Thunderbird IV Bass Limited

[gearHed289]

So what exactly is limited about this thing that makes the list price go up $600? The COLOR? 


http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Bass/Gibson-USA/Thunderbird-IV-Bass-Limited.aspx

[drbassman]

Yep!  And they don't even have any.  In fact, they don't have half of the basses in their online catalog in stock or available in the foreseen future.  Some of the basses were limited runs and I think they did them and are finished.  So, logic would have it they take them out of the catalog, no? 

[godofthunder]

  yep nuts ain't it ? They could at least put chrome on it Still didn't stop me from buying one.

[drbassman]

  yep the color nuts ain't it ? They could at least put chrome on it Still didn't stop me from buying one.

I agree.  I would have one if Gibson were on the ball.

[Wilbur88]

I think they've had a few issues to deal with of late.   

[Dave W]

I think they've had a few issues to deal with of late.   

Smuggling fingerboard wood is apparently much easier than just giving their bass customers what they want.

[drbassman]

Smuggling fingerboard wood is apparently much easier than just giving their bass customers what they want.

For sure!

[Lightyear]

I think they've had a few issues to deal with of late.   

Yes, ineed!  Notice that the fingerboard on this beastie is "baked maple"  Err, right - certainly harder to come by over kilned maple than rosewood.....

[Pilgrim]

Maybe they need to buy a license to use Hagstrom's 'Resinator' material, a wood/resin composite that is intended to be very uniform, removing inconsistencies such as dead spots from the equation.

[Dave W]

I'm not sure of the reason behind Gibson's use of baked maple. We know Gibson had their Indian rosewood and ebony confiscated, but it's not as if there aren't other fretboard woods besides maple. I've seen claims that baking or roasting maple stabilizes the wood. If that's true and not just hype, that could be a factor for Gibson, or maybe they just want to make it look darker, closer to the look of rosewood.

Maybe they need to buy a license to use Hagstrom's 'Resinator' material, a wood/resin composite that is intended to be very uniform, removing inconsistencies such as dead spots from the equation.

Maybe hell will freeze over first.    They do have to consider their target guitar market, any composite would probably not be considered.

[Grog]

Smuggling fingerboard wood is apparently much easier than just giving their bass customers what they want.

I met a guy yesterday who is a a guitar narc, dealing with counterfeit guitars coming out of China. Sounds like they are getting so efficient at making Gibson copies, you might have a much better chance of getting one from them. The vintage guitars are getting so real looking, they were able to fool the Burst Brothers at Hollywood Vintage. I got a kick out of his story about him being in a meeting with the Ibanez CEO, trying to curb the counterfeiting of Ibanez guitars. He made a comment about Ibanez counterfeiting Gibson in the '70s, the CEO didn't want to talk about that at all...................

[godofthunder]

My '76 Ibanez Destroyer 

[dadagoboi]

...Ibanez counterfeiting Gibson in the '70s, the CEO didn't want to talk about that at all...................

A counterfeit is a fake sold as the real thing.  I don't think Ibanez ever did that. AFAIK they always put their name on their copies.

[godofthunder]

 Correct Ibanez did brand their products Ibanez. Still didn't stop them from being cut up the docks.

[Dave W]

Ibanez settled out of court with Gibson. IIRC it was Fernandez whose guitars were seized and their necks sawn in half at the docks, thanks to CBS/Fender, all because of the headstock shape.