New for 2021

[TBird1958]

Sorry but that bridge really spoils it for me - 3 Point or Death! 

[BTL]

It's a mystery to me why Gibson doesn't switch over to the Advanced Plating Thunderbird bridge and tailpiece now that it's readily available, especially for their US models.

[godofthunder]

  The cow is a riot. No Genes lates cash grab isn't the bass I am talking g about .

[Dave W]

  The cow is a riot. No Genes lates cash grab isn't the bass I am talking g about .

Thank goodness for that.

[planetgaffnet]

It's a mystery to me why Gibson doesn't switch over to the Advanced Plating Thunderbird bridge and tailpiece now that it's readily available, especially for their US models.

As Gibson (allegedly) don't manufacture outside of the US, aren't they all US models?  Or are you saying that only the US market should have a two part bridge and the rest of the world can go swivel on it?

[uwe]

Wasn't Gene on record how he prefers symetric body basses with two horns (LP Junior, Grabber/Ripper, Punisher) to one-horn basses (his blade axe being an exception purely for visual impact, not ergonomics)? Addding helpfully that in the animal kingdom two horns rather than one are the rule too - he obviously never saw a pic of a narwhal(e) ...

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/05/drone-footage-narwhal-tusk-mystery/

Well, I guess a TBird (which I think he only played in the past once - in the Phantom movie) is a "no-horn", so albeit non-symetric it defies the above classification.

And of course, the narwhal(e)"tusk" is actually an elongated tooth (used to daze prey fish by hitting them over the head as I've now learned from the above vid), not a horn.

[Ken]

I'd say Gene was always horny enough to make up for the lack of horns on his basses.

[Highlander]

I guess with all this horn stuff being thrown into the mix, it should be noted that Thunderbirds have always been known for being well hung, and as for length...

[Dave W]

As Gibson (allegedly) don't manufacture outside of the US, aren't they all US models?  Or are you saying that only the US market should have a two part bridge and the rest of the world can go swivel on it?

I'm guessing that Brad was including Epiphone.

Wasn't Gene on record how he prefers symetric body basses with two horns (LP Junior, Grabber/Ripper, Punisher) to one-horn basses (his blade axe being an exception purely for visual impact, not ergonomics)? Addding helpfully that in the animal kingdom two horns rather than one are the rule too - he obviously never saw a pic of a narwhal(e) ...

I know it's hard to believe, but Gene might possibly forsake his symmetric principles if the money is right. Don't be shocked.

[uwe]

Oh Dave, how I hate your low opinions of people! 

I would actually expect a Genebird ($underbird?) to be active. It's not that much a departure from a Punisher which was all mahogany and neck-thru too; he's gonna miss that easy high fretboard access though for all his trademark slides.

I found this here:



He starts playing at 01:20 and it again goes to show that Gene isn't a metal bassist at all, but very much from the late 60ies/early 70ies school of busy pop bass playing.

He's aware of it too:

Was McCartney an influence on bass?

"I didn't think of it like that, but once I'd picked up the instrument I understood where A and G and F were because it was the same layout as a standard guitar. My mother was very sweet and bought me a Gibson SG Standard, a very decent guitar to start with. I had to play it acoustically as I didn't own an amplifier, but I started writing songs with that.

"It was a different style back then, inspired by Lindisfarne, very picky and folky, aimless melodies with no hooks or choruses. Which is why they didn't become a big band... But clearly were it not for McCartney, I would never have understood that the bass didn't just have to hold down the bottom end like the great AC/DC, and it didn't have to be funky like Motown.

"I found there was another thing, almost like a string quartet, where the cello has its own melody against the rest of the instruments. McCartney's bassline in Michelle; it's classical. Classical bass playing is pivotal in the way that he approached it, and that's possibly because he wasn't originally a bass player. He used it as a melodic instrument rather than as a rhythm instrument tied to the drums."

If you want to read more:

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gene-simmons-many-guitarists-call-their-instruments-axes-but-nobody-trademarked-it-except-this-guy

[Highlander]

Just how many final tours or gigs have they played now...?

[uwe]

Less than Ozzy!

[Highlander]

Less than Ozzy!

[BTL]

I'm guessing that Brad was including Epiphone.

Yes, specifically the Embassy and Thunderbird Vintage Pro models.

[Basvarken]

better pics of the GS Tbirds: