Rex Brown Tbird?

[ajkula66]

I would love to see another short scale bird .

+ 1 and then some....

[uwe]

- 10  and therefore as (un)necessary as an extra-long-scale 5 string-Höfner. 

Everything about a short scale TBird looks, feels and sounds wrong. Unless you're petite like her and look good in a leather jump suit (in case you wonder: it's a 70ies Greco)!



I think there is no bass other than the TBird whose design, visual appearance and sound is as much determined by the long scale ingredient. A short scale neck-thru? Gruesome.

Not trying to spoil the party, but the short scale TBird that Gibson offered for a millisecond a while ago felt and looked underwhelming. It sounded ok as short scale basses go, but not really different to what an LP Junior or SG Bass shorty would offer just as well (and then also look the part!).

In this (rare) case I'm an originalist (Dave will rejoice!): A TBird is based on the original Raymond Dietrich reverse design (and not what Gibson did to it later, simply tackering the established name Thunderbird on to it), meaning ...

- it's long scale,

- offers a neck-thru construction &

- is made of maho.

Other ingredients and characteristics are open to discussion, those three are not.

[Dave W]

Yeah, I can't see another short scale Thunderbird, even for Suzi Q.

[TBird1958]

I played Uwe's a bit before sending of to Ze Collection, hadn't given it much thought until playing this custom painted on a recent visit to California.

[morrow]

I'm around six feet , medium sized hands and never had any problems with 34 in basses , but after getting used to short scales I really do prefer them . I 'd expect to feel somewhat awkward in a leather jump suit , but you never know ... The long scale I play the most is an old Stingray , but it feels strange now . It used to feel like home .
So I doubt that I'd spend much time on a long scale Tbird , although it's a classic bass that I've never owned . And that's why I'd love to see the mini version , although I'd hope it would be neck through , with the raised center section  , classic brown burst and hopefully a vintage style two part bridge .
So I'm not really expecting Gibson to release one , and understand why the aficionados would take umbrage to the thought . And for the present I have two Gibson , and two Epi shorties .
Still...

[uwe]

Short scales are great on the D and G string, the E string and sometimes the A string are the issue. Long scales are great on E and A, it's D and G where the issues are.

For certain types of music a short scale is fine and even better (in my Stones tribute for instance), more expressive than a long scale. But if a foundation building on playing a lot of tense E and A string notes (that also offer a lot of rebound) is your thing, then you're better served with a long scale. I agree though that a short scale is very often just more fun to play. And even gifted players such as Macca, Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser and Jim Lea never sounded as idiosyncratic playing long scales as they did with their shorties. It also disciplines you to not lean on the E string sound too much (always an easy and convenient/lazy solution, nobody will complain to you about that choice), you tend to go to higher registers where a short scale is more warm and vibrant than a long scale.

And if it's not a TBird sound and feel you're looking for, but just a TBird look, then of course a short scale TBird can be just as effective as an SG Bass.

The long scale rev TBird with its neck-thru construction and center block has this cello effect in the upper registers (no one in this forum seems to care about except me), less attack, but the notes sing. You can get close with it to a short scale high register tone like you never could on a P Bass or Stingray. It's why I like it so much.

[uwe]

Do I detect a beginning elementary school teacher look/aura, Miss/Fräulein Feld? 

[Pilgrim]

Somehow that Tbird looks very different on Mark than it did on Suzy.

On Suzy it looked like it was as long as she is tall, so she is kinda dwarfed by the bass...but Mark is a tall guy girl!!

Uwe's LGBTQ-woke edit!

[4stringer77]

Mark is also holding a short scale.
Is it just me or does this thing have way more clarity, sizzle and grind compared to regular TB+ equipped birds or the Gene bird for that matter?
Going by this demo, I'm hearing a sound closer to what a modernized version of the old sardine can pickups should be.

[Basvarken]

I'd love to build a short scale Thunderbird with nine ply neck-through and tapered wings.
Just everything the same as the real sixties T-birds, except the scale.
That would be wicked!

[TBird1958]

Do I detect a beginning elementary school teacher look/aura, Miss/Fräulein Feld? 

Hot for Teacher! 

I'm aging rather disgracefully!   

Was trying to be comfy as we had travelled to California and I needed to be dressed all day long, not easy!

[uwe]

 Even comfy, you still ooze class, no worries! 

Time for afternoon detention with Miss Feld, kiddies!

[TBird1958]

A little something to make detention more pleasant.

[uwe]

Way to go, Fräulein Rommel bridging the West Coast - East Coast gap!

[Chris P.]

I guess we've all seen the news Pantera will tour again, so we might actually see this Bird in action!