Epiphone Thunderbird Classic-IV Pro Bass
SKU: 043-05209-AW
The Thunderbird IV was first introduced in 1963 and instantly became one of rock’s most recognizable bass guitar designs. For almost five decades, the Thunderbird has powered artists as varied as Nikki Sixx, The Who, Kings of Leon, Cheap Trick, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan and The Silversun Pickups. Turn on your radio and you’ll hear a Thunderbird bass. Now, Epiphone takes all the vintage mojo of the original Thunderbird IV and sends it flying into the future with Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers with ceramic magnets and all the ’Bird’s original styling and features intact.
The Thunderbird IV was one of the most radical designs to come out of the Gibson and Epiphone Kalamazoo factory in the early ’60s, thanks to legendary automotive designer Ray Dietrich, who was asked to put a new twist on solidbody guitars and basses. The sound of the Thunderbird IV was as cutting edge as its design and now the Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO returns with all of Epiphone’s first-class quality and a lifetime guarantee, but without the hassles of owning (or hiding) a vintage instrument.
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers
- Historic 60’s era Thunderbird profile
- Classic 3-point adjustable bridge
Timeless Thunderbird Design
The Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO features mahogany body wings and a rock-solid, 7-piece mahogany/walnut neck with through-body construction for amazing sustain and articulate tone. The Classic-IV PRO’s neck has a 1960s-style rounded profile, which makes it easy to play without sacrificing the tone that comes with a full-size bass neck. The mahogany/walnut neck has a 34” scale length, a 12” radius, 20 medium-jumbo nickel/silver alloy frets, a 1.50” nut, and pearloid “dot” inlays. The body is finished in beautiful Alpine White or classic Vintage Sunburst. The iconic reverse headstock is one of the Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO’s most outstanding visual features with a trim that matches the color finish around a black headstock. The truss rod cover also features “Epiphone” in gold typeface.
The Power of the Thunderbird
The Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO features Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers with ceramic magnets. Ceramic magnets are a perfect choice for the classic Thunderbird sound for their high gain, smooth tone and high-end definition. The Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers are traditional, hum-cancelling bass pickups that are wax potted and then filled with epoxy, producing a full frequency, heavy-bottom sound similar to pickups with a passive EQ. They deliver the huge, powerful bass tone the Thunderbird IV is renowned for. The Black TopHat controls come with chrome metal inserts and feature Epiphone-standard 1” diameter potentiometers for better “throw,” longer life and reliable service. Controls include neck volume, bridge volume, master tone and neck pickup tone.
Rock Solid Epiphone Hardware
Epiphone hardware is the envy of the industry and the Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO features premium, die-cast 14:1 bass machine heads and an Epiphone 3-point adjustable bridge, much like the original design but made even more reliable. The 3-point adjustable bridge gives players the ability to fine-tune the height of the Classic-IV PRO’s bass strings in all directions—front, back and side-to-side—giving the bridge a “floating” profile and allowing the bass to be equipped with a variety of string gauges and multiple set-up options. The Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO’s legendary resonance, tone and sustain is the result of anchoring the bridge directly into the body at its three adjustable points, which provides a firm seating for the strings and yields a strong union between the strings and body. Readily accessible screws make setting the intonation simple and unproblematic. And, of course, the white pickguard features the iconic Thunderbird logo.
- Body: mahogany body wings
- Neck: 7-ply mahogany/walnut
- Neck Profile: 1960s rounded bass profile
- Neck joint: through-neck
- Fingerboard: pearloid dot inlays
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"
- Frets: 20-medium jumbo, nickel/silver alloy
- Scale Length: 34"
- Nut Width: 1.50"
- Neck Pickup: Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers
- Bridge Pickup: Gibson TB Plus™ humbuckers
- Bridge: classic style 3-point adjustable Flush-Mount, fully adjustable
- Controls: -neck volume -bridge volume -master tone
- Tuners: black die-cast 17:1 ratio
- Hardware: black
- Control knobs: black TopHats with chrome metal inserts
- Optional: hard case with black vinyl exterior, gray plush interior and chrome hardware
- Color: Alpine White and Vintage Sunburst
- Typical Weight (+/- 5%): 8.7 lbs