White 1977 Gibson Thunderbird

[Bionic-Joe]

Check this out:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-Gibson-Bicentennial-Thunderbird-Bass-OHSC-Rare-White-/330616833857?pt=Guitar&hash=item4cfa4c8741#ht_5104wt_1172

[godofthunder]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dats nice! A couple of Thunderbuckers and your all set. Man I can't believe what folks want for these now. In the 80's and 90's they were 400 bucks. I like , I mean really like it but not 3.5K worth of like. My black unbroken '76 only cost me $880.00. 'Course I had to put Steve's Thunderbuckers in it as it came with TB Plus pups, but still.

[Bionic-Joe]

Yeah...If it wasn't cracked and if it wasn't a second...I might have been tempted......

[godofthunder]

I just keep repeating no upper register access,no upper register access,no upper register access. Besides Overend played a II.

[dadagoboi]

That was my first new bass after my Kent/Teisco POS.  None was shipped until mid '77.  I had a deposit on a black TBird when our singer who worked at Betnun's Music in Hollywood called and told me they had just received a white one.  I said "YEAH!"  As soon as I got it I took off the goofy Bicentennial pick guard and made myself a black one.

I missed it for quite a while but am much happier with Baz's '65 IV now, especially considering the asking price for a refin with broken headstock.

[eb2]

I am never surprised by what people ask, and occasionally surprised by what people pay.  Seconds from Gibson never bother me, but a headstock break (minor? What does that mean?) makes any guitar worth substantially less than the non broken. This thing is nose bleed.

[the mojo hobo]

Is it normal that the bridge ground wire is painted on these? Could this be a re-fin?

[bobyoung]

Really nice looking bass.

[godofthunder]

My memory might be a little hazy but I seem to remember Gibson "second" stamped 2nd. Also shouldn't the serial # be stamped along the bottom edge of the headstock ? That's where it would be on a '79. '76s have the decal, just when did they switch to the stamped serial # ? Come to think of it I thought '77s had a decal also.

[OldManC]

Scott, I'm pretty sure they changed over to the stamp in '77, so some have the 06 sticker and some have the 7xxx7 stamp.

[doombass]

I'd say there's not enough  figures in that serial nr for being the present system. My guess is that they did a refin of the headstock during the repair and someone tried to duplicate the decal nr. It starts with 00 like a '76 but there's still not enough figures unless they stamped them outside the camera view on that pic.

[dadagoboi]

According to Fly Guitars, no white RIs were shipped until '77.  Mine was the first I ever saw, it didn't get to Betnun's until around June '77.  I can't remember if it had a decal or stamped serial number
http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/Thunderbird_1976.php

This is Dec 4, 1977

[Bionic-Joe]

The stamped serial numbers were at the tip of the headstock. Decals are under the e tuner.

[TBird1958]

 I have two '77s the purple one was a decal, the black is stamped - and just a question then - where they all made in Kalamazoo? Or some in Nashville?

[OldManC]

it didn't get to Betnun's until around June '77.  

As in Betnun's on Larchmont? I bought a late 70's BC Rich Eagle there in 1981. That was one funky music store!