Epiphone Nikki Sixx Signature Blackbird Bass Guitar  

This is a great bass for the money. The tone is excellent and the power this thing puts out is great.  It has a deep tone which I love so if you want a higher sound it will have to be done with your amp. The on/off switch is also very cool, but I do wish there was at least one volume control knob. The finish wears easily giving it some quick character which I like, but it's probably not for everyone.  This bass is built for rockers and I would suggest it to anyone who likes that deep tone. I own a Gibson T-bird and the Epiphone T-bird, and the sound beats the Epiphone easily and is right there with the Gibson.

This is a great bass for the money. The look of this thing is rockin' for sure, and the killswitch is cool as well as handy. The tone is deep and sweet for any rocker. I own both the Epiphone and Gibson Thunderbirds; this bass easily beats the sound of the Epiphone and is right there with the Gibson, but still unique. Everything checked out fine with this bass when I bought it new. Now for the not-so-good: I would prefer to have at least one volume control instead of just the on/off switch, and any tone control will have to be done on with your amp.  This bass is top-heavy and like  to neckdive so I put an extra strap button in place of one of the screws of the bolt on neck and solved that problem. The finish wears easily giving it character quickly which I like, but it's probly not for everyone. All in all, this bass sounds amazing, especially for the price. I would suggest it to anyone lookin' to rock.

This bass is really different from a lot I have played in the past, it has some inherent flaws to it's build, but the sound is really fantastic and unique which makes the bass worth owning. Firstly, the finish is not particularily advantageous to quickly moving your hand about the neck, i find that the matte finish gets kinda sticky after a little bit of playing. Secondly the matte finish is not supremely durable, bumps quickly flake off chips of paint, which is cool only if you're going for a roadworn look. Thirdly, the floating bridge does not make adjusting the action easy or convenient, and the coverplate over the truss rod makes adjustments feel like you're stripping the screholes and damaging the wood. Finally, it has some serious neckdive, but you knew that, it's a thunderbird body. The bass holds it's tune really well, and the bridge was properly placed, factory setup was not bad, but it needed some work and a new set of strings. The features are minimal (to say the least), and the bass really only puts out one sound, but that's not an issue if you have a decent eq on your amp. Now to the good stuff. This bass has a very distinct sound and flavour to it, it's very punchy, and very growly, it twangs and clanks in such a manner that it can really cut throug the mix of a surrounding band. The sound is reminiscent of the band "Tool". Most amazingly the output of these passive pickups far outstips some of the loudest active pickups I have played with. Think "P-bass on steroids". The narrow fretboard width makes reaching the notes for chords or arpeggios really easy, and the "D" shape of the neck really fills you palm for comfort, which reduces  cramps when you really shred. you really need to hear the sound before you buy it, it may not be everyone's taste, but i am very fond of it and it has been a great pleasure to own.

I just bought this bass a few weeks ago because I was looking for a bass with a real growl to it and this is it. Like all Thunderbirds it is neck heavy but that's an easy fix (relocating the strap button). The opti-grab handle works really well but it does take some getting used to. The pictures here really don't allow you to look at how amazing this bass really looks. The iron cross inlays really stand out and the clear pickguard gets awesome compliments. I will admit though, having no volume/tone knobs might get a little annoying to some people when practicing at home but it's the perfect thing for using onstage. All in all it's well built, and is perfect for all the Motley fans looking for a bass that can deliver a great rock sound.