are 93 T-birds any good?

[wellREDman]

I'm looking to invest around £2k in a Gibson bass i can hang on my wall and look at, that will not depreciate in value

I'm looking at this bird on reverb, its a bit  younger than i was hoping for, but also a lot cheaper than I was expecting  is there any reason for this? were mid 90s birds pigs for any reason?

https://reverb.com/uk/item/74601496-gibson-thunderbird-iv-1993-vintage-sunburst

[uwe]

Not at all, just not that collectible, at least not yet. And there is probably too many of them in unbroken condition for them to become valuable anytime soon.

You know my theory: If you took a time machine back to the 60ies and left three TBirds - a 60ies one, a Bicentennial and a modern one like you are looking at - in a recording studio, the musicians and the recording engineer would pick the modern one every time for consistency and depth of tone. Not something the vintage gear folks like to hear, but true.

[Ken]

How are the early '90s TB+ compared to the more recent ones?

[uwe]

Less dense. Imagine a slightly brickwalled pup signal for maximal output, that’s the sound of the current generation. The older TB+ had a bit more clarity at the expense of power and perhaps sub-lows. Still plenty rock.

[Ken]

Probably what I liked about the 2001 TB+ compared to my 2013, which I still love.  A friend thinks he has a set he took out of his '91 that he'll give me if he finds them.  Very interested to try those.

[n!k]

I just bought a 1990 Thunderbird and this thread was right about the pickup differences. Made me realize how subtly aggressive the TB+ pups in my '07 are by comparison

[TBird1958]

I just bought a 1990 Thunderbird and this thread was right about the pickup differences. Made me realize how subtly aggressive the TB+ pups in my '07 are by comparison

 

 Have you by chance had them out of the bass for a look? I'm quite curious at to what design of pickup yours may have compared to my '89s originals. 

[Ken]

 

 Have you by chance had them out of the bass for a look? I'm quite curious at to what design of pickup yours may have compared to my '89s originals.

I have sets of 2001 and 2018 here if you want to see anything.

[n!k]

 

 Have you by chance had them out of the bass for a look? I'm quite curious at to what design of pickup yours may have compared to my '89s originals.

They both look like this, neither labeled.

[TBird1958]

They both look like this, neither labeled.

 

 Thank you, they're completely different from what was in my '89. There are at least 5 variations that I've been able to find.

[slinkp]

When did they make the ones that look like split pickups (a coil for the low strings and a coil for the high strings, like a P but different) crammed into the black soapbar case?
I have always wondered what those sound like - and what basses they came in.

My only experience of TB-Plus pickups is in my LPB-1 which I believe is circa 1992. Still my favorite sounding bass.

[planetgaffnet]

This is worrisome:

"Wye Fret is a High-end Rare & Vintage guitar shop based in the Mid Wales town of Hay-On-Wye." 

It's right on the border of England and Wales, but definitely in Herefordshire, England.

As you were.

[Dave W]

This is worrisome:

"Wye Fret is a High-end Rare & Vintage guitar shop based in the Mid Wales town of Hay-On-Wye." 

It's right on the border of England and Wales, but definitely in Herefordshire, England.

As you were.

I'm definitely no authority, but Wikipedia says Hay-On-Wye is in Wales.

[uwe]

Lots of good things come from there:



The language is memorable too:

[Ken]

Are you sure that's not Icelandic?