Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass 

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

This is the 16th bass I have owned. Most are Fender models, but I have a few other styles and makes. The Epiphone Thunderbird is an awkward feeling bass to play compared to a fender with its body and arm contours.
I like the sound of the pickups and the neck feels pretty good. I have no trouble with it staying in tune and intonation is right. There's some type of flaw in it's neck that won't allow it to be perfectly straight. I have to leave a little bow in the neck so that the G string won't buzz on the upper frets. Maybe filing a fret will fix it, have not tried yet.
Overall, its got a pretty finish and its classic Thunderbird design is nice to use. For a cheap bass, you can't really beat it.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

When I bought this bass I only had enough for the bass, and shipping. No warranty. When I opened it a couple days had passed so I couldnt send it back. I was very dissapointed. The way they put the bass together was terrible. Some large amount of money later, after having it fixed, I love it! Amazing sound, everything about this bass is great. Make sure though if you buy this bass, GET THE WARRANTY! JUST IN CASE!!!!!

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

This is a very solid bass. Good tone, good feel, no complaints for the price point.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

This is my second review of these basses. I have purchased 2 more since. IF you look around you can find them cheap. As I said in my first review one of mine is the white one with the chrome pickups. They are standard guitar sized pickups so you can find chrome humbucker surrounds that really make it look great. I bought another Black and a Sunburst. The black one was a little beat up but got it for a song with the hardshell. I typically modify my guitars (see the Harley TB in my previous posting). I decided the Black one was a little 'bland' so since it was so cheap I decided I'd bling it a bit. As I said in my previous posting the pickups are different the black to chrome, both can sound great and with the same configuration of 2 Vol, 1 Tone you basically have a Jazz Bass with humbuckers so you have that same type of versatility of sound and remember your AMP has EQ too so you can dial in a ton of tones. They come from the factory with no tension on the neck so you always need to crank the truss rod a few turns which changes the action nicely and then adjust the bridge and all of mine you can breathe on the strings and there's no fret buzz. I have over 60 guitars/basses and I play these exclusively. I did want to add I bought the 3 point replacement bridge in gold for the sunburst one and changed the rest of the hardware to gold and used gold metallic tape to cover the pickups and it looks killer. I highly recommend these. They are lighter than the Gibson and sound 'close enough' for 1/4 the price of the Gibson. ALSO if you move the strap button to one of the neck bolts the neck dive diminishes alot, not completely, but wAY more liveable. I am very happy with all 5 of mine and have no plans of ever parting with them. The ONLY problem I have is deciding which 2 to take to a gig.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

I have had this for four years now and basses come and go. But im keeping this for ever.
It was the seccond bass i ever owned and I have gone through 4 since than but I always come back to this.
I upgraded my pickups and its prefect, if you are begining or experienced I could recomend this is the bass for you.
The only con is its large and top heavy, but im a big guy and does not bother me non.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

I own 3 of these. 2 of them have the black pickups and the other is the white one with the chrome pickups. As a side note they are standard humbucker size so I got chrome surrounds for mine which really made it look great. There is a significant difference between the 2 pickups. The black ones aren't as loud and are more round and warm. The chrome ones have more punch and seem more defined. They do sound quite different yet they both sound excellent. I like the chrome ones a little better for my taste. Moving the strap button to the neck plate really fixes the head dive. Not completely but makes it liveable. I am a guitarist as well and have played Gibson Firebirds since the 70's and go back and forth so I have a large collection of guitars and basses but I found my first Tbird for $100 kinda beat up and fell in love with it and bought a sunburst and a white one. I am totally happy with them and you can get ALOT of different tones from them between the knobs on the guitar and eq on your amp. It's a versatile bass it you know how to work your eq.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

This guitar not only feels great, but has awesome sound. I would definately buy it again.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

I got a Vintage Sunburst model about a year ago and i love it. Plays great sounds great, its tough too, stands up to gigging on a regular basis nicely. I loved it so much i wanted another one for my back up so i ordered the Arctic white poly model. When i got it label said it was "Alpine white" why does site say arctic and actual bass say alpine? thought that was weird. I was totally bummed cause white bass does not sound the same as the vintage sunburst model. Must be different pickup from the black to chrome finish. I should have returned it but i kept it cause its just my back up and it looks killer. When i got the Vintage sunburst model it was ready to play out of the box, the arctic white model i had to mess with quite a bit and actuly i still havent got it setup the way i would like. Neck had a wicked bow, after messing with the truss rod a bit ive gotten it better but still not perfect like i would want it to be.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

My first and most trustworthy bass. Though it's very neck heavy (and if you buy it, I highly recomend strap locks), its tone and beauty makes up for it. When I started playing out and about, it had limited portability because of it's weight and bulkiness, and I had to get a lighter bass. But whether you're practicing or jamming with friends, its an excellent bass and its price is great for people who want a great bass for a low price.

Comments about Epiphone Thunderbird IV Bass:

I have received many compliments on the tone and sound of this bass. Even as good as the G&L Tribute bass I used to have. It has a warm, well rounded low end, but still cuts through the mix and isn't muddy. It's got some growl to it, if you want that in your mix. I was only expecting 1 or 2 tones from this bass, but there's some more in it. All depending on your tone setting(s) and which pickup(s) you're using. The bridge pickup has more low end than I expected from it. Most bridge pickups on the basses I've had seem to be too weak. I like the output of both pickups on my T-bird. The look of this thing is just plain awesome. Not too radical, but different enough to make you stand out. It's not as heavy as I was expecting it to be. It's lighter than my Les Paul bass, in my opinion. If/when my T-bird wears out, I'd go buy another one! It's now my main bass. I love it and would recommend it to anyone. At least try to find one in a music store & check it out for yourself. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, but I would strongly suggest you give a T-bird a shot. Get the T-bird case or a coffin case. I think they're the best 2 fits for the different shape of the body.
Likes: The curved edges of the pickups are a great place for my thumb to rest . The neck is a little wider than my Les Paul bass, but for me I liked it once I got used to it. Shape of the body is cool looking, but also allows a little easier access to the higher frets. I just think the headstock is really cool too, yeah, it makes it neck heavy, but I can deal with that. It's not that big of a deal to me. If I used a different strap, it probably wouldn't be an issue at all.

Dislikes: Not a big fan of the 3 point bridge, BUT the tone of this bass makes up for that. I just think the bridges are harder to adjust on these than what comes on the T-Bird Pro & Les Paul Special basses. The tuner keys are a little too close together, in my opinion. Would like to have them spaced out a little more, but then I guess the headstock would really be huge then! I can live with it though. Fairly minor dislikes overall when considering the bass all around. I always would like to have more finish/color options available, but what Epiphone has right now is OK.
I got my T-Bird used so I cannot speak of initial quality. It seems to be put together pretty well. Mine has a nick here and a ding there, but that's to be expected after some time and use. I do happen to like the sound of the stock pickups. I don't plan on changing them out. The tuners on mine seem to hold tune pretty well. I go with standard EADG.
I think for the price of these guitars, they are a great value. I have a Dean Hillsboro jazz bass that's the same price as the T-birds. I think the T-Bird is a better value, and I prefer it over the Dean.