Having made its debut in the early 1960s, Gibson has mixed the timeless traits of the Thunderbird Bass with feature upgrades for today’s musicians
Gibson has launched a new version of the Thunderbird™ Bass, with new finishes and specifications that blend its historical characteristics with modern upgrades. The new model is available worldwide via authorized dealers, Gibson Garage locations, and Gibson.com, and comes in two finishes: Ebony and Tobacco Burst Perimeter.
First introduced in 1963, the original Thunderbird was designed by renowned automotive designer Ray Dietrich, who also created the Gibson Firebird™. This formative model featured a bold, curvaceous, and asymmetrical body shape that was groundbreaking at the time and remains instantly recognizable today.
The new Gibson Thunderbird comes in Ebony and Tobacco Burst Perimeter finishes
Early Thunderbird models were built with a nine-ply neck-through-body design with mahogany wings, marking the first use of neck-through construction on a Gibson bass. It was also the first Gibson bass to feature a long 34-inch scale length, departing from the shorter 30.5-inch scale used previously.
This modernized version features a solid mahogany body in the classic Reverse shape, complete with a raised center section that evokes the look of the early neck-through design. It has a glued-in, set mahogany neck with a fast SlimTaper™ profile, and an updated Non-Reverse style headstock to make tuning intuitive and familiar for today’s players. Modern hardware upgrades include Hipshot® Ultralite® Mini Clover tuners and a Hipshot Supertone bridge that provides full intonation control and adjustable action height.
The Thunderbird is powered by two EB Bass humbucker™ high-output pickups, with independent volume controls that allow players to blend and experiment with tones. A master tone control provides additional shaping, and of course, this bass wouldn’t be complete without its signature three-ply white pickguard showcasing the Thunderbird logo. Each Thunderbird Bass also ships with a Gibson hardshell case.
Find out more about the Gibson Thunderbird Bass and shop now.
