Fishy Bird

[TBird1958]

Interesting '90s Bird on Reverb, not sure about it, I think it's fishy aside from the incorrectly placed covers.

https://reverb.com/item/27651959-1995-gibson-thunderbird-iv-limited-edition-vintage-reissue-bass-ebony-board-w-ohc

[Basvarken]

That is not just some checking in the finish what you see at the back of the headstock.

[doombass]

I can sort of buy into the idea that Gibson might have made such a limited run since it did happen in the early 90's (thinking about those 3 pickup gold hardware 'birds they made with that sticker). Questions remain unanswered, why no serial nr? Why is the back finished black? Why have'nt we seen at least one more considering we've scouted the market many years by now? Also I bet those covers are aftermarket. I agree the finish crack is'nt finish alone. Rather an unattended wooden crack.

[Alanko]

That chrome hardware looks to be in worse condition than the stuff on '60s Thunderbirds?

My inner conspiracy theorist thinks that somebody bought a new Epi Thunderbird vintage IV thingy with a cracked headstock. You can buy fake Gibson TRCs online. They used some sort of fuming technique to patina up the hardware, did their best to hide the headstock break and stuck an iffy decal on there as well.

Did Gibson use side-mounted output jacks on Tbirds in the '90s?

[Dave W]

IMHO it's a fake. On top of what's already been mentioned, the finish doesn't look like any 90s sunburst nitro finishes I've seen.

[Basvarken]

That chrome hardware looks to be in worse condition than the stuff on '60s Thunderbirds?

It's nickel.

Did Gibson use side-mounted output jacks on Tbirds in the '90s?

Yes they did. From 1987 on.


I do agree with Dave, that the body finish looks a bit too "fresh" to me.

[OldManC]

That finish sure looks Orville/Epi Japan to me.

[doombass]

That finish sure looks Orville/Epi Japan to me.

To me also. If it was'nt for the laminated neck the case would have been closed IMO.

[TBird1958]

The neck heel is nothing like my Orville, that really looks like a Gibson body = but the finish and hardware? 

[Butcherboy]

https://shop.guitarpoint.de/de/Gibson/1995-Gibson-Thunderbird-IV-Reverse-Bass-Sunburst

....1995 Limited Edition ? .....

[uwe]

Overall, things don't fit together on this bass. Like why would someone ask for the old pups, but not the old TBird look (large headstock, front mounted jack, 60ies bridge), you know how these vintage look weirdos are! 

And we don't even know what's in those pup casings. It's not like they had those 60ies pups lying around in droves at Gibson. Phil Jones told me that for the blond korina one-off TBird he did for himself (now in my filthy hands), he had to go through the chore of winding pups according to 60ies specifications himself (because he didn't want TB Plus). And that was in the early 90ies.

[TBird1958]

Overall, things don't fit together on this bass. Like why would someone ask for the old pups, but not the old TBird look (large headstock, front mounted jack, 60ies bridge), you know how these vintage look weirdos are! 

And we don't even know what's in those pup casings. It's not like they had those 60ies pups lying around in droves at Gibson. Phil Jones told me that for the blond korina one-off TBird he did for himself (now in my filthy hands), he had to go through the chore of winding pups according to 60ies specifications himself (because he didn't want TB Plus). And that was in the early 90ies.

That bass needs repatriation 

[uwe]

But it already is in the Reich! Closer to Francis Buchholz that is, for whom it was originally made until he lost interest in it and it became discarded until Phil picked it up to work on in his past time.

[TBird1958]

But it already is in the Reich! Closer to Francis Buchholz that is, for whom it was originally made until he lost interest in it and it became discarded until Phil picked it up to work on in his past time.

It would have looked good on Francis ( didn't you tell me he did a little time for tax evasion?), it's a shame Gibson never offered them with a bound and blocked neck like that.

[uwe]

The Scorps and their (Luxemburg?) tax office had a tax evasion investigation, but Francis didn't do time. But he got blamed by all the others as the band's de facto financial manager through the years. He is still persona non grata with them.