Epiphone Special Run Thunderbird IV Limited Edition Silverburstįeatures of current and recent Thunderbird models.Gibson and Epiphone revamped their sites, hiding or deleting information on non-current models and moving the rest of the pages to new URLs.) (Most, if not all, of the following links are broken. The most recent official Thunderbirds produced by Gibson Guitar Corporation: The Thunderbird IV was re-introduced to the Gibson line in 1987 and was in regular production until 2015. After the bicentennial, the Thunderbird was continued as a regular production model until 1979, when it was discontinued once again.Ĭurrent and recent Thunderbird models The bass was offered in tobacco burst, ebony, white, or natural finish. This reissue featured the original body shape and neck-through construction but unlike the previous issues, the bicentennial edition included the new '3-point' bridge and a red, white, and blue thunderbird logo.

The Thunderbird IV was reissued in 1976 as a bicentennial edition. Gibson started producing the non-reverse Thunderbirds again for the public in late 2012. Though fewer non-reverse Thunderbirds were shipped, the original reverse-body instruments retain a higher collector's value. The non-reverse Thunderbird was continued until 1969, when the Thunderbird was discontinued. Also, the expensive neck-through construction was replaced by traditional Gibson set-neck construction. Due to a lawsuit brought by Fender because of the resemblance to the Fender Jazzmaster, the body styles were modified, with the result being called the 'non-reverse' body. The original Thunderbirds (and Firebirds) had a 'reverse' body, with the treble horn extended and the bass horn recessed. In 1966, Gibson changed the Thunderbird's design and construction. There were originally two Thunderbird models, the Thunderbird II (one pickup) and Thunderbird IV (two pickups) The Thunderbird generally features bass humbuckers, colloquially referred to as 'soapbars' due to their oblong shape. While previous Gibson bass guitars had a short scale of 30½', the Thunderbird had a 34' scale equal to that of the 34' scale of Fender's bass guitars. The Thunderbird bass, like the Rickenbacker 4000 series and the Firebird guitar designed concurrently, had neck-through construction: the neck wood runs the entire length of the body, with the rest of the body glued into place, although some cheaper Epiphone models feature a more conventional bolt-on neck construction. Josh Reedy of DecembeRadio playing a custom Gibson Thunderbird onstage. Dietrich (Chrysler, Lincoln, Checker) along with the Firebird guitar, which it resembles in design, construction, and name.ĭesign and construction File:Josh Reedy Decemberadio.jpg At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the Precision Bass twelve years earlier. The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. 4.1 Features of current and recent Thunderbird models.4 Current and recent Thunderbird models.

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