888 posted this on the club thread on TB
I haven't heard it with sound yet as I'm at work, sure looks nice!

[bassilisk]

I think that's pretty cool indeed.

Of course all of you with the real thing will have to weigh in for a true tonal comparison.

Me likey!

[Highlander]

V

[uwe]

Anybody who plays Rainbow's Stargazer riff on a TBird demo is my man! 

[FrankieTbird]

Pretty sweet!  I bet it sounds better than the recent Gibsons with the doodyish black plastic pickups.  Although I must forsake buying one because, although he did mention some great bands and played some cool riffs, he neglected Mott the Hoople and the NY Dolls.  But if they ever decide to put out a single-pickup version, then I may be tempted to pick one up.

[Chris P.]

It sure looks cool!!!!

[TBird1958]

Funny that the same day the video comes out I get a voice mail from my Sweetwater Rep saying that Epiphone doesn't expect them until September now. Oh well 

[gearHed289]

Sounds good to me! Cool song choices too.

[Basvarken]

Great. I thought I was safe from GAS.
Now this... 

[Basvarken]

This ain't helping either...

[bassilisk]

So the question remains - how close do they sound to the real thing?

Or are they far enough away to warrant a $400 pickup upgrade?

[4stringer77]

The whole bass just costs $399. What are they paying the Chinese that make these things with? Anything, a sack of rice or maybe just the end of a bullwhip? No wonder Gibson isn't making basses.

[Dave W]

The whole bass just costs $399. What are they paying the Chinese that make these things with? Anything, a sack of rice or maybe just the end of a bullwhip? No wonder Gibson isn't making basses.

Of the two, I'd rather have the Embassy. The lower price is a bonus.

Gibson has a couple of state-of-the-art factories there. No doubt they pay the prevailing wages. We may think the price is ultra-low, maybe because of the classic styling, but there are plenty of other MIC basses in that price range. No reason for the Embassy to be any different.

[4stringer77]

The workers in those factories may be enjoying a relatively comfortable standard of living, still having instruments offered at such a low price here effectively undervalues and undermines the rest of the domestic market. It makes me upset that it's taken for granted and people drool over getting these cheap basses while other producers large and small have to languish. I can't buy one of these thunderbirds or Embassy basses in good conscience without considering the economic ramifications.

[patman]

At this stage in my life I would consider a Gibson if it were priced reasonably...

$2500 in my book is utterly outrageous for a T Bird.

If it were competitive with Fender and RiC offerings, they might sell a few more.