Gibson Thunderbird II Electric Bass Guitar (1966)
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Item # 11092
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Gibson Thunderbird II Model Electric Bass Guitar (1966), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This imposing bass is a 1966 "Non-Reverse" Thunderbird II, one of Gibson's greatest but less heralded 1960s 4-string classics. The Thunderbird was Gibson's first long-scale bass, specifically designed to try to woo customers already accustomed to the feel of Fender basses. Earlier Gibson basses had been short scale affairs noted for their very dark sound; the Thunderbirds have a much more wide-range tone and put a unique Gibson twist on the 34" scale bass concept Fender had pioneered.
This instrument is a second-try "non-reverse" Thunderbird, a lower-priced, simplified descendant of the earlier "reverse" body line that had been launched in mid-late 1963. These new models were introduced in summer 1965, available for only a few years into the late 1960s in ever-dwindling quantities and never considered a sales success. All Thunderbird basses are all fairly rare and many have been damaged over the years making an original, unbroken example like this all the more delightful a find.
This Thunderbird II is finished in the standard 2-tone sunburst; even in this fairly conservative livery it is a supremely striking bass, built with generous proportions all around especially the slim long-scale neck that seems to go on forever. The huge ax-like headstock mounts four large Kluson bass machines, the first time Gibson had used them. The large, thin-rimmed contoured body is made of mahogany with a one-piece glued-in mahogany neck, making this bass far simpler to build than the earlier laminate neck-through-body Thunderbird design.
The rosewood fingerboard is unbound and dot inlaid like all Gibson basses. The body carries a central white laminated pickguard with a bird logo, Tune-O-Matic style adjustable bass bridge with a separate tailpiece. The single large Thunderbird bass pickup is mounted in the same center body position as the Fender Precision's, not down by the fingerboard as Gibson had previously preferred. All these second series 'birds were built to the same design; the companion Thunderbird IV simply added a second pickup closer to the bridge and additional volume knob in emulation of the Jazz Bass.
Typical for 1966 this bass has a random mix of chrome and nickel-plated hardware; older stock was intermixed with newer parts and installed with no attention paid to consistency. The tailpiece and pickup cover are chrome, while the handrests and bridge are nickel. The copper mute mounting is still attached to the bridge; the felt mute pads are gone.
The pot codes on this particular guitar are not legible but the serial number and features indicate 1966, so this is a prime-year example of this rare 'bird, one of all of 361 shipped out that year. The neck is similar in feel to a Jazz Bass, narrower at the nut but with a noticeable taper as the strings near the body. The "new model" Thunderbird II was initially listed at $239.50 in June 1965, plus $56.50 for the case. This was a full $50 less than the price of the reverse model, and more comparable to the Fender Precision it was intended to compete with. Still, sales remained a tiny fraction of the Fender bass's.
Despite being mostly ignored when new this is a truly great playing and sounding bass, with a very fast low action and powerful midrange punch that slides into overdriven growl when played hard or cranked. Gibson poetically called it a "throaty bass tone". While the "non-reverse" 'birds have often been discounted in Gibson history, they are absolutely distinctive instruments in look, feel and especially sound. Very light for its size, slim-bodied, fast-playing and incredibly stylish, this all-original Thunderbird II is a truly superb example of this oft-underappreciated Gibson model, not for the player who wants to stand discreetly in the background but a bass that demands its own spotlight! Glenn Cornick, John Entwistle, Mike Watt and (briefly) Kenny Rogers and (lately) Geddy Lee are noted as users of this unique bass, ignored for decades but recently attracting enough attention to merit re-issues from Gibson. This example is the finest original we have had, both in cosmetic condition and playability.
Overall length is 51 in. (129.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This bass shows some minor wear overall but remains all original except just the tone pot looks to have been replaced long ago. The finish has some fairly minor checking, dings, scratches and dents with a swath of belt-buckle scuffing on the lower back but no heavy wear. There is one noticeable chip in the upper neck heel, a shallow scratch above it and a couple of "hanger marks' at the base of the headstock. Most importantly, there is NO structural damage or repair; a large proportion of surviving Thunderbirds have suffered broken headstocks and/or body cracks in the thin control area; this bass has NONE of these issues.
All hardware is original and complete, except as noted the tone pot. The pickguard shows some typical shrinkage with cracks at several of the screw holes and a small piece of the upper tip missing. There is also a tiny filled hole in pickguard near the handrest, and as is again typical the black color in the decorative bird logo is partially rubbed away. The nickel plated covers have some wear from hand contact.
The long thin neck is perfectly straight and the angle to the body excellent, which is often not the case with non-reverse Thunderbirds. The original frets show hardly any wear. This is not only one of the cleaner T-birds we have seen, it is absolutely the best player. If you have been looking for one of these imposing 'birds, this is a superb example to consider complete in the original older Reverse-style yellow-lined deep HSC, which is fairly clean and solid with some latch and handle repair. Overall Excellent Condition.
