• Great bass, good build, cheap electronics

  
  As reviewed by Captain Piyos on 5/24/2011

  I'll be honest, I fell in love with the natural oil finish 5-string version of the Epiphone Thunderbird Pro after I saw a picture of it in a magazine ad. If you've ever played a regular Epiphone Thunderbird, please try to forget your bad experience; this bass is an entirely different animal. The Thunderbird Pro sounds much brighter and P-bass like than the non-pro Thunderbird (which is awfully muddy sounding). I typically play with the neck pickup solo'd, and it has a full, rich, bright sound that has just the right amount of growl (especially great if you play with a pick). The neck has the perfect spacing between strings, and with a proper setup it plays like a dream. Epiphone hit a home run with this bass when it comes to the build of the body and neck. The fit and finish of my bass is great. The only dings on it were due to idiots mistreating on the G.C. showroom floor...I bought it knowing it had a few scratches because I got a discount. Don't be detoured by the rumors of bad pickups on the 5-string model. That was a problem with the first run of basses, but it has been corrected on current models. My bass (bought new in early 2011) has absolutely no problem picking up the low B string. In case you're wondering, the neck position strap button is located behind the neck (as opposed to the upper arm) so neck dive on this bass is not an issue. The bridge position strap button is located in the center of the bass on the bottom. I relocated it about three inches higher and now it really sits well without tipping forward or toward the headstock. The only downfall with this bass is the electronics. Mine came with a buzz attributable to improper grounding. The potentiometers in this bass are cheap, as is the jack and wiring. I replaced all the pots, the jack, and redid the wiring to ensure everything was grounded right. The bass has no more buzz or hiss as a result. This took about an hour of time, and about $20 in parts. A small investment to achieve a terrific sound. Bottom line: I love this bass. I really recommend it to anyone looking for a great 5-string that doesn't cost a fortune and will handle any rock gig with ease.

  3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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• Epiphone 5 string

  
  As reviewed by Johnny B on 1/31/2011

  I just bought a used natural finish tbird and love it. In the store two people walked past as I was playin it and said "You should buy it ,it sounds awesome" I demoed thru a newer GK head and GK/ 4-10 cab. I use an older GK 800RB and and old GK 4-10 Cab. Played it last night for 2 , 1 1/2 Sets and it never went out of tune and the Low B was kicking my ass. I had to adjust eq to trim some low off! Very Pleased! For the Price!

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• yes sir,

  
  As reviewed by bell on 1/3/2011

  i like this guitar. i had a few other 5 string and the heavier string gauge always becomes more of a feel. this is common. easy fix is adjusting string gauges accordingly (ie. dont count on bigger being better and start putting some thought towards speakers), and putting treble into your sound, also raising pickup. some say the head dips, but... figure it out, need to think about some science (leverage). very good guitar.

  2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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