Gibson Celebrates With 50th Anniversary Thunderbird Bass

Fifty years ago, Gibson stepped out with an edgy line of guitars and basses, respectively named the Firebird and the Thunderbird. The company is now celebrating the design with a 50th Anniversary Thunderbird Bass.

Gibson 50th Anniversary Thunderbird Bass

Finished with Gold Bullion in a high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, the bass sports through-neck construction with a mahogany body, a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard with pearloid dot inlays. Its pickguard is hot-stamped with a gold Thunderbird logo and the inscription “50th Anniversary 1963-2013” to commemorate the occasion.

The bass’s pickups are a pair of the company’s iconic T-Bird bass pickups with ceramic magnets for “enhanced punch and clarity.” Its controls are configured for Volume, Volume, and Tone. Hardware on the bass includes a three-point Thunderbird bridge with individually adjustable saddles and Grover tuners, all of which are gold-plated.

The Gibson 50th Anniversary Thunderbird Bass is available now with a street price of $1,999.

Gibson 50th Anniversary Thunderbird Bass Specs:

Construction:Neck-Through
Body:Mahogany
Neck:Mahogany with Rounded Profile
Fingerboard:Rosewood
Inlays:Pearloid Dot
Pickups:Thunderbird Bass
Controls:Volume, Volume, Tone
Hardware:Gold-Plated
Bridge:Three Point with Adjustable Saddles
Tuners:Grover Bass Tuners with 20:1 Ratio
Pickguard:Black Plastic Hot Stamped in Gold
Finish:Bullion Gold
Accessories:Gibson Hardshell Case

For more information:
Gibson

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Leave a Reply to Connor Maggart Cancel reply

  1. Sorry, Big T-Bird fan, but not diggin’ the color!

    • Yea they got the bridge and pickups way wrong sadly. A reisseue of what?

    • I don’t see it saying reissue anywhere in the article…but yeah, you’d think they might stay close to the original specs to celebrate the anniversary. Although those silver anniversary strats leap to mind as a similar, um, “milestone tribute”.

  2. In the sixties, my brother had a six string Firebird that was teal in color. I’ve never seen another since. Was that an original color?

  3. I can deal with the 3-point bridge, though I wish they would bring out the very elegant looking two-piece bridge/tailpiece, but at least bring out the chrome (or in this case, gold) pickup covers.

  4. Thanks Gibson for another overpriced 4-stringer…

  5. what’s up with every one now coming out with these waaaaaaaay over priced reissues.

  6. 2k, really? Not for the workin man (or woman). Pass

  7. I wonder how top heavy it is.

  8. You can polish a turd, but it’ll still be a turd; at least Gibson could’ve made it look period-correct by giving the bass the 2-piece bridge, the metal pickup covers and one of the Gibson custom colors at the time, Golden Mist Poly and we can’t forget the elongated foot-long headstock with the full-sized tuners either.

  9. For (roughly) the same price, you can buy a vintage T- not cool, Gibson.

  10. DL

    Typical musician BS. “I cant afford it, so therefore its overpriced” Not to mention judging it without even playing it.