This imposing bass is a 1966 "Non-Reverse" Thunderbird II, one of Gibson's greatest but less heralded 1960s 4-string classics. The Thunderbird was Gibson's first long-scale bass, specifically designed to try to woo customers already accustomed to the feel of Fender basses. Earlier Gibson basses had been short scale affairs noted for their very dark sound; the Thunderbirds have a much more wide-range tone and put a unique Gibson twist on the 34" scale bass concept Fender had pioneered.
This instrument is a second-try "non-reverse" Thunderbird, a lower-priced, simplified descendant of the earlier "reverse" body line that had been launched in mid-late 1963. These new models were introduced in summer 1965, available for only a few years into the late 1960s in ever-dwindling quantities and never considered a sales success. All Thunderbird basses are all fairly rare and many have been damaged over the years making an original, unbroken example like this all the more delightful a find.
This Thunderbird II is finished in the standard 2-tone sunburst; even in this fairly conservative livery it is a supremely striking bass, built with generous proportions all around especially the slim long-scale neck that seems to go on forever. The huge ax-like headstock mounts four large Kluson bass machines, the first time Gibson had used them. The large, thin-rimmed contoured body is made of mahogany with a one-piece glued-in mahogany neck, making this bass far simpler to build than the earlier laminate neck-through-body Thunderbird design.
The rosewood fingerboard is unbound and dot inlaid like all Gibson basses. The body carries a central white laminated pickguard with a bird logo, Tune-O-Matic style adjustable bass bridge with a separate tailpiece. The single large Thunderbird bass pickup is mounted in the same center body position as the Fender Precision's, not down by the fingerboard as Gibson had previously preferred. All these second series 'birds were built to the same design; the companion Thunderbird IV simply added a second pickup closer to the bridge and additional volume knob in emulation of the Jazz Bass.
Typical for 1966 this bass has a random mix of chrome and nickel-plated hardware; older stock was intermixed with newer parts and installed with no attention paid to consistency. The tailpiece and pickup cover are chrome, while the handrests and bridge are nickel. The copper mute mounting is still attached to the bridge; the felt mute pads are gone.
The pot codes on this particular guitar are not legible but the serial number and features indicate 1966, so this is a prime-year example of this rare 'bird, one of all of 361 shipped out that year. The neck is similar in feel to a Jazz Bass, narrower at the nut but with a noticeable taper as the strings near the body. The "new model" Thunderbird II was initially listed at $239.50 in June 1965, plus $56.50 for the case. This was a full $50 less than the price of the reverse model, and more comparable to the Fender Precision it was intended to compete with. Still, sales remained a tiny fraction of the Fender bass's.
Despite being mostly ignored when new this is a truly great playing and sounding bass, with a very fast low action and powerful midrange punch that slides into overdriven growl when played hard or cranked. Gibson poetically called it a "throaty bass tone". While the "non-reverse" 'birds have often been discounted in Gibson history, they are absolutely distinctive instruments in look, feel and especially sound. Very light for its size, slim-bodied, fast-playing and incredibly stylish, this all-original Thunderbird II is a truly superb example of this oft-underappreciated Gibson model, not for the player who wants to stand discreetly in the background but a bass that demands its own spotlight! Glenn Cornick, John Entwistle, Mike Watt and (briefly) Kenny Rogers and (lately) Geddy Lee are noted as users of this unique bass, ignored for decades but recently attracting enough attention to merit re-issues from Gibson. This example is the finest original we have had, both in cosmetic condition and playability.
Overall length is 51 in. (129.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 34 in. (864 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
This bass shows some minor wear overall but remains all original except just the tone pot looks to have been replaced long ago. The finish has some fairly minor checking, dings, scratches and dents with a swath of belt-buckle scuffing on the lower back but no heavy wear. There is one noticeable chip in the upper neck heel, a shallow scratch above it and a couple of "hanger marks' at the base of the headstock. Most importantly, there is NO structural damage or repair; a large proportion of surviving Thunderbirds have suffered broken headstocks and/or body cracks in the thin control area; this bass has NONE of these issues.
All hardware is original and complete, except as noted the tone pot. The pickguard shows some typical shrinkage with cracks at several of the screw holes and a small piece of the upper tip missing. There is also a tiny filled hole in pickguard near the handrest, and as is again typical the black color in the decorative bird logo is partially rubbed away. The nickel plated covers have some wear from hand contact.
The long thin neck is perfectly straight and the angle to the body excellent, which is often not the case with non-reverse Thunderbirds. The original frets show hardly any wear. This is not only one of the cleaner T-birds we have seen, it is absolutely the best player. If you have been looking for one of these imposing 'birds, this is a superb example to consider complete in the original older Reverse-style yellow-lined deep HSC, which is fairly clean and solid with some latch and handle repair. Overall Excellent Condition.