Epiphone Thunderbird IV VSB

I bought this to pair up with my older heavily modified Epibird, refinished it and did the same mods (new machine heads, brass nut, EMG TBHZ pickups and no pickguard). The thing is that as no matter how much I love Thunderbirds, they are far from flawless. The bridge can be a bitch to adjust and to play at all, so im looking to upgrade those to Hipshots in the future. The tuning keys on my first one became bad really quickly and I think the original pickups are a bit limited, so in other words, mine become work projects for a while before it becomes playable as i like it. But thats just my personal preferences. The neck is also very weak by the headstock, my old one cracked halfway off and needed a gluejob. It now seems more sturdy then ever!
If you want a standard Thunderbird for a fair price, go for it! They look, sound and play great for those who are into them, its no a very versatile bass. I dont think they are as neckheavy or "clumsy" as many put it, although thats just my opinion. But its far from a flawless instrument.

Bought this guitar around april 2013.

My first thoughts on this Bass were very good, It looked and felt amazing, a bit heavy but comfortable enough to play.
The sound that this in combination with my Orange Crush 100bxt blasts is superb, really love the deep but still trebly bass sound. It has a nice rock and maybe even metal sound.

However after half a year the jack output connector of the bass was coming loose, and the washer that are on the tuning machines are breaking. I always handle my guitars with care and keep them in their bags safely stored away, so it really as some flaws.
I think there's a lack of quality on the used electronics and mechanics on this Bass.

But for a 250€ bass guitar i think it's a nice axe.

This, all round is a pretty damn good bass. It has the stringy punch similar to that found in a Rickenbacker as well as the round warmth found in something like a Jazz bass making it brilliantly versatile. Playing it through my Trace Elliot combo the sounds and tones achievable is enormous and I'm very, very pleased with how easy it is to get them. The Pick up dials and tone dial don't just give an all or nothing sound like you often find in Ibanez, or even fender basses; put the dial half way and you can hear the difference! Its stunning to look at, and lives up to the pictured expectations. Its also very easy to clean!!
My only complaints are that the strings that come with it are very tinny sounding ( I know strings always are when new, but these were exceptionally so) and the upper strap peg is in the daft old place, behind the neck, which will take some getting used to!
In all though, for £205 a true bargain! More than happy I bought it and would definatley recommend it.

Epiphone continues to surprise me in a very positive way. Been in a band with a bass player who is owner of an Epiphone Thunderbird and it had a great sound, even compared to some of his more expensive basses. When it was time to get myself a bass, mainly for studio recording, Epiphone Thunderbird felt like a great choice.

The mahogny body is heavy which gives it a robust feeling and adds to the deep sound of the instrument. The graining on the bass I got from Thomann was absolutely beautiful. The pickups are clear and distinct. It is of course not a Gibson, but among the Epiphone versions I played this is by far the closets to a Gibson I've ever tried. Could highly recommend it to anyone in search of a great sounding, nice looking and comfortable instrument to a very affordable price.