Hi beautiful people! I have just lately, recently got into The Who and of course, instantly fell in love with John Entwistle. And Then, I remembered…I came across this bass at my local music store and I thought, “it looks like his explorer bass and, it is a thunderbird which he also played!” this model is the Thunderbird Pro 4. Any experiences? Pros, and cons? i’d love to know!
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No everyone can pull off the T-Bird, I know I can’t 
I’ve been trying to pull the trigger on a Rex Brown several times
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A T-bird! An excellent choice sir. I’ve been the proud owner of an Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro for the last few years and it’s been a blast.
Pros
Stunning good looks
Versatile punchy tone
Good output level (for a passive) - easy to record
Surprisingly ergonomic shape
Slim neck
It’s a Thunderbird
Cons
Quite (reassuringly) heavy, especially on the left shoulder (for right-handed bass)
Difficult to adjust the tuning while standing unless you have long arms
Too big for a standard gig bag / case
Some people complain about neck dive but they most probably have never played one - maybe it was true for the older models but I haven’t noticed it for the new ones (oh did my old Hofner have serious dive issues…). If you’re worried then get a decent strap and you won’t have problems.
That instrument in your picture is a keeper 
. I love the wood. I guess each pickup has volume and tone ?
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Very very classic and cool looking bass.
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That’s the prettiest Thunderbird I have seen so far. Not my style, but this one looks very classy indeed!
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Yea it does…if I can remember, it was made around 2020 and discontinued after a short while…(thats what I remember, so it may probably be wrong)
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I do not own a t-bird, so take this with a grain of salt, but they are reportedly extremely neck divey and not comfortable to play.
Check out the youtuber AMP. He has t-bird and may have done a video on it - he has a love/hate relationship with it, which seems par for the course for these models.
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That is one good looking Thunderbird.
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Due disclosure: I am a Thunderbird user and fan.
I’ve had one for about 20 years, a Gibson Studio IV purchased in Ishibashi music store in Osaka, Japan. It took me some getting used to because of the weight and the length of that neck. Despite having played a range of basses from most major brands professionally, the Thunderbird is what I have used the most, from gigging to recording. I find the neck is easy to play, and it offers a range of versatile tones for most genres, and not just Dad rock, as it is often depicted.
Above all, the T-bird has been the only bass I’ve played to really hold its own in my live band mixes, with even 2 or 3 guitars going. It annoys me (a bit) to see that most Youtube reviewers use a pick, some exclusively, to play it for a variety of reasons. I don’t and never have used a pick with the T-bird and it sounds great!
My only advice/comments is to get a really good thick strap if you are playing standing up for hours with one, and if you use (I stress, crowded) public transport such as buses and subways like me to get around, you may find it a bit challenging lugging those cases off and on. Forget normal gig bags, which I don’t advise anyway because of that thin neck.
But I get by and these days with my shaggy grey beard, that kinda forces other commuters (sometimes) to give grandpa some room!
